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 10:00 Meet at HOTEL THE MITSUI
- ② 10:05 Itinerary explanation and explanation about the history of Kyoto
- ③ 11:00 Kinkaku-ji Temple
- ④ 12:20 Daisen-in Temple
- ⑤ 14:00 Sanjusangendo
- ⑥ 15:30 Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- ⑦ 16:30 Disband at Fushimi Inari
A Private Kyoto Day Tour Report: What Do History-Loving Guests Enjoy? A Licensed Guide's Notes
The guests were visiting from North America on a trip to celebrate a graduation. They told me that Kanazawa's Kenrokuen Garden and the samurai residences had left a strong impression on them for their rich history and beauty, so I made a real effort to show that Kyoto could hold its own. I believe they were especially pleased with the dry landscape garden at Daisen-in and with Sanjusangen-do. When I explained that most shrines and temples in Kyoto had at some point burned down during events such as the Onin War or the Meiji Restoration and were later rebuilt, they seemed to have a strong desire to see genuine sites with centuries of history. When I mentioned that the Golden Pavilion had been rebuilt after an arson more than 70 years ago, they were rather disappointed, and in turn asked me what the significance was of so many people visiting it. By contrast, when I explained that everything at Daisen-in and Sanjusangen-do was original and more than 500 years old, they were delighted. They said that their own country has a relatively short history. They found it a pity that photography was not allowed inside. However, at Daisen-in, while all the halls and gardens had previously been off-limits for photography, only a few weeks ago it became possible to take photographs of the dry landscape garden.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
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.