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 Hotel Meet (Hilton Garden Inn)
- 9:30-10:50 Shimogyo Ward Police Station (The customer lost their mobile phone on the Shinkansen yesterday, so they will submit a lost property report at the police station)
- 10:50-11:20 Travel (Subway; Karasuma Shijo → Kyoto Station, City Bus; Kyoto Station → Sanjusangendo)
- 11:30-12:10 Visit Sanjusangendo
- 12:20-12:40 Travel (Keihan Train; Keihan Shichijo → Gion Shijo)
- 12:40-13:30 Lunch (@Veggie ISO TERRACE)
- 13:30-13:50 Travel (Subway; Karasuma Shijo → Imadegawa)
- 13:50-14:30 Visit Kyoto Imperial Palace
- 14:30-15:00 Travel (Subway; Imadegawa → Higashiyama)
- 15:00-15:10 Antique Shop
- 15:20-15:50 Visit Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts
- 15:50-16:20 Travel (Taxi; Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts → Kyoto Station)
- 16:20-16:50 Kyoto Station → Shin-Osaka Station (Lost Property Center)
- 16:50-17:00 Lost Property Center *Pick up the lost mobile phone
- 17:00-17:30 Shin-Osaka → Kyoto Station
- Say goodbye at Kyoto Station
Title: What Happens on a Private Kyoto Tour When a Guest Loses a Phone? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting from Asia. When I met them at the hotel, they reported that they had lost a mobile phone on the bullet train the previous day. I tried calling the bullet train lost-and-found center, but could not get through at all, so we first went to the police station and filed a lost-item report.
Because of this trouble, we canceled the originally planned visit to To-ji Temple. At Kyoto Station we obtained a new phone number for lost-item inquiries, and after visiting Sanjusangen-do, we contacted the lost-and-found center in Shin-Osaka again from a restaurant, and were finally able to confirm the location of the lost item.
After lunch, we visited the Kyoto Imperial Palace, an antique shop along the way, and the Museum of Kyoto Traditional Crafts. We canceled the originally planned visits to the museum of modern art and an antique shop, and instead went to the lost-and-found center in Shin-Osaka to collect the lost mobile phone. We safely received the phone, and I accompanied the guests back to Kyoto Station, where we said our goodbyes.
To confirm the whereabouts of the lost phone, I ended up having the guests walk quite a lot around Kyoto Station. The guests seemed more concerned about their lost phone than the tour itself, and were not really in a state to enjoy it. As for the tour, they were disappointed that they could not enter the buildings at the Imperial Palace. It was a day of guiding while searching for a lost mobile phone.
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 | Karasuma Shijo～Kyoto Station | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Kyoto Station～Sanjusangendo-mae | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Keihan Shichijo～Gion Shijo | 170JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Karasuma Shijo～Imadegawa | 260JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Imadegawa～Higashiyama | 260JPY |
| Section 6 | Other | Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts～Kyoto Station | 0JPY |
| Section 7 | Train | Kyoto Station～Shin-Osaka | 0JPY |
| Section 8 | Train | Shin-Osaka～Kyoto Station | 0JPY |
| Total | 1,140JPY | ||
My name is (Mr.)Michiharu Aioi and I worked at Electronic Manufacturing Company (Panasonic) for more than 40 years in charge of overseas sales.
I learned a lot in these 40 years and now I would like to contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding with foreign countries being involved in tourism busines utilizing my long experience in my previous company. I will do my best to make each trip very fruitful for each foreign visitor.
As for my language ability, in addition to English, I can speak Spanish which I used in my job and I can communicate with Chinese people with intermediate level. Finally It is my great pleasure if my activity could work in the mutual understang with foreign visitors. Thanks a Lot !
Jul 19, 2026
Wander35832177180
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Kyoto temple tour
Our Kyoto guided tour (Aioi Michiharu) was a…
Jul 19, 2026
Wander35832177180
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Kyoto temple tour
Our Kyoto guided tour (Aioi Michiharu) was a great way to see some of the city’s most famous sights. The itinerary was well organized, starting with a convenient hotel pickup before visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha. Walking through the thousands of red torii gates was a memorable experience, and our guide shared interesting background about the shrine that added helpful context.
We then explored the Kiyomizu area, including Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Yasaka Pagoda, and Yasaka Koshindo Temple. The route offered a nice mix of historic landmarks, traditional streets, and scenic viewpoints. There was enough time at each stop to take photos and enjoy the surroundings without feeling rushed.
What really made this tour special was our guide’s knowledge, friendliness, and enthusiasm. He provided interesting cultural insights, recommended local foods and hidden photo spots, and made sure everyone in the group was comfortable throughout the day.
Jul 16, 2026
Abby_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour. Highly recommend
Michi our guide was excellent!…
Jul 16, 2026
Abby_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour. Highly recommend
Michi our guide was excellent! Great communication before the tour and laid out an entire day for us. Was very accommodating and understood when the heat got to us and needed to take a break. He was very knowledgeable and gave us great pieces of information about the beautiful city of Kyoto. Would highly recommend the tour and Michi!!
Jul 13, 2026
Javier P
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kyoto gems
Michi was incredibly courteous and informative.…
Jul 13, 2026
Javier P
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kyoto gems
Michi was incredibly courteous and informative. He had a great plan for our tour and everything went smoothly. He talked about the history of the city, industry, and culture and kept our daughters engaged. Highly recommended!
Jul 13, 2026
Beth_D
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent Tour and Guide
Michi was an excellent tour guide! He…
Jul 13, 2026
Beth_D
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent Tour and Guide
Michi was an excellent tour guide! He was very knowledgeable about the history of all the sites we visited, was able to answer all of core questions, and knew where to find cold water when we were all thirsty! We really enjoyed our whole 4 hour tour.