Kyoto in One Day: Hotel Iconic Kyoto — Guide Kazz
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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 11/22
- 11:00 Hotel Iconic Kyoto
- 11:30 Eikando (1000) by taxi autumn leaves
- 12:30 Nanzenji (600) by walking
- 14:00 Nishiki Market by taxi Lunch(Fisherman's Hut)
- 15:30 Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi autumn leaves & pottery
- Sannenzaka
- Yasaka-no-to
- Ninenzaka
- 17:00 Yasaka jinja
- Maruyama Park
- End of the tour
- 11/23
- 09:30 Hotel Iconic Kyoto
- 10:00 Kinkakuji (500) by taxi
- 11:00 Gioji (300) by taxi
- 12:00 Bamboo grove by waliking
- 12:40 Lunch (Ine)
- 13:30 Senkoji
- 15:30 Kyoto Station Ticket Office
- End of the tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited Hotel Iconic Kyoto at 11:00, Eikando (1000) by taxi autumn leaves at 11:30, Nanzenji (600) by walking at 12:30, Nishiki Market by taxi Lunch(Fisherman's Hut) at 14:00, Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi autumn leaves & pottery at 15:30, Yasaka jinja at 17:00, Hotel Iconic Kyoto at 09:30, Kinkakuji (500) by taxi at 10:00, Gioji (300) by taxi at 11:00, Bamboo grove by waliking at 12:00, Senkoji at 13:30 and Kyoto Station Ticket Office at 15:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Saga-Arashiyama to Kyoto by train (240JPY). Across 1 sections the fare came to 240JPY per person.
Title: What Is a 2-Day Private Kyoto Autumn Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from North America. This was a two-day tour. Both were extremely energetic and walked quickly, with one going ahead to take many photos of the autumn leaves. Overall, it felt about two weeks too early for the peak of the autumn foliage. Eikando was very crowded, but the fall colors were still far from their peak. At Nishiki Market, rather than sampling many items at many shops, the guests had a seafood rice bowl at one place and finished there. Afterward, they enjoyed doughnuts for dessert at a doughnut shop. At Kiyomizu-dera the autumn leaves were still early, but the evening sunlight was very beautiful. As they had made a dinner reservation at a restaurant in Maruyama Park, I took them to the front of the restaurant and we wrapped up the first day there.
On the second day, I guided them mainly around the western area. We visited the classic Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji, the somewhat less-known Gio-ji, and the popular bamboo grove. The Sagano and Arashiyama area was extremely crowded. For lunch, we waited in line and ate at a restaurant. While I waited in line in front of the shop, the guests did some shopping. After the meal, to escape the crowds, we skipped Tenryu-ji and I guided them to Senko-ji instead. They were pleased to get a little away from the hustle and bustle. Finally, since they had not been able to secure space for their large luggage on the bullet train they would take to Hakone the next day, I took them to the ticket counter at Kyoto Station, and once that concern was resolved, we concluded the tour.
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 | Train | Saga-Arashiyama～Kyoto | 240JPY |
| Total | 240JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Hotel Iconic Kyoto, Eikando (1000) by taxi autumn leaves, Nanzenji (600) by walking, Nishiki Market by taxi Lunch(Fisherman's Hut), Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi autumn leaves & pottery, Yasaka jinja, Hotel Iconic Kyoto, Kinkakuji (500) by taxi, Gioji (300) by taxi, Bamboo grove by waliking, Senkoji and Kyoto Station Ticket Office.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 240JPY per person across 1 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Kazz is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kyoto itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
I’m Ryoichi Kazuma and my nickname is “Kazz”. I live in Kyotanabe city next to Kyoto city. I want guests to enjoy Kyoto by seeing and experiencing not only from outside but also from inside. I offer various information from daily matters to traditional cultures. Most destinations in Kyoto are located on the eastern side or the western side. As I want to guide guests to as many destinations as possible, I make an efficient itinerary and recommend a taxi use to save time. Additionally, I take pictures at various spots and finally share the link to my storage. By doing so, guests can download their favorite pictures from my storage. Please enjoy Kyoto night and day!
Jul 14, 2026
T6871WWricharde
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kazz gave a great one on one 8 hour custom tour…
Jul 14, 2026
T6871WWricharde
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kazz gave a great one on one 8 hour custom tour of Kyoto
Ryoich Kazuma (Kazz) was an amazing guide! He picked me up at my hotel and expertly guided me around Kyoto, showing me a custom set of sites. His background revealed interesting facts about the sites and related Japanese culture. He photographed moments for me and later shared all the pictures, allowing me to enjoy the sites rather than focusing on taking all my own pictures. He prepared an itinerary in advance and gave me useful information about how much local currency would be needed as well as estimated admission and transportation costs. Basically have 15000 yen ready and use a Suica card and everything is easy! We had a lovely lunch around midday as well. I highly recommend the tour and can’t say enough good things about Kazz! Love every moment!!
Jun 5, 2026
mateoe216
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Would book again
The tour with Kazuma-san was absolutely great. As someone…
Jun 5, 2026
mateoe216
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Would book again
The tour with Kazuma-san was absolutely great. As someone who has never taken a private tour before, I was unsure what to expect. Kazuma-san met us at our hotel, was very friendly and knowledgeable. His English is also good. As me and my mother took more time than planned at the different sites we visited, Kazuma-san was able to provide us with interesting explanations and history facts throughout it all, even smells of local flora, and he took photos for us even after the alloted 4 hours were over and we were on our way back. One highlight for me was a high end porcelain shop near kiyomizudera.
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to get a feel for Kyoto’s temples and history.
May 27, 2026
Leah_D
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Absolutely recommend!
I definitely recommend seeing some of the sights with a…
May 27, 2026
Leah_D
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Absolutely recommend!
I definitely recommend seeing some of the sights with a guide, we learned so many things we would’ve been clueless about had we done some of the temples and castles on our own. Kazz was a wonderful guide and took pictures of us with his nice camera everywhere we went, so we had a little photo album of our day at the end of it! We had so much fun and are extremely glad we did this. Thank you so much!!
May 26, 2026
sheilacL3330KS
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Very enthusiastic and knowledgable guide. Much appreciated
Kazz was an excellent guide…
May 26, 2026
sheilacL3330KS
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Very enthusiastic and knowledgable guide. Much appreciated
Kazz was an excellent guide – very enthusiastic about everything and happy to explain not only the meaning of the ‘golden pavilion’ but also the different properties of bamboo, and the meanings of anything pertinent he noticed in various shops He also took multiple photographs which he sent to us via email .