Kyoto Guided tour with tour guide and photographer
Joined 2017
I have offered guided tour to many tourists including the destinations to experience wide variety of Japanese culture such as Shintoism and Buddhism, Geisha and food.
I'm glad to offer you private guided tour and take you beautiful photo of you at beautiful destinations in Kyoto. The highlights of early morning tour is visiting Fushimi Inari shrine and its off beaten bamboo path at early morning and take beautiful picture.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel in Kyoto city
At your hotel in Kyoto city
Fushimi Inari taisha shrine famous for orange gates
One of the highlights of tour, and I'm glad to explain about Shintoism culture, and take pictures with orange gates
Hidden zen garden
Even few Kyoto residents know about this place. There are few tourists and you can enjoy spiritual calm.
Sanjusangendo temple famous for thousand statues
One of the highlights of tour, and I'm glad to take the best pictures for you at its beautiful garden corridor
Lunch at local restaurant
As for the lunch place, I'll make reservation of lunch if you would like it. In the case if we don't have reservation, I'm afraid that we have to wait for long waiting line.
Following is my recommended local restaurant list.
- Local tempura restaurant that serves Kyoto style tempura. Usually it doesn't accept reservation for lunch, but I'm regular customer and the chef allows me to make reservation for lunch. It only has 8 seats. (Costs around 2500 yen per person)
- Local sushi restaurant that serves cute Kyoto style sushi. It is fixed set menu and “Omakase” style restaurant that means you can’t choose kind of sushi. Costs from around 2800 yen per person. (In the case if you prefer restaurant where you can choose kind of sushi, I have the other recommended one.)
Kenninji temple famous for dragon painting and moss garden
Honganji temple
My family is belonged to this temple.
Although it is not a tourist temple, it is the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, the sect with the largest number of followers in Japan. You might find it difficult to understand what Japanese Buddhism is all about just by visiting typical tourist sites, but I believe visiting this temple will give you the best understanding of Japanese Buddhism.
Ending Point
Nearby Kyoto station
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
guide fee
photo shoots during the tour
lunch (you and guide: apx. from 2000 to 3500 JPY per person),
transportation fee (Mainly use taxi Costs around 9000yen)
entrance fee: around 2500 yen per person
Tour Important Information
Maximum participant number of my tour is 3 people.
Kyoto Imperial palace is closed on Monday (on the following day if it falls on a public holiday), the year-end and New Year holidays (December 28 – January 4). Any day when Imperial Court functions are scheduled or other unavoidable circumstances occur.
Wearing shoes that are easy to walk in is recommendable.
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
Joined 2017
About Tour Guide Koichi T.
★Enjoy not only Guided tour but also Professional photo shoot in Kyoto!★
"Hi, my name is Koichi.
I am a licensed tour guide specializing in Kyoto. I can take memorable picture of you by using my own authentic camera and lens. Photo shoot experience is included in guide fee.
I have a great love for Kyoto City, from its major tourist attractions to some of its lesser known, tranquil and peaceful sites. I would be glad to conduct the tour according to your interests and share with you my knowledge of the city's rich history as well as its cultural and seasonal events.
Since both my high school and university days were located in Kyoto, I know not only all the city’s shrines and temples but also great local restaurants that serve traditional Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price. So, for example, if you are interested in a traditional Izakaya experience, please let me know, I know the perfect place and I will be glad to escort you there after the tour.
As an added bonus, I am an experienced, award winning photographer and I would be happy to take photos of you during the tour with my DSLR camera and then email them to you after the tour.
Additionally, I love motorcycle touring as my hobby and I enjoy taking pictures of Kyoto’s beautiful landscape. Therefore, talking about and showing off Kyoto’s scenery with my guests is one of my pleasures as well as explaining the traditional Kyoto culture.
My native city of Otsu is famous for Lake Biwa which is located just 10 minutes train ride from Kyoto station. It is not only an ideal location for the easy access to the ancient capital city but also for having an amazing visitor’s viewing location.
Therefore, whether you are wishing to explore Kyoto’s traditional heritage, sample the fantastic food that Kyoto offers or take a trip off the beaten path, I am the guide for you!
Reviews
Mikael K.
“Amazing guide ”
Speaks good English, know the town well with many uncrowned space. Great photographer
Susan S.
“Wonderful day in Kyoto”
We had a lovely tour with Koichi in Kyoto that included seeing several of the temples and sites as well as a short tea ceremony and education. It also included walking around several neighborhoods and festivals, and even a lovely lunch at a local tempura restaurant. We were delighted with his knowledge of the area and his ability to personalize the tour to our interests. He's a gifted historian and creative photographer as well as coming from a family with deep ties in the community of Kyoto. We especially valued his education around the different religious offerings in the city (past and present). We highly recommend him for anyone wanting a curated and bespoke experience and local offering. We loved that many of the spots he took us to didn't have tourists and it gave us an added appreciation for the beauty of the expansive Kyoto area.
Peter B.
“Superb guide and fountain of knowledge about the history and culture of Kyoto”
Born and bred in Kyoto - Koichi’s ikigai is showcasing his home town to visitors. He customised an itinerary to meet our needs - and we were able to see many of Kyoto’s iconic attractions in one tour. He is also a passionate photographer - and took a number of photos of us which he emailed to us after the trip. These photos will serve as a source of fond memories of Kyoto. Thank you Koichi- san.
$294/ per group
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