Private Tour
10 Must-see Spots in Kyoto One Day Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
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 save you time and energy. This tour is a mixture of public transport and taxis.
Thanks to taxis and a friendly local professional guide, you can visit the 10 most famous attractions such as the Fushimi Inari shrine (thousands of Torii gate), Golden Pavilion, Kiyomizu temple (with huge balcony), bamboo forest, Geisha district, and so on.
If you check the spots you can visit on this tour, you can notice that all must-see points in Kyoto are included!!
Please enjoy the top ten spots with the beautiful stories of your guide.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
You will visit so many places only one day so you can not change the itinerary, lunch place and starting point.
If you have some food you can not eat, please inform us when you book this tour
This tour will take you to not only tourist attractions, but also to nice Japanese-style streets and back alleys. Please wear comfortable shoes.
Many places in Kyoto such as temples and taxis do not accept credit cards. Please be sure to have some Japanese yen ready before joining the tour.
＊On very hot summer days, it is recommended to change to Plan B course, which requires fewer steps and takes you to Chishakuin Temple( a hidden gem indoor temple) and Sanjusangendo Temple(famous for a forest of Buddhist statues).
The cab can accommodate four people. 3 guests + a guide, so if there are 4 guests, two taxis are required.
Important: Guests arriving by cruise ship must be able to travel to Kyoto Station on their own.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kinkakuji Temple
You can see the shining golden pavilion which used to be the political center of the Shogun(the head of Samurai warrior).It is one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites in Kyoto.
Bamboo Forest Street
You will go through the Bamboo forest. This beautiful bamboo forest appears many times in the advertisement poster of Kyoto.
What‘s Included
Infants under 3 years old are free of charge.
English speaking Professional Guide
Age 3 and up are charged the same rate as adults.
Pick up service: not included
for all temples(1500yen par person)
＊This tour uses both taxi and public transportation(1000yen per person)
Taxi: (7000 〜9000 yen per cab for all rides) If You are 4 or more people, you need two cabs.
Options
UP to 7 people
Reviews
1,215 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We had the BEST GUIDE tour anyone could ask for: YOSHI!!!
Valeria A,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We enjoyed Kyoto the best way possible. Yoshi was extremely well prepared, kind, resourceful and had the best spots to avoid tourists. We would come back to Kyoto multiple times always with Yoshi!!
Incredible day in Kyoto!
cassondra e,Apr 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We enjoyed an incredible day in Kyoto with Yoshi! I have booked Viator tours in dozens of countries and Yoshi is the best guide we have ever had. He explained the history and culture of all the sites and he knew the best places for photos. We were three generations traveling with a baby, and he knew all the shortcuts and ramps to get us and our stroller to the locations. He also helped us with shopping requests for ceramics and other items along the way. We had a wonderful day!
Amazing experience
ElanR21,Apr 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Loved our experience. This was our first time in Japan and we booked the tour based on a friend’s recommendation and we are glad we did. Motoko was an amazing guide and we learned so much and saw incredible sights. Would highly recommend it!
Great day Seeing the Best of Kyoto
zachinVA,Apr 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Naru was a fantastic guide taking us to the best of Kyoto on 18th April. Adjusting the tour to hit the most popular sights first made all the difference in avoiding the attractions at the most crowded times. His expert knowledge made the tour that much more enjoyable. Highly recommend this experience and this guide!
Tailored to our needs!
Richard O,Apr 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide, Yoshi, was a real pleasure, both on a personal basis and as a guide to Kyoto. He provided verbal insights to the various sights, and had pictures to help with explanations. My wife and I are in our 70’s, so we needed some accommodations to be able to get around easily and to assure we didn’t wear ourselves out. Yoshi was super helpful and tailored the tour to our needs. He seemed very genuine in his delight for being a guide. I thought the sights visited were incredible, particularly Fushimi Inari. We spent quite of bit of time there, but the other shrines were impressive too. This is a great tour and if you’re lucky enough to get Yoshi as your guide, it will be even better.
Really great tour in...
Gary W,Apr 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Really great tour in which we saw some amazing shrines, temples and other highlights of Kyoto. Taka was informative and humorous and his English was very good. He was easy to hear and understand and he was able to answer all of our questions. We especially enjoyed the opportunity to take this as a private tour for our group of four. While we were able to use Google Maps to work our way back to our hotel after the tour, we were a little surprised at how abruptly it ended after reaching our final highlight. We didn’t know it would end in a location different from where we started and then just had to figure out how to get back to the hotel. All in all, definitely an amazing tour for anyone visiting Kyoto for the first time.
Perfect Kyoto day - thanks to Chihiro!
Toma M,Apr 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you’re booking this Kyoto tour, ask for Chihiro, no question! She made a packed, full day itinerary feel smooth and effortless. Kyoto gets crowded fast, but she knew exactly how to navigate shortcuts, time stops right, and keep us moving without ever feeling rushed. What really stood out was how much she went beyond the tour itself. She helped us find places we were personally interested in, took us to a local pottery shop (not touristy at all), and picked a great authentic lunch spot where we actually got to sit, talk, and connect. At that point, she felt more like a friend than a guide. Logistics were seamless. She knew when to take trains vs. cabs, and even coordinated a driver for a tricky location we never would’ve figured out on our own. She was also constantly checking in on our energy and made sure we got great photos throughout the day. Her English is perfect (she lived in NYC), which made everything feel easy and natural. Bottom line, Chihiro doesn’t just guide you, she elevates the entire experience. Highly recommend asking for her specifically!
Hiro was great! (Try the Wasabi peanuts)
Trek28567012743,Apr 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Hiro was great! Very knowledgeable of local shrines and what were the best things to do on what days. He was also knowledgeable about the history of them! It happened to be raining on our tour date so he specialized the tour to the shrines which were the best to visit. He also helped you engage with the culture at shrines which was a highlight! Definitely try the wasabi peanuts which he will recommend! Would definitely reccomend!
A day with Kaori-San
NikiP492,Apr 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked our trip through viator for a family of 7. Our tour guide for the day was Kaori-San. Both the adults and the kids had a great experience. Kaori-San was very thorough in providing details prior to our meet on modes of transportation and what we would be doing. She was also kind enough to let us know the night before that it would be a long day and to get plenty of rest. She kept both kids and adults engaged by providing historical facts about the places we were visiting and their importance. We had a bit of a delay at the start of our trip, and Kaori- San was patient and didn't rush us through the tour. I would highly recommend the tour and if possible ask for her as a tour guide if you are visiting Kyoto.
Highly recommend
Sabrina M,Apr 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Chihiro was an excellent guide; great personality, informative, and fun! Saw all the things and had a fantastic day. The smaller, private tour was so much better than the group especially in Kyoto since spaces are tighter so definitely recommend this tour. It's a full day!
Related Experiences
Operated by EE tour