Tour Itinerary
- 13:00 Meet at Hotel Kyoto, Gion Shijo, Kyoto
- 13:05 Explanation of the itinerary and about the history of Kyoto
- 14:10 Daitoku-ji Temple (Obai-in)
- 15:40 Nijo Castle
- 16:50 Nishiki Market
- 18:00 Pontocho・Gion Shinmachi Shirakawa
- 19:00 Disband at the hotel
Title: What Is a Private Afternoon and Evening Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were a group visiting from North America, on their first trip to Japan and their first visit to Kyoto, traveling purely for leisure with no connection to work. They planned to spend a few days in Tokyo, a few days in Kyoto, and then return to Tokyo for a few more days before heading home. One of the guests hopes to become a surgeon in the future, and another enjoys math and calculation and dreams of becoming an astronaut and walking on the moon someday. Quite inspiring aspirations. I didn't ask today, but perhaps the family includes people in medical or academic fields. We met at the Hotel at 13:00, and I spoke about the history of the ancient capital of Kyoto, the history of Japan beginning in Nara, the history of capital relocations, the return of power to the Emperor, and the Meiji Restoration, answering their questions as they came, and they listened with genuine interest. On the other hand, at a Zen temple, when I talked about Zen, dry landscape gardens, Obon, Hina dolls, Onmyodo, and the spirit of the tea ceremony, they listened rather lightly. At Nijo Castle, they asked eager questions again, so perhaps they were more interested in political history. One of the guests was a bit of a picky eater and felt a little tired after Nijo Castle, so, to be safe, that guest returned to the Hotel with another member of the group to rest. From there, the remaining guests and I strolled and sampled various foods at Nishiki Market. They ate gyoza while dancing to the background music playing in the shop. What a cheerful group they were. And they really enjoyed eating. Since dinner was still to come, I asked, "Are you sure it's okay to eat so much now?" but they said "It's fine, it's fine" and kept trying various things. Finally, we walked a little through Pontocho and Gion. At night, Pontocho is truly atmospheric with the lanterns lit. We took many photos. Around the Gion Shirakawa area, I suddenly remembered and asked whether they knew the novel "Memoirs of a Geisha," the original work behind the Hollywood film SAYURI, and one of the guests said they had read it thoroughly before coming to Japan and knew the world of Gion well! When I explained that although the novel is fiction, this area was the setting for the story, they were delighted. We walked while I explained the okiya, teahouses, and the geisha performance hall as we passed by. As it happened, no geiko or maiko were walking anywhere today, and as it was getting late, since the Hotel was right near Kyoto Kawaramachi Station along the Kamo River, we walked back to the Hotel.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Local Food & Culture Tour in 1 Day, Licensed Guide
Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable.…
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable. Spoke perfect English and made the day fun and educational. Was able to adjust the tour based on my needs.
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu…
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu san in Kyoto. From the moment that the tour was booked, his communication with email about planning the day was exceptional.
Kazu gave detailed explanations about the areas we visited and we appreciated all that he had to offer at each of our stops.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu.…
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu. By the end of the day, we felt like we had made a new friend.
Kazu helped us arrange the best day with our short time in Kyoto. He brought us to some “hidden gems” and gave us thorough explanations on history and culture.
I would highly recommend this tour.
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide…
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide Kazu was very knowledgeable in terms of the history and explaining many of
the wonderful ancient sites around Kyoto. Definitely a must! Otherwise, I think it would be
difficult to tourists to understand on their own.
