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
- 9:00 Meet at hotel 9:05 Buy lunch at nearby convenience store 9:15 Keihan Railway・Eizan Railway 10:00 Kurama-dera entrance 10:10 Board the cable car 10:35 Kurama-dera Main Hall Kondo 11:00 Lunch break in front of the Reihoden Museum 12:00 West Gate (Kifune) 12:10 Kifune Shrine (Main Shrine・Yui-no-yashiro・Okumiya) 13:30 Take the bus to Kifuneguchi 13:45 From Kifune to Demachiyanagi
- 14:20 Transfer to bus from Demachiyanagi to Kinkaku-ji 14:45 Kinkaku-ji 15:50 Ryoan-ji 16:45 Board the bus 17:15 Drop off near the hotel and tour ends
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour to Kurama, Kifune, Kinkaku-ji, and Ryoan-ji Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from Europe, visiting Japan for the first time. Two guests had been assigned, but four guests were waiting in the hotel lobby. The other guests had come from North America. After confirming with [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) that changing the number of guests from two to four would not affect the fee, we proceeded with the tour as planned. Everyone was cheerful and enjoyable company. Kurama-dera Temple was visited by more people than expected, with roughly equal numbers of Japanese and international visitors paying their respects. One of the guests had difficulty with their knee and struggled with going up and down. By taking occasional breaks, we managed to make our way down to Kifune. We visited the three sites of Kifune Shrine. On the Kifune side, they were preparing the riverside dining platforms for the summer season. We returned to Demachiyanagi, then visited Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji, and after seeing the guests off near their hotel, the tour ended. The photo was taken in front of Kurama Station.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Sanjo Keihan～Demachiyanagi | 230JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Demachiyanagi～Kurama | 470JPY |
| Section 3 | Other | Sanmon Station～Tahoto Station | 200JPY |
| Section 4 | Bus | Kifune／Kyoto Bus～Kifuneguchi／Kyoto Bus | 200JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Kifuneguchi～Demachiyanagi | 470JPY |
| Section 6 | Bus | Demachiyanagi Station／Kyoto City Bus～Kitano-Hakubaicho／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 7 | Bus | Kitano-Hakubaicho／Kyoto City Bus～Kinkaku-ji-michi／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 8 | Bus | Kinkaku-ji-michi／Kyoto City Bus～Ryoan-ji-mae／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 9 | Bus | Ryoan-ji-mae／Kyoto City Bus～Kawaramachi Sanjo／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Total | 2,490JPY | ||
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.