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 …Double Tree Kyoto in front of Kyoto Station, start the guide
- 11:00…Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove → Tenryu-ji Temple → Togetsukyo Bridge)
- 12:30…Lunch (Arashiyama Park)
- 14:00…Kinkaku-ji Temple
- 16:00…Nijo Castle
- 17:40…Disband at Kyoto Station
Title: What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, and Nijo Castle
The tour began as planned at the meeting point at the Hotel. I introduced myself and went over the itinerary for the day. The guests gave the impression of being a kind and warm group.
Since some of the guests had back pain, we made our way slowly to Kyoto Station. Fortunately, there were empty seats on the train bound for Saga-Arashiyama, so they were able to sit down.
In Arashiyama, we first enjoyed a walk through the bamboo grove. The guests were moved by the rustling sound of the bamboo leaves and the sight of the bamboo swaying in the wind.
At Tenryu-ji, the guests sat on a bench in front of the Sogenchi Garden and rested for a while.
It began to rain, but with umbrellas the guests took in the scenery of the Togetsukyo Bridge. "So beautiful!" they said with delight. After crossing the bridge, we took photos and had lunch at a nearby restaurant. The guests enjoyed tempura udon and curry udon. The restaurant staff were very friendly and even took a photo together with us.
We moved to Kinkaku-ji by taxi. The rain grew heavier, but the guests enjoyed the beautiful Kinkaku-ji and its garden.
We then traveled to Nijo Castle by bus. It was just before 4:00, but we managed to enter the Ninomaru Palace. The guests were impressed by the magnificent sliding-door paintings, the metal fittings, and the transom carvings. I also guided them through the garden and touched on the differences between the gardens of Tenryu-ji, Kinkaku-ji, and here. As the rain grew stronger and the time passed 5:00, I suggested skipping Kiyomizu-dera and heading to Kyoto Station by subway, and the guests agreed. I thanked them in front of Kyoto Station and ended 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 | Kyoto～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Kinkakuji-michi～Nijojo-mae | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Nijojo-mae～Kyoto | 260JPY |
| Total | 730JPY | ||
Hi, everyone! I’m Yuriko Suematsu, a government licensed tour guide. Please call me Lily, because Yuri means Lily in English.
I like Japanese history, culture, and Japanese castles. Especially, I like tea ceremony in kimono.(I’m also a licensed kimono dresser.)
So, I sometimes guide around Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka, Nara and Nagoya in kimono.
There are lots of beautiful places to visit in Japan.
Especially, I recommend you to visit Kyoto and Nara if you are interested in Japanese ancient history. Nara and Kyoto are both ancient capital cities over 1000 years ago.
I also recommend you to visit Gifu(Shirakawa-go and Takayama), my hometown if you want to enjoy rural nostalgic atmosphere.
If you’re interested in Japanese castles, I recommend you to visit Himeji, Osaka, Kanazawa and Nagoya. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time to see beautiful castles.
Let’s enjoy Japanese culture and history together!
Apr 16, 2026
maerlaeb
Wonderful tour on the Nakasendo Trail
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We had the…
Apr 16, 2026
maerlaeb
Wonderful tour on the Nakasendo Trail
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We had the pleasure of joining Yuriko for a beautiful and informative walk from Magome to Tsumago on the Nakasendo Trail. Yuriko is a wonderful educator with great knowledge of the history and lore of the post towns on the trail. She made the experience easy, too, providing us with a perfect schedule for the day, including meeting us at our guest house in the morning and arranging for a bento box lunch that we shared under cherry blossoms. Yuriko made the stories come alive and provided us with an unforgettable experience in a magical part of Japan. Enthusiastically recommended!
Apr 14, 2026
Andrew K
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Wonderful Tour
Highly recommended! Yuriko-san was so knowledgeable and patient.…
Apr 14, 2026
Andrew K
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Wonderful Tour
Highly recommended! Yuriko-san was so knowledgeable and patient. We learned so much,
which enabled us to appreciate the beauty, culture, and history of Takayama even more!
Oct 23, 2025
Sydney_N
We had a wonderful tour…
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful tour in…
Oct 23, 2025
Sydney_N
We had a wonderful tour…
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful tour in Takayama with our guide Lily. She had in-depth knowledge of
the history of Takayama. Lily gave us a wonderful introduction to our visit to Takayama.
Sep 12, 2025
Cornishgirl22
Wonderful tour of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Lily contacted me a few weeks before…
Sep 12, 2025
Cornishgirl22
Wonderful tour of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Lily contacted me a few weeks before we came to let us know our itinerary.
We met at 9am at our hotel with Lily showing us on a map where we would be visiting.
Lily was a very good guide with excellent knowledge. We were taken to the local market, temple, shrine, festival float exhibition hall, Government building, sake tasting & Merchant street. We needed to pay for ourselves to visit the festival float exhibition hall, Government building & sake tasting.
If there were any shops that we wanted to go in, we were able to.
Lily went at an ideal pace & we weren’t rushed at all.
Lily also booked us a Hida beef restaurant for us to have lunch in after the tour finished. This was arranged beforehand.
Overall an excellent experience.