Kyoto in One Day: Ryoanji Temple & ～13：30　Nijo Castle — Guide Satoko

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Ryoan-ji, Kinkaku-ji, and Nijo Castle

When I met the guests at the Hotel, we chatted casually after leaving the Hotel, talking about things like when they had arrived in Kyoto and how long they planned to stay. Partway through, one of the guests mentioned needing to be guided to a hospital at the end of the tour to refill a prescription. I explained that, being the start of the year, almost no hospitals would be open, and asked whether after the tour would be acceptable, which they confirmed. I told them we would look for a hospital after arriving at our first destination, Ryoan-ji. On the train, I checked Kyoto City's holiday medical services and found that the relevant clinics were closed, so after arriving at Ryoan-ji I called the Kyoto Prefecture holiday medical center, which suggested a certain hospital. When I called there, however, they were unable to help. Since the guests had said earlier that they would be in Kyoto for another two or three days, I promised that if they could get through the weekend, I would show them the location of my regular clinic near the Hotel, which would reopen from the 6th.

The guests were very fond of the overall quiet atmosphere at Ryoan-ji. At Kinkaku-ji, they were moved by the beauty of the golden pavilion. For lunch, I asked whether they would prefer ramen or udon, and since they had never tried udon, they chose udon, so we went into a shop in front of Kinkaku-ji. They were delighted to try udon for the first time. At Nijo Castle, the guests seemed very interested in samurai culture, listened attentively to my explanations, and asked many questions. Since we had time, they strolled leisurely through the Honmaru Garden, Seiryu-en Garden, and other areas. At Shinsen-en, they took photos enthusiastically. On the way to Nijo Station on the subway, we passed a charming Japanese sweets shop and a vintage clothing store, and they stopped by. We then took the train and got off at the station nearest my regular clinic. The guests were very curious, and at one point tried to pick up a flyer posted at the entrance of a house for sale, apparently wanting to know the price of a single-family home in Japan. I then showed them the clinic and pharmacy, and we walked toward the Hotel. At just the right point, we reached a spot where the guests could find their way back on their own, so we said goodbye there. There were various unexpected events, but I sincerely hope they are able to receive their medicine safely.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!