Private Kyoto Tour with a Local, Highlights & Hidden Gems, Personalised

926 Reviews | Kyoto
From $122.31 Lowest Price Guarantee
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3 hours to 8 hours Mobile ticket
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  • Hotel meet-up (available on request for central location)
  • 3, 5, 7 or 8 hours walking tour, exploring highlights and hidden gems
  • Private and personalized walking tour with a passionate local
  • Food and drinks
  • Transportation (primarily a walking experience however public transport may be used)
  • Tickets to any attractions
  • Gratuities (optional)

Overview

Spend the day with one of our hosts as you unleash your inner explorer in Kyoto! You’re in the ‘City of Temples’ and you’ll be able to visit iconic and sacred sites like Fushimi Inari Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Maybe explore the culturally rich entertainment district of Gion? Alternatively, you could get off the beaten tourist track and explore some hidden gems in the city that only a local would know about. Within 24 hours after booking, you'll receive a short questionnaire about your personality and interests. Based on your responses, you'll be assigned a like-minded host. Your host will communicate with you directly to suggest an itinerary to help you discover what makes the city unique. You will also agree on a meeting time and place. Your itinerary is flexible, so during the experience, you can always change your mind about what you want to do.

Meeting Point



Japan, 〒604-8004 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Nakajimachō, 113 近江屋ビル 1F
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End Point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect


1. Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine Ready for a morning hiking upon Kyoto’s hills?  The famous thousands of vermilion torii gates path stretches from behind the shrine’s grounds into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari (233 meters). But don’t worry, the view from half-way is as just as spectacular. How many fox’s statues will you be able to spot? They are the shrine guardians acting on behalf of Inari, the god connected to rice and sake. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
2. Sannenzaka Ninenzaka It’s a great traditional place where the narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops invoke a feeling of the old capital city. The streets in Higashiyama are lined by small shops, cafes and restaurants to Kyoto specialties. Looking for some traditional souvenirs? You’ll find plenty of shops selling pottery, sweets, crafts and more. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
3. Kiyomizu-dera Temple One of the most celebrated temples of Japan, Kiyomizudera is best known for its massive wooden stage, and the beautiful view on the autumn foliage (mid November-early December). Make sure to pay a visit to the nearby Otowa Waterfall: divided into three separate streams, each of them is said to have a different benefit: longevity, success at school and a fortunate love life. Which one would you pick? IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
4. Kennin-ji Temple Oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, one of the highlights being a gilded folding screen adorned with the most famous images of the the wind and thunder gods. Not to miss the impressive twin dragons painted on the ceiling of the Dharma Hall. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalised experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
5. Yasaka Shrine Founded over 1350 years ago, Yasaka is the guardian shrine of the Gion entertainment district in Kyoto.
It is well known for its summer festival, the Gion Matsuri (July), arguably the most famous festival in the whole country. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
6. Maruyama Park Kyoto’s most popular park for cherry blossoms (end of March-first half of April).
The perfect place to take a small break after all the morning walking. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
7. Gion Kyoto’s most famous Geisha’s district (however, if you spot them, please act respectfully). 
Make sure to pay a visit to Hanami-koji street and then cross Tatsumi Bridge to reach Shimbashi, the most picturesque part Gion, with elegant traditional wooden houses of Kyoto housing high-class restaurants, cafes, and tea-houses. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
8. Pontocho District Pontocho Alley is considered to be the most beautiful street in Kyoto. It’s lined with traditional shops and restaurants, and no cars, modern buildings or gaudy signs are allowed. At dusk, with the red lanterns lining down the narrow street, Pontocho becomes a magical place. And, if you are lucky, you may have the chance of spotting a maiko (apprentice geisha).   IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences
9. Kiyamachi Street Lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars, this is a great place to have a drink before heading back to your hotel. IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences

Additional Info


  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Please book at least 48 hours in advance so that we can build the best experience for you
  • Experiences are fully personalized so any additional requirements like tickets, transportation and food & drinks can be arranged for an additional cost
  • Private groups are normally no larger than 6 people (if your group is larger, please make this known so that arrangements can be made)

Cancellation Policy


You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Reviews

4.8

926 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    848
  • 4 stars
    34
  • 3 stars
    17
  • 2 stars
    10
  • 1 star
    17

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Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 848 reviews with 5 stars

Our guide Nahel was...

Published on Jun, 2024

Our guide Nahel was informative, adaptable, and very helpful. He did a good job of mixing up personal anecdotes with more general information about Kyoto. He also spoke excellent English, which was not the case on every tour during our trip.

Awesome with Tiana our tour guide

Published on Jun, 2024

Tiana was simply amazing. She made us feel like an extended part of her family and the tour was wonderful. We learnt about Kyoto and visited: - Fushimi Inari shrine - Kiyomizu Dera - Yasaka Pagoda (Hokanji temple) - Sanjusangendo Temple The Kiyomizu Dera tour was particularly interesting as we, rather my family ate their way up the hill to the temple. Come with cash to buy the delicious snacks, food and ice cream. We would to this tour again with Tiana.

Delightful Personalised Kyoto Tour

Published on Jun, 2024

It was my first time in Kyoto and I was matched to Ai. She was very professional throughout, reaching out to me before the tour date to check what I would like to focus the tour on. I had a full day's walking tour booked. Ai has a deep love for her own heritage, history and culture, and this showed through her in-depth knowledge and explanation throughout the tour. We covered many places including the picturesque preserved historical alleys of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. We then also dined in one of the restaurants in Pontocho, overlooking the beautiful Kamogawa river - a delightful lunch experience! Knowing that I love art, Ai recommended me the once-in-a-lifetime privilege to catch Takashi Murakami's large-scale solo exhibition of works in the Kyocera Art gallery in Kyoto! Also knowing that I appreciate Ambient Music, Ai recommended me an ambient music cafe called Sibasi, near Philospher's Path for another day. Thank you Ai for such a memorable and personalised tour of Kyoto - one that I will look back with fond memories of! <3

Must visit!!

Published on Jun, 2024

If you’re even thinking about possibly visiting Kyoto, you must do it! Amazing views and our guide provided us with so much cultural information. Thank you Alex!

Kyoto Private Tour

Published on Jun, 2024

We had an afternoon tour booked with Ada on our first day in Kyoto and had a fantastic afternoon, which included walking around the Gion District. As discussed with Ada, we navigated the local buses and she took us "off the beaten path" where we were able to see many of the smaller temples and shrines around the back streets of Kyoto. It was a wonderful tour away from the crowds at the bigger and more popular temples and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thank you Ada for a wonderful introduction to Kyoto.

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