Private Tour
Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Temples, shrines, and tea ceremonies. The traditions of ancient Japan are still alive and well in the old capitol, Kyoto. Walking around this beautiful city can feel like you are in a time machine as its architecture has been preserved for centuries. Kiyomizu Temple towers over the historical Gion district, famous for its rich history of geisha. There is much history in this city that you don’t want to miss so book our Government Licensed and Experienced English-speaking guides for a walking tour of Kyoto!
Once your reservation is made, a guide will be in touch to plan your personalized tour. Choose 4 to 5 spots that you wish to visit and your guide will plan a personalized itinerary. If you do not know where to visit, ask the guide to send you their recommended itinerary based on your interests. Whether you are a history buff, love the beauty of old Japanese architecture, or just want to enjoy a green tea parfait, Kyoto has something for you!
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Meet-up within designated Osaka areas
Customizable walking tour (choose 3–4 Kyoto sites)
Licensed Local English-Speaking Guide
Transportation and entrance fees
Lunch and personal expenses
Private vehicle (available on request, must be pre-booked 5+ days in advance)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
You can see Japan's background that is off-limits to ordinary tourists after the tour. This short trip is a fantastic and great value way of experiencing Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine! We are here to help you discover new things, the Fushimi Inari Shrine is so more than its famous tunnels of vermillion-red torii gates. Most people are satisfied by a scenic view of it. But this has a lot of stories to tell that will connect you to the Japan's history and culture and your guide will show you deeper. You will see a fascinating story attached to the origin of the shrine dedicated to the god of grains – that’s what “Inari” means – . This is also why you’ll see statues of the fox around the shrine. “Kitsune” or the fox is a servant to the god Inari. They are cunning tricksters, clever minded animals who make perfect guides for the treacherous business world. You may would want the foxes on your side after this tour.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Discover one of Kyoto’s most popular temples—Kiyomizu-dera Temple by going on a comprehensive 1-hour guided tour. Exploring the temple grounds with a guide means you’ll be able to learn about Japan’s history and culture as you explore the magnificent building. Enjoy commentary from your English-speaking guide who will make sure you don't miss any important features.
Options
Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
Pickup included
Reviews
55 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Excellent private guide & driver will enhance your experience of Kyoto’s beautiful sites
kgcleaner,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Highly recommend this tour with an Osaka departure. Our guide, Kaeko, and driver picked us up right on time at our hotel and coordinated a wonderful, easy, and enjoyable day. Kaeko is a skilled tour guide, able to provide interesting information, as well as make quick decisions to manage through large crowds of tourists at the most popular sites. She communicated well ahead of time via email to understand what things we wanted to see as well as made excellent suggestions on timing and making the best choices. She coordinated a lovely lunch at restaurant popular with locals that we would never have found ourselves. She is a fun and knowledgeable and engaging tour guide. Highly recommended!
A perfect day in Kyoto
Carol S,
Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Yuka was our guide, and she made our tour perfect in every way. We were able to adjust transportation options to connect quickly between sites and get to all the beautiful places we'd hoped to see. She gave us historic and cultural information about each place, and was very friendly and professional. We were extremely happy and pleased with the tour.
Fabulous personalised tour
lktnz,
Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a great day with Yuki. She arrived early so no waiting around. The tour was customised to me.. I wanted to go to quieter less crowded places and walk quite a bit. We did just that. Highly recommended.
Kyoto for a day from Osaka Cruise Port
2tinar,
Jul 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Andy Murao was our tour guide. We were on a cruise and only had about 8 hours to see Kyoto from Osaka cruise port. Andy came and got us (5) and helped us navigate our way through trains to see historial area of Gion, temple, trained to Arashima bamboo forest and Kimono forest. We accomplished allot and he was very patient with our group too. It was a full day and he took us back to the cruise port with an hour to spare. He had to travel a long way for our tour. I highly recommend him. I also suggest to know exactly where you want to go. If you are traveling to Kyoto from other areas just know you will be traveling on trains or maybe a taxi as these tourist areas are spread out. Or plan for sightseeing in one district.
A wonderful day out in Kyoto. Visited so many sites in one day with a knowledgeable guide.
LynnD,
May 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A wonderful day in Kyoto under the excellent guidance of Tatsuya Ito. We visited so many places and he helped us navigate the train system getting around. He met us at our cruise terminal and we visited Hanky's Arashiyama station, Arashiya bamboo forest, Nijo castle, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu temple which led us through winding streets to the Gion district. We also had lunch in a traditional Japanese cafe. It was a public holiday, part of golden week, so everywhere was incredibly busy but Tatsuya managed to beat the crowds. He was knowledgeable, friendly and told us about Japanese customs and how they live. Would definitely recommend a private tour especially if time is limited. We only had one day in Kyoto which is not really enough.
Amazing Tour and Guide
Patrick S,
Apr 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide, Bell, was simply amazing! She was knowledgeable, took into account our young daughter’s stamina, and provided an incredible tour. Highly recommended!!
Wonderful custom tour in Kyoto
V2442TWdk,
Mar 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Hiro Nakagawa was great. He met us promptly at our agreed location. So easy by the cruise ship. We had a great day walking, learned to navigate the Osaka subway system, and had a very memorable experience. I recommend highly recommend Hiro.
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
D5658ZEjohnr,
Dec 4, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were able to customize our trip to the top places we wanted to see. We were able to get to all of them. Our guide Haru was great and the places we visited were amazing and interesting. Our guide gave us a lot of history around the different sites. Our favorites were Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjyu Sangendo Temple and Kinkakuji Temple. We also visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine which was pretty great. We did a lot of walking and public transportation to get around. All in all it wasn't bad and our guide got us to all the sites with ease. Haru was great as he took most of our family pictures. He did a great job.
A day in Kyoto
Anthony C,
Dec 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a very enjoyable day with Kazz. He was informative and dealt with our questions well. He was patient when we asked some silly questions. He very kindly took photos of the day which he sent to us.
Haru - Kyoto Japan Tour
O4118HMsandya,
Oct 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Haru was an amazing tour guide! He took us on a tour to Kyoto and was so patient and kind. What a great experience for our family.
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