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

  • 10:55 meet at Sanjo Station Exit 4, go to Kinkaku-ji by bus
  • 11:50-12:40 Kinkaku-ji, then go to Omuro Ninna-ji by bus, transfer to Randen at Ninna-ji and go to Randen Arashiyama
  • 13:30-14:30 Arashiyama (Bamboo Forest, Nonomiya Shrine, Observation Deck, Tenryu-ji, Togetsukyo Bridge), then use Randen and subway to go to Shijo Station, Nishiki Market
  • 15:30-16:10 Nishiki Market (since we didn't have lunch during the tour, we stopped by 2 shops for a light meal)

Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Walking Tour with Nishiki Market Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

To make the tour more efficient, I arranged to meet the guests near a bus stop rather than at their hotel, and since we met exactly as planned, we were able to follow the itinerary almost as scheduled. The guests were cheerful and chatted along the way about topics such as pensions, immigration, and global warming. They remarked that it was too hot for October. I also took photos of the guests at various points during the tour. At Nishiki Market, we stopped by two shops and had a light snack together. They seemed to really like the processed sesame products and bought a large quantity of them. By the time we finished exploring Nishiki Market, it was past 4:00 p.m., so I had them check the direction back on their smartphone, and we parted ways there. The guests planned to explore the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku covered shopping arcades afterward, and I believe they enjoyed the tour.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1BusKeihan Sanjo~Kinkakuji-michi230JPY
Section 2BusKinkakuji-michi~Omuro Ninna-ji230JPY
Section 3TrainRanden Ninna-ji~Randen Arashiyama250JPY
Section 4TrainRanden Arashiyama~Randen Tenjingawa250JPY
Section 5SubwayUzumasa Tenjingawa~Shijo260JPY
Total1,220JPY

Nice to meet you.
My name is Hiroki Muramoto, please call me Hiro.
Hiro in Japanese means large or big. Although I’m neither large nor big, you can call me Hiro. How are you doing ?
I lived in a city nearby Kobe city. Do you know Kobe ? Kobe is famous for Kobe beef and pearl. If you have not yet had Kobe beef, you should taste the authentic Kobe beef. It is very satisfying taste. But I have recently moved to a city in Kyoto prefecture, so I can be in Kyoto city in about one hour. By the way, I am a family of four. I have a son and a daughter. My son now works in Tokyo. I sometimes go to Tokyo to see him. Tokyo is a huge city, but too crowded, so it seems not to suit me. I seem to be better suited to a small city than a big one. Where do you live in ? How many families do you have ? If you like, please tell me about them. I worked in the quality assurance department of a pharmaceutical company and visited the factories of foreign affiliated companies, so I became interested in foreign cultures and obtained a qualification as an interpreter guide in 2015.

I have been a guide for about eight years. During that time, I have guided in Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kochi and so on, although I could do little guiding work between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19. However, since last year, my guiding work has been back! So, I am happy to be able to meet different people again. My hobby is travelling, but sadly, I am not in a position to travel abroad easily at the moment due to the very weak yen, and I hope to travel abroad again when the situation eases a bit more.
How many countries have you been to so far ? Which countries have you liked so far? Another hobby is watching sports – baseball and football. Do you like the baseball ? Do you know Otani, Japanese baseball player ? He has joined Dodgers in Los Angeles this year. I look forward to another successful year for Otani.

By the way, what interests you in Japan? Food, history, scenery ? As far as tourist attractions are concerned, famous places are too crowded. If you like, I also would like to show you some less crowded places. Are you interested in experiencing something ? If you want to experience something, I can suggest an experience plan for you. If so, please contact me as early as possible. As for food, what kind of food do you like? There are many kinds of delicious food. Of course, you can get good food in fine restaurants, but you can also get good food in downtown restaurants. If you like alcohol, why don’t you try Japanese sake? It can range from light and fragrant to rich in flavor, so you’re sure to find a Japanese sake you like.

My motto is “Be content with life.” However, I find myself complaining all the time. If you like, please tell me your motto. I want to treat all guests who visit Japan with the spirit of “Treasure every encounter” and guide them so that they can enjoy themselves and have good memories of Japan.
You only live once (YOLO). So, I also want to enjoy it with you.

I look forward to meeting you.
Best regard.

Nov 27, 2024
Julianne_A
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