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
  • 09:30 Fushimi inari (0) by taxi
  • 12:20 Bamboo Grove by JR train
  • 12:30 Tenryuji Garden (500) by walking
  • Lunch(Kura Sushi Kinkakuji Branch)
  • 14:30 Kinkakuji (500) by taxi
  • 15:40 Teramachi Shopping Arcade or Hotel by taxi
  • End of the tour

Tour Itinerary in Detail

From there the group visited Fushimi inari (0) by taxi at 09:30, Bamboo Grove by JR train at 12:20, Tenryuji Garden (500) by walking at 12:30, Kinkakuji (500) by taxi at 14:30 and Teramachi Shopping Arcade or Hotel by taxi at 15:40.

Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America. Since I had received advance information that walking would be limited for part of the group, I removed Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which had been included at the start of the itinerary. As some of the guests could only eat gluten-free food, I looked up restaurants online in advance; when I checked, the restaurant in Arashiyama had discontinued its gluten-free options in May of this year, so we went instead to a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant near Kinkaku-ji Temple, our next destination. In the end we were able to enjoy a pleasant lunch there, which worked out well. Because the pace of walking was slow, the itinerary took longer than expected to complete. At the end, I took the guests to Teramachi shopping street, where we parted ways.

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
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Very enthusiastic and knowledgable guide. Much appreciated
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