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
- 8:10 Meet @ Naka Pier Port Terminal
- 8:15-10:00 Travel by car
- 10:15-11:15 Sightseeing at Kiyomizu-dera Temple
- 11:20-11:55 Travel by car
- 12:00-12:30 Sightseeing in Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove Path, etc.)
- 12:45 Buy lunch at FamilyMart
- 13:00-14:30 Travel by car
- 14:40 Disband @ Naka Pier Port Terminal
- *Due to a change in the ship schedule, the return time will be one hour earlier.
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 8:10 at @ Naka Pier Port Terminal and ended at 14:40. The day ran to 6 hours and 30 minutes from start to finish.
Over the course of the day the route took in Travel by car at 8:15, Sightseeing at Kiyomizu-dera Temple at 10:15, Travel by car at 11:20, Sightseeing in Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove Path, etc.) at 12:00, Buy lunch at FamilyMart at 12:45 and Travel by car at 13:00.
What's a Private Kyoto Cruise Excursion to Kiyomizu-dera and Arashiyama Like? A Guide's Report
Today I guided a group visiting from North America. Due to a change in the cruise ship's schedule, the itinerary was adjusted to return one hour earlier than originally planned.
The first stop was Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which was extremely crowded during the cherry blossom season. On the suggestion of the driver, we used a gate at the back to avoid the congestion and were able to sightsee smoothly. The guests were able to enjoy the scenery of Kiyomizu-dera without being caught in the crowds.
Next we visited Arashiyama and strolled along the Bamboo Grove path. Due to time constraints, we skipped lunch, and the guests enjoyed steamed pork buns purchased at a convenience store along the way. They seemed to enjoy this convenient Japanese snack.
Even within the limited time available, we efficiently covered the main sightseeing spots, and the guests expressed their satisfaction.
Click here for more details: Kyoto in 1 Day from Kobe: Private Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Hello! I am Andy Murao. I love this job as I can visit various destinations with the people from all over the world. I am always thinking that I could help you know more about Japan and understand the attractiveness of Japan.
I would like to provide a tour in accordance with your request and preference. Please let me know what you want to see, eat, experience, etc. and then I will propose a schedule based on them.
There is one point to note. I like walking very much, so I might be a guide who forces you to take long walks.
I look forward to attending you in Japan.
Best regards,
Andy Murao
Jul 13, 2026
webstere2025
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent
Andy(Atsushi) was great and communicated with us beforehand about our…
Jul 13, 2026
webstere2025
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent
Andy(Atsushi) was great and communicated with us beforehand about our itinerary. He was flexible with changes we requested. Andy was very informative during the tour. He also was willing to take our family’s pictures. We were able to stop and check out shops as we pleased along the way. He also accommodated lunch requests(as our daughter has food allergies).
One thing I wish we realized was that there is quite a bit of walking. We were fine but for people who are perhaps older or with young children you may want to consider taking a cab between different sites.
Jun 21, 2026
Catherine_D
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in Osaka
Andy was great . On time and patience…
Jun 21, 2026
Catherine_D
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in Osaka
Andy was great . On time and patience with our walking tour since we had a 14 yr old with
us. Very informative and picked us up and dropped us off our hotel. Thank you Andy for
showing us Osaka
Jun 6, 2026
eyeessess
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour!
Andy Murao was an amazing and wonderful tour guide.…
Jun 6, 2026
eyeessess
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour!
Andy Murao was an amazing and wonderful tour guide. He reached out to us with some ideas for our private tour. He worked with us as we made the tour perfectly suited to our needs. He met us on time. He navigated the crowds and the sites perfectly. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. He even put together a nice photo collection of photos he emailed us after. Highly recommend.
Jun 5, 2026
Janice_W
Viator review: Kyoto 9hr Private Tour (Kobe Dep. ) with Licensed Guide
Great tour of Kyoto
It was a good tour…
Jun 5, 2026
Janice_W
Viator review: Kyoto 9hr Private Tour (Kobe Dep. ) with Licensed Guide
Great tour of Kyoto
It was a good tour & Andy looked after us well. He managed to change things to suite our
walking limitations & we had a good day.