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 Depart from port
- 9:20 Makino Botanical Garden
- 10:30 Chikurin-ji Temple
- 11:10 Travel
- 11:30 Harimaya Bridge
- 11:40 Sunday Market
- 12:20 Hirome Market
- 12:30 Lunch (Obiya Kansuke)
- 13:30 Kochi Castle
- 14:10 Break (Histoire)
- 14:40 Travel
- 15:00 Arrive at port
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The itinerary covered Makino Botanical Garden at 9:20, Chikurin-ji Temple at 10:30, Travel at 11:10, Harimaya Bridge at 11:30, Sunday Market at 11:40, Hirome Market at 12:20, Kochi Castle at 13:30, Break (Histoire) at 14:10, Travel at 14:40 and port at 15:00.
Title: What Is a Private Kochi Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Makino Botanical Garden and Kochi Castle
The guests were a group visiting from Europe. All of them walked at their own pace and moved about freely, so during normal walking the guide often ended up at the very back of the group. They did not seem to prefer very detailed guiding, so I asked, and they replied that a shorter explanation would be fine, so I spoke while considering which parts to leave out. They also loved beer very much: some of the guests skipped Chikurin-ji Temple and instead had a drink at the café in Makino Botanical Garden. All of the guests ordered beer with lunch, and when we returned to Kochi New Port and I recommended the brewery there, they headed straight over.
They had visited Osaka Castle the previous day, so I had told them, "Today you'll see a castle of a different style. Please look forward to it." However, when we arrived in front of the main keep, some of the guests said they were not interested and did not go inside. The overall impression was that they had come to relax rather than to sightsee, and there was a lot of time spent sitting down while each person looked at their smartphone.
Click here for more details: Kochi Shore Excursion: Customized Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Hi! I’m Kay.
It’s my pleasure to be your guide.
I was born and raised in Kochi city, and I worked for Kochi City Hall for nearly 30 years, so I think I know a lot about Kochi.
Firstly, I can guide you to the Kochi castle. Most castles you can find in Japan have been rebuilt after fires, wars, or natural disasters. However, Kochi Castle is one of the very few castles that still have the whole structure of its original tower and the mail palace from the Edo period (1603–1868). This makes it especially valuable for understanding Japan’s history and traditional architecture. You’ll like it!
Other major tourist sites are adventurous Ryugado limestone cave, Makino botanical garden, Chikurinji temple with historical stonesteps, Zenjibuji temple with the spectacular panoramic view, paper-making activity, Oboke gorge, Nakatsu gorge, Niyodo river with a historical bridge and so on.
If you like sake, you can visit sake brewery, and if you are interested in walking local streets, you can stroll my neighborhood.
Kochi is a small city, but it’s very popular among tourists for its beautiful nature and good food. I took my kids to rivers and mountains when they were little. If you are interested in those places, please ask me. And I know many good restaurants, too.
I’m looking forward to enjoying them together with you!
Jul 7, 2026
A_J
Viator review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Excellent tour with Kay
Had an amazing time with our…
Jul 7, 2026
A_J
Viator review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Excellent tour with Kay
Had an amazing time with our guide Kay in Kochi. She was very proactive and contacted me several weeks before to plan the itinerary for the day and also to help with our dietary requirements ( we are vegetarian). She involved us in the plan of the day at every step. She met us as we got off our cruise ship with a very nice vehicle and friendly driver. She was very knowledgeable about the local area and Japan in general and gave us lots of interesting information and could answer all of our questions. She took us to the Sunday market and helped us try some local vegetarian delicacies. The weather that day was very poor, with heavy rain but she readjusted our tour so that we were sheltered from the worst of it with a visit to the castle museum. The castle was a real highlight. We also went to the botanical garden and Shinto shrine which were also fantastic. Thank you very much Kay for being and excellent guide. We loved our day with you.
Jun 1, 2026
romankU9693SM
Tripadvisor review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Our trip to Kochi
Kay was a wonderful guide, very…
Jun 1, 2026
romankU9693SM
Tripadvisor review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Our trip to Kochi
Kay was a wonderful guide, very informative and knowledgeable. We had a great time on
our tour of Kochi.
May 28, 2026
nancykotr
Viator review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Kay was a wonderful…
Kay was a wonderful guide. We…
May 28, 2026
nancykotr
Viator review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Kay was a wonderful…
Kay was a wonderful guide. We visited the beautiful botanical gardens and Kochi castle. She climbed the steep stairs with us to the top of the castle.
She helped us navigate ordering food at the food stalls.
We truly enjoyed our day with her!
Apr 22, 2026
Jörg R
Tripadvisor review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Ein toller Ausflug in Kochi
Pünktliche Abholung, kurze Transferzeiten…
Apr 22, 2026
Jörg R
Tripadvisor review: Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Ein toller Ausflug in Kochi
Pünktliche Abholung, kurze Transferzeiten zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten und gute Erklärungen
in perfektem Englisch.
高知での素晴らしい小旅行でした。
時間どおりのピックアップ、観光地までの移動時間も短く、完璧な英語での分かりやすい説明でした