Customizable Private Tours with Local Tour Guides

“History, Serenity, and Beauty”

We were impressed with Hiroyuki T. almost immediately when we met at our hotel and planned our itinerary with him on the spot. There had been some issues with the tour description on the GoWithGuide website and we neglected to coordinate with him before our arrival. He handled the last-minute schedule efficiently and came up with an organized plan. We were able to visit several temples and gardens we had not seen on previous visits; enjoy a Japanese/Western lunch; and learn many details about Japanese Buddhism we’d never learned before. Hiro even gave us meditation instructions in a beautiful, serene Zen garden. Thank you, Hiro.

“Philosophy, History, and Fun”

We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Hiroki K., exploring parts of Kyoto we’d missed on previous visits. His enthusiasm and general good humor made for a wonderful day. His extensive knowledge of the history of each place was presented in a “digestible” way – enough to inform but not overwhelm. The tour was well organized and we appreciated Hiro’s flexibility when altering our path as we went along. As we approached our 30,000 steps toward the end of the day, Hiro recognized our flagging energy and made adjustments. Even a little rain did not dampen his, or our, enthusiasm. A great day all around.

“A wonderful day with local gems”

We enjoyed our day trip to Kawagoe with Yuki K. He efficiently led us through the maze of metro and train stations to reach the correct train to Kawagoe. Once there, we enjoyed our visits to the Nakain Temple and the Kitain Temple, and along with the locals, admired the emerging cherry blossoms. Lunch at the soba restaurant was excellent, and wandering through the shopping streets located in the historic warehouse district was pleasant. Our visit to the festival museum was a highlight, since we arrived in time to enjoy a Hayashi performance. Yuki escorted us all the way back to our hotel, too, which we appreciated. He also shared some informative slides he’d prepared on the history of the development of Buddhism through the centuries. Thank you, Yuki! In reviewing the description of this tour from the GoWithGuide website, there were activities listed that were not included in the tour, and judging by our experience, we would not have had time to do anyway. Those included visiting the Kawagoe Castle and garden, and the Hikawa Shrine. These were also not included in the detailed itinerary of the day’s plan, so should be removed from the description.