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.
Tour Itinerary
- 11:00 Meeting: Kyoto Station (Shinkansen Central Gate)
- 11:20 Sightseeing ①: Nijo Castle
- 12:40 Sightseeing ②: Kyoto Imperial Palace
- 13:20 Break
- 14:25 Sightseeing ③: Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove Path ⇒ Togetsukyo Bridge)
- 15:45 Sightseeing ④: Nishiki Market ⇒ Pontocho
- 17:00 Dismissal: Pontocho
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 11:00 at Kyoto Station (Shinkansen Central Gate) and ended at 17:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish. It included break at 13:20.
Over the course of the day the route took in Nijo Castle at 11:20, Kyoto Imperial Palace at 12:40, Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove Path ⇒ Togetsukyo Bridge) at 14:25 and Nishiki Market ⇒ Pontocho at 15:45.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Kyoto to Nijojo-mae by subway (260JPY); Nijojo-mae to Imadegawa by subway (220JPY); Imadegawa to Nijo by subway (260JPY); Nijo to Saga-Arashiyama by train (200JPY); Arashiyama (Hankyu Line) to Karasuma by train (240JPY). Across 5 sections the fare came to 1,180JPY per person.
Title: What's a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like from Kyoto Station? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests this time were a group visiting Japan from North America. Prior contact with me was handled by one of the guests. It was everyone's first visit to Japan, on a ten-day itinerary; for the first half they were based at a hotel in Osaka to sightsee in Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, and for the second half they planned to move to Tokyo and explore the metropolitan area.
All of the guests were interested in modern Japanese culture, but they also seemed to have a deep interest in history. From that perspective, the itinerary became: Nijo Castle ⇒ Kyoto Imperial Palace ⇒ Arashiyama ⇒ Nishiki Market and Pontocho. During the planning stage beforehand, I considered whether the hotel in Osaka might work as a meeting point, but the guests wanted to travel from Osaka to Kyoto by shinkansen, so the meeting point became the "Shinkansen Central Gate" at Kyoto Station. Since all transportation used public transit (subway, JR, and private railways), everything proceeded very smoothly, and we were able to sightsee almost exactly according to the itinerary. The guests were delighted, telling me they had "a great time."
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Kyoto～Nijojo-mae | 260JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Nijojo-mae～Imadegawa | 220JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Imadegawa～Nijo | 260JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Nijo～Saga-Arashiyama | 200JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Arashiyama (Hankyu Line)～Karasuma | 240JPY |
| Total | 1,180JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Kyoto tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at Kyoto Station (Shinkansen Central Gate) at 11:00, and the tour finished at : Pontocho at 17:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 6 hours in total, from 11:00 to 17:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Nijo Castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove Path ⇒ Togetsukyo Bridge) and Nishiki Market ⇒ Pontocho.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,180JPY per person across 5 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Nori is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kyoto itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.
Aug 10, 2026
Paul_H
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kind and knowledgeable guide – highly recommended
Nori communicated…
Aug 10, 2026
Paul_H
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kind and knowledgeable guide – highly recommended
Nori communicated with us before our trip and took great care to plan our personalized itinerary. He took us to some beautiful Temples and as a retired educator, shared his great knowledge about Japan’s history and all the places we visited. He paced our tour to our comfort level. I would strongly recommend a private tour when you have limited time to tour Kyoto. It was a wonderful way to see this beautiful city.
Apr 9, 2026
Ron_W
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We saw so much in the…
We saw so much in the…
Apr 9, 2026
Ron_W
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We saw so much in the…
We saw so much in the time we had. Nori explained the history of all places we visited. He
was so passionate about everything, we were very lucky to have him as tour guide.
Mar 24, 2026
zackn719
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Knowledgeable guide and a great tour
We did our private tour with…
Mar 24, 2026
zackn719
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Knowledgeable guide and a great tour
We did our private tour with Kamon-San, and he was a great guide to show off the sites and features of Nara! He got their early, and had a detailed and interesting schedule planned for us, including several of the local shrines and temples, allowing us to also enjoy the deer throughout our tour.
He also took us to a nice local restaurant where we were able to enjoy some of the best soba and catsu curry we had all trip! Kamon-san’s insights and trivia were definitely one of the top highlights from our entire trip to Japan! We would strongly recommend not just Nara but this guided tour to anyone who wants to appreciate more than just the deer!
Oct 20, 2025
66speech
Highlights of Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience with Nori. Nori exceeded our expectations with…
Oct 20, 2025
66speech
Highlights of Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience with Nori. Nori exceeded our expectations with his knowledge of Kyoto history and culture. Well paced tour, covered Imperial Palace, temples, shrines, Bamboo Grove and Arashiyama. Helpful with navigating rail system. Very worth while. Nori earns highest rating possible.