Hyogo in One Day: to 11:45 Gion Hanamikoji — Guide Haru
October, 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
- 08:30 Meet at Kobe Port Terminal
- 10:00 to 10:45 Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- 11:10 to 11:45 Gion Hanamikoji
- 12:20 to 13:10 Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- 13:30 to 14:00 Sagano Bamboo Grove, Arashiyama Togetsukyo Bridge
- 14:15 to 15:00 Lunch at Kura Sushi
- 16:15 Dismiss at Kobe Port Terminal
Title: What Is a Private Day Trip from Kobe Port to Kyoto Like for Cruise Passengers? A Licensed Guide's Report
Today's guests were a group of relatives visiting from North America. Although one member of the group had some difficulty walking, we were able to carry out the planned tour as scheduled. Since the guests needed to return to their ship by 17:00, we left Kyoto early. However, there was no traffic congestion, so it looked like we would be able to return to Kobe Port a little after 16:00, giving us some extra time.
I consulted with the driver about spending some time at Meriken Park so the guests could relax there, and I also communicated this plan to the guests. However, the driver returned directly to Kobe Port without stopping at Meriken Park. As there were large trucks and other vehicles moving around the port area, I was unable to point out that we were heading in a different direction.
The guests looked dissatisfied, so when we arrived at Kobe Port, I asked if we could go to Meriken Park from there, but this was declined. On the way back to Kobe Port, the opposite side of the Hanshin Expressway Kobe Line heading toward Osaka was extremely congested. The driver, who would be returning to Kyoto afterward, was likely concerned about the return traffic and therefore did not stop at Meriken Park.
If this had happened after the tour had ended, it would not have been an issue, but it occurred within the tour time. This effectively meant that our side ended the tour without the guests' permission. Even if we were not going to stop, I believe we should have at least informed the guests, obtained their consent, and only then returned to Kobe Port. I hope this does not lead to a complaint.
Click here for more details: Kyoto in 1 Day from Kobe: Private Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Personal data
Born in : May 1st, 1957
Hobby : Visiting scenic places,
historic spots, Japanese
gardens and old townscape
Former career : Worked for electric
company and engaged in
international sales for
about 40 years.
Travel history in the former career :
Visited about 20 countries about 200 times
Career as guide interpreter
Acquisition of guide license : 2016
Career of guide : 8 years
Genre of my specialty :
Japanese historic structures such as
temple, shrine, castle and garden.
Area of guide : Kyoto, Nara, Osaka &
Himeji
Let’s enjoy Japan with me !!
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained…
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained the history of the sites on our tour. He even prepared a book that helped explain the historical significance of each site we visited. He was really fantastic, funny and engaging and connected with every member (young and old) in our group. We all learned a lot! Thank u Haru!
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was…
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was very knowledgeable about the various cites and came prepared with a binder and useful images. He was organized and even found a delicious ramen place for our family of 6 (not an easy task in the middle of busy Nara). He really cared about the cites and the history of the temples and spoke great English. Highly recommend!
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with…
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We were able to customize our trip to the top places we wanted to see. We were able to get to all of them. Our guide Haru was great and the places we visited were amazing and interesting. Our guide gave us a lot of history around the different sites. Our favorites were Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjyu Sangendo Temple and Kinkakuji Temple. We also visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine which was pretty great. We did a lot of walking and public transportation to get around. All in all it wasn’t bad and our guide got us to all the sites with ease. Haru was great as he took most of our family pictures. He did a great job.
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He…
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He added a lot to our trip and
allowed us to experience a lot in the limited time we had available.