Private Tour
Cruise Stop-Over: Private Custom Day trip to Kyoto from Kobe Port
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Take the train to Kyoto with your local host and discover another side of Japanese culture in its 8th-century capital. From the moment you step off the ship, everything is taken care of — including a private taxi from Kobe Port to the station and return train transport to and from Kyoto.
Explore the cobbled streets of Gion, Kyoto’s traditional entertainment district, or wander through the famous flame-colored torii tunnel of Fushimi Inari Shrine. Perhaps you’ll visit the Arashiyama bamboo grove in western Kyoto or sip freshly brewed sake in Fushimi. At dusk, when paper lanterns begin to glow, you might even glimpse a geisha drifting silently through the streets.
Before the tour begins, you’ll complete a short online questionnaire so we can match you with the perfect local host to design your ideal day in Kyoto.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This is a private City Unscripted experience: real people, real connections
After booking, you'll receive a short online questionnaire to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your City Unscripted guide will personally reach out to craft a fully customized itinerary that suits your style—whether you love history, food, hidden gems, or cultural experiences.
This private tour is a walking experience. A private vehicle is not included.
Public transportation or local taxis may be used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with your host after your reservation is finalized.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Online questionnaire sent after booking to tailor the experience and match you with the right host
Private and personalized 8-hour experience with insider tips from a knowledgeable local host
Standard round-trip train travel between Kobe and Kyoto
Direct communication with your host for itinerary planning and personalized local recommendations
Round-trip taxi transfer from Kobe Port to Sannomiya Station
Food, drinks and tickets to any attractions
Transportation (primarily a walking experience. Additional transport available at extra cost.)
Gratuities (optional)
What To Expect
Kobe Sannomiya Station Hanshin Electric Railway Service Center
Begin your experience right at the cruise port, where your host will meet you in the arrival lobby. From there, enjoy a taxi ride to Sannomiya Station, followed by a scenic train journey to Kyoto. With travel logistics handled and eight hours total, including transport, you’ll explore Kyoto through the lens of a local. Before your visit, you'll receive a short online questionnaire to help us tailor your itinerary. Here’s a sample route to inspire your day:
Gion
Wander the cobbled alleys of Gion, Kyoto’s geisha district, where wooden machiya houses and quiet tea rooms preserve centuries of tradition. Your host will guide you through its hidden corners and share the neighborhood’s cultural significance.
Options
8hours Tour Kobe Port yo Kyoto
Duration: 8 hours
Reviews
12 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Our experience was...
Erin B,
Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our experience was wonderful. Our guide was polite, professional and knowledgeable. Our group of five, traveled by train with our guide to our destination city. He led us on a thoughtful tour and provided us with historical information. We enjoyed a very special lunch that was quite memorable and delicious. Overall, a great day with our guide, Nari.
Very flexible tour. We...
Douglas D,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very flexible tour. We were able to choose attractions, activity level and places to visit. Having a personal guide helped us travel between train connections as their English was very good. Highly recommend.
Elliott’s tour of Kyoto
WIlliam E,
Apr 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Tiago was an excellent guide. very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. Did a good job of showing historic and cultural sites.
We took the bullet train!!
Eileen S,
Apr 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We decided to upgrade and do the trip to Kyoto by bullet train. Firstly because of time saved in travelling and secondly because I always wanted to try it. Ryan met us at our cruise terminal and we went by taxi to the train station. We went to buy tickets and navigated to our platform. I was relieved Ryan was there to guide us through everything. We took a metro and a regular train before taking the bullet train. We didn’t have reserved seats….sometimes easier than searching for your seat, though we did have to stand sometimes. Ryan took us through some back streets in Kyoto to avoid the crowds and explained the culture. We visited Shrines and Gardens and did a bit of souvenir shopping…he was very patient :). Our time was short as we had to be back on our cruise ship but Ryan had it worked out. We took a taxi to the station and then back in the bullet train and taxi to the port. A short but full day with no anxiety thanks to Ryan.
Tour was very good!...
Lotario C,
May 29, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Tour was very good! Marwan was very friendly and adapted to our group very well! We enjoyed kyoto and nara
Recommended.
Andrew D,
Apr 12, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Great day out. Very different from a ship excursion, only the 3 of us and Ryan the guide. Saw much more, travelled and ate with the locals and no waiting for everyone to catch up. Great experience and a great guide.
Our guide Taiga was...
Deborah C,
Apr 3, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Taiga was absolutely fantastic He took the time to get to know us and made sure the tour was catered to our liking. A very knowledgeable man with a great sense of humour A brilliant day!
Disappointed
Trish P,
Apr 2, 2024
- Review from Viator
2.00Guide was very friendly and personable. Also, adaptable as the cruise changed our port at last minute. However, he seemed unaware of the form we previously completed listing our preferred activities for the tour. When we arrived at the Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park area, he was unfamiliar with the location which resulted in significant wasted time walking around looking for the entrances. This cut short our ability to see any more of the landmarks we had listed. Overall, we felt this was not worth the money we paid.
A Disappointment
Deb7111,
Mar 31, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00This trip fell far short of its promise. Our guide worked with us via email to plan our trip. We were very impressed by him. However, reality intervened. The day before our trip, he totally changed our itinerary. Instead of taking the bullet train one way and the local train for our return, he announced he’d pick us up in his private car. Therefore, we spent over five hours getting back and forth to Kyoto. Five tedious hours on highways equals vacation time poorly spent. Our guide was ill prepared to discuss the sites he showed us. While the two sites were worth seeing, our guide had few stories to share. He instead would quietly read random facts from his phone. Sorry. This is not guiding. Finally, he committed the cardinal sin of a cruise port guide: he returned us to port thirty minutes later than committed. Japan does not require guides to be licensed. This is dangerous for visitors accustomed to traveling in Europe with top guides. Our Japanese tour guide was inexperienced and the tour company itself holds responsibility for allowing him to be our guide. Nice guy, for sure, but ill suited for this work.
Fantastic time exploring highlights of Kyoto
Mengyu H,
Mar 14, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Hugo was a wonderful tour guide who shared with us the historical and cultural significance of the places we visited, showed us the local shops to sample mochi and other snacks along the way, and expertly navigated through the metro, train, and streets from the port of Kobe to Kyoto. I visited Kinkakuji and the Higashiyama areas of Kyoto where we also visited Kiyomizu-dera and the Gion district. Hugo gave us flexibility to plan our itinerary while sharing with us practical tips to map out the distance between stops. On our way back, he also gave us advice on places to see the next day when we planned to explore Kobe.
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