Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji Temple & Gion — Guide Haru
July, 2024
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
- 13:00 Meet Motel Mitsui the Kyoto
- 13:45 to 14:30 Kinkaku-ji Temple
- 15:10 to 15:50 Sagano Bamboo Forest
- 16:20 to 16:50 Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- 17:15 to 17:30 Yasaka Pagoda
- 17:45 to 18:15 Gion
- 18:30 Hotel Mitsui the Kyoto
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited Kinkaku-ji Temple at 13:45, Sagano Bamboo Forest at 15:10, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine at 16:20, Yasaka Pagoda at 17:15, Gion at 17:45 and Hotel Mitsui the Kyoto at 18:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Kyoto City Bus Nijojo-mae to Kyoto City Bus Kinkakuji-michi by bus (230JPY); Kyoto City Bus Kinkakuji-michi to Kyoto City Bus Nishinokyo-Enmachi by bus (230JPY); JR Enmachi to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station by train (190JPY); JR Saga-Arashiyama Station to JR Inari Station by train (240JPY); JR Inari Station to JR Tofukuji Station by train (150JPY); Kyoto City Bus Tofukuji to Kyoto City Bus Gojo-zaka by bus (230JPY). Across 6 sections the fare came to 1,270JPY per person.
What Is a 6-Hour Private Kyoto Tour Like From Kyoto Station? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests' schedule for the day was quite demanding: departing Tokyo at 8:30, arriving at Kyoto Station around 11:00, and then a 6-hour Kyoto tour starting at 13:00. I didn't worry too much about it, but toward the end of the tour the guests seemed quite tired and asked to skip Kiyomizu-dera Temple. As a result, the tour ended 30 minutes earlier than planned. They mentioned that since they had a free day the following day, they would visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple again. I introduced them to charming spots such as Nene-no-Michi and Ishibei-koji. I'm sure that by the next day their energy will have recovered and they will enjoy a wonderful day in Kyoto.
Click here for more details: Kyoto Instagram Spots Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Nijojo-mae～Kyoto City Bus Kinkakuji-michi | 230JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Kinkakuji-michi～Kyoto City Bus Nishinokyo-Enmachi | 230JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | JR Enmachi～JR Saga-Arashiyama Station | 190JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | JR Saga-Arashiyama Station～JR Inari Station | 240JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | JR Inari Station～JR Tofukuji Station | 150JPY |
| Section 6 | Bus | Kyoto City Bus Tofukuji～Kyoto City Bus Gojo-zaka | 230JPY |
| Total | 1,270JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Kinkaku-ji Temple, Sagano Bamboo Forest, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Yasaka Pagoda, Gion and Hotel Mitsui the Kyoto.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,270JPY per person across 6 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Haru is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Kyoto itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Personal data
Born in : May 1st, 1957
Hobby : Visiting scenic places,
historic spots, Japanese
gardens and old townscape
Former career : Worked for electric
company and engaged in
international sales for
about 40 years.
Travel history in the former career :
Visited about 20 countries about 200 times
Career as guide interpreter
Acquisition of guide license : 2016
Career of guide : 8 years
Genre of my specialty :
Japanese historic structures such as
temple, shrine, castle and garden.
Area of guide : Kyoto, Nara, Osaka &
Himeji
Let’s enjoy Japan with me !!
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained…
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained the history of the sites on our tour. He even prepared a book that helped explain the historical significance of each site we visited. He was really fantastic, funny and engaging and connected with every member (young and old) in our group. We all learned a lot! Thank u Haru!
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was…
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was very knowledgeable about the various cites and came prepared with a binder and useful images. He was organized and even found a delicious ramen place for our family of 6 (not an easy task in the middle of busy Nara). He really cared about the cites and the history of the temples and spoke great English. Highly recommend!
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with…
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We were able to customize our trip to the top places we wanted to see. We were able to get to all of them. Our guide Haru was great and the places we visited were amazing and interesting. Our guide gave us a lot of history around the different sites. Our favorites were Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjyu Sangendo Temple and Kinkakuji Temple. We also visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine which was pretty great. We did a lot of walking and public transportation to get around. All in all it wasn’t bad and our guide got us to all the sites with ease. Haru was great as he took most of our family pictures. He did a great job.
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He…
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He added a lot to our trip and
allowed us to experience a lot in the limited time we had available.