Kyoto: Okazaki Shrine & Kimono Forest — Guide Satoko

January, 2026

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

8:30 Meet @ Hotel Kyoto　
9:00 -9:30 Okazaki Shrine
10: 20-10:30 Togetsukyo Bridge
10:30 -10:40 Kameyama Park
10:40‐11:00　Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
11:00‐11:10　Nonomiya Shrine
11:30‐12:10　Lunch @ Iwao
12:20-13:30 Tenryu-ji Temple
13:45‐14:00　Kimono Forest
14:00　Disband @ Keifuku Arashiyama Station

Tour Itinerary in Detail

The tour started at 8:30 at @ Hotel Kyoto　 and ended at 14:00. The day ran to 5 hours and 30 minutes from start to finish. It included lunch @ Iwao at 11:30.

Over the course of the day the route took in Okazaki Shrine at 9:00, Kameyama Park at 10:30, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove at 10:40, Nonomiya Shrine at 11:00, Tenryu-ji Temple at 12:20 and Kimono Forest at 13:45.

Travel between the sites was by public transport: Karasuma Oike to Marutamachi (Kyoto Municipal) by subway (220JPY); Karasuma Marutamachi (Subway Marutamachi Station)／Kyoto Municipal Bus to Okazaki Shrine-mae／Kyoto Municipal Bus by bus (230JPY); Okazaki Shrine-mae／Kyoto Municipal Bus to Arashiyama (Togetsukyo Kitazume)／Kyoto Municipal Bus by bus (230JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 680JPY per person.

What's a Private Day Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Okazaki Shrine, Arashiyama, and Tenryu-ji

The guests were a group visiting from North America. Since they wanted to visit somewhere charming, I suggested Okazaki Shrine, where visitors are welcomed by rabbit stone statues. I was a little worried about whether the group would listen attentively to explanations of Japanese culture, but as it turned out they had never visited a Japanese shrine before, so they listened eagerly to my general explanations of the torii gate, ema votive plaques, and omikuji fortunes. Next, we moved by bus to Arashiyama. We went from Togetsukyo Bridge around Kameyama Park and walked through the bamboo grove. Along the way, there was a monument to Zhou Enlai, and when I mentioned that I wasn't sure whether it would be of interest, it turned out that one of the group was an exchange student from Europe. In the bamboo grove, one of the guests suddenly struck a pose and asked for a photo to be taken, which was very endearing. After visiting Nonomiya Shrine, I suggested an early lunch to avoid the crowds. Since one of the guests could only eat soba or rice, I introduced Iwao, a nearby restaurant with a good reputation. Everyone was satisfied. After that, we went to Tenryu-ji. In the small hojo hall, I had them sit on the tatami to relax. After viewing the garden, we headed to the Kimono Forest. On the way, some of the guests said they wanted to eat ice cream, so we sat down for a break. Then we continued to the Kimono Forest. Everyone enjoyed taking photos in their own way. Since we had completed all of the suggested plans, it was time to part ways. There were moments when the facility explanations were a little difficult because the group didn't respond much, but in such cases I kept things fun by sharing how something is said in Japanese or by telling jokes. At the end, one of the guests asked me to take a photo with the group, and I was also asked to take some with my own camera. I also received stickers from their home region, and since one of the group plays football, they gave me a football mascot. At the very end, I said goodbye with a hug, and one of the guests said, "This is the first time I've hugged someone at a farewell." The photo below was taken at Okazaki Shrine.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Instagram Spots Customized Tour with Licensed Guide

Transportation cost per person

No.	Transportation	Route	Fare
Section 1	Subway	Karasuma Oike～Marutamachi (Kyoto Municipal)	220JPY
Section 2	Bus	Karasuma Marutamachi (Subway Marutamachi Station)／Kyoto Municipal Bus～Okazaki Shrine-mae／Kyoto Municipal Bus	230JPY
Section 3	Bus	Okazaki Shrine-mae／Kyoto Municipal Bus～Arashiyama (Togetsukyo Kitazume)／Kyoto Municipal Bus	230JPY
Total			680JPY

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does this Kyoto tour start and finish?

The guide met the guests at @ Hotel Kyoto　 at 8:30, and the tour finished at @ Keifuku Arashiyama Station at 14:00.

How long does the tour last?

About 5 hours and 30 minutes in total, from 8:30 to 14:00.

Which places does this itinerary cover?

This tour visited Okazaki Shrine, Kameyama Park, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Nonomiya Shrine, Tenryu-ji Temple and Kimono Forest.

How much did transport cost on this tour?

Public transport came to 680JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.

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

Satoko 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.

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!

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