Kyoto Private Tours

“Wonderful day with Mana”

My husband & I had a fantastic day with Mana, she did a terrific job in seeing many sights and taking us to interesting places to sit and enjoy delicious Japanese food. Her assistance in learning some Japanese with useful pictures was also appreciated. Thank you Mana for your kindness and generosity. Janelle and Andrew

“A truely personalised tour of Kyoto ”

Leo was an amazing guide, was very engaging in the lead up to the tour creating an itinerary that worked for us. The tour was amazing, was able to see all of the key sights around Kyoto and having someone to navigate all of the public transport made for an enjoyable day. A hi light was going though the Nishiki markets and having Leo act as an interpreter for us to buy some sake to bring home as a souvenirs.

“Temple Tour in Kyoto”

We booked tickets in advance to visit Kokedera, a magical moss garden at Saiho-ji temple in the Nishikyo Ward. We met Nori at a nearby train station and took a taxi to the temple. The tour began with Sutra copying which served to put us in a peaceful mindset. The fall foliage along with the moss was beautiful and we couldn’t stop taking pictures! Nori then did a great job of orchestrating visits to Nisonin, Jojyakkouj, Ryoanji and Daitokuji where we learned a lot about the history and meaning of the temple zen gardens. The placement of rocks, the presence of all three elements (rock, water (represented by gravel), soil (represented by moss or trees), turtle and crane formations are all intentional and contribute to the feeling of balance and peace when viewing the gardens. Nori was prepared, patient, kind, knowledgable and flexible about walking vs taxi’s and stopping for a quick lunch. Highly recommend!