Please feel free to share your interests- places you wish to visit, foods you'd like to try, or how long you'd like to stay at each location.
I"ll create a fully customized 8-hour tour just for you, blending famous sights with local hidden gems!
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Pickup at your hotel or the nearest train station whithin Kyoto
- I will pick you up from your hotel and can accommodate your tour needs.
Arashiyama area
Visit UNESCO World Heritage site, Scenic Provate Garden, Bemboo Grove and Hidden Gems!
This area can be tricky to navigate alone. so let me show you the most amazing 7 spots in the area!
Lunch
Enjoy a relaxing lunchtailored to your preferences.
From casual local favorites to refined Japanese or Western-style cuisine,
I'll suggest places for a memorable meal.
Kinkaku-ji - Golden Pavillion
Stroll through the stunning gardens and admire the Golden Pavillion.
Afterward, enjoy match green tea and a traditional sweet unique to Kinkaku-ji. Also, if you like and time allows, I will show you another nearby scenic spot to round out the afternoon.
Ending Point
Tour ends at your hotel or any location of your choice
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Guide fee
Public transportation fees (460 yen per person).
Temple/villa entrance fees(400-1000 yen per person)
Meals or refreshments during the tour
or any other personal expenses are not included.
**At many sites,my official Guide license allows me to enter free of charge.
* This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable
shoes.
* This tour is not recommended for those with severe back/knee problems.
* This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
* Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
My days off vary each week, so I can't specify a fixed day I'm available, but I'm flexible and can adjust to your request.
I’m a certified tour conductor and English guide based in Kyoto and Osaka.
Having lived 30 years in seven countries—the US, UK, Canada, Iran, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Russia—I bring a truly global perspective and a natural sense of hospitality!
Before guiding in Japan, I worked as a licensed tour guide in New York City and appeared on a national Japanese TV program as a field reporter, introducing local life and culture in NYC.
My career has always centered on caring for people in English-speaking roles: as a British Airways flight attendant, a medical interpreter at an international clinic, and an administrator at a UN international school with students from 65 countries.
I’m also a direct descendant of Hijikata Toshizō, one of Japan’s legendary “last samurai,” and was raised with a deep respect for traditional culture and the spirit of bushido.
Originally from Tokyo, I guide in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Uji where I have both historical knowledge and personal experience.
I look forward to welcoming you and sharing Japan in a warm, personal way!!
$350/ per group