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.
Tour Itinerary
- 09:00 Meeting: Deshtani Kyoto
- 09:10 Travel to Nijo Castle by private car
- 09:30 Sightseeing ①: Tour Nijo Castle
- 10:20 Travel to Gion by private car
- 10:40 Sightseeing ②: Stroll around Gion
- 11:30 Lunch/Break (Gion "Kirara")
- 12:30 Travel to Kiyomizu-dera by private car
- 12:45 Sightseeing ③: Tour Kiyomizu-dera
- 13:45 Travel to Fushimi Inari by private car
- 14:00 Sightseeing ④: Tour Fushimi Inari
- 14:45 Return to the hotel by private car
- 15:00 Guided tour ends at the hotel, disband
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 09:00 at Deshtani Kyoto and ended at 15:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish. It included lunch/Break (Gion "Kirara") at 11:30.
Over the course of the day the route took in Travel to Nijo Castle by private car at 09:10, Tour Nijo Castle at 09:30, Travel to Gion by private car at 10:20, Gion at 10:40, Travel to Kiyomizu-dera by private car at 12:30, Tour Kiyomizu-dera at 12:45, Travel to Fushimi Inari by private car at 13:45 and Tour Fushimi Inari at 14:00.
Two-Day Private Kyoto Tour Report: What Can a Licensed Guide Cover in Kyoto in Two Days?
The guests this time were a group visiting Japan from North America on a trip, and I guided them for two consecutive days. However, one member of the group had caught a cold and spent both days resting at the Hotel. As a result, sightseeing on both days was done with the group.
Prior consultations, such as considering which places to visit, were carried out with a staff member at a local travel agency. That staff member had handled many trips to Japan, and in response to the guests' wish to "cover the major highlights of Kyoto in two days," proposed the following: (1) central Kyoto to Higashiyama (Day 1: Nijo Castle, Gion, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari), and (2) northwestern Kyoto (Day 2: Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Arashiyama). Based on this proposal, I created a detailed itinerary, obtained the guests' approval through the staff member, and finalized it.
On the first day (May), the temperature was high from the morning, with clear, summer-like weather, but with the help of a private vehicle for transportation, the guests did their best and thoroughly enjoyed the sightseeing. In particular, some of the guests had a strong interest in Japanese history, especially the era of samurai governance, so I put extra effort into the explanations at Nijo Castle. Also, given the season, as we walked through areas surrounded by fresh greenery everywhere we went, they repeatedly said, "Japan's nature is wonderful." For lunch, I had made a reservation at a Kyoto cuisine restaurant in Gion, so we were able to dine smoothly without any waiting time. Japanese food seemed to suit the guests' tastes very well. Even in the heat, they were able to enjoy a fulfilling sightseeing experience.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.
Aug 10, 2026
Paul_H
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kind and knowledgeable guide – highly recommended
Nori communicated…
Aug 10, 2026
Paul_H
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kind and knowledgeable guide – highly recommended
Nori communicated with us before our trip and took great care to plan our personalized itinerary. He took us to some beautiful Temples and as a retired educator, shared his great knowledge about Japan’s history and all the places we visited. He paced our tour to our comfort level. I would strongly recommend a private tour when you have limited time to tour Kyoto. It was a wonderful way to see this beautiful city.
Apr 9, 2026
Ron_W
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We saw so much in the…
We saw so much in the…
Apr 9, 2026
Ron_W
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We saw so much in the…
We saw so much in the time we had. Nori explained the history of all places we visited. He
was so passionate about everything, we were very lucky to have him as tour guide.
Mar 24, 2026
zackn719
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Knowledgeable guide and a great tour
We did our private tour with…
Mar 24, 2026
zackn719
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Knowledgeable guide and a great tour
We did our private tour with Kamon-San, and he was a great guide to show off the sites and features of Nara! He got their early, and had a detailed and interesting schedule planned for us, including several of the local shrines and temples, allowing us to also enjoy the deer throughout our tour.
He also took us to a nice local restaurant where we were able to enjoy some of the best soba and catsu curry we had all trip! Kamon-san’s insights and trivia were definitely one of the top highlights from our entire trip to Japan! We would strongly recommend not just Nara but this guided tour to anyone who wants to appreciate more than just the deer!
Oct 20, 2025
66speech
Highlights of Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience with Nori. Nori exceeded our expectations with…
Oct 20, 2025
66speech
Highlights of Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience with Nori. Nori exceeded our expectations with his knowledge of Kyoto history and culture. Well paced tour, covered Imperial Palace, temples, shrines, Bamboo Grove and Arashiyama. Helpful with navigating rail system. Very worth while. Nori earns highest rating possible.