Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour — Guide Kazu

June, 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

  • ①　10:30　Meet at hotel (Hotel Kyoto Yuraku Dhawa)
  • ②　10:45　Sannenzaka & Yasaka Pagoda
  • ③　11:15　Kiyomizu-dera Temple
  • ④　12:30　Rest at Shitakiri Chaya near Kiyomizu-dera
  • ⑤　13:00　Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
  • ⑥　14:30　Lunch around Sanjo-dori
  • ⑦　15:30　Stroll from Pontocho to Gion (Tatsumi Bridge)
  • ⑧　16:45　Kodai-ji Temple
  • ⑨　18:00　Disband at hotel

Title: What's a Private Kyoto Walking Tour in Summer Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America. The destinations were decided according to the guests' requests. It was extremely hot and humid, and the guests found the heat of this time of year in Japan quite challenging, so at their request the day before, we delayed the tour start time by 90 minutes. Since many of the sites involved climbing slopes, the guests ran out of stamina as expected, and we ended the tour 30 minutes early. They had joined a food tour in Gion the previous day, so I was able to share various additional stories about Gion and Japanese cuisine. Also, in June, shrines hold the "Nagoshi no Harae" summer purification ritual, in which the "chinowa" ring-passing ceremony takes place, so I shared various stories about what the chinowa is and about Kyoto's and Japan's fine old culture and traditions. There were no advance fares.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Kazu

Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama

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Jul 29, 2026
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Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
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Fantastic tour guide
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