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
1,191 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing tourguide
Cathy P,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The guide was amazing. Very knowledgeable, friendly and patient. I would highly recommend chi. We really enjoyed the tour and the guide. She was wonderful
Highlight of our Japan trip 3 April 2026
Samuel A,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a must do if you want to cover all the major tourist spots in a single day while also taking some quiet moments to enjoy shopping, Japanese snacks, an amazing lunch all while being accompanied with a fantastic guide. Our guide was Mutsumi, she was incredibly kind and generous in sharing her knowledge and stories with us. This tour was the highlight of our whole Japan trip - definitely would recommend. Thank you so much Mutsumi san! 🌸🩷🌸🩷🌸
Yoshi’s Amazing Kyoto Tour for First Timers
W6822VZchristophers,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked this private tour for our first day in Kyoto as first time visitors, and we do not regret the amazing time we had! We were paired with Yoshi, who is an awesome and knowledgeable guide but also very helpful in helping us navigate Kyoto and make the most of our experiences! He was there before the start of the tour and even guided us back to our Hotel at the end. The history and perspective he shared made it worth every penny as we have no idea what to do or where to to go, and he took us to a GREAT local sushi place for lunch. All in all we truly enjoyed getting to know Kyoto, Japan and most of all Yoshi, he’s a great guide and person!
Amazing Kyoto!
bobbieg141,Apr 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour with Taka, accommodated our interests and was able to see highlights in Kyoto within a day. Also, was able to go to Philosophers Path which was beautiful with all the cherry blossoms!🌸
Best way to maximize your quick Kyoto visit
avberg,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Naru was a FANTASTIC guide for our whirlwind tour of Kyoto. It was so nice to have him guide the taxi drivers, suggest the best photo opportunities, and take our group’s photos during our one quick day in Kyoto. He was great about letting us set the pace based on our interests but still keeping the itinerary moving. I feel like I would have been frustrated and overwhelmed trying to do even half of what we did on my own but he guided us effortlessly. Wear your best shoes! I think we did 18,000+ steps together.
Awesome
mandeepk459,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Yoshi was amazing he guided us well and was so accommodating with timings
It was great! Our guide...
Morgan H,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was great! Our guide Mailan was able to adjust our tour to our needs and was very informative. Lunch recommendation was great too
Amazing guide!
Alison S,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Mieko was our tour guide and she was AMAZING! She told us so much about everything in Kyoto, was lovely to spend the day with and has so much energy- she got us through a very long day :)
Grea tour great guide
Rgt638,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Yoshi was an incredible guide. He had a deep knowledge of his subject and also made the whole experience relevant by including a lot of anecdotes and observations which brought the subject to life. He was flexible funny and his English was impeccable, something I appreciated being hard of hearing. We also appreciated his willingness to adjust the schedule to fit in with us and our needs. This is a person clearly in love with his city of Kyoto and it shows. If you want a great experience ask for Yoshi. You won’t be disappointed.
An unforgettable Kyoto experience with Olive!
kaushiksridhar,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We 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!
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Operated by EE tour