Kyoto: Descending Arashiyama (Private)

Such a great tour. Off the beaten path. Really enjoyed the day. Learned a lot & saw a lot. Highly recommend

Great walking tour. Andrew was very knowledgeable and we saw some great sites and learned about the history and culture behind them.

Spending a day with Andrew in Kyoto was hands-down the highlight of our entire Japan trip. We did a full-day tour focused on temple gardens and traditional neighborhoods, we’re still thinking about it. If you’re even remotely interested in Japanese gardens, Zen, or just want to understand Kyoto on a deeper level—book this tour. Andrew is not only incredibly knowledgeable, but he’s also just a joy to spend time with. He has this amazing ability to explain the deeper meaning and symbolism behind Japanese gardens and Buddhism as it relates to temple designs in a way that’s easy to understand, but also really profound. It felt like we weren’t just seeing beautiful places—we were actually understanding them. By the end of the day, we were seeing Kyoto, and honestly Japan as a whole, through a whole new lens. The pace of the tour was perfect—relaxed, immersive, and never rushed. It gave us the space to really take it all in. We also loved the unexpected moments—getting glimpses into traditional crafts and everyday life that made the experience feel that much richer. What really stood out was Andrew himself. He’s warm, easygoing, and just one of those people you could talk to for hours. He’s a true cultural interpreter, and our conversations throughout the day were as memorable as the gardens themselves. If you’re looking for something truly special in Kyoto, we can’t recommend this experience enough. Thank you, Andrew!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Andrew. Our two days ( The Path Less Travelled tour and Descending Arashiyama ) turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Seeing the beauty of these temple gardens through the eyes of someone whose passion for the art and symbolism of Japanese gardens and Zen, made it special and memorable. We thoroughly enjoyed the pace allowing us to feel immersed in the environment. An added bonus was our introduction to traditional crafts and way of life. We highly recommend these tours and cannot thank Andrew enough.

We had an amazing day with Andrew! He was a wealth of information and we enjoyed experiencing each site through the eyes of an expert. He even took us to a 400 year old inn for tea and a quaint traditional Japanese coffee shop for lunch. I highly recommend adding Descending Arashiyama to your itinerary if you are visiting Kyoto!

This tour is exceptional. Andrew is so knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed his company so much and he made the day really special. There was a moment in the afternoon when I realised just how superbly the tour is designed because we were going against the flow of tourist traffic. It’s really clever of Andrew to start at the top and work the way down. It’s relaxing and engaging. Every stop was fascinating. I got so much more out of this day than I ever could have if I’d tried to plan the day myself, Andrew’s knowledge is priceless.

Andrew's tour was the absolute highlight of our 2 ½ week visit to Japan. We highly recommend booking this tour, as it significantly transformed our perspective on Kyoto and Japanese gardens as a whole. We spent 1 ½ fascinating days with Andrew as he captivated us by explaining Japanese gardens to us! Andrew is amazing and it is hard to convey how much we loved meeting and learning from him. Andrew helped us to see Japanese gardens and therefore Japan in a way we would have never understood without him. He serves as a cultural interpreter, unraveling the design of the Japanese garden. His expertise is profound, and he possesses a remarkable ability to explain what we would never have been able to see or understand. Andrew is the type of individual with whom one can engage in extensive and enlightening conversations for hours on end. He’s fun, knowledgeable and always filled with phenomenal information. Andrew isn't just a guide; he's a captivating conversationalist. Spending hours immersed in dialogue with him is an enlightening journey in itself. He provides an abundance of wisdom and unravels more than we could ever have imagined.

We visited Kyoto in September 2023, as 6 adult family members. This was a very pleasant day in Arashiyama, with a good variety of activities and sights. The tour was well-placed such that we did not feel rushed and the older members of our group (some over 70) were easily able to keep up. Overall, it felt like a pleasant stroll through a lovely part of Kyoto. We visited several temples and gardens, the stunning estate of a silent film star, the bamboo forest, and various little sites in between. There was time to stop for lunch and/or tea and snacks (although our group decided not to have tea.) We were also able to stop at some lovely handicraft shops, such as an indigo-dye workshop and a pottery workshop. It was really nice to get outside the more crowded areas of Kyoto and see some of the local neighborhoods, and to visit some spots that we would not have visited if we had created our own itinerary for the day. The best part was that I did not have to think about what to see during our day in Arashiyama. Andrew took care of all of that for us and his selection was perfect. On a personal level, our group really enjoyed Andrew's personality and all the information he has to impart about the temples and other locations we visited. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him and would certainly book more tours with Andrew on a future visit to Kyoto.

Andrew finds fun, hidden gems and livens them up further with his stories about gardens--what's there, what it might mean, and how it's created. He also works hard to build strong relationships with the people connected to (or simply working around) these beautiful spots, which creates good will toward the people in his tour groups. Really a nice way to spend a day in Kyoto. Also recommend his half-day Zen garden trip, might be better for families with kids/teens. Also, he points out great sweetshops & restaurants!!

Andrew offers something really very special. The love he has for his adoptive city, and his sensitivity to the details & moods of the place, is a real treat to share in. As someone with a little contextual knowledge, I found Andrew not only proved a humble teacher, but an encouraging and supportive partner in learning about the temples and human history of Kyoto. I had a truly special time with him.