Kyoto in One Day: bus & Nishiki Market — Guide Nabet
November, 2025
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
- 8:30 meeting at Kitaoji Station South Gate
- 8:30 bus
- 9:00 Kinkakuji Temple
- 10:10 Bus
- 10:20 Ryoanji Temple
- 11:25 Bus
- 11:50 Subway Imadegawa Station
- 12:15 Nijo Castle
- 13:30 Subway and walk
- 14:00 Nishiki Market
- 14:20 End of the Tour
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 8:30 at Kitaoji Station South Gate and ended at 14:20. The day ran to 5 hours and 50 minutes from start to finish.
Over the course of the day the route took in bus at 8:30, Kinkakuji Temple at 9:00, Bus at 10:10, Ryoanji Temple at 10:20, Bus at 11:25, Subway Imadegawa Station at 11:50, Nijo Castle at 12:15, Subway and walk at 13:30 and Nishiki Market at 14:00.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Kitaoji Bus Terminal (Subway Kitaoji Station) by bus (230JPY); Kinkakuji-michi by bus (230JPY); Ryoanji-mae by bus (230JPY); Imadegawa to Nijojo-mae by subway (220JPY); Nijojo-mae to Shijo (Kyoto Municipal) by subway (220JPY). Across 5 sections the fare came to 1,130JPY per person.
What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Nijo Castle, and Nishiki Market
The guests were a group visiting Japan from Oceania. They were a warm and cheerful group who enjoyed sharing photos taken by one member with everyone else.
A travel agency had been arranging the itinerary and sharing it with the guests more than half a year in advance, which was a bit much, but the guests themselves were very gentle and courteous. On the day of the tour, they arrived before the start time, and we were able to carry out the tour without any trouble, which was great.
It rained the whole day unfortunately, but the guests were pleased with Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Nijo Castle, and Nishiki Market. Since we traveled by public transportation and they listened carefully to the explanations, each location felt rich and in-depth. Some of the guests each carried a goshuin (temple stamp) book, and they were delighted to collect the stamps from Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji (I forgot to guide them to get one at Nijo Castle).
At the final stop, Nishiki Market, I guided them through Daimaru to take a shortcut and avoid the rain, after which they wished to stroll around the market on their own. We took a commemorative photo and ended the tour. It was a very refined and pleasant group, and they were very easy to guide.
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 | Kitaoji Bus Terminal (Subway Kitaoji Station) / Kyoto City Bus～Kinkakuji-michi / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Kinkakuji-michi / Kyoto City Bus～Ryoanji-mae / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Ryoanji-mae / Kyoto City Bus～Karasuma Imadegawa (Subway Imadegawa Station) / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Imadegawa～Nijojo-mae | 220JPY |
| Section 5 | Subway | Nijojo-mae～Shijo (Kyoto Municipal) | 220JPY |
| Total | 1,130JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Kyoto tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at Kitaoji Station South Gate at 8:30, and the tour finished at of the Tour at 14:20.
How long does the tour last?
About 5 hours and 50 minutes in total, from 8:30 to 14:20.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited bus, Kinkakuji Temple, Bus, Ryoanji Temple, Bus, Subway Imadegawa Station, Nijo Castle, Subway and walk and Nishiki Market.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,130JPY per person across 5 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?
Nabet 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.
“He was easy to talk to, friendly, and knowledgeable and even made sure we successfully navigated the public transit back to our hotel. If we are ever back in Kyoto, we’d love to book a tour with him again! ”
“At every side we got an indepth explanation to any minor detail and every question we asked was answered and explained really well. It felt like a relaxing and wholesome walk through Kyoto even while it was pouring rain. We can absolutely recommend choosing Nabet!”
“Nabet’s English is just perfect, he knows the way around sights, little streets and hidden secrets, he is very authentic…just a perfect tour!”
Here are just a few of the many kind reviews I’ve received from the more than 100 groups I’ve guided through Kyoto and other cities.
I’m deeply thankful for the chance to connect with my guests and contribute to a memorable tour experience!
+Current Occupation+
• Associate Professor specially appointed for Entrepreneurship Education and University-Based Startup Support
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• Government-Licensed Interpreter Guide
+Hobbies+
Travel, music, sake, ice hockey, squash, watching soccer
May 29, 2026
Tamara M
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoto bei Nacht – faszinierende Einblicke in Kultur und Spiritualität
Ich…
May 29, 2026
Tamara M
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoto bei Nacht – faszinierende Einblicke in Kultur und Spiritualität
Ich habe eine wundervolle private Tour mit Nabet am Abend gehabt. Wir waren unter anderem im Viertel der Geiko und Maiko sowie am Fushimi-Inari Schrein. Ich habe viel über die Stadt Kyoto erfahren sowie die Religionen des Shinotismus und des Buddhismus. Nabet hatte viel Wissen und hat es mit Freude geteilt. Eine wirklich tolle Tour und ein schönes Erlebnis!
「夜の京都 — 文化と精神性への魅力的な洞察」
夕方にNabetと素晴らしいプライベートツアーを楽しみました。私たちは主に、芸妓や舞妓のいる地区や、伏見稲荷神社にも行きました。京都という街について、そして神道や仏教といった宗教について多くを学ぶことができました。ナベトは豊富な知識を持っていて、それを喜んで共有してくれました。本当に素晴らしいツアーで、良い体験でした。
Oct 21, 2025
Jana_C
4-hour private tour with Nabet was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Viator review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing experience…
Oct 21, 2025
Jana_C
4-hour private tour with Nabet was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Viator review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing experience with Nabet as our tour guide! He was extremely knowledgeable and took the time to answer all of our questions thoughtfully. From the beginning, he was on time, organized, and made sure to ask which locations we wanted to visit so he could tailor the tour to our interests since we were only in Kyoto for a day.
Nabet was also very friendly, engaging, and easy to talk to, which made the experience even more enjoyable. We learned so much throughout the tour thanks to his clear explanations and insights. Everything ran smoothly and right on schedule.
He gave us the best recommendation for dinner after the tour as well.
We highly recommend Nabet as he’s a fantastic guide who made our day truly memorable!
Oct 16, 2025
987kayeh
Knowledgeable guide who was will to respond to our multiple questions
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Thankyou…
Oct 16, 2025
987kayeh
Knowledgeable guide who was will to respond to our multiple questions
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Thankyou Nabet for a very interesting tour. Your historical knowledge of Japan and its culture added extra benefits to our tour. We appreciated visiting a temple with less people to appreciate the significance of significance of the environment to enable us to ask many questions.
Thank you for sharing our day in Kyoto.
Kaye and Doug
Oct 16, 2025
janiec555
Significant sites in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nabet is an excellent guide. He explained Japanese…
Oct 16, 2025
janiec555
Significant sites in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nabet is an excellent guide. He explained Japanese history and customs clearly and comprehensively, including pointing out behaviour considered disrespectfu.
He was energetic and enthusiastic despite the humidity, long walks up hills and steps and crowded conditions, and was very patient dealing with the public transport ticketing systems. I recommend him wholeheartedly.