Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu
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
- 10:00 Hotel meet-up 10:30 Nanzen-ji Temple 11:00 Konchi-in Temple 12:00 Lunch (ramen) 12:40 Yasaka Shrine 13:10 Kongo-ji Temple, Yasaka Pagoda, Ninen-zaka, Sannen-zaka, Ishibei-koji Alley
- 13:40 Kiyomizu-dera Temple 14:50 Sanjusangen-do Temple 15:50 Drop off at Kyoto Station, tour ends
Title: What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like in Winter? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests came to Japan from North America. One of the guests had visited Japan about 30 years ago. Until the previous day they had been enjoying skiing in Aomori, and they were a very active group. Because the guide originally assigned had fallen ill, I stepped in as a last-minute replacement, so I felt a little anxious at first, but both of the guests were cheerful and there were no problems at all. It was a very cold day, with snow occasionally fluttering down. There were relatively few tourists at Nanzen-ji Temple and Konchi-in. For lunch we went to a ramen shop near Gion. Seats happened to be open, which was fortunate; had we been a little later, we would not have been able to sit. From Kiyomizu-dera Temple to Sanjusangen-do, since it was cold, we discussed it and used a taxi instead of walking. At Sanjusangen-do, the guests took their time and viewed everything carefully. I saw them off to Kyoto Station by taxi, and the tour ended. The photo was taken at Nanzen-ji Temple.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Marutamachi (Kyoto Municipal)～Keage | 260JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Keage～Higashiyama | 220JPY |
| Total | 480JPY | ||
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.