Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour — Guide Kazu
August, 2024
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
- 8:00 Hotel meet 8:35 Arashiyama Togetsukyo Bridge 9:00 Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple 10:00 Gio-ji Temple 10:40 Nison-in Temple 11:15 Lunch (Arashiyama Shorai-an) 13:20 Kinkaku-ji Temple 14:50 Fushimi Inari
- 15:45 Return to hotel Tour ends
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. A travel agency acted as an intermediary, so rather than negotiating directly, I followed the agency's instructions. A vehicle with a driver was arranged through the agency. This day was cloudy from the morning, and without direct sunlight it was a relatively comfortable day to be out. The guests walked at a good pace. I joined the group for lunch at Shoreian in Arashiyama. It was a shabu-shabu meal centered on tofu and yuba, with many carefully crafted dishes, and everyone enjoyed the food. I included some time for shopping along the way, but the guests were not particularly keen on it and only bought a few items. During sightseeing at Fushimi Inari, one of the guests began to feel a headache, so we headed to the Hotel right away and ended the tour a little earlier than planned. Thanks to this, we also avoided the rain that started around 4 o'clock. The photo was taken at Gioji Temple.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Other | Henn na Hotel Kyoto Hachijoguchi Station～Henn na Hotel Kyoto Hachijoguchi Station | 0JPY |
| Total | 0JPY | ||
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.