Kyoto in Half a Day: Kiyomizudera & Kenninji — Guide Kazz

July, 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.

Tour Itinerary

  • 11:00 Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion
  • 11:30 Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi
  • Sannenzaka by walking
  • Yasaka-no-to
  • Yasakakoshindo
  • Ninenzaka by walking
  • Gion area by walking
  • Yasaka Shrine
  • Hanamikoji
  • 14:10 Kenninji (800) by walking
  • 15:00 Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion
  • 　　　End of the tour

Tour Itinerary in Detail

From there the group visited Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion at 11:00, Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi at 11:30, Kenninji (800) by walking at 14:10 and Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion at 15:00.

Title: What Can You See on a 4-Hour Private Walking Tour of Kyoto's Gion and Higashiyama? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from North America. Since it was a 4-hour tour, they wanted to explore the area around their hotel, so I planned an itinerary that started with a taxi ride to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, followed by walking down toward the Gion area. In the afternoon it began to drizzle, but since it was not heavy rain, some of the guests bought an umbrella while others walked without one. One of the guests seemed rather bored, so I asked whether they knew Studio Ghibli, and their eyes lit up as they mentioned having seen Spirited Away and said they wanted to buy something related to it. So I took them to the Donguri Republic shop on Ninenzaka. Our final stop was Kennin-ji Temple. Although it was a 4-hour tour, we had walked almost continuously without much rest, so the guests were a little tired, and they were pleased that their hotel was located right where we exited Kennin-ji Temple.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide

Tour Report by Kazz

I’m Ryoichi Kazuma and my nickname is “Kazz”. I live in Kyotanabe city next to Kyoto city. I want guests to enjoy Kyoto by seeing and experiencing not only from outside but also from inside. I offer various information from daily matters to traditional cultures. Most destinations in Kyoto are located on the eastern side or the western side. As I want to guide guests to as many destinations as possible, I make an efficient itinerary and recommend a taxi use to save time. Additionally, I take pictures at various spots and finally share the link to my storage. By doing so, guests can download their favorite pictures from my storage. Please enjoy Kyoto night and day!

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