Kobe Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

Mike T.

5 / 5

Dec 10, 2025

Kobe Highlights & Gourmet Adventure (Scenic Views, Kobe Beef & Shrine)

Dec 10, 2025

Kobe

6 hours

Customized

“Kobe Highlights & Gourmet Adventure (Scenic Views, Vegan Cafe & Shrine)”

After the phone number embargo was lifted, Leo was in regular contact via WhatsApp and was very patient with us when there was a chance we might be delayed meeting with him, as it turned out, we ended up being 10 minutes early. Leo was ready and waiting for us at the rendezvous point at the entrance to the Port Liner monorail with some preloaded IC cards, which are good for most of Japan's public transport. It's a bit like the Oyster card in London, and you just use it to tap yourself in and out of the gates at the stations. We were soon on our way to the city centre, where we got off and walked a few streets to get to Ikuta Shrine, which is one of Kobe’s oldest Shinto shrines, founded over 1,800 years ago. Leo was very chatty and was constantly feeding us snippets of information along the route. From there, we visited Nankin-machi (Kobe’s Chinatown), which is filled with colourful streets, lots of delicious-looking street food, and shops, offering a lively taste of Chinese culture in Japan and being a Saturday night was very busy. Part of our tour involved a bite to eat at a vegan cafe, and Nicole enjoyed another instalment of Japanese vegan food. From there, it was back on the subway for one stop to get to the Herb Garden cable car station. There is a scenic garden at the top of the mountains of Kobe, offering panoramic city and sea views, and at this time of year, there is a Christmas market. It was an amazing view looking down on Kobe all illuminated up. The queues were long in both directions, but it was worth the wait. On the way back, Leo helped us purchase our own IC Cards so that we could use them in Nagasaki and also when we come back to Japan next year. By the time we had navigated the subway and monorail, it was coming up to 9:00 pm. Leo came back to the cruise terminal with us, where we said our goodbyes and made our way back on board the ship. Leo is a fantastic company and a great guide, and it was like being shown around by a friend.

Leo T.

(2 reviews)

Thank you so much for your wonderful and thoughtful review . it truly means a lot to me. I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed exploring Kobe and that the tour felt relaxed and comfortable from start to finish. It was a genuine pleasure spending the evening with you, even on such a busy Saturday. I’m delighted that everything worked out well, from the transport and food to the views at the Herb Garden. Hearing that the experience felt like being shown around by a friend is incredibly kind, and honestly the greatest compliment I could receive. Thank you once again for taking the time to share your experience. I hope you’re settling back in comfortably and looking back on your trip with many fond memories. I look forward to seeing you again next year.

“Wonderful Himeji, Incredible Hideyoshi-san!”

Hideyoshi-san is an amazing tour guide and I would be excited to rejoin him again across Japan. The care and insight he brings to his tours was unmatched and he was powering through plenty of walking better than the rest of us :). He was quick with historical knowledge, and brought a personal touch to much of the tour. So great! The tour to Engyoji Temple was really wonderful and while it does take a bit of time to get there (from Osaka: a train, then bus, then ropeway, then another bus. And the same set to get back), it was a magical location, rivaling that of Kiyomizu-dera and much, MUCH less crowded. Yes, not quite as grand a spectacle as Kiyomizu, but with vast temple grounds and beautiful foliage, Engyoji during the fall was a gorgeous experience. Himeji Castle was great and with Hideyoshi-san's insights along the way made for a nice cap of the tour. The top two stories inside the castle itself begin to get very crowded with a bit of a wait to reach the top floor, but as an overall tour, it wasn't a bad day at all. Expect some wait times but you might get lucky. All in all, it was a full-day trip and a wonderful experience. Great times, good vibes, plenty of history, and stunning vistas.

Hideo Y.

(212 reviews)

I'm very glad to receive your excellent review. I aenjoyed guiding you, too. Yes, it was a fantastic day to enjoy seeing beautifully changing colors of autumn leaves, like red pink and yellow at Engyoji Temple. The temple is filmed on the location of the movie "Last Samurai" that Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe appear. After lunch we visied Himeji Castle with 5-story 7 floors. It is one of the 12 castles that built during the Samurai Period (until 1867) and now still exists. Another name of Himeji castle is White Eagret Castle. Lucnkily we could see the castle elegantly lit up in the evening. I hope to see you again and I wish you and all your family good health and happiness.

“Tour of Kioto ”

Shuji was great! He met us at our cruise port and guided us from Kobe by Bullet train to Kioto. Once there we visited gardens, busy historical street and saw a Geisha show. Great historian and pleasant tour guide. Highly recommended. We were a group of 8 and kept us in line! Thank you Shutsi.

Shuji O.

(59 reviews)

Thank you for the kind words, even though you're so busy. Yes, we loved Kyoto. Even though there were a lot of you, you all worked well together. We enjoyed it until the very end. Enjoy the rest of your trip to Japan!