Where does this Kyoto tour start and finish?

The guide met the guests at Hotel meet at 8:00, and the tour finished at hotel, at 13:45.

How long does the tour last?

About 5 hours and 45 minutes in total, from 8:00 to 13:45.

Which places does this itinerary cover?

This tour visited Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Short break and Nijo Castle.

Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?

Kazu is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?

Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kyoto itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.

Kyoto: Fushimi Inari & Nijo Castle — Guide Kazu

August, 2025

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

8:00 Hotel meet
8:30 Fushimi Inari
9:50 Kinkaku-ji
11:00 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
11:35 Short break
12:35 Nijo Castle
13:45 Return to hotel, tour ends

Tour Itinerary in Detail

Meeting at Hotel meet at 8:00, the group explored Kyoto until the tour ended at 13:45. The day ran to 5 hours and 45 minutes from start to finish.

The itinerary covered Fushimi Inari at 8:30, Kinkaku-ji at 9:50, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove at 11:00, Short break at 11:35 and Nijo Castle at 12:35.

What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour by Car Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan, with some coming from Europe and some from Oceania. It was another hot day, so I was glad we had a private vehicle. Perhaps because they had visited Kiyomizu-dera the day before, everyone seemed tired starting around Kinkaku-ji. At the bamboo grove in Arashiyama, some of the guests stopped before the slope and waited for the others to return. After a short break, we went to Nijo Castle, but because of the heat, we only toured the Ninomaru. Since we were traveling by microbus, we had to walk from a drop-off point some distance away at Fushimi Inari, which took some time, but thanks to everyone's cooperation, the tour went more smoothly than expected. The photo was taken at Kinkaku-ji.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by KAZU

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.

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