Kyoto: Thousand Kyoto & Hiranoya for Matcha — Guide Kazz

March, 2025

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

  • 09:00 The Thousand Kyoto
  • 09:30 Genko-an (300)
  • 10:40 Adashino Nenbutsuji (500)
  • 11:30 Gioji (300)
  • Lunch（Sensen）
  • 13:00 Nison-in
  • 14:00 Bamboo grove
  • 14:30 Hiranoya for Matcha
  • 15:30 The Thousand Kyoto
  • End of the tour

Tour Itinerary in Detail

From there the group visited Thousand Kyoto at 09:00, Genko-an (300) at 09:30, Adashino Nenbutsuji (500) at 10:40, Gioji (300) at 11:30, Nison-in at 13:00, Bamboo grove at 14:00, Hiranoya for Matcha at 14:30 and Thousand Kyoto at 15:30.

What Is a Private Off-the-Beaten-Path Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from North America. One of the guests was wearing a crisp blue shirt. They happened to resemble a well-known filmmaker, so I chatted about various films, though they were not familiar with them. One of the guests had a keen interest in photography and always carried a couple of compact cameras for travel. At the group's request, the destinations were mostly lesser-known spots, which gave me the chance to experience guiding a Kyoto tour that was different from usual. They were delighted to be able to take many different photos. Since they also wished to try matcha, we finished by enjoying oshinko mochi and matcha at Hiranoya, which, while not a formal tea ceremony, was still lovely. In the quiet atmosphere, one of the guests remarked that it felt "just like being in the countryside," and they enjoyed that ambience. As they were taking the 18:00 bullet train to Tokyo, I saw them off at their hotel and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Kazz

I’m Ryoichi Kazuma and my nickname is “Kazz”. I live in Kyotanabe city next to Kyoto city. I want guests to enjoy Kyoto by seeing and experiencing not only from outside but also from inside. I offer various information from daily matters to traditional cultures. Most destinations in Kyoto are located on the eastern side or the western side. As I want to guide guests to as many destinations as possible, I make an efficient itinerary and recommend a taxi use to save time. Additionally, I take pictures at various spots and finally share the link to my storage. By doing so, guests can download their favorite pictures from my storage. Please enjoy Kyoto night and day!

Request Booking

Sep 25, 2026
Marvin_F
Kazz is an outstanding…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Kazz is an outstanding experiencedand friendly…

Sep 21, 2026
Laura_K
Day in Kyoto with Kazz
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazz was an amazing…

Aug 27, 2026
M6034YWthomasm
Worth it
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
The day went by so quickly, a…

Aug 10, 2026
Sez042
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Awesome experience
Tour guide Kazz was great. Very informative and showed…