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
- 9:00 Meet at Kyoto Station 9:09 Board JR 9:35 Take taxi to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple 9:50 Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple 10:33 Take bus to Arashiyama 11:04 Board JR bound for Kyoto 11:40 Fushimi Inari
- 12:50 Higashiyama area (Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka) 13:10 Short break 13:40 Ishibei-koji, Yasaka Shrine 14:15 Take bus to Ginkaku-ji Temple 14:35 Philosopher's Path, Ginkaku-ji Temple
- 15:15 Take bus to drop off near hotel and end the tour
Title: Can You Do a Private Kyoto Tour Away from the Crowds? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. Both had a calm and easygoing manner. They requested places with fewer tourists, and since they wanted to see a bamboo grove somewhere other than Arashiyama, we decided to visit Adashino Nenbutsu-ji. The bus service there is extremely infrequent, so I planned to take a taxi from Saga-Arashiyama Station. On previous occasions a taxi had usually arrived within about five minutes, but today it took a while, so we walked out to Marutamachi Street and finally managed to catch one after nearly ten minutes. This was likely because the tourist season had begun. At Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, although only for a short time, I think they were able to view the bamboo grove in a somewhat peaceful atmosphere. However, the area has become popular recently, with more foreign visitors than before. Even so, it was calmer for taking photos than Arashiyama. We then went to Fushimi Inari, and from the Higashiyama area to Ginkaku-ji. The cherry blossoms along the Philosopher's Path were nearly in full bloom, and it was very crowded, with more than double the usual number of visitors. The cherry blossoms were beautiful at every place we visited. I saw them off by city bus to near their hotel (Shijo-Karasuma), ending the tour. The photo was taken near the Yasaka Pagoda.
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Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Kyoto～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | JR Saga-Arashiyama～Toriimoto Bus Stop | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Toriimoto～Nonomiya | 230JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Saga-Arashiyama～Inari | 240JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Inari～Tofukuji | 150JPY |
| Section 6 | Bus | Tofukuji～Kiyomizu-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 7 | Bus | Gion～Ginkakuji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 8 | Bus | Ginkakuji-michi～Shijo-Karasuma | 230JPY |
| Total | 1,550JPY | ||
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.