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
- ① 08:30 Meet at JR Kyoto Station Platform 9, explain the itinerary in the car, explain the history of Kyoto
- ② 08:45 Fushimi Inari
- ③ 10:30 Return to Kyoto Station, collect the guest's bag (coin locker), head to the hotel and drop off just the luggage at the hotel
- ④ 11:10 Nijo Castle
- ⑤ 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant in the city
- ⑥ 14:10 Kinkaku-ji
- ⑦ 15:00 Pontocho
- ⑧ 15:30 Disband at Gion-Shijo
Title: What's a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour with Fushimi Inari, Nijo Castle, and Kinkaku-ji Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting from Europe, and it was their first time in both Japan and Kyoto. At the guests' request, the tour centered on Fushimi Inari, Nijo Castle, and Kinkaku-ji. They asked many questions not only about Japanese culture and history but also about the Japanese language. They handled several languages with ease, including French, German, English, and Italian. Throughout the tour, they asked many questions and listened attentively and intently to my explanations. In Kyoto, with the cherry blossoms in full bloom since around last week, there were many overseas groups, and the sudden increase in school excursion students made it quite crowded. They also sighed at how incredibly busy it was today, but as we parted they told me they were grateful that I had explained so much despite the crowds, which made me happy.
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 | Train | JR Kyoto～Inari | 150JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Inari～Kyoto | 150JPY |
| Total | 300JPY | ||
Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable.…
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable. Spoke perfect English and made the day fun and educational. Was able to adjust the tour based on my needs.
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu…
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu san in Kyoto. From the moment that the tour was booked, his communication with email about planning the day was exceptional.
Kazu gave detailed explanations about the areas we visited and we appreciated all that he had to offer at each of our stops.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu.…
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu. By the end of the day, we felt like we had made a new friend.
Kazu helped us arrange the best day with our short time in Kyoto. He brought us to some “hidden gems” and gave us thorough explanations on history and culture.
I would highly recommend this tour.
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide…
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide Kazu was very knowledgeable in terms of the history and explaining many of
the wonderful ancient sites around Kyoto. Definitely a must! Otherwise, I think it would be
difficult to tourists to understand on their own.