Private Tour
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.
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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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.
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.
1,185 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
kaushiksridhar,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
We had the absolute pleasure of spending a full day exploring Kyoto on the 10 Must-See Spots in Kyoto One Day Private Tour with Olive, and it was hands down one of the highlights of our trip to Japan. From the very beginning, Olive was incredibly warm, organised, and thoughtful. She curated the day perfectly, ensuring we experienced the beauty, culture, and history of Kyoto without ever feeling rushed. Her knowledge of each location was exceptional, but what truly stood out was how she brought each place to life with stories, context, and personal insights. What made the experience even more special was how genuinely caring and attentive she was. She constantly checked in to make sure we were comfortable, tailored the pace to suit us, and even helped with photos so we could fully enjoy the moment. It felt less like a tour and more like exploring Kyoto with a knowledgeable friend. Thanks to Olive, we were able to see so much in just one day while still feeling relaxed and fully immersed. If you’re looking for a personalised, seamless, and truly memorable Kyoto experience, we cannot recommend Olive highly enough. Thank you, Olive, for such a special day; we’ll be talking about it for a long time!
marinedT3105CL,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
We had the best experience with our tour guide, Taka. We spent the day seeing and learning about the top 10 spots. Each place was incredibly beautiful. Taka was thorough in teaching us about the history and meaning of things. He was patient, helpful, professional, and always offering to take pictures of us in between explaining everything. I would highly recommend this tour.
L7400XWjonp,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Our guide Mieko Was really nice and informative. We loved it!!!!!!!!!!
Michelle S,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
My husband and I were lucky enough to get Akiko as our guide, she was so knowledgeable and an absolute delight to spend the day with. She had all the top spots for us to visit but was very flexible in changing the itinerary to accommodate our requests . Akiko was very patient and took many photos for us, often pointing out the best spots to take the pictures. We stopped several times throughout the day to try drinks, snacks, and unusual treats. We also went to a little local spot with no tourists for a delicious lunch, we loved the delicious variety food of food she recommended. This tour uses a combination of transportation: the oldest above ground train in Japan, the subway, taxi, and lots of walking, make sure you have good shoes! Make sure you plenty of Japanese YEN, many small places only accept cash. Thank you Akiko for a very memorable day!!!
AngieC L,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
This tour was fantastic! Our tour guide, Yoshi was absolutely wonderful! He was very knowledgeable and offered an array of information about each of the sights we visited. In addition, he tailored the tour to what worked best for our schedule - very flexible, organized and a very enjoyable presentation. Yoshi helped make our visit to Kyoto extra special!
nickgF3533NH,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Me and my wife took this tour while visiting Kyoto, and had an ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL day! Fuji was our tour guide and was the absolute best. She made our day going above and beyond just being a tour guide, but felt like a friend by the end. This tour is an excellent way to see the sites in Kyoto and learn so much about the history. Highly recommend!!!
X6277CSpatrickc,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
We did the 10 must-see spots tour in Kyoto and it was absolutely outstanding. Our guide, Yoshi, made the entire experience—his knowledge, efficiency, and ability to navigate shortcuts helped us see an incredible amount without ever feeling rushed. He shared great insights at every stop and kept everything running smoothly, which made the day both enjoyable and productive. If you’re short on time and want to maximize your visit to Kyoto, this tour is a no-brainer. Highly recommend—and if you can, ask for Yoshi. He’s the best.





Maps505946,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Kaori is AMAZING and so sweet. She was a great guide and this tour gets you around Kyoto seeing all the best spots. She is knowledgeable and so friendly. You will see many things and learn the importance of many sights that you would not get on your own. Take this tour!!!!!!




Laurie M,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
Although it is very clear in the instructions, it’s a good reminder to everyone that transportation to all of these locations is not included in the price and could add up, depending on how many family members are traveling. Chihiro was an excellent guide, very pleasant and personable. It was great to spend the day with her and learn about her life and all of the attractions.
Kathy C,Mar 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
Wonderful day siteseeing many stops. Our guide Taka was very good in giving us the history of all our stops
Operated by EE tour