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
- 09:00 Hotel Kyoto Hachijo
- 10:00 Bamboo grove by JR train
- 11:30 Kinkakuji (500) by Randen & taxi
- 13:00 Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi
- Sannenzaka by walking
- Yasaka-no-to by walking
- 14:40 Gion by walking
- 15:00 End of the tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited Hotel Kyoto Hachijo at 09:00, Bamboo grove by JR train at 10:00, Kinkakuji (500) by Randen & taxi at 11:30, Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi at 13:00 and Gion by walking at 14:40.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Kyoto to Saga-Arashiyama by train (240JPY); Arashiyama to Kitano-Hakubaicho by train (250JPY). Across 2 sections the fare came to 490JPY per person.
**Title:** What's a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, and Kiyomizu-dera
**Body:**
The guests were visiting from Oceania. One of them had a back condition and mentioned that walking quickly was difficult, so I made an effort to reduce the physical strain by using escalators and taking a gentler pace, though by the end of the day we had still walked over 10,000 steps. Beforehand, I had asked the contact about their preferred destinations and had sent a tentative itinerary, but the contact was an agency, and none of the information from the emails I sent had been shared. We decided on the itinerary after meeting in person. Since they said they had visited Fushimi Inari the previous day, we decided to start with the bamboo grove and then, for the time being, planned to see Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, and Gion before setting off. As they preferred not to use taxis too much, we traveled from Arashiyama toward Kinkaku-ji by the Randen tram to Kitano-Hakubaicho and then took a taxi from there. It was raining cold the entire time we were at Kinkaku-ji. Kiyomizu-dera was less crowded than expected, so we were able to strike the bell at the main hall and drink the water at Otowa Waterfall. They mentioned they would be going to Hiroshima the next day, and after the tour ended they returned to their hotel by taxi. Since they had eaten a large breakfast, they skipped lunch.
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 | Kyoto～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Arashiyama～Kitano-Hakubaicho | 250JPY |
| Total | 490JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Hotel Kyoto Hachijo, Bamboo grove by JR train, Kinkakuji (500) by Randen & taxi, Kiyomizudera (500) by taxi and Gion by walking.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 490JPY per person across 2 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 .