Tour Itinerary
- 12:30 Meet at the hotel, but check-in takes time, so the tour starts about 15 minutes late.
- 13:30 Kinkaku-ji Temple, then a short break
- 15:40 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
- 17:20 Fushimi Inari
- 18:30 See off to Keihan Railway Fushimi Inari Station, tour ends
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Fushimi Inari and the Bamboo Grove The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. I arrived at the Hotel at the promised time of 12:30, but check-in was still in progress and I had to wait while luggage was being taken up to the rooms. The guests were all cheerful and lively people. However, one member of the group had some trouble with their back and could not walk quickly, and found going up and down stairs difficult, so we used elevators, and at the bamboo grove they waited before the sloped path, and at Fushimi Inari they sat and waited before the Senbon Torii while the others went ahead. This person was calm and could be left alone with peace of mind. Because the tour schedule had become tight and this member of the group was quite tired, I explained how to return to the Hotel and ended the tour. At Fushimi Inari, some of the guests tried the omokaru-ishi stone. Fushimi Inari in the evening was, as expected, not crowded. The photo was taken at Fushimi Inari.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Kyoto City Hall～Nishioji Oike | 260JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Nishioji Oike～Kinkaku-ji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Kinkaku-ji-michi～Enmachi | 230JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Enmachi～Saga-Arashiyama | 180JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Saga-Arashiyama～Inari | 240JPY |
| Total | 1,140JPY | ||
I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.
Aug 7, 2026
Pascale_Q
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had…
Aug 7, 2026
Pascale_Q
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had a wonderful experience during our Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide. Our guide, Kazuo, was truly outstanding from start to finish. He shared an impressive amount of knowledge about Kyoto’s history, culture, temples, and daily life. You can feel how passionate he is about his city, and he explains everything with the calm, precision and kindness so typical of Japanese guides. His English was clear and easy to follow, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Kazuo was also extremely friendly, attentive and careful. He always made sure we were comfortable, took the time to answer all our questions, adapted the pace of the tour, and anticipated our needs without us even asking. Travelling by car made the experience smooth and relaxing, allowing us to see more places without rushing. We felt very well taken care of throughout the day, and we learned so much thanks to him. We highly recommend Kazuo to anyone looking for a personalized, insightful and stress‑free discovery of Kyoto.
Aug 7, 2026
602pascaleq
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We…
Aug 7, 2026
602pascaleq
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had a wonderful experience during our Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide. Our guide, Kazuo, was truly outstanding from start to finish. He shared an impressive amount of knowledge about Kyoto’s history, culture, temples, and daily life. You can feel how passionate he is about his city, and he explains everything with the calm, precision and kindness so typical of Japanese guides. His English was clear and easy to follow, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Kazuo was also extremely friendly, attentive and careful. He always made sure we were comfortable, took the time to answer all our questions, adapted the pace of the tour, and anticipated our needs without us even asking. Travelling by car made the experience smooth and relaxing, allowing us to see more places without rushing. We felt very well taken care of throughout the day, and we learned so much thanks to him. We highly recommend Kazuo to anyone looking for a personalized, insightful and stress‑free discovery of Kyoto.
Aug 6, 2026
Deschka
Tripadvisor review: Nara Day Trip from Kyoto: Customized Tour, Licensed Guide
Jederzeit wieder 👍
Tolle Tagestour, sehr informativ Perfektes service
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep…
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep knowledge about the history and culture of Japan. He is flexible and accommodates changes if you so desire. He is also very empathetic. I had a sprained back and he ensured we took elevators everywhere. You will be lucky if he is assigned as your guide .
