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
- 8:00…Meet at the guest's hotel
- 9:00…Taizo-in Temple
- 10:20…Heian-kyo Sosei-kan
- ※Heian costume dressing experience
- 11:20…Purchase foot supporters at a pharmacy
- 11:50…Lunch at the restaurant "Higaki Saryo" at Kyoto Imperial Palace
- 12:20…Kyoto Imperial Palace
- 13:20…Taxi stand
- 13:40…End the guide at the hotel
What Is a Private Kyoto Tour with Weeping Cherry Blossoms and Heian Costumes Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
We first headed by bus to Taizoin Temple. Taizoin Temple is famous for its weeping cherry blossoms, and when we arrived a little before 9:00, a line had already formed. The guests enjoyed viewing the famous ink painting "Hyonenzu" and the "Motonobu Garden." The weeping cherry blossoms were truly magnificent, and I took many photos for the group. In the Yokoen Garden, one of the guests found the red carp and moved closer to gaze at them with curiosity.
At the Heiankyo Sozokan, the group viewed a miniature of Heiankyo and then put on the costumes of Heian-era nobility. They were very delighted.
Since one of the guests had foot pain, we stopped by a pharmacy and purchased a support brace. We had lunch at a restaurant near the Imperial Palace and then headed to the Imperial Palace. The guests listened attentively to my explanations and took photos at key points along the way.
As some of the guests seemed tired, we had planned to take a taxi to Heian Shrine, but since one of the guests had fallen asleep, we headed straight to the Hotel instead and ended the tour there. I believe it turned out to be a wonderful tour, with the guests enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms and the Heian-era noble costumes.
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 | Bus | Shijo Nishinotoin～Myoshinji-mae | 230JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Myoshinji-mae～Marutamachi Shichihonmatsu | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Marutamachi Shichihonmatsu～Saibansho-mae (Courthouse) | 230JPY |
| Total | 690JPY | ||
Hi, everyone! I’m Yuriko Suematsu, a government licensed tour guide. Please call me Lily, because Yuri means Lily in English.
I like Japanese history, culture, and Japanese castles. Especially, I like tea ceremony in kimono.(I’m also a licensed kimono dresser.)
So, I sometimes guide around Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka, Nara and Nagoya in kimono.
There are lots of beautiful places to visit in Japan.
Especially, I recommend you to visit Kyoto and Nara if you are interested in Japanese ancient history. Nara and Kyoto are both ancient capital cities over 1000 years ago.
I also recommend you to visit Gifu(Shirakawa-go and Takayama), my hometown if you want to enjoy rural nostalgic atmosphere.
If you’re interested in Japanese castles, I recommend you to visit Himeji, Osaka, Kanazawa and Nagoya. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time to see beautiful castles.
Let’s enjoy Japanese culture and history together!
Apr 16, 2026
maerlaeb
Wonderful tour on the Nakasendo Trail
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We had the…
Apr 16, 2026
maerlaeb
Wonderful tour on the Nakasendo Trail
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We had the pleasure of joining Yuriko for a beautiful and informative walk from Magome to Tsumago on the Nakasendo Trail. Yuriko is a wonderful educator with great knowledge of the history and lore of the post towns on the trail. She made the experience easy, too, providing us with a perfect schedule for the day, including meeting us at our guest house in the morning and arranging for a bento box lunch that we shared under cherry blossoms. Yuriko made the stories come alive and provided us with an unforgettable experience in a magical part of Japan. Enthusiastically recommended!
Apr 14, 2026
Andrew K
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Wonderful Tour
Highly recommended! Yuriko-san was so knowledgeable and patient.…
Apr 14, 2026
Andrew K
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Wonderful Tour
Highly recommended! Yuriko-san was so knowledgeable and patient. We learned so much,
which enabled us to appreciate the beauty, culture, and history of Takayama even more!
Oct 23, 2025
Sydney_N
We had a wonderful tour…
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful tour in…
Oct 23, 2025
Sydney_N
We had a wonderful tour…
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful tour in Takayama with our guide Lily. She had in-depth knowledge of
the history of Takayama. Lily gave us a wonderful introduction to our visit to Takayama.
Sep 12, 2025
Cornishgirl22
Wonderful tour of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Lily contacted me a few weeks before…
Sep 12, 2025
Cornishgirl22
Wonderful tour of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Lily contacted me a few weeks before we came to let us know our itinerary.
We met at 9am at our hotel with Lily showing us on a map where we would be visiting.
Lily was a very good guide with excellent knowledge. We were taken to the local market, temple, shrine, festival float exhibition hall, Government building, sake tasting & Merchant street. We needed to pay for ourselves to visit the festival float exhibition hall, Government building & sake tasting.
If there were any shops that we wanted to go in, we were able to.
Lily went at an ideal pace & we weren’t rushed at all.
Lily also booked us a Hida beef restaurant for us to have lunch in after the tour finished. This was arranged beforehand.
Overall an excellent experience.