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 at hotel 10:00 Kawai Shrine 10:30 Shimogamo Shrine 11:00 Demachi Shopping Street 11:15 Kamishichiken 11:45 Short break 12:40 Mikane Shrine 13:15 Lunch 14:30 Rokudo Chinnoji Temple 15:15 Yasui Konpiragu Shrine 15:45 Gion 16:20 Shopping at Nishiki Market and Teramachi 17:10 Escort to hotel and end tour
What Is a Private Off-the-Beaten-Path Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests came to Japan from Europe and were traveling around Japan for about a month. They requested places that tourists rarely visit, so we toured Kawai Shrine, Kamishichiken, Mikane Shrine, and other spots. It was the day before the Aoi Matsuri, and a pre-festival ceremony was being held at Shimogamo Shrine, where Kawai Shrine is located, so it was wonderful to be able to see something so special. It was a very hot day, with the temperature rising to about 28 degrees, so we took a short break in Kamishichiken. For lunch, they ordered a lunch set at a casual local eatery near Mikane Shrine. Finally, at Nishiki Market and Teramachi shopping street, they purchased a cooking knife and nail clippers. They said that Japanese nail clippers are the finest in the world. After the shopping, since they had walked a long distance in the heat, I took them back to the Hotel a little early to end the tour. The photo was taken at Nishiki Market.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Gion-Shijo～Demachiyanagi | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Kawaramachi Imadegawa／Kyoto City Bus～Kamishichiken／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Kitano Hakubaicho／Kyoto City Bus～Nijojo-mae／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Nijojo-mae～Higashiyama (Kyoto) | 220JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Higashiyama Sanjo (Subway Higashiyama Station)／Kyoto City Bus～Kiyomizu-michi／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Total | 1,150JPY | ||
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.
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 .
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience…
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience on the tour. We travelled all around Kyoto with our guide Kazuo Sumi. He is a sweet older gentleman who had a great depth of knowledge about each place we went to. We told him places we wanted to go and he made the itinerary for us. There is no one better to have as your guide!!
Jul 16, 2026
margaretsM7923ON
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Great way to see Kyoto
Wonderful tour and exceptional guide.
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided…
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided some excellent recommendations. There’s a lot of walking so make sure you are prepared.