Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu
December, 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
- ① 11:00 Meet at ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto
- ② 11:05 Itinerary explanation and about the history of Kyoto
- ③ 11:40 Nijo Castle
- ④ 13:00 Kyoto Imperial Palace
- ⑤ 14:20 Lunch around Sanjo-dori
- ⑥ 15:30 Stroll around Gion (Shinbashi・Tatsumi Bridge～Chugen-ji Temple～Introduction to the Gion Hanamachi Art Museum)
- ⑦ 16:30 Yasui Konpira Shrine
- ⑧ 17:30 Disband around the Yasaka Pagoda
# What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto History Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting from Oceania. In Kyoto today the wind was strong with light rain and it was very cold, so coming from midsummer in Oceania, the group looked chilly. This was their first time in Japan, and their itinerary went from Tokyo to Hakone and Mount Fuji, then Kyoto and Osaka. They had traveled from Tokyo by Shinkansen this morning and met at 11:00, so things were a bit rushed, and they had not yet decided where to go today. When I spoke with them at the Hotel in the morning, it seemed they were interested in Japanese history, so we decided to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle, and to decide the rest as we went along. One of the guests was quite knowledgeable about the Japanese language and Japanese history, grasping the outline of everything I mentioned, which gradually made it more and more interesting for me, so I poured out details like a shower. It was memorable to see the rest of the group looking so happy watching this.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable.…
Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable. Spoke perfect English and made the day fun and educational. Was able to adjust the tour based on my needs.
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu…
Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu san in Kyoto. From the moment that the tour was booked, his communication with email about planning the day was exceptional.
Kazu gave detailed explanations about the areas we visited and we appreciated all that he had to offer at each of our stops.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu.…
Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu. By the end of the day, we felt like we had made a new friend.
Kazu helped us arrange the best day with our short time in Kyoto. He brought us to some “hidden gems” and gave us thorough explanations on history and culture.
I would highly recommend this tour.
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide…
Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide Kazu was very knowledgeable in terms of the history and explaining many of
the wonderful ancient sites around Kyoto. Definitely a must! Otherwise, I think it would be
difficult to tourists to understand on their own.