Others: Nijo Castle & Kiyomizu-dera Temple — Guide Satoko

What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour with a Licensed Guide Like? A Guide's Report on Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji, Fushimi Inari, and Kiyomizu-dera

From the beginning, I had been communicating with the person who booked the tour. According to them, the group would consist of some of the guests along with other members of the group. Initially, they mentioned that they wanted to show part of the group around Kyoto first, and then have the others join later in Nara. Since I was unsure whether it was appropriate to include Nara in a Kyoto tour, I consulted [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/), and [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) explained to them that an additional fee would apply. At that time, they decided to skip Nara and instead take their time exploring Kyoto, so they requested a two-hour extension. However, when we actually met up, some of the guests decided not to participate as they wanted to explore on their own, so the tour ended up being just for the rest of the group.

Thanks to this, the three of us, including myself, were able to use the large van spaciously. At Nijo Castle, the guests were moved by the paintings on the sliding doors and the beauty of the garden. At Kinkaku-ji, they were impressed by the beauty of the autumn foliage and the reflection of the golden pavilion on the water's surface. After having lunch at a restaurant, we headed to Fushimi Inari Shrine. Perhaps because it was crowded in the afternoon, they seemed a bit put off by the crowds and moved through fairly quickly. Next, we went to Sanjusangendo. There, the guests were greatly overwhelmed by the thousand statues of Kannon. They were also very moved by how ancient the building was. Since the guests were originally Buddhists, at each place they visited they offered coins, put their hands together in prayer before the statues, and offered incense. At Kiyomizu-dera as well, they listened with interest to my explanation of the statues in the inner sanctuary. They were also very moved by the view of Kyoto seen from the height of the mountain, the autumn foliage, and the Koyasu Pagoda visible on the other side. Thanks to the two-hour extension, we were able to visit each site without rushing. In the car, I received many questions about topics such as Japanese education and home-buying, and I myself had a very enjoyable time.

There is one point I would like to share with [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/). The driver seemed to know the meeting place for the day and arrived on time, but they said they had not been informed of the two-hour extension or the details of the course. Since the driver knew the meeting place and time, I believe [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) had properly contacted the taxi company, including about the day's itinerary, but there is a possibility that the taxi company did not properly relay this to the driver. Going forward, I think it would be good for [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) to confirm this point as well, so I am reporting it.

The photo was taken beneath the autumn foliage at Kinkaku-ji. I myself was moved by the gradation of the colors, so I took the picture.

Click here for more details: 【Guide & Private Vehicle Tour】Extension Fee per Hour

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!

Area not found: "Others". Use the exact published Area title.