Kyoto Private Tours

“Magical first day in Kyoto ”

Mana is wonderful! We loved our day with her - an incredible visit to Fushimi, and Uji - it was a gorgeous fall day, and Mana offered the perfect blend of stories, history, with her warmth and gift of knowing when to just let us take in the wonders. Mana is a gifted teacher & we enjoyed playfully learning counting to 10 in Japanese! She surprised us with a tour of the Sake museum - a delight! We loved taking in the delights of Uji, with Mana’s humor, knowledge, and love of the area. She generously gave us more time than planned - We would have enjoyed another full day with Mana, and when we return, we will hope to tour with her on another magical day. Thank you, Mana!

“Full Kyoto Experience with Nori”

My Mom and I spent two days with Nori and got a feel for Kyoto in a way that is simply impossible on your own. Nori was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and went above and beyond to explain both grand stories and common legends that made us feel like we really had a grasp on where we were. We visited five cities and two countries on our trip, and Kyoto was our absolute favorite thanks to Nori. I could not recommend his guidance more. We visited at the busiest time of year, too, and never felt crowded, which was a feat in itself.

“A Wonderful Autumn Day in Kyoto”

My wife and our friend spent a wonderful day with Shuji walking throughout eastern Kyoto. He patiently worked with me ahead of time to tweak his standard Eastern Kyoto walking tour itinerary, responding promptly to all messages and making helpful suggestions. On the day of the tour, he arrived promptly at our hotel and ably led us on our adventure. Highlights (for me) included the off-the-beaten-path Komyo-in Temple, with its lovely dry landscape garden and its stunning art exhibit upstairs, as well as a visit to the Sanjūsangen-dō Temple with its 1001 Kannon sculptures (plus another one, that Shuji will show you) and 28 incredible guardian deity sculptures. Throughout the day, Shuji provided background information, patiently answered questions, took pictures, and was always ready to make adjustments as needed. All in all, a delightful experience!

Shuji O.

(55 reviews)

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, it was a really wonderful day. I hadn't expected to see fall foliage, thinking it would be a little early. But we could enjoy them very much already. We could choose a secret route to avoid the crowd, for the sake of your agreement. The tour was comfortable, and the weather was nice. We don't often have such a nice day. Thank you so much!