Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Customized Tour — Guide Kazu
November, 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
- 9:30 Meet at Tempozan Terminal 10:50 Fushimi Inari 12:40 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 13:45 Short break (lunch) 15:00 Kinkaku-ji 16:20 Gion area
- 17:10 Board the Hankyu train heading to Tempozan Terminal 18:30 Tour ends at the subway "Osakako" station near Tempozan.
What Is a Private Full-Day Tour of Kyoto and Osaka Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They lived in a community where communication in English was somewhat limited. Because some of the guests were interested in shopping, the others sometimes had to wait. At Fushimi Inari, there was a wait of more than ten minutes, so I gently spoke up about it. During the tour, I focused on staying calm and taking responsibility for managing the whole group. Some of the guests were unable to walk quickly and needed extra time, so I paced the tour accordingly. As we visited Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, and Gion, the group gradually warmed up to one another, and it was wonderful that we were able to finish in a pleasant atmosphere. Because of the pace of the day, it was difficult to take photos along the way, and we were finally able to take pictures after returning to Tempozan. Some of the guests had gone off to Dotonbori partway through, so the photo was taken with the rest of the group.
Click here for more details: Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Customized Tour, Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Osakako～Yodoyabashi | 290JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Yodoyabashi～Fushimi Inari | 490JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Inari～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 4 | Other | Randen Arashiyama～Kitano-Hakubaicho | 250JPY |
| Section 5 | Other | Kitano-Hakubaicho～Kinkakuji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 6 | Other | Kinkakuji-michi～Nishioji-Oike | 230JPY |
| Section 7 | Subway | Nishioji-Oike～Higashiyama (Kyoto) | 260JPY |
| Section 8 | Other | Higashiyama-Sanjo～Gion | 230JPY |
| Section 9 | Train | Kyoto-Kawaramachi～Osaka-Umeda (Hankyu Line) | 410JPY |
| Section 10 | Subway | Umeda (Subway)～Osakako | 290JPY |
| Total | 2,920JPY | ||
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.