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
- 9:50 Pickup at Kyoto Station (Shinkansen side)
- 10:00 Board the private car
- 10:20 Fushimi Inari Taisha
- 11:10 (Departure)
- 12:10 Arashiyama (Tenryu-ji parking lot)
- ・Tenryu-ji Temple
- ・Bamboo Grove
- 13:00 Lunch at a Wagyu restaurant
- 13:50 (Departure)
- 14:20 Kinkaku-ji
- 15:20 (Departure)
- 16:00 Gion, in front of Hanamikoji
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Over the course of the day the route took in Board the private car at 10:00, Fushimi Inari Taisha at 10:20, (Departure) at 11:10, Arashiyama (Tenryu-ji parking lot) at 12:10, (Departure) at 13:50, Kinkaku-ji at 14:20, (Departure) at 15:20 and Gion, in front of Hanamikoji at 16:00.
Public transport for the day came to 150JPY per person.
Title: What's a Private Kyoto Day Tour with a Licensed Guide Like? A Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting from Oceania, and I picked them up at 9:50 on the Shinkansen platform of Kyoto Station and guided them to a taxi. At Fushimi Inari Taisha, we walked through the thousand torii gates, and I introduced the fox ema plaques and the omokaru-ishi stone. At a souvenir shop, I introduced daruma dolls. On the way to Arashiyama, I asked the driver to point out the Nintendo headquarters and two development buildings as we passed by. In Arashiyama, we visited Tenryu-ji Temple and walked through the bamboo grove. The guests had mentioned that they wanted to have wagyu for lunch, so I guided them to a wagyu restaurant, and they found it delicious and told me it was a good choice. On the way to Kinkaku-ji, the guests wanted to withdraw cash, so we stopped at a convenience store. It was a very hot day, and I supported them with photography at various spots, and they complimented me on my photo-taking skills. As we had some time before Gion, I guided them past the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle from the car window, and we said our goodbyes in Gion.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Other | Kyoto Station～Kyoto Station | 150JPY |
| Total | 150JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Board the private car, Fushimi Inari Taisha, (Departure), Arashiyama (Tenryu-ji parking lot), (Departure), Kinkaku-ji, (Departure) and Gion, in front of Hanamikoji.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 150JPY per person across 1 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?
Hideyoshi 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.
Hello, I’m HIDEo YOSHIda. Please call me HIDEYOSHI, the same name as a famous shogun who unified Japan for the first time in 1590.
I was born in Kobe, worked in Osaka for nearly 40 years. I would like to introduce you Kansai region, including Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara and Wakayama.
In Kyoto, I can guide you Nijojo Castle, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kinkakuji Tempe (Golden Pavilion), Gion area, and Fushimi Inari Taisha.
In Osaka, I’ll show you Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, and Umeda Sky biilding. We have locall foods such as Kushikatau, Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki.
In Kobe, I’ll take you to former foreign residential area, Sannomiya Shopping Street, Chinese Market, and Arima Onsen.
In Nara, I’ll guide you Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, and Yakushiji Temple.
In Wakayama, I take you to Koyasan, the center of Esoteric Buddhism.
I enjoy guiding foreign tourists.
I can show you Japanese history, especially samurai period, and Shinto and Buddhism.
I’ve been looking forward to guiding you !!
Jun 1, 2026
Stephan_F
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great overview of the…
Great overview of the highlights of Kyoto with…
Jun 1, 2026
Stephan_F
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great overview of the…
Great overview of the highlights of Kyoto with an excellent guide. Just beware that the
different sites may be located at different ends of the city so you will spend time on trains.
Also, in the summer a parasol is probably a good idea as it can get hot.
May 28, 2025
terrym866
Kyoto guided tour was as promised. Very knowledgeable guide and driver .
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Kobe with…
May 28, 2025
terrym866
Kyoto guided tour was as promised. Very knowledgeable guide and driver .
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Kobe with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Tour was as promised , well planned and executed. The guide was very knowledgeable and
friendly and went out of his way to make sure we were pleased.
Oct 17, 2024
katiya2017
Walking visit in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We booked a full day walking…
Oct 17, 2024
katiya2017
Walking visit in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We booked a full day walking tour excursion from Osaka to Kyoto from our cruise ship. Hideo Yoshida met us promptly and escorted us all day from Osaka to visit 4 of Kyotos most famous sites.
He proved to be a true Japanese gentleman, very polite , very knowledgeable and knew the train system well. We must have changed at least 10 trains and it would have been impossible to navigate this without him. Also we had our most delicious sushi and sashimi lunch in Japan in a restaurant he recommended.
Thank you Hideo for providing us a wonderful insight in Kyotos history.
Sep 29, 2024
Roy_M
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a very good private tour with…
Sep 29, 2024
Roy_M
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a very good private tour with Hide Yoshi – he made a good plan for us and whisked us around Kyoto to the key sites very efficiently. He had good knowledge about the places we visited and had prepared materials and photos to show us. He really helped us to get the maximum out of our time in Kyoto and is a really nice person. Also took us for an excellent lunch! Highly recommended.