Sep 21, 2026
judygU2038FZ
A wonderful time in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had such a wonderful experience exploring Tokyo with our guide, Masa. From the moment we met him, he was an absolute gentleman—warm, kind, knowledgeable and incredibly easy to spend time with.

Masa made our day in Tokyo feel relaxed, personal and genuinely enjoyable. His knowledge of the city, its culture and hidden gems added so much to our experience, and it felt more like exploring Tokyo with a wonderful local friend than simply being on a tour.

He was attentive, patient and thoughtful throughout the entire day, and his lovely nature made the experience even more memorable.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Masa and would highly recommend him to anyone wanting to experience Tokyo in a special and authentic way. An absolute gentleman and truly a joy to explore this incredible city with. Thank you, Masa! 🇯🇵❤️

Jul 21, 2026
Sandra_U
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Great Individualized Tour!
Our tour guide, Masa, was wonderful. The tour was individually crafted to the sites and activities that we wanted to see. We really enjoyed that we used public transportation. He had great insight and was very helpful. I highly recommend.

Apr 3, 2026
Celal_S
Viator review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a great tour even…
We had a great tour even it was full day rainy and a bad day for walking. Masa san was a
great guide, he was very helpful and guided us very nicely.

Mar 30, 2026
Johanna H
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
6 hour Guided Tour of Tokyo
We booked the 6 hour tour of Tokyo with a Government Guide for our first day, to help us ‘acclimatise’ to Tokyo….learn the trains/metro, get tips and ideas etc, plus obviously visit a few highlights. Masa our guide was brilliant, contacting us in advance to find out what we would like to see, then he produced a detailed itinerary for us to review (it was spot on). He kept in touch leading up to the day and led us through a great day. The tour (& Masa) exceeded our expectations

Aug 18, 2026
Heather_C
Private tour for 4 in Tokyo – highly recommend
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A great experience / Atsushi was incredibly knowledgeable and we had a brilliant tour with him. Really well organised – went out of his way to advise and help us. The tour was bespoke to us and the use of our limited time in Tokyo was perfect. Would do it again and with our guide.

Aug 8, 2026
victoriahD2588SK
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
An action packed visit to Hakone!
Atsushi was an excellent guide and took us on a fully organised trip all around Hakone. He was very articulate and explained every place visited in much detail. Be ready to walk lots. It was a pleasure to meet him and hear about the area. Thank you.

Jul 26, 2026
Kevin_B
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo Tour
Highly recommend this tour for first time visit to Tokyo. Our guide Atsushi took great care to acclimate us with navigating through busy train stations efficiently with a group of eight family members. Along the way and at each site he explained various cultural practices and associated histories that made the tour very immersive and enjoyable. We will highly recommend Atsushi and Viator to our family and friends for future tours.

Jun 22, 2026
Ashish_L
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best Tour for a Short Visit
Atsushi-san was an incredibly well-researched and friendly tour guide. His knowledge allowed us to explore and get to the historical significance of the various locations we visited. His explanations were simple but comprehensive. The six hours flew by and included some off-the-beaten opportunities including coffee at a very austere but memorable location near the fish market. I would highly recommend him as well as this tour for anyone with limited time in Tokyo wanting see as much as possible

Mar 22, 2025
Deborah_S
Amazing Day in Toyko
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
What an amazing experience so worth it. Coco from JGA was an unbelievable tour guide so knowledgeable and spoke English well. She even came with a flip chart so we could understand some of Japan history. The driver was so accommodating always there to pick us up so there was no waiting on our part. I had gotten injured before our trip to Japan so required a wheelchair. They made sure to drop off at wheelchair acccessible spots, accompanied us to best entrances inside buildings, helped with tickets, paying vendors etc, and took wheelchair in and out of car. They made an undoable trip so convenient , comfortable and a wonderful experience. The car was clean, comfortable and plenty of room for each person.

Suggestion: very important … spend time researching what sites you want to see and researching how long by car it takes to get to each spot. We saw Sensoji temple, sky tree, imperial palace, Meiji jingu Temple. Choose 8:00 or 9:00 tour to get to Sensoji temple early before crowds. We just did a quick walk through (NY city pace)as we went back on our own later but wanted to understand the history. There was very low volume before 9:30 but after the sea of people was unbelievable. Meiji Jingu temple was our favorite. Would skip sky tree or do it on drop off only as even if you rush it is hard to get through it with the lines for elevators in under 1.5 hours.

Amazing Amazing thank you!!!!!

Oct 15, 2024
David_S
Tokyo Highlight Tour with private guide
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We enjoyed seeing Tokyo with Coco. My friend had one day to see Tokyo. We saw a lot of the highlights with Coco. She mapped out an itinerary based on our interests. Highlights included Senso Ji, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shibuya Crossing, Imperial Palace, Takeshita Street, Nezu Shrine and Shinjuka. We also gained a better understanding of the Tokyo subway system. Coco also helped map out to the subway to get to future destinations. Highly recommend this tour and especially Coco.

Oct 9, 2024
961harlanh
Coco is a great Tokyo tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great experience with my tour guide Coco. She was very insightful and friendly. I
really enjoyed the tour with her and I think she is a great tour guide and she gave me a
great information about Tokyo and made my trip much more enjoyable.

Oct 3, 2024
Dreamer43508203689
Tokyo highlights – Imperial Palace, Fish Market, Rotation Sushi lunch, Takeshita Street.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Coco worked with us to create an itinerary that highlighted many of Tokyo’s top destinations. She was very professional, informative, warm and friendly. We particularly appreciated that she began communicating with us about tour options days before we arrived in Tokyo. Our tour with Coco was a great start to our stay in Tokyo.

Oct 16, 2025
Songqi_L
Highly recommend!
Viator review: Okayama Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Naoki san is a great guide. He’s very friendly, adaptive, and helpful. We ended up touring not only inside Okayama, but also Kurashiki area. And after knowing that I wanted to check out Kibitsu shrine and Naoshima island, he spent time writing down how to go to those places very carefully after our day trip. The additional help was much appreciated!
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Oct 11, 2025
Gizelle K
Wonderful Experience
Tripadvisor review: Okayama Half-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
A very organise tour, from the prompt pick up at meeting place (train station) to drop off at
our accommodation. Our guide, Naoki has wealth of knowledge regarding the area and it’s
history, he covered a lot of ground in an allocated 4hr time frame.

Oct 10, 2025
alijohn48
Just what we were looking for
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Tomy was an excellent guide. He went out of his way to meet us at our ryokan which was off the beaten path and curated a wonderful tour of our itinerary including a tasty sushi conveyor belt spot for lunch. He clearly had a lot of experience as a guide as he knew just where to tell the driver to slow down so we could see items between stops. His tour was a great intro to Kyoto.

He also took lots of photos for us. Our driver Mr. Fujii was terrific as well, his car and his driving made us feel comfortable and well taken care of.

Aug 8, 2025
Katherine_G
Fantastic day touring Kyoto with private tour guide & driver!
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
AMAZING tour guide & driver!! Our guide, Tomy, was absolutely exceptional. He helped curate a perfect day in Kyoto, was super responsive leading up to our tour day, and very knowledgeable. Tomy helped us schedule the day at a great pace for the hot Kyoto summer! He emailed and then texted, was perfectly on time, and shared lots of history and culture throughout our tour.

Having a dedicated driver was a HUGE win, we had 7 family members in our group and it made it so easy and organized to get around the city. Tomy and the driver arrived on time, were flexible (our family sometimes moved slower lol) and made sure we stayed on time throughout the whole day.

I cannot recommend this tour enough!! Thank you to our driver and Tomy our tour guide!!! BOOK this tour!

Jul 22, 2025
98patrickn
early morning tour of Kyoto with guide Tomy
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We did an early morning tour of Kyoto with guide Tomy. He showed us Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji Temple（Golden Pavilion), the whole tour took 4 hours. We took a bus from Kyoto train station to the first stop and taxi’s to the other two stops to save time. Tomy was very knowledgeable of these temples and took the time to explain them in detail.

Jul 20, 2025
Mark_S
Great day in Kyoto
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
We had a great day in Kyoto. Tomy reached out to us soon after we booked to ask about what we wanted to see. The tour was excellent and Tomy did a nice job explaining everything. The tour company was flexible in our drop off spot. We wanted to go to Osaka after our tour (Which I highly recommend). It cost extra which I was expecting but it was reasonable and their willingness to do that is much appreciated. I highly recommend this company and Tomy.

Mar 30, 2026
MrJames_L
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Great tour with Kaji
We had an excellent tour today in Kyoto at a number of different stops. We went to monkey park, bamboo Grove, tenryuji temple, Arashayama park and the Golden Temple. It was a packed schedule but our guide made sure we got everywhere and transited smoothly. He was also very helpful with our young kids and a food allergy. This was our third tour with JGA and we highly recommend them for Kyoto.

Jul 3, 2025
Radit T
Worthwhile private tour on our first full day in Kyoto!
Tripadvisor review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
We had a wonderful day with Kaji and our driver seeing many sights during our first time in Kyoto!

To start, Japan Guide Agency (operator) went above and beyond to help us even have the tour on our requested day. Despite all of their regular rental vehicles being unavailable, they were able to secure a driver and minivan for the 5 of us and Kaji, our guide. Excellent communication and responsiveness by email as we worked through to resolve the challenge and confirmed the planned itinerary.

Kaji arrived at our hotel ahead of schedule to be ready for our pickup. From there, he led us with interesting facts and helpful tips to Tenryu-ji Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Park, Nijo Castle, and a delicious casual udon lunch as requested at Tokutoku Fushimi Takeda. Lastly, we visited Fushimi Inari Taisha and for a bonus, quickly saw To-ji Temple before getting dropped back off at our hotel.

Overall, time and money well spent. We covered so much ground on this tour and it was a worthwhile experience with help from Kaji and our driver. Definitely recommend!

Jun 7, 2025
Lisa_H
Great tour guide and driver
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Overall a great experience. The team is extremely professional and knowledgeable of the Kyoto area. Having a driver was great in the heat and on getting around to the various stopping points efficiently. Our guide was also very helpful and knowledgeable of each place we visited and knew of appropriate spots for pictures, info etc.

Great experience overall.

Oct 14, 2025
Randi R
Amazing tour of Tokyo with Yuji
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Yuji was an amazing guide. He was able to add so much information about all the sites we chose to see. He was very kind and when we were tired he suggested a stop for coffee. It revived us and we kept going.
I would highly recommend Yuji to any one visiting Tokyo.

Sep 30, 2025
K6530TRangelor
Great tour.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Yuji was excellent. He was very punctual and polite. He was knowledgable and
explained very clearly the various sites that we visited. would highly recommend if 1st time
visiting Tokyo.

Sep 19, 2025
belindaf2022
Tokyo highlights
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful day with being shown the key highlights of Tokyo. Our tour guide Yuji
was very knowledgeable and organised and catered the tour to our families needs. Would
definitely recommend.

Sep 8, 2025
S8908ADcarolinab
Family friendly guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a great experience with our 6 hour walking tour. Yuji was our guide, he was knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful through the whole experience. He took us to places that were family friendly and recommended good places to eat and enjoy. We recommend him for your next trip to Tokyo!!!

Sep 15, 2026
Jardon_B
Walking tour of Takayama
Viator review: Takayama Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Great walking tour of Takayama! Miyagawa Morning Markets, Sakuraya temple/shrine, plus shopping district and sake breweries! Our guide ,Elvis was very good and quite informative and had great English skills . Highly recommend the tour and Elvis!

Apr 2, 2026
Paul_M
Viator review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Fascinating Tour of historic Trail
We recently completed this 11 km private walking tour with Elvis. Elvis was a fantastic guide-knowledgeable, professional, well organised, excellent communicator. Importantly he was also very encouraging and supportive as there are parts of this trail that are somewhat challenging-particularly on a warm day such as the one we had.

We would have no hesitation in recommending this tour and Elvis in particular as a guide.

Sep 28, 2025
Colleen_E
Totally worth the cost! Thanks Elvis!
Viator review: Nagoya Half-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
Elvis was so great! He communicated with us prior to our trip to get our itinerary just how we wanted it. When we arrived in Nagoya, he met us right off of the cruise ship and he was easy to find. He helped us navigate the subway system with ease and chatted with us along the way. He was knowledgeable about all of the sites we visited and helped take pictures of us in front of the castle. He stood in line for us whenever possible, so we could take some extra time to look around. He made our day very enjoyable and made sure we were all set to get back when we parted. We definitely made the most of these 4 hours and I highly recommend using this group, especially if the other guides are like Elvis!

Apr 21, 2025
E9436SKdrews
great tour with Elvis
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Local Cuisine, Food & Sake Cultural Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
My wife and I got to tour Takayama with Elvis. He was a great and knowledgeable guide and
made sure we got to see everything we wanted to. Elvis was friendly made sure we were
always comfortable without feeling rushed.

May 22, 2026
Leanne S
Tripadvisor review: Hakodate 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Cruise port must
Akira was our tour guide and was great. We went to all the stops and he was flexible with us if wanted to take a taxi or stop and eat. I would recommend this tour, especially if you are stopping at a cruise port. He had lots of knowledge and you saw a lot in a small amount of time.

May 7, 2026
Narayanan_V
Viator review: Otaru 6hr Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Akira san is a wonderful…
Akira san is a wonderful guide. Very informative. He accomodated our requests to see a
shinto temple, Sake factory etc. Akira san shared information about the Meiji revolution
which was interesting. Thank you Akira san

May 1, 2026
Maria R
Tripadvisor review: Hakodate 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best of Hakodate
Akira was a very knowledgeable guide who showed us the best and most interesting sights
of Hakodate. We learned a lot about Hakodate and Japanese history from him.

Feb 18, 2026
Danielle_S
An insider’s tour of Otaru
Viator review: Otaru 6hr Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
My guide Akira was knowledgeable, kind, patient, and understanding. He didn’t talk too much; rather, he let me ask questions so that he only spoke on topics of interest to me. He also allowed me to set the pace, and we covered a lot of ground in six hours, from the fish market to Mt. Tengu to a coffeehouse to even the Don Quijote discount store (at my request). Being a first-time visitor to Japan and Otaru, I could have never figured out how to manage the logistics and cover so much ground so efficiently. He coordinated bus travel and translated for me at shops. He was very conversant in Enlish on a number of subjects ranging from history to movies. A memorable day with a truly expert guide!

May 16, 2026
I3520JTcristinat
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nara with family
Excellent tour with Junichi!!! Perfect English speaking guide and highly knowledgeable.
Highly recommend this tour!!!!

May 3, 2026
Maria_J
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Enjoyable day in Nara
We spent 6 hours in Nara with Junichi Taguchi and were impressed by how much we were able to see and learn in that time. Traveling as a group of seven adults, we visited Kasuga Taisha, enjoyed lunch at Mizuya Chaya, and explored Tōdai-ji—including the Great Buddha Hall and surrounding grounds. We also spent time at Yoshikien Garden and Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography, along with encounters with Nara’s famous bowing deer.

Junichi shared clear, informative context throughout the day, adding depth to each stop without ever feeling overwhelming. His pacing was thoughtful, and he kept our group moving smoothly while still allowing time to take things in.

A well-organized and engaging tour—highly recommend Junichi for anyone visiting Nara.

Apr 11, 2026
64sandig
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Osaka DEP. with Licensed Guide
????? Absolutely Outstanding ? Junichi Made Our Nara Day Unforgettable!
We had the pleasure of touring Nara with Junichi today, and he was simply phenomenal from the very first moment! Warm, welcoming, and a true professional, Junichi made us feel instantly at ease. His genuine enthusiasm and excellent English made every part of the day enjoyable and easy to follow.
Junichi’s knowledge is encyclopedic, yet he explains everything in such a clear, engaging, and understandable way. At Kofuku-ji Temple, he brought the history and significance of the site to life with fascinating details. We then enjoyed a relaxing lunch together before heading to Nara Park, where we had the delightful experience of feeding the famous bowing deer ? such a fun and memorable moment!
What really stood out was how flexible and attentive Junichi was. When we felt a bit pressed for time, he smoothly adjusted the itinerary and took us to a wonderful sake tasting facility instead of the next temple. We sampled several excellent sakes and couldn’t resist taking some home with us! From there, he led us to an incredible traditional kitchen knife shop run by an artisan whose family has been crafting blades for 750 years (originally making samurai swords). The craftsmanship was breathtaking, and we ended up purchasing a beautiful knife.
Later, Junichi took us to see an original Japanese merchant’s house, which was a real eye-opener ? the minimalistic lifestyle and beautiful architecture were fascinating.
The entire day was perfectly paced, insightful, and filled with wonderful surprises. Junichi’s caring attitude, deep knowledge, and ability to adapt made this one of the best private tour experiences we’ve ever had. We are so grateful we got to spend the day with him.
If you’re visiting Nara, do yourself a favor and book with Junichi ? you won’t regret it! He’s an absolute gem.
Highly, highly recommended ? 5 stars without hesitation!

Mar 30, 2026
dpadillachavez
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Kyoto DEP. with Licensed Guide
Great day at Nara!
Best tour on Nara, Junichi is great during the tour! He definitely knows and shows the best
parts of the city.