Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Customized Tour — Guide Kazu
October, 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
- 9:30 Meet at hotel 10:55 Fushimi Inari 12:40 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 13:20 Short break & lunch 14:40 Kinkaku-ji 16:20 Gion 17:10 Board Keihan train heading to Osaka
- 18:15 Drop off near hotel and tour ends
Title: What's a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like for First-Time Visitors? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. Their accommodation, a hotel, had very unclear signage that was difficult for first-time users to navigate. Some of the conversation was a little hard to follow at times. Partly because we missed a train, it took longer than expected to reach Fushimi Inari Shrine. One of the guests took a great many photographs and captured some excellent shots. Today I noticed the behavior of several tourists a number of times. At Fushimi Inari, one visitor kept a small "omokaru-ishi" stone tucked under the arm while chatting for a while; another stood in the entrance of a city bus so the doors would not close; and in Gion someone stood in the doorway of a private residence to take photos. Also, at the Kinkaku-ji-michi bus stop, a Japanese assistant allowed a passenger to board the bus ahead of the line, which made me wonder whether that was appropriate. The photo was taken at the bamboo grove in Arashiyama.
Click here for more details: Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Customized Tour, Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Other | Tanimachi 4-chome～Tenmabashi | 190JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Tenmabashi～Fushimi Inari | 480JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Inari～Saga-Arashiyama | 240JPY |
| Section 4 | Other | Randen Arashiyama～Kitano-Hakubaicho | 250JPY |
| Section 5 | Other | Kitano-Hakubaicho～Kinkakuji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 6 | Other | Kinkakuji-michi～Nishioji-Oike | 230JPY |
| Section 7 | Other | Nishioji-Oike～Higashiyama | 260JPY |
| Section 8 | Other | Higashiyama-Sanjo～Gion／Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 9 | Train | Gion-Shijo～Tenmabashi | 490JPY |
| Section 10 | Other | Tenmabashi～Tanimachi 4-chome | 190JPY |
| Total | 2,790JPY | ||
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.