10 Must-see Spots in Kyoto One Day Private Tour

Discover Kyoto’s top 10 must-see spots in one day with a local guide. Enjoy scenic walks, taxis, and hidden gems. Perfect for groups up to 7.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Kinkakuji Temple - Witness the gleaming golden pavilion that once served as the political hub for the Shogun, the leader of the Samurai warriors. This site is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage landmark in Kyoto.
  • Bamboo Forest Street - Stroll through the enchanting Bamboo Forest, a frequent feature in Kyoto’s promotional posters.
  • **Tenryuji…
What's Included
  • English speaking Professional Guide
  • Infants under 2 years old are free of charge
What's Not Included
  • Children over 3 years old are charged the same rate as adults.
  • *This tour uses both cab and public transportation
  • Cab fee: about 6000〜8000 yen per one cab for all cab rides
  • *If your group is 4 or more people, you need two cabs
  • Public transportation fee: About 1000 yen per person
  • Admission fee: around 1500yen per person for all temples
  • Pick up service: not included
Additional Information

If you have only one day in Kyoto and want to see all the top 10 must-see spots of Kyoto, this tour is the best for you. A professional local guide shows you the best, comfortable and convenient way to the spots. And you can enjoy walking along with the beautiful sceneries, paths, and back alleys only the local people know. We use taxis 3-4 times to…

Location
Kitaoji Station
Kita-oji station on Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line. Your guide meets you at the south (NOT north) ticket gate of this station. The subway station number is K04.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(657 Ratings)
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Macey_m
Jan 27, 2025
LOVED this tour! - This tour was a great way to see Kyoto if you have limited time! Kaori was an amazing guide, she took great care of us and took some fantastic photos and videos of us, she recommended a great spot for lunch and we just enjoyed spending the whole day with her. She was great!
Review provided by Viator
795maceym
Jan 27, 2025
LOVED this tour - Kaori was the best guide! We could not have asked for a better day in Kyoto or a better experience. Kaori took great care of us and took lots of beautiful pictures and videos for us that we will treasure forever. Kyoto was our favorite city in Japan and I am so glad we got to see it with someone who knew so much history and was able to give us so much information. LOVED this tour and our time in Kyoto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Corie_l
Jan 27, 2025
Kyoto must see’s - A great collection of some of the must see areas Kyoto by a you’re guide with knowledge on the areas
Review provided by Viator
G7838vhveronical
Jan 26, 2025
Wonderful tour of Kyoto - Naoko was a very knowledgeable guide. We saw so much in one day and she was so gracious and informative. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hmvm13
Jan 24, 2025
Look No Further than Here for the Best Condensed Tour of Kyoto - My husband and I had an amazing tour with Fuji. She was a private guide, just for him and I. We could not have had a better time. Fuji gave us great information on our tour and was a great story teller. She was able to answer all of our questions about Japanese history and culture. Fuji was very accommodating if we wanted to spend more time at a stop or have a quick snack. She volunteered to take plenty of photos of us together when exploring. This tour made an amazing use of our time. I highly recommend being flexible with using taxis along with the local train. The taxis will save you tons of time and allow you to fit more fun and activities at the stops on your schedule. Fuji was very knowledgeable of when a taxi would be appropriate and honestly, it surprised me how much cheaper the taxi are here when compared to Tokyo. The stops on this tour were absolutely stunning and each contributes to the uniqueness of Kyoto. Fuji really took our experience to the next level and I recommend requesting her. She knew of all the additional activities at the stops and was able to help us curate which activities we wanted to do. I thought the tour ended at 4pm but she guided us until 6pm as we didn’t have any reservations afterwards. Fuji is so kind and has an amazing life story. I am super grateful to have had Fuji as our guide and to have found this tour package. Ichi go, ichi e.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Larry
Jan 24, 2025
Great first look at Kyoto - Our guide, Akemi, was amazing. First, she met us at Kyoto stations and helped us to store our bags in Crosta storage and then helped us navigate our way to a subway where we started the tour. Then at each site she was extremely knowledgeable and knew the exact places to stop for us to take pictures and video. Towards the end of the tour we were worn out and decided to skip the last site on the list. If you have never been to Kyoto I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melissa_f
Jan 20, 2025
Kyoto is Perfection - Motoko the Tour Guide is Amazing! - Kyoto is magical — and, we were very lucky to have the consummate guide/host, Motoko, who made our day even more special. Motoko met us at the designated spot at Kyoto Station on time and very kind and enthusiastic about our day ahead. We started the morning at Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and couldn’t have ordered a more beautiful sunrise and overall start to the day — our pictures were unbelievably perfect. Motoko knew the best spots for snapping the best shots too! Next we visited the serene Bamboo Forest, then off to the Terry’s-ji Temple with a Japanese Garden that is utterly perfect for photos. Of the 4 gardens we visited in Japan during our stay, this was the most beautiful! Before a delightful Udon and sushi lunch with Motoko we enjoyed Arashiyama — a great, creative photo spot for kimono pattern viewing. We visited the Fushimi Imari Shrine, which was a fantastic place with spiritual energy (even with so many other visitors) as well as Kiyomizu-dera Temple before closing in Gino-Shijo for perfect, picturesque views of Kyoto and its magical streets/allleys. The local artisan shopping was fantastic and it was an absolute gift to see a geisha scurrying off to her first gathering of the evening. It was a long day with a lot of steps, but Motoko took great care in ensuring we were comfortable, happy and warm. She was a wealth of knowledge (no surprise given that she was a teacher!) and she was, hands-down, the most organized and thoughtful tour guide (of 7) we had in our 10 days in Japan. There is nothing like Kyoto — and, Motoko was an important and very enjoyable part of our journey and experience. We highly recommend this tour and thank Motoko for an amazing time!
Review provided by Viator
Irma_c
Jan 19, 2025
I highly recommend... - I highly recommend Chihiro as a guide. She is knowledgeable and her love for Kyoto shows. She went above and beyond.the standard itinerary. She even helped us get our train tickets back to the airport.
Review provided by Viator
Julia_l
Jan 19, 2025
A perfect way to see fascinating Kyoto - Such an unforgettable tour! Chihiro was a warm and engaging guide who led us from the breathtaking Kiyomizu-dera and Mount Inari to the Sogenachi pond garden and bamboo forest and everywhere in between. Chihiro answered our many questions with such enthusiasm and humour, and negotiated our way through to the least crowded parts of each shrine and temple, and was always checking to see what and how much we wanted to do. Wear comfortable shoes for this one - you don’t need to be an athlete but you’ll get your steps in and then some!
Review provided by Viator
Julia
Jan 18, 2025
A perfect guide to Kyoto - Chihiro led us on a comprehensive and fascinating tour of Kyoto, and it was a joy to be guided by someone with such deep knowledge of the area and culture. What could easily have been overwhelming was instead utterly enjoyable, absorbing and rewarding. We were able to tailor the tour to our needs, and Chihiro was warm and engaging, having a thorough understanding of what Western travelers needed to know. Couldn’t have asked for more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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