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 meetup
- 9:40 Fushimi Inari
- 11:10 Kinkaku-ji
- 12:15 Lunch (sushi)
- 13:30 Yasaka Pagoda
- 14:10 Short break near the entrance of Kiyomizu-dera
- 14:15 The children got tired from the heat, etc., so we decided to return to the hotel.
- 14:40 Took a taxi to send them to the hotel and ended the tour
What Is a Private Kyoto Tour Like on a Hot Summer Day? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. Originally from Asia, the guests had come from a hotel located a little away from the meeting point, as the hotel arranged for the meeting was apparently different from where they were actually staying. Unfortunately, because one member of the group was not feeling well and needed to be cared for, only two members of the group ended up taking part in the tour. One of the guests seemed a little unsure at times. It was another very hot day, which seemed hard on the guest. After visiting Kinkaku-ji, the group had a good meal at a sushi restaurant, so I thought the afternoon visit to Kiyomizu-dera would be fine, but walking up the hill to Kiyomizu-dera from Higashioji proved tiring. Just as we were about to reach Kiyomizu-dera, after a short break, one of the guests asked to end the tour there. The guest no longer felt like walking. As it was such a hot day, this was understandable. The photo was taken at Kinkaku-ji.
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Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Free Pass | Subway Shijo～Subway Kyoto | 1,100JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Kyoto～Inari | 150JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Inari～Enmachi | 200JPY |
| Section 4 | Free Pass | Enmachi～Kinkakuji-michi | 0JPY |
| Section 5 | Free Pass | Waratenjin-mae～Nishioji Oike | 0JPY |
| Section 6 | Free Pass | Nishioji Oike～Higashiyama | 0JPY |
| Section 7 | Free Pass | Higashiyama Sanjo～Kiyomizu-michi | 0JPY |
| Section 8 | Other | Kiyomizu-michi～Sanjo Shinmachi | 0JPY |
| Total | 1,450JPY | ||
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.