Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu
September, 2026
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
- 12:30 Meet at hotel 12:35 Lunch (Japanese food) 13:20 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 14:40 Yasaka Pagoda 15:00 Kiyomizu-dera Temple 16:00 Higashiyama area (Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, Ishibei-koji, Yasaka Shrine) 17:30 Kujo Depot (picking up the smartphone the guest lost) 17:45 Fushimi Inari 18:45 See off to the subway platform at Kyoto Station, then end of tour
Title: What's a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Higashiyama and Fushimi Inari
Body: The guest visited Japan from North America for work, spending the beginning of the week at a printing company in Shiga Prefecture and planning to sightsee in Kyoto and Hiroshima over the weekend before returning home. The guest tended to be more comfortable speaking Spanish. After finishing work today, the guest moved to a hotel in Kyoto. Up to this point, most of the work had been in Osaka, and accommodation had often been near Shin-Osaka. It had rained all week, but today was cloudy from the morning with occasional sunshine. Thanks to this, the temperature was low and there was a slight breeze, making it a comfortable tour. After finishing the Higashiyama area at Yasaka Shrine, the plan was to take the city bus to Tofuku-ji, transfer to the JR line, and go to Fushimi Inari. Just after getting off the bus at the Tofuku-ji stop, the guest realized that a smartphone and charger had been left on the bus seat. I called the bus depot, believed to be the "Kujo Depot," and asked them to check the bus for the lost items. As a result, the smartphone and other items were found, and we went together to the Kujo Depot office to pick them up. The guest was very happy to have them found. Since we were running short on time, we took a taxi from the Kujo Depot to Fushimi Inari. The photo was taken at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. A notable stop on the tour was Fushimi Inari Taisha. Fushimi Inari is one of Kyoto's most iconic shrines, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates that form winding paths up the sacred Mount Inari. Dedicated to Inari, the Shinto deity of rice and prosperity, the shrine attracts many visitors who walk through the tunnels of torii gates donated by individuals and businesses. Along the way, visitors can also see numerous fox statues, which are believed to be messengers of Inari.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Shijo (Kyoto Municipal)～Kyoto | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Kyoto～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Saga-Arashiyama～Nijo | 200JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Nijo～Higashiyama (Kyoto Prefecture) | 260JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Higashiyama-Sanjo (Subway Higashiyama Station) / Kyoto City Bus～Kiyomizu-michi / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 6 | Bus | Gion / Kyoto City Bus～Tofukuji / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 7 | Other | Tofukuji～Kujo Shako-mae | 230JPY |
| Section 8 | Train | Inari～Kyoto | 150JPY |
| Total | 1,760JPY | ||
I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.
Sep 28, 2026
Miguel_E
Amazing Service
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful time with Kazuo.…
Sep 28, 2026
Miguel_E
Amazing Service
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful time with Kazuo. He had such insightful knowledge of each area we wanted to visit and had all the best spots to take photos and was very patient with us.
Sep 27, 2026
T
TrailBlazer47194
Kazuo Sumi is a great guide.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Our guide Kazuo Sumi…
Sep 27, 2026
T
TrailBlazer47194
Kazuo Sumi is a great guide.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Our guide Kazuo Sumi was excellent. We had a wonderful time, learned a lot of new things about Japanese culture and history, practiced navigating transport, enjoyed a perfect lunch. Kazuo-San even facilitated a purchase of a UV blocking umbrella, which was much needed on that sunny day.
Sep 1, 2026
Steve6172014
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour…
Sep 1, 2026
Steve6172014
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour with Kazuo, our guide. Days before arrival he communicated directly with me to set up the tour according to sites we wanted to see and he made good suggestions. Besides listening to his Kyoto detailed knowledge, we enjoyed the local walking of streets, taking buses and trains between sites. Kazuo has excellent English and has travelled himself so being with him for the day was a pleasure. I highly recommend using him as your guide
Aug 7, 2026
Pascale_Q
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had…
Aug 7, 2026
Pascale_Q
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Very good private tour of Kyoto with Kazuo
We had a wonderful experience during our Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide. Our guide, Kazuo, was truly outstanding from start to finish. He shared an impressive amount of knowledge about Kyoto’s history, culture, temples, and daily life. You can feel how passionate he is about his city, and he explains everything with the calm, precision and kindness so typical of Japanese guides. His English was clear and easy to follow, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Kazuo was also extremely friendly, attentive and careful. He always made sure we were comfortable, took the time to answer all our questions, adapted the pace of the tour, and anticipated our needs without us even asking. Travelling by car made the experience smooth and relaxing, allowing us to see more places without rushing. We felt very well taken care of throughout the day, and we learned so much thanks to him. We highly recommend Kazuo to anyone looking for a personalized, insightful and stress‑free discovery of Kyoto.