Kyoto: Nijojo Castle & Kyoto Sta. — Guide Hideyoshi
October, 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
- 10:00 pick you up in the lobby of your hotel
- "Hotel Granvia Kyoto"
- (take taxi for about 2,000JPY)
- 10:30 Nijojo Castle
- 11:30 (take taxi for about 2,000JPY)
- 10:50 Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion)
- 11:50 (take taxi)
- 12:20 Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
- 12:50 Tenryuji Temple
- 13:20 (Lunch)
- 14:10 (take taxi)
- 14:50 Nishiki Food Market
- 15:40 (take train)
- 16:00 Fushimi Inari Taisha
- 17:00 (take train)
- 17:20 Kyoto Sta.
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited pick you up in the lobby of your hotel at 10:00, Nijojo Castle at 10:30, (take taxi for about 2,000JPY) at 11:30, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) at 10:50, (take taxi) at 11:50, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest at 12:20, Tenryuji Temple at 12:50, (Lunch) at 13:20, (take taxi) at 14:10, Nishiki Food Market at 14:50, (take train) at 15:40, Fushimi Inari Taisha at 16:00, (take train) at 17:00 and Kyoto Sta. at 17:20.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Gion-Shijo to Fushimi Inari by train (220JPY); Inari to Kyoto by train (150JPY). Across 2 sections the fare came to 370JPY per person.
What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
1. The guests were visitors from North America, experiencing Kyoto for the first time. Since walking was somewhat difficult for one of them, we traveled almost entirely by taxi. 2. The guests did not use a credit card and paid for everything in cash. 3. As the guests said they liked noodles, they enjoyed hot tempura udon and meat soba for lunch. 4. I was able to have an enjoyable conversation with the guests. 5. Since it began to drizzle in the evening, we did not walk through Gion but instead I limited the visit to an explanation of geiko and maiko. 6. The guests really liked walking through Nishiki Market and said they would come back to buy souvenirs on their final day, so at the end I explained how to get there from their hotel before concluding the tour.
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～Fushimi Inari | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Inari～Kyoto | 150JPY |
| Total | 370JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited pick you up in the lobby of your hotel, Nijojo Castle, (take taxi for about 2,000JPY), Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), (take taxi), Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryuji Temple, (Lunch), (take taxi), Nishiki Food Market, (take train), Fushimi Inari Taisha, (take train) and Kyoto Sta..
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 370JPY per person across 2 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Hideyoshi is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kyoto itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hello, I’m HIDEo YOSHIda. Please call me HIDEYOSHI, the same name as a famous shogun who unified Japan for the first time in 1590.
I was born in Kobe, worked in Osaka for nearly 40 years. I would like to introduce you Kansai region, including Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara and Wakayama.
In Kyoto, I can guide you Nijojo Castle, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kinkakuji Tempe (Golden Pavilion), Gion area, and Fushimi Inari Taisha.
In Osaka, I’ll show you Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, and Umeda Sky biilding. We have locall foods such as Kushikatau, Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki.
In Kobe, I’ll take you to former foreign residential area, Sannomiya Shopping Street, Chinese Market, and Arima Onsen.
In Nara, I’ll guide you Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, and Yakushiji Temple.
In Wakayama, I take you to Koyasan, the center of Esoteric Buddhism.
I enjoy guiding foreign tourists.
I can show you Japanese history, especially samurai period, and Shinto and Buddhism.
I’ve been looking forward to guiding you !!
Jun 1, 2026
Stephan_F
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great overview of the…
Great overview of the highlights of Kyoto with…
Jun 1, 2026
Stephan_F
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great overview of the…
Great overview of the highlights of Kyoto with an excellent guide. Just beware that the
different sites may be located at different ends of the city so you will spend time on trains.
Also, in the summer a parasol is probably a good idea as it can get hot.
May 28, 2025
terrym866
Kyoto guided tour was as promised. Very knowledgeable guide and driver .
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Kobe with…
May 28, 2025
terrym866
Kyoto guided tour was as promised. Very knowledgeable guide and driver .
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Kobe with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Tour was as promised , well planned and executed. The guide was very knowledgeable and
friendly and went out of his way to make sure we were pleased.
Oct 17, 2024
katiya2017
Walking visit in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We booked a full day walking…
Oct 17, 2024
katiya2017
Walking visit in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We booked a full day walking tour excursion from Osaka to Kyoto from our cruise ship. Hideo Yoshida met us promptly and escorted us all day from Osaka to visit 4 of Kyotos most famous sites.
He proved to be a true Japanese gentleman, very polite , very knowledgeable and knew the train system well. We must have changed at least 10 trains and it would have been impossible to navigate this without him. Also we had our most delicious sushi and sashimi lunch in Japan in a restaurant he recommended.
Thank you Hideo for providing us a wonderful insight in Kyotos history.
Sep 29, 2024
Roy_M
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a very good private tour with…
Sep 29, 2024
Roy_M
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a very good private tour with Hide Yoshi – he made a good plan for us and whisked us around Kyoto to the key sites very efficiently. He had good knowledge about the places we visited and had prepared materials and photos to show us. He really helped us to get the maximum out of our time in Kyoto and is a really nice person. Also took us for an excellent lunch! Highly recommended.