Tour Itinerary
- 1)10:00 Meet at the hotel, take the subway to Nijo Castle
- 2)10:30～11:40 Nijo Castle, then take the subway to Nanzen-ji
- 3)12:10～12:50 Nanzen-ji (including the Suirokaku aqueduct), then to Tenju-an
- 4)12:55～13:15 Tenju-an, then take a break at a cafe
- 5)13:20～13:40 Break at a cafe
- 6)13:40～14:00 Walk via Heian Shrine to Higashiyama subway station
- 7)Around 14:00 Say goodbye in front of the Higashiyama subway station exit
Title: What Is a Private Half-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Nijo Castle and Nanzenji The guests were originally expected to include some adults and a young child, but since moving around with a stroller would have been difficult, one member of the group stayed at the hotel to look after the child, and in the end two of the guests joined the tour. Some of the guests had visited Japan for work several times but had only been to Kyoto once or twice, and had visited Japan a couple of times in total. At Nijo Castle, the guests seemed to particularly enjoy the Ninomaru Garden. At Nanzenji Temple, they appeared to like the Nyoshin-tei Garden and the Suirokaku aqueduct. Next, they viewed the garden at Tenjuan, and afterward we took a short break at a nearby cafe. When I asked what they would like to do next, they said they would return to the hotel to have lunch with the child. I mentioned that on the way back we could see Heian Shrine with its large torii gate, and asked if they would like to stop by. They said they would, so instead of heading toward Keage Station, I guided them toward Higashiyama Station, introducing places such as Kyoto City Zoo (the child apparently loves rabbits) and Heian Shrine, and led them to the exit of Higashiyama subway station. When I asked whether they could make it back to the hotel on their own, they said they would be fine, so we parted ways around 14:00.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Gojo (Kyoto Municipal)～Nijojo-mae | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Nijojo-mae～Keage | 260JPY |
| Total | 480JPY | ||
Nice to meet you.
My name is Hiroki Muramoto, please call me Hiro.
Hiro in Japanese means large or big. Although I’m neither large nor big, you can call me Hiro. How are you doing ?
I lived in a city nearby Kobe city. Do you know Kobe ? Kobe is famous for Kobe beef and pearl. If you have not yet had Kobe beef, you should taste the authentic Kobe beef. It is very satisfying taste. But I have recently moved to a city in Kyoto prefecture, so I can be in Kyoto city in about one hour. By the way, I am a family of four. I have a son and a daughter. My son now works in Tokyo. I sometimes go to Tokyo to see him. Tokyo is a huge city, but too crowded, so it seems not to suit me. I seem to be better suited to a small city than a big one. Where do you live in ? How many families do you have ? If you like, please tell me about them. I worked in the quality assurance department of a pharmaceutical company and visited the factories of foreign affiliated companies, so I became interested in foreign cultures and obtained a qualification as an interpreter guide in 2015.
I have been a guide for about eight years. During that time, I have guided in Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kochi and so on, although I could do little guiding work between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19. However, since last year, my guiding work has been back! So, I am happy to be able to meet different people again. My hobby is travelling, but sadly, I am not in a position to travel abroad easily at the moment due to the very weak yen, and I hope to travel abroad again when the situation eases a bit more.
How many countries have you been to so far ? Which countries have you liked so far? Another hobby is watching sports – baseball and football. Do you like the baseball ? Do you know Otani, Japanese baseball player ? He has joined Dodgers in Los Angeles this year. I look forward to another successful year for Otani.
By the way, what interests you in Japan? Food, history, scenery ? As far as tourist attractions are concerned, famous places are too crowded. If you like, I also would like to show you some less crowded places. Are you interested in experiencing something ? If you want to experience something, I can suggest an experience plan for you. If so, please contact me as early as possible. As for food, what kind of food do you like? There are many kinds of delicious food. Of course, you can get good food in fine restaurants, but you can also get good food in downtown restaurants. If you like alcohol, why don’t you try Japanese sake? It can range from light and fragrant to rich in flavor, so you’re sure to find a Japanese sake you like.
My motto is “Be content with life.” However, I find myself complaining all the time. If you like, please tell me your motto. I want to treat all guests who visit Japan with the spirit of “Treasure every encounter” and guide them so that they can enjoy themselves and have good memories of Japan.
You only live once (YOLO). So, I also want to enjoy it with you.
I look forward to meeting you.
Best regard.
Nov 27, 2024
Julianne_A
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Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
This was a wonderful experience with our guide Hiro. He…
Nov 27, 2024
Julianne_A
Book it
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
This was a wonderful experience with our guide Hiro. He adapted the tour to our preferences
and helped us cover a lot of ground in one day. Would recommend!
