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
- 10:00 Hotel Meet 10:30 Nijo Castle 12:20 Kinkaku-ji Temple 13:35 Lunch (Sushi) 15:00 Kyoto Imperial Palace 16:00 Tour Ends

What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Kinkaku-ji, Sushi, and the Imperial Palace
The guests visited Japan from North America. One of the guests had been to Japan several times before but was visiting Kyoto for sightseeing for the first time, while the others were visiting Japan for the first time. Everyone was energetic and cheerful, and they asked many questions, which made guiding them easy. The weather was fine, not too hot, and very comfortable. As it was a national holiday, many places were quite crowded. In particular, the bus to Kinkaku-ji was extremely packed. However, at Kinkaku-ji, visitors were lined up in an orderly manner from in front of the gate, so even though the line was long, it moved very smoothly. This was partly because there were no large tour groups at that time. For lunch we went to a sushi restaurant, which was also extremely crowded, but since we had a reservation we were able to be seated on time, which was good. I had planned to guide them as far as Gion, but by the time we finished at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, six hours had passed, and the guests said we could finish there, so the tour ended at 4:00 p.m. The photo was taken at the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
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 | Free Pass | Kiyomizu-michi~Higashiyama-sanjo | 1,100JPY |
| Section 2 | Free Pass | Higashiyama~Nijojo-mae | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Free Pass | Nijojo-mae~Nishioji-oike | 0JPY |
| Section 4 | Free Pass | Nishioji-oike~Kinkakuji-michi | 0JPY |
| Section 5 | Free Pass | Wara Tenjin~Karasuma-Imadegawa | 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.
