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
- 8:25 Meet at hotel 9:00 Nijo Castle 10:15 Kyoto Imperial Palace 11:35 Lunch (chicken cuisine) 12:50 Yasaka Pagoda 13:10 Kiyomizu-dera Temple 14:15 Kodai-ji Temple 14:50 Tour ends

What Is a Private Day Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. The tour was scheduled to start at 8:15, but the guests appeared in the lobby about 10 minutes late. They requested a chicken dish for lunch, so based on the itinerary I made a reservation at "Kushikura" on Takakura Oike-agaru. It is a place with a nice atmosphere and good food, but as I had also felt on a previous visit, its drawback is that the food takes a long time to arrive. It took about 25 minutes for what we ordered to come out. As a result, we spent an hour on lunch. Kiyomizu-dera Temple was also on the itinerary, and since it was very crowded, it took more time than expected, so by the time we finished the tour at Kodai-ji Temple, we were more than 30 minutes over schedule. When we had discussed the itinerary, we had planned that I would guide them to Nishiki Market after the tour, but in the end they went there on their own. Today it reached nearly 30 degrees, hot enough to call it summer. The guests walked well and did not do any extra shopping, which I was grateful for. The photo was taken at Kodai-ji Temple.
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 | Sanjo Keihan~Nijojo-mae | 1,100JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Nijojo-mae~Imadegawa | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Imadegawa~Karasuma Oike | 0JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Karasuma Oike~Higashiyama | 0JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Higashiyama Sanjo~Kiyomizu-michi | 0JPY |
| Total | 1,100JPY | ||
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.
