Published on Dec, 2024

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Kyoto! Michael, our guide, was exceptional with his knowledge on the history and geography of the region. The wisdom we learnt will stay with us for years! Best way to see some off the grid, divine spa es. 100% recommend!

Published on Dec, 2024

Soooo glad we did this! We got to see so much of Kyoto, learn a lot of real history that our guide had clearly studied well, and got to hear about the personal relationships the monks have with the guide and background about them. This was one of the best tours I have ever been on. We were able to cancel other tours because this encompassed them all.

Published on Dec, 2024

This was just an incredible way to end our stay in Japan on our last day in Kyoto - and all because of our sharing guide, Yuta. The tour itself is laid out really nicely, with a mix of (as per the name of this experience) “hidden” gems and less-touristy areas of the city. This was our first time on e-bikes as well, and we found them fun and easy to use. Yuta is truly the highlight though, with his stories, context, insights and quick wit - he is super engaging and lovely to spend the afternoon with. We even ended the tour with a brief meditation in the most beautiful zen garden we’d ever seen - so special! Book it and you won’t regret it!

Published on Dec, 2024

My husband and I enjoyed this tour very much! We felt that we had a genuine behind-the-scenes look at Kyoto that really few people (even locals!) would ever get to know. We loved the tour's small group size. Our guide's explanations were so thoughtful & personalized. Great for parents, youngsters, friends, in-laws, colleagues, etc... Very easy peddling - the E-bikes are great! Highly recommend.

Published on Dec, 2024

Highlight of our trip to Japan! We did the Secret Kyoto tour and it was absolutely brilliant! We are in our mid 50s and found it very manageable (the electric bikes make is super easy, the traffic is minimal, and the group is small) Our guide, Yuta, was magnificent. He was funny and interesting and looked after us all very well. His english is excellent and we learnt so much about life in Japan, the history and the culture of the country, it was wonderful . He even gave us all individual restaurant tips at the end of the tour (depending on what we were looking for!) and made sure we knew how to get back to our bus stop. He knows the best spots for photos and knows how to tell a story, or a history, without going on and on forever. One of the things we really appreciated was the flexibility of the tour. When we arrived at one of the temples, the crowds were unbelievable (even for Kyoto) and so Yuta suggested that if we wanted to, he could take us to a more remote temple that he likes. He made sure to give us the option of sticking to the program too - but we all decided to go with his recommendation of the quieter temple. I'm so glad we did, it was so beautiful and peaceful that I was moved to tears. I won't tell you all the places we visited as I think the discovery was part of the fun - but the last stop of the day at the rock garden was exceptional - it was such a classic Kyoto experience. We loved every minute of this tour - thanks so much Yuta, you were the best! We're still talking about all the things we learnt and the beautiful things we saw - and about our incredible guide!