Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu
February, 2026
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
- 11:00 Meet at hotel 11:30 Nijo Castle 12:45 Fushimi Inari 13:30 Short break (lunch) 14:30 Sanjusangendo 16:00 Drop off at hotel and end tour

# What Is a Private Family Day Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Nijo Castle, Sanjusangendo, and Fushimi Inari
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. It rained steadily from the morning, which was unfortunate weather. One of the guests mainly translated my explanations into their own language for the others. Some of the guests seemed to understand most of it, though it was difficult for others. Some of the guests liked soccer, and lunch was lively with talk about Japanese players (Ueda, Watanabe) who belong to soccer clubs in their region. One of the guests also knew Shinji Ono, who had played there in the past, and showed me a photo from when he recently visited. One of the guests was going to take part in the Tokyo Marathon the following week, and the rest of the group would act as support. Nijo Castle and Sanjusangendo were good because you can go inside, but Fushimi Inari was outdoors, which made sightseeing a bit difficult. Even so, everyone managed to try the "Omokaru-ishi" (the wishing stone), which was nice. As I also noted in the actual tour time section, after Sanjusangendo they requested to return to the hotel once before heading out for dinner. I saw them off at the hotel and ended the tour about one hour early. The photo was taken in the garden of Sanjusangendo.
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 | Subway | Kyoto City Hall~Nijojo-mae | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Nijojo-mae~Sanjo Keihan | 220JPY |
| Section 3 | Other | Sanjo (Kyoto Prefecture)~Fushimi Inari | 240JPY |
| Section 4 | Other | Fushimi Inari~Tofukuji | 180JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Tofukuji~Higashiyama Shichijo / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 6 | Train | Shichijo~Sanjo (Kyoto Prefecture) | 180JPY |
| Total | 1,270JPY | ||
I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep…
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep knowledge about the history and culture of Japan. He is flexible and accommodates changes if you so desire. He is also very empathetic. I had a sprained back and he ensured we took elevators everywhere. You will be lucky if he is assigned as your guide .
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience…
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience on the tour. We travelled all around Kyoto with our guide Kazuo Sumi. He is a sweet older gentleman who had a great depth of knowledge about each place we went to. We told him places we wanted to go and he made the itinerary for us. There is no one better to have as your guide!!
Jul 16, 2026
margaretsM7923ON
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Great way to see Kyoto
Wonderful tour and exceptional guide.
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided…
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided some excellent recommendations. There’s a lot of walking so make sure you are prepared.
