Kyoto Private Tour: Highlights & Hidden Gems with a Local Guide
Description
Discover Kyoto in a whole new way with a passionate local guide who brings the city to life beyond the typical tourist experience. From world-famous temples like the Golden Pavilion or Fushimi-Inari Taisha, and historic districts, like Gion, to hidden gems known mostly to locals, every tour is fully tailored to your interests, pace, and travel style. Learn about Kyoto’s rich history, traditions, and daily life through engaging stories and personal insights. Enjoy authentic encounters, uncover lesser-known corners of the city, and experience Kyoto in a more meaningful and memorable way, as if exploring with a knowledgeable local friend.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Gion is a traditional district of Kyoto where you can often meet geisha. We'll walk there hoping to meet some!
Kiyomizu-Dera Temple is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Japan. Its 13-metre stilted terrace overlooks the valley and the view of Kyoto is beautiful.
The Silver Pavilion is more sober than the Golden one but it is worth a visit because of its pretty building, its zen garden and its view of Kyoto.
The Golden Pavilion, whose real name is Rokuon-ji, is one of the most visited tourist sites in Kyoto. Its gold leaf pavilion symbolizes the pomp of Kyoto, the imperial capital.
Fushimi Inari-taisha Shinto Shrine is one of Japan's most famous shrines, with its 10,000 Torii Gates. We can finish our day here.
This path is close to Ginkaku-ji and we can take it at our exit to continue the day in style. The name of the promenade dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, due to the philosopher Kitarô Nishida (1870-1945) who particularly appreciated it.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(3)
We really appreciated Yoshi’s hospitality and knowledge of these historical landmarks.. The Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera cannot be missed if traveling to Kyoto!
Hello Anna, thank you for booking with us and for having appreciated Yoshi's guidance. We are glad you like Kyoto temples and hope to see you again some day!
This tour should having the the headline “walking tour”. It says “we’ll pick you up” which to me implies a car was involved. At $142 per person and there were 5 of us….i understood a car would be involved. The morning of body I found out it was walking all day for 8 hours. We had one person in our group with mobility problems…and older gentleman in his seventies. I asked to cancel for a full refund. My refund was denied. We did not go on this “Walking” tour for 8 hours and lost all of our money. Needless to say I will NEVER book with Viator again. The “what to expect” section also never said this is a walking tour.
Dear Don, To sum up what happened: - You booked a tour without reading all the contents. We do say that we take public transports on the tour page, - You did not read the mail we sent you which told you that it was a Walking tour with public transportation, - After realizing that fact, you decided to cancel the trip on the very day, which implies a 100% cancellation fee (from 24 hours before the tour), - You blocked the transaction for the cancellation fee, amount due, through your bank, - And now, you published this bad review. A pick up does not implies a car. Most of the tours in Japan include a pick-up then public transportation. Visiting the city, public transports are more convenient and way cheaper than having a public car. You can check other tours from other companies. They mostly have the same policy in Japan for that price range. And we try to be the most affordable. Did you check the price it would have been to have a public car, or a taxi with us all the day? It would cost more than 500 USD extra, which could not be covered by the actual price made to fit all commissions from booking qnd guiding companies, guide and guide fees. To have a pick-up then public transportation was clear to all our guests until now, whithout any guest thinking that pick-up would automatically mean a car. We could have taken taxis every time from a place to visit to another but you did not let us showing that option as you directly told the guide to not come to your hotel because "the tour will not happen". We had to prepare the tour and we blocked the day for you. The guide also blocked the day for you. Viator/TripAdvisor's cancel Policy is quite generous and let you time to cancel without any fee until 24 hours before the tour . It is normal to have a cancellation fee if you cancel on the very day of the experience. We are really sorry you misunderstood what the tour (not a scam) was about and we hope that otherwise, you spent a wonderful trip in Japan. Sincerely, Nara Guide
MOULOUD was a great guide. He was kind, patient, knowledgeable, professional, thorough and engaging. He enriched my day with stories, history, art and architecture. He even added another site with the bit of time we had leftover.
Thank you so much Carol, first for your reservation and then, for this wonderful review! I am glad you enjoyed the tour and I hope to see you again.
