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Exploring Kyoto in Rakutou (East) and Rakuchu (Central)

Highlights
Kyoto Tour Guide - Masahisa M.

Joined 2017

Masahisa M.
5.00 / 5
(82 reviews)
Identity Verified
Interview-Based Quality Checks
Kyoto
English
9 hours
Private tour (only you and Masahisa M.)
Up to 15 people

Kyoto is known as exotic sightseeing places and numerous historic, quaint old monuments are seen all over the town. This tour covers part of Rakutou (East district) and Central district. Visiting Rakutou, Gion, Yasaka-jinja shrine, Kodai-ji temple, Kiyomizu-dera temple are the most famous sightseeing spots in Kyoto. Particularly well known for the deity of love and marriage in Rakutou area.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

08:30 AM

Meeting Point

At your hotel in Kansai District (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Kyoto or Nara)

09:00 AM

To meet you at your hotel lobby, with Gowithguide welcome sign board your name on. Followed after brief tour orientation, we start the tour of the day

We take you to Osaka METRO station or JR, private railway station to lead Keihan Yodoyabashi station whichever closer to your hotel. If you stay in Kyoto or Nara, we can save 30 min travel by train to Keihan Shijo station. 50 min train ride from Keihan Yodoyabashi station to Keihan Gion Shijo station. 20 min walk to Yasaka-jinja Shrine from Keihan Gion Shijo station.

10:30 AM

Yasaka-jinja Shrine

20 min walk from Yasaka-jinja Shrine to Kodai-ji Temple, through beautiful Ishibe-Koji Alley (Stone wall alley) , authentic chic side path in Kyoto in absolute tranquility

11:30 AM

Kodai-ji Temple

01:30 PM

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

03:30 PM

Nishiki Market

06:00 PM

End of this day tour at your hotel in Osaka. Will arrive at your hotel earlier if you stay in Kyoto or Nara.

Ending Point

At your hotel in Kansai District (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Kyoto or Nara)

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

Included:

*Guide fee, hotel pick-up fee in Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Nara, Kyoto)

*Travel expense as required for the guide to travel with customers by means of public transportation such as train, subway, bus.

Travel expenses for the guide included herein are limited within Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Nara, Kyoto)

*Admission fees, tickets as might be incurred for the guide at temples, shrines or the like.

*Meals , drinks or the like for the guide during the tour

*Any tax or the like as might be incurred by the guide in Japan

*Gratuity

What‘s not included

Not included:

*Fees to cruise river or sea or the like for the guide

*Tickets for Universal Studio Japan, museum or the like as might be required at private or public entertainment facilities for

the guide

Tour Important Information

Busy and full of crowds all year round in Nishiki market where you can find various kinds of fresh and traditional Japanese dishes for every day meals. In Gion, the center of Geisha community, you may or may not catch sight of Maiko (junior) or Geiko (Senior) hurrying to teahouses. Yasaka-jinja shrine hosts one of the three most important festivals of the year in Kyoto, Gion Festival in July. Ishibe-Koji alley (Stone wall alley) leads you to Kodai-ji temple from Yasaka-jinja shrine and next stone steps prolonged to Kiyomizu-dera temple through exotic and stunning beautiful Sannei-zaka slope.


- IMPORTANT -

Not suitable for tours with infants, children, senior people, wheelchairs and strollers.

Be quiet and respectful in Temple and Shrine complex

Remove hats and sunglasses in front of main sanctuary in Temples, Shrines

Not to touch old buildings, old remains and objects

Not to take pictures where prohibited in Temple and Shrine complex

Take your shoes off before stepping on tatami

Cancellation Policy

  • Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
  • 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
  • No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Kyoto Tour Guide - Masahisa M.

Joined 2017

Masahisa M.
5.00 / 5
(82 reviews)
Identity Verified
Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Masahisa M.

Lived in Chicago (5 years), Toronto (1 year), Singapore (2 years), Indonesia (4 years) and Birmingham, UK (11 years) to construct business platform, now retired after 40

years employment in Japan. Dynamic tour guide who develops many different ways along with rich experience overseas to entertain large or small tour groups. Enjoys the interaction with tour groups, very strong group presentation and communication skills, finds each guest question as an opportunity to learn anything new. Constantly learning information about each tour spot to enhance tours. Guided 9,618 guests all over the world across Japan as of September 30, 2026 since Feb 2015.

Reviews

C

Carly A.

5 / 5
Oct 31, 2026

“Osaka tour with Masahisa”

*****An Unforgettable Osaka Experience with Masahisa!** Our tour with Masahisa was absolutely fantastic and one of the highlights of our time in Osaka. From the very start, he tailored the day to our interests and showed us parts of the city we would never have discovered on our own. His knowledge of Osaka’s history, culture, and traditions was incredible. Every location came alive with fascinating stories and insights that gave us a much deeper appreciation of the city. Masahisa truly takes the time to show you the “real” Osaka, far beyond the typical tourist attractions. What impressed us most was his expertise navigating the city. We travelled by train throughout the day, and he seemed to know every station, platform, and exit by heart without ever needing to stop and check directions! His organisation made the day seamless and stress-free. Masahisa was warm, friendly, patient, and genuinely passionate about sharing his city with us. Just be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes because you’ll be exploring plenty and making the most of every moment! Thank you, Masahisa-san, for an amazing day and unforgettable memories. **Arigatou gozaimasu, Masahisa-san! We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Osaka.

Carly A.

Masahisa M.

Carly It was my great pleasure to show you a different side of Osaka as per your request, especially its traditional shopping arcades that fortunately survived the air raids of World War II. I imagine you all must be quite tired after walking through so many shopping streets over such a long day, especially while still adjusting to the time difference. Please take good care of yourselves and make sure to get enough rest as you continue exploring Kyoto and the other destinations in Japan. I sincerely hope you all enjoy every remaining moment of your journey in Japan and return home safely with many happy and unforgettable memories. Thank you again for visiting us from afar. Thanks Masahisa

“A perfect day with Masahisa. ”

Masahisa really went out of his way to show us some beautiful sites away from the touristy route and spent over his time schedule to show us more interesting areas of the city and to pass on to us his love and knowledge of the country. He was very energetic, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We throughly recomend booking with Masahisa.

Carmen R.

Masahisa M.

Carmen Thank you for coming all the way to Kyoto from so far away, and it was truly my pleasure to share Kyoto with you. The Rakusai area still preserves, albeit only in small traces, the refined court culture of the Imperial Family and the aristocracy of old Japan. I hope you were able to catch a glimpse of its elegant atmosphere and feel a little of its lingering spirit. I also hope you enjoyed experiencing the contrast between European stone culture and Japanese wooden culture. While European beauty is often found in grand, solid, symmetrical and seemingly eternal structures, Japanese aesthetics traditionally find beauty in simplicity, imperfection, asymmetry, fragility and the transience of life. These are, in many ways, two very different ways of appreciating beauty. As you continue your journey through Nara and Osaka before returning home, I sincerely wish you all a safe and memorable trip, and hope you all return home safely with wonderful memories of Japan. Thanks Masahisa

“Wonderful Time Exploring Kyoto with Masahisa”

My wife and I, from the Chicago area, spent nearly two wonderful days exploring Kyoto with Masahisa M., and we highly recommend him. Masahisa is knowledgeable, energetic, and genuinely enjoys sharing Japan's history and culture. We visited famous sites such as Fushimi Inari, Tenryu-ji, and Katsura Imperial Villa, as well as several beautiful and meaningful places that are less known to tourists. His explanations added so much depth to what we were seeing, and he also gave us great suggestions for places to visit independently. He keeps a brisk pace and knows how to navigate Kyoto efficiently, which allowed us to see far more than we could have managed by ourselves. He also took us to an authentic local restaurant that we would never have found on our own. Masahisa is friendly, personable, and fun to spend time with. We enjoyed hearing his perspectives on Japanese culture and even talking a little about the Chicago Bears. As we got accustomed to each other's speaking styles, Masahisa was always patient and happy to repeat information or jot down notes when helpful. We especially appreciated his thoughtfulness. He took photos of us throughout the tour and later surprised us with printed copies, a gesture that perfectly reflects the extra care he shows his guests. Masahisa is a true gentleman who goes the extra mile to make sure his guests have a memorable experience. Thanks to him, our time in Kyoto was one of the highlights of our trip to Japan.

Jonathan Y.

Masahisa M.

Jonathan I truly enjoyed spending those two wonderful days with you in Kyoto. It was especially enjoyable for me to meet a couple from the Windy City, where I once lived, and to share memories of the golden era of the Chicago Bears. Sadly, Mike Ditka passed away this year, and there have also been some upsetting reports that the Chicago Bears might eventually become the Hammond Bears. Although much of Kyoto's traditional atmosphere has unfortunately been lost through commercialization and modern tourism, I was very happy that I could introduce you to a few special places where the elegance and tranquility of Kyoto's imperial court culture have been carefully preserved, thanks in part to the efforts of the Japanese government. It was a real pleasure and an honor to share some of Kyoto's history and culture with you. Thank again for visiting Kyoto all the way from Wilmette. Thanks Masahisa

Want to Personalize?

$284/ per group

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