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.
Tour Itinerary
- 1. 9:30 Meet up @Mimaru Nijo Castle
- 2. 10:15 @Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji Temple)
- 3. 13:00 @Kinkaku-ji Temple
- 4. 14:00 @Nishiki Market
- 5. 15:00 Disband @Nishiki Market
Title: What's a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour from Arashiyama to Kinkaku-ji Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests had just arrived in Kyoto from Tokyo the day before and seemed a little tired. Since a request came the previous night to start at 9:30, the tour began with an agreement to finish at 15:00. We headed to Arashiyama by the shortest route from the Hotel, and just as the guests were enjoying taking photos in Arashiyama for a while, they became completely exhausted. Normally the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji can be covered in about an hour, but that was not possible today. When I suggested taking a taxi for the move from Arashiyama to Kinkaku-ji, the guests said they would like that, so from then on we used taxis for everything. At Kinkaku-ji, some of the guests no longer had the energy to pose for photos, so the others enjoyed taking pictures, and we left Kinkaku-ji quickly and went to Nishiki Market. At Nishiki Market some of the guests enjoyed shopping, and others enjoyed sushi. Since the guests said they wanted to enjoy shopping at Nishiki Market, I explained how to get back to the Hotel and how to get to the Kyoto International Manga Museum, and we parted ways. I was glad that even the guest who is usually shy and does not normally shake hands with others was able to say goodbye with a proper handshake.
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 | Omiya～Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Total | 240JPY | ||
Hi! My name is YUKA. I’ve got the government license in 2018 and joined a half year traning to do the guide. But a half year later I started my carreer, Covid came. I should have given up guiding. During the Covid, I’ve read many books and made my own materials to explain Japanese culture, history, etc. I love guiding because the guests expand my horizon all the time and let me know their own country and culture, etc. It is really important for us all to know each other and respect each other to make this world peace. Thank you for coming to Japan! Let’s enjoy Japan together!
Sep 29, 2026
duncans746
Yuka was great
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Yuka was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable,…
Sep 29, 2026
duncans746
Yuka was great
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Yuka was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I had a fantastic day going around Kyoto with her.
Thank you Yuka!
Sep 23, 2026
navinderp2024
Great day in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour…
Sep 23, 2026
navinderp2024
Great day in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour of Kyoto with Yuka. She mate us promptly at our hotel and customised a tour to get the most out of the day. We saw everything we wanted to see on the day and it was all very smooth and well planned.
Aug 9, 2026
piperl686
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Honeymoon Tour in Kyoto
We were so impressed by…
Aug 9, 2026
piperl686
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Honeymoon Tour in Kyoto
We were so impressed by our beautiful tour of Kyoto! Our tour guide Yuka made our day so special with her positive attitude, sweet disposition, and countless fun and interesting facts about Japan. She went out of her way to make sure we saw everything we wanted to see, and even lent me Yen to buy a special gift for my mother when I was short a few coins. We cannot recommend her enough to make your trip to Japan memorable and worthwhile!
Aug 5, 2026
Anita_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great day of sightseeing in Kyoto
Yuka was a…
Aug 5, 2026
Anita_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great day of sightseeing in Kyoto
Yuka was a lovely and knowledgeable guide who took great care of us on our recent one day trip to beautiful Kyoto. She met us coming off the Shinkansen and gave us options about how to spend the day wisely. We are so thankful for her thoughtful insights into Japanese traditions and culture, highly recommend doing a guided tour with her as it was very memorable.