Nara Private Tours

“Wonderful tour with Mr Makoto Y.”

Great experience with Mr Makoto today. He was kind enough to meet our train, and use his personal car to drive us around. His knowledge of the areas was outstanding. He personally created brochures for our tour that helped us understand and gain an appreciation of the culture, the important time frame in history of Buddhism in Japan, and the importance of preserving and appreciating the many National Treasures of this area. Excellent Thank you Mr Makoto Best regards Judy and Craig

Makoto Y.

(133 reviews)

Dear Judy and Craig, Thank you for your nice comment. I have enjoyed guiding you very much as you are so keen to learn about Japanese history and culture. Especially I am happy to introduce Houryuji temple, asset of my home town. I hope you have nice time in Japan and nice trip back to U.S. Thanks again for choosing me of your guide. Makoto

“Fantastic day with Michiko”

We spent a wonderful day visiting Nara with Michiko. She is a knowledgeable, thoughtful and kind person that genuinely cares for her clients. She patiently answered all of our questions (and we had a lot) and constantly made sure we were comfortable and content. All four of us would highly recommend Miko to anyone thinking about hiring a guide!

Michiko T.

(96 reviews)

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was an absolute honor to guide such a worldly-wise and well-traveled group.Your insightful questions and deep appreciation for the culture made the tour truly special. Our afternoon trip to Wazuka was a perfect contrast to the crowds in Nara—relaxing in a bus with almost no other passengers, and soaking in the stunning views of fresh greenery, rivers, and tea plantations. Meeting our amazing veteran tea-picking guide was also an absolute joy. Her incredible energy inspired us all. Sharing that beautiful day with you made me truly happy as a guide. Wishing you many more wonderful journeys ahead!

“Highly Recommended!!!”

Highly recommend taking a tour to see Nara Park with Miyu. The whole experience can be very overwhelming. First there is the overall size of the park (1600 acres), numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, and wild, bowing deer everywhere. For this reason, my family booked a private tour with Miyu. Miyu had everything planned out and guided us around the park. Never once did we have to pull out our phones to try to use Google Maps/Translate. Miyu expertly led us to see the temples and shrines - handling admission and leading us to see the best spots and must-see items at each location. She helped me with buying a Goshuincho and obtaining my first Goshuins. Miyu also helped my children with their Omikujis. For me the highlight was seeing and feeding the deer (although some can be quite aggressive). Miyu explained the process of feeding the deer and gave us tips to avoid being harassed by the deer. We were finished and leaving for lunch just as the park was beginning to become really crowded. Overall, we were very happy to have Miyu as our guide and were very satisfied with her tour of Nara Park.

Miyu S.

(14 reviews)

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It makes me truly happy to hear that your family had a great time in Nara. I’m glad I could help you navigate the park so you could focus on making memories together without worrying about maps or translations. Feeding the deer and getting your first Goshuin are such special experiences, and I’m honored I could be a part of them. Please let me know when you're back in Japan—I’d love to guide you and your family again!