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 Hotel meet 9:25 Kinkaku-ji Temple 10:30 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 11:10 Lunch (tempura) 12:30 Ryoan-ji Temple 13:50 Nijo Castle 15:00 Gion
- 16:00 Tour ended one hour early at the guest's request, as they were tired
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Nijo Castle, Gion, and Arashiyama
The guest came to Japan from Europe. The guest appeared to be retired and enjoying traveling. On this trip, the guest had also traveled through other parts of Asia before arriving in Japan. The guest seemed very interested in anything electrical and was busy photographing power lines around the city. Since the guest did not like being in photos, I was never asked to take pictures and could focus entirely on guiding. We used taxis several times. After finishing at Nijo Castle, the guest asked to end the tour one hour early, at 4:00 p.m. After I guided them around Gion, they headed back to the hotel by taxi. It was a day with a slightly cold wind, but sunny breaks made it a comfortable day for sightseeing. The cherry blossoms varied by variety, with some near full bloom and others still in bud. The photo was taken at a tempura restaurant 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 | Other | Kyoto Brighton Hotel～Kinkaku-ji Temple | 0JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Kinkaku-ji Temple～JR Enmachi | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Enmachi～Saga-Arashiyama | 190JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Randen Arashiyama～Ryoan-ji Temple | 250JPY |
| Section 5 | Other | Ryoan-ji Temple～Nishioji Oike | 0JPY |
| Section 6 | Subway | Nishioji Oike～Higashiyama | 260JPY |
| Section 7 | Bus | Higashiyama Sanjo～Gion | 230JPY |
| Total | 930JPY | ||
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.