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
- 8:00 Hotel meet-up 9:35 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 10:50 Kinkaku-ji 11:50 Lunch 13:00 Higashiyama area 14:00 Fushimi Inari 16:05 Drop off at Osaka Station and tour ends
What's a Full-Day Private Kyoto Tour from Osaka Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. From the morning it was cloudy, and it stayed comfortable without heat until early afternoon, making for a pleasant tour. On the way to Kyoto, the train stopped for more than ten minutes at Takatsuki Station due to a door malfunction, so we arrived at Arashiyama later than planned. We were unable to make up the delay afterward, but on the way back, after I saw the guests off at Osaka Station, they told me they could get back on their own and wished to end the tour, so we managed to finish in about eight hours. Both were friendly and easy to talk with, and I enjoyed our conversations. They listened attentively to my explanations. In the Higashiyama area, they were very surprised to learn that the Japanese restaurant Nikenchaya "Nakamuraro," located within Yasaka Shrine, has been in business for 480 years. We walked to the Higashiyama area from Higashiyama subway station. The photo was taken at Kinkaku-ji.
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 | Subway | Shinsaibashi～Umeda (Subway) | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Osaka～Saga-Arashiyama | 960JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Saga-Arashiyama～Enmachi | 180JPY |
| Section 4 | Bus | Enmachi～Kinkakuji-michi / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 5 | Bus | Waratenjin-mae / Kyoto City Bus～Nishioji-Oike / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 6 | Subway | Nishioji-Oike～Higashiyama (Kyoto) | 260JPY |
| Section 7 | Bus | Gion / Kyoto City Bus～Tofukuji / Kyoto City Bus | 230JPY |
| Section 8 | Train | Tofukuji～Inari | 150JPY |
| Section 9 | Train | Inari～Osaka | 840JPY |
| Total | 3,320JPY | ||
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.