Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour — Guide Kazu
November, 2024
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 Meet at Kyoto Station 9:30 JR Saga-Arashiyama Station 9:45 Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple 10:50 Daikaku-ji Temple 11:40 Togetsukyo Bridge 12:15 Short break (lunch) 12:50 Tenryu-ji Temple 13:30 Bamboo Grove
- 14:30 Yasaka Pagoda 15:00 Kiyomizu-dera Temple 16:00 Return to the approach of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and end the tour as the guests wished to do shopping on their own
What Is a Private Autumn Foliage Photography Tour in Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. Photographing Japan's autumn foliage appeared to be the main purpose of their trip. The autumn colors were near their peak in many places, and the vivid reds and yellows were so beautiful that I couldn't resist taking a few photos myself as well. It was a cold day, but the weather was good and it made for wonderful autumn leaf viewing. Photography took some time, but because the guests walked quickly, did not do much shopping, and luckily we caught the bus both times without any wait, the tour progressed very smoothly. The guests were quiet and asked almost no questions, but listened carefully to my explanations. When we finished at Kiyomizu-dera Temple at 4:00, the guests said that from there they would only be shopping, so they wished to end the tour, and we concluded at the shopping street along the approach to Kiyomizu-dera. The photo was taken at the Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Kyoto～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | JR Saga-Arashiyama～Toriimoto Bus Stop | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Daikaku-ji Temple～Arashiyama | 230JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | JR Saga-Arashiyama～JR Nijo | 200JPY |
| Section 5 | Subway | Nijo～Higashiyama | 260JPY |
| Section 6 | Bus | Higashiyama-Sanjo～Kiyomizu-michi | 230JPY |
| Total | 1,160JPY | ||
I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep…
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep knowledge about the history and culture of Japan. He is flexible and accommodates changes if you so desire. He is also very empathetic. I had a sprained back and he ensured we took elevators everywhere. You will be lucky if he is assigned as your guide .
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience…
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience on the tour. We travelled all around Kyoto with our guide Kazuo Sumi. He is a sweet older gentleman who had a great depth of knowledge about each place we went to. We told him places we wanted to go and he made the itinerary for us. There is no one better to have as your guide!!
Jul 16, 2026
margaretsM7923ON
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Great way to see Kyoto
Wonderful tour and exceptional guide.
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided…
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided some excellent recommendations. There’s a lot of walking so make sure you are prepared.