Kobe Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide Tracy
April, 2025
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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:30 Meet I had sent photos the day before and specified the meeting place in detail, but the customer was on the 1st floor of the Port Terminal while I was on the 2nd floor, so there was a bit of confusion, but we managed to meet up successfully. After that, we decided to go to Kobe Herb Garden and traveled by taxi.
- 10:00 Arrived at the Herb Garden. The weather was cloudy and the scenery was foggy, so it wasn't very good, but the customer loved flowers and asked about the names of various flowers, smelled the perfumes, and seemed to be having a great time. They took lots of photos of the planted grasses and trees. I also took photos of the customer. They had apparently had surgery on their leg, so walking seemed difficult, and we went down the slope taking breaks. They had no appetite due to food poisoning, said the foreigner's district was bad for their legs because of the slopes, weren't interested in souvenirs, and didn't want to see shrines, so it was hard to decide on the next destination, but in the end we decided to go to the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum.
- 11:20 Traveled by subway from Shin-Kobe Station to Sannomiya.
- 11:30 Traveled by train from Hanshin Sannomiya Station to Hanshin Sumiyoshi Station.
- 12:00 Arrived at the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum. They said they wouldn't drink sake because they weren't feeling well, but they eagerly watched the videos and looked at the tools of sake brewing.
- I was glad they said, "It was interesting, I'm glad I came."
- 12:50 Arrived at Hanshin Sumiyoshi Station, traveled to Sannomiya Station.
- 13:10 Arrived at Hanshin Sannomiya Station. Traveled by taxi to the Port Terminal.
- 13:30 Arrived at the Port Terminal. Tour ended.
What Is a Private Kobe Cruise Port Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
Shortly after meeting, one of the party was not feeling well, so only one of the guests joined the tour. The meeting point had not been communicated clearly, which caused some confusion, but the guest called me early (through the staff) and we were able to meet right away.
The weather forecast had predicted occasional rain, but fortunately we were not caught in any rain. At the herb garden, the guest saw many kinds of flowers in bloom and delighted in them, saying "beautiful," though walking up the slopes seemed difficult. Many cruise passengers are older, and through this tour I truly realized that moving around within stations and using public transportation can be hard for guests who normally rely on cars and rarely walk. Since walking around town can be tough for cruise passengers, I felt it might have been good to propose from the outset a plan (and budget) of using taxis as needed. In that case, however, the key point seems to be whether the fare can be paid by card.
When I took a taxi from Sannomiya, I spoke with the taxi driver, who told me that in Kobe there are two cruise ship ports, plus a separate pier for sightseeing boats, so the passengers themselves often are not sure which one they need, leading to frequent trouble. Since the instructions from the company only say "port terminal," it would be helpful if, even provisionally, you could specify whether it is <Naka Pier or Meriken Park> or <Shinko Pier No. 4 or Port Island>.
As for the guest's impressions, they said it was a wonderful day, and I received kind words of praise by email and messaging app, such as "Thank you for the Great Day, You gave me a lovely day." I was glad to complete the work safely and without any incidents.
Click here for more details: Kobe Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Shin-Kobe～Sannomiya | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Sannomiya～Sumiyoshi | 200JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Sumiyoshi～Sannomiya | 200JPY |
| Total | 610JPY | ||
Hello, my name is Toshiko Kanoh, and my nick name is Tracy in English and Jiana in Chinese. I love Japanese culture, history and art, and I feel appreciated that I can assist your Japanese tour as your guide. I want to take you not only to the very famous spots but also to the very attractive places where only the local people knows. I work as a tour guide in spring and fall, but usually I support the university students as the counselor, as I want to contribute myself to the next generation. Added. I am interested in linguistics, so I have studied English, Chinese, Burmese and Italian, and I love cooking and eating. In Japan, you can enjoy various kind of food, very delicious and fair price.I am eagerly waiting for your visit to Japan. See you soon,!!!
May 28, 2024
michaelaR5896EU
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our tour guide Tracy was fantastic! We visited…
May 28, 2024
michaelaR5896EU
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our tour guide Tracy was fantastic! We visited many great sites in Kyoto including the Kiyomizudera Temple, Nijojo Castle, and the Golden Pavilion. Tracy even adapted the tour when we had more time to include more bonus spots based on our feedback from the previous locations. Tracy was exceptionally kind and eager to teach us about the history of the area. Truly a lovely experience.
Would definitely go again!