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
- 09:30 Hyatt Place Kyoto
- 10:00 Nijojo Castle (1300) by subway
- 12:20 Toru Soba for lunch by walking(15min.)
- 14:00 Toshoan by taxi
- 14:40 Ginkakuji by taxi
- Philosopher's path
- 16:30 Karasumaoike Sta.
- End of the tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The itinerary covered Hyatt Place Kyoto at 09:30, Nijojo Castle (1300) by subway at 10:00, Toru Soba for lunch by walking(15min.) at 12:20, Toshoan by taxi at 14:00, Ginkakuji by taxi at 14:40 and Karasumaoike Sta. at 16:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Marutamachi to Nijojo-mae by train (220JPY); Keage to Karasuma Oike by train (220JPY). Across 2 sections the fare came to 440JPY per person.
Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like When Plans Change? A Licensed Guide's Report
The point of contact was ultimately a travel agency. I had asked in advance where the guests wanted to sightsee, but received no response, so I created a tentative itinerary and sent it, though it seemed they had not looked at it. The day before, since no finalized itinerary had been sent, I received an email saying they would cancel. I called Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) to report this and deleted the information intending to cancel, but then received another email saying that the guide had been canceled and I should guide the guests after all. The plan was Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace. Since some of the guests had food allergies, I was asked to take them to a designated soba restaurant for lunch, and afterward to a gluten-free Japanese sweets shop, which I did. When I explained that at the Imperial Palace you can only view the buildings from the outside, they said they would like to return to the area around the Philosopher's Path, which they had visited the previous day. So from Ginkakuji we walked through the Philosopher's Path, took the subway, and parted ways at Karasuma Oike. They did not do any shopping and were not particularly interested in the tourist sites; as we walked I talked about flowers and pointed out things I noticed in the Kyoto streetscape. The guests seemed to have a very enjoyable time. In the end I was not given the guests' contact information. I only learned a name from the agency mentioning that one of the guests had allergies, so I prepared a paper with the name written on it and was able to meet them at the hotel.
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 | Marutamachi～Nijojo-mae | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Keage～Karasuma Oike | 220JPY |
| Total | 440JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Hyatt Place Kyoto, Nijojo Castle (1300) by subway, Toru Soba for lunch by walking(15min.), Toshoan by taxi, Ginkakuji by taxi and Karasumaoike Sta..
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 440JPY 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 .