Wakayama Private Tours & Local Tour Guides
Discover Things to Do and Plan a Trip to Wakayama, Japan with a Local Guide
Popular Wakayama Tour Guides
Shuji O.
Hi, I am Shuji, a licensed tour guide living near Kansai International Airport. I taught world history in high schools for four decades. So, I can explain Japanese culture or history in an easier way tailored to you who have different cultural and historical backgrounds. I also practiced Kendo, Japanese fencing, for more than four decades, and now I enjoy growing vegetables and going fishing. Therefore, I can also share some Japanese culture and its nature. I have traveled to more than 25 countries and all over Japan. I’m also passionate about photography and know many photogenic places in Japan. If you prefer to go off the beaten track, I can take you to hidden gems, including some cozy restaurants. Of course, I also know how to enjoy the crowded, most popular tourist sites. I am here to make your trip stress-free. See you soon!
Hiroyuki T.
Hi! I had been working for Wakayama Prefectural Government for 38 years, mainly in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations. I am a national certificated English guide and I have a lot of knowledge and experience in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations. I am very good at cultural heritages. And Koyasan and Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture are inscribed in the World Heritage List as parts of “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". I was a project manager of "the Koyasan and Kumano World Heritage Inscription Project” at Wakayama Prefectural Government. I know inside and out of Koyasan, Kumano, Wakayama and other places in the Kansai area. I have a lot of experience of guiding as I was also in charge of international relations for a long time at the government. I will be able to provide interpretive guiding service for you around Koyasan, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka and other places as I was a cultural heritage management and international relations professional. I am sure you will be able to get deeper understandings on Japanese culture and that your trip with me will be memorable one. If you need a good guide in the Tokyo area, I have a friend on GoWithGuide I can recommend you!
Miyuki O.
Hi! I'm an official English guide in Wakayama prefecture. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I got a job as a teacher. I currently teaches at a cram school while also working mainly as a guide. I also obtained the national guide licence. I would like to expand my guide area to cover the entire Kinki region, but I like Wakayama the most because of its spiritual nature.
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 9,330 guests all over the world across Japan as of June 30, 2025 since Feb 2015.
New Wakayama Tour Guides
Akari Y.
I have started guiding in the Kansai area since 2023. I am passionate about introducing the history of Japan. I am happy to introduce guests from overseas to the Japanese culture established by our predecessors. I will introduce Japanese culture, food, cuisine, sake, nature, manga, spiritual culture, history, Buddhism, Shinto, Shugendo, pilgrimage paths, and other topics of interest. Let me introduce myself. I was born in Osaka and grew up in Osaka and Kyoto. I have lived in the U.S., China, and Australia when I was young.
Keiji H.
I have traveled to more than 40 countries. I always have spent happy time with local people. To return their favor, I have become a Kumano Kodo guide to help tourists enjoy Kodos. I am a government certified guide and have guided over 50 international clients in 6 years. I can help you with Kumano expertise, risk management, and hospitality skills I am a plum farmer and make umeboshi now. So I would tell you stories of as well as Japanese farming and food. Only local guides help you finding spots to rest in today's weather, locating a clean public restroom, and choosing the best sashimi for the season. Most importantly, you can acquire useful information without having to glance at tiny screens, not with phones but with local guides.
Rio S.
【Guarantee the best guiding quality】 Hello! I'm a humorous tour guide of 100% Osaka local.Please call me Rio. I can take you to the places which only foreign tourists are too difficult to visit or find out. As a certificated famous tour guide, I will give you a good memories and fresh discoveries during your Japan journey. I'm a professional about Kansai area's culture and history, so registered as best sightseeing master from several tour agencies and organizations. Speak to me in your own language. I can speak many kinds of language like English, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and so on.. So don't hesitate to communicate with me frankly! I absolutely guarantee the best tour quality. I wait your coming! Thanks,Ookini!
Yasuo H.
I was born and grew up in Wakayama prefecture. Since I was very young, I walked and run by motorcycle and car in the mountain region of Kii peninsula (Wakayama). I learned the nature of Wakayama well it’s tenderness and danger. I wish to make the only one trip for my customers. There are many natural and historical sites in Wakayama because of its unique geographical nature and the longest history in Japan. You can enjoy various type of trip as ancient road walk, spectacular landscapes of the coastlines, suspension bridges, mountains and hot springs.
Popular Wakayama Private Tours
Wakayama Highlights
Wakayama Highlights
Exploring Koyasan
Exploring Koyasan
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route and Nachi
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route and Nachi
Overnight tirp to Kumano Kodo, Nachi Waterfalls, Kumano Shrines and more - from Wakayama
Overnight tirp to Kumano Kodo, Nachi Waterfalls, Kumano Shrines and more - from Wakayama
New Wakayama Private Tours
Visit Historical Sites in Northern Wakayama
Visit Historical Sites in Northern Wakayama
One day tour to Mt. Koya from Wakayama
One day tour to Mt. Koya from Wakayama
For Japanese descendants
For Japanese descendants
Kumano Nachi and Shirahama walking
Kumano Nachi and Shirahama walking
Wakayama Tour Reviews
Jolie K.
“Wakayama Tour - Castle and Meet the Cat Stationmasters”
We had an amazing time on our Wakayama tour with Shuji! We told him what we wanted to see, and our dietary needs, and Shuji came up with the perfect itinerary for our day including a stop for lunch where we enjoyed excellent food suited to our requests. He is very kind and knowledgeable of the places we visited. He went above and beyond to make good use of our time and to make us as comfortable as possible, considering the very hot weather we experienced. What really brought us to Wakayama was to see the cat stationmasters and ride the Tama trains of the Wakayama Electric Railway’s Kishigawa Line. We had a wonderful time visiting, seeing the cats, and riding the different themed trains. Thank you Shuji for an unforgettable experience, and for the great photos we have to remember that very special day!
Shuji O.
Thank you so much for your amazing review! I usually like dogs, but I had fun at the cat stationmaster Tama's amazing stations and railways. It was an unforgettable experience for me too. I felt as if I were in a fairy tale. Thank you very much for such a wonderful tour!
Lia M.
“Above and beyond”
Nobuko went above and beyond to make our experience special. Our party had members with strict dietary issues, and she made sure to book meals at places that could accommodate them. She is a warm, personable, and felt like a member of the family. Highly, highly recommend!
Nobuko O.
Dear Lia san, Thank you so much for your lovely words! It really warmed my heart. I felt so lucky to spend time with all of you — like being part of one big, happy family! The meals you kindly treated me to were absolutely delicious and made for such unforgettable moments. I’ll always treasure those special times we shared. Please let me guide you around our hometown again when you come back! With love from Japan, Nobuko
Lia M.
“True story of family reunion”
I can hardly express the depth of my gratitude to Hiroyuki. What began as a simple your turned into a life-changing experience for my family. We brought fragments of information about our ancestral history, and he knew exactly the steps to take to discover information. Without giving too much detail, he brought my elderly parent together with their long-lost cousin, and then patiently served as an interpreter for them to communicate. This was a defining moment for my parent and they were in tears. This would not have been possible without Hiroyuki. Thank you so, so much. I can't recommend him enough.
Hiroyuki T.
It was a great pleasure for me that your mother met her cousin in Japan. But it was a little regretable that you did have a lot of time in Esumi. Just let me know if there are something more that I can do for you. Remember that I am in Wakayama. Hiro
Wakayama Private Tour Guide
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