Kyoto: Arashiyama & Kinkaku-ji Temple
November, 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.
Tour Itinerary
- 11:30 Meet at Kyoto Station
- 12:30 Arashiyama
- 13:30 Kinkaku-ji Temple
- 14:30 Lunch
- 16:00 Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Gion
- 17:30 Disband
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 11:30 at Kyoto Station and ended at 17:30. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish. It included lunch at 14:30.
Over the course of the day the route took in Arashiyama at 12:30, Kinkaku-ji Temple at 13:30 and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Gion at 16:00.
Title: What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour from Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
Although there were frequent emails from the guests with changes and additions to their requests, which made me a little worried about how things would go, they turned out to be very cheerful and easygoing, which put me at ease. I had assumed we would send the luggage to the hotel, but since they were moving on, they decided to store their bags in a locker instead. The schedule was fairly tight, but the guests were still able to enjoy a relaxed lunch. They seemed to have come from Tokyo for a one-day sightseeing trip, and after the tour they planned to do some shopping and stop by Nishiki Market. Even though it was a busy day, there was laughter throughout, and I believe they were able to enjoy a fun day of sightseeing in Kyoto.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
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Oct 23, 2025
536terryw
Great day out in Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Noriko was a great guide. She had…
Oct 23, 2025
536terryw
Great day out in Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Noriko was a great guide. She had good knowledge of the sights she guided us to and was able to answer our questions as we went. She has good English skills even though we had to speak clarification because of her accent. We covered a lot of ground in Kyoto with Norika and although we were all reasonable fit 70 year old we did struggle to keep up with her at times. The main thing is we did not lose her. Overall Norika was good to be with.
Oct 22, 2025
pascalpJ9601TX
Bamboo forest, Monkeys, and Temples in North-West Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Family of four adults:…
Oct 22, 2025
pascalpJ9601TX
Bamboo forest, Monkeys, and Temples in North-West Kyoto.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Family of four adults: we had a great day with Noriko, she’s a awesome guide. She took us to more well known tourist destinations within Kyoto (as requested by us), but also brought us to less visited temples and was fluent in the history of these places. Communication in English was good, and Noriko was very kind and patient. I recommend highly this tour, and the great guide.
Oct 14, 2025
9
903tammyw
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Osaka with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Amazing! Our guide Noriko and our…
Oct 14, 2025
9
903tammyw
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Osaka with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Amazing! Our guide Noriko and our driver were knowledgeable and professional making our visit unforgettable. We loved how seamless and easy our tour was to book and the luxury of being transported in an air-conditioned car. We would love to use Noriko again on our next visit.
Oct 11, 2025
Graham S
A great introduction to Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Noriko-san was a wonderful guide. She…
Oct 11, 2025
Graham S
A great introduction to Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Noriko-san was a wonderful guide. She helped develop the itinerary for the day, which enabled us to see everything we wanted to do. She was very knowledgeable and informative. We had to make an unplanned visit to a shoe store, and Noriko-san quickly helped us.