Private Tour

Private Kyoto Customizable Day Tour with English Speaking Driver

Overview

Mobile ticket

Explore Kyoto in Comfort and Style!

Discover the timeless beauty of Kyoto on our exclusive, private day trip by car. Tailored just for you, we create a personalized itinerary based on your interests, allowing you to enjoy Kyoto’s iconic sights at your own pace. Visit renowned landmarks such as Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, and the tranquil bamboo forest of Arashiyama all in one day!

The itinerary can be customized based on your requests.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

This experience includes an English-speaking driver

Special rides, cruises, and admission tickets aren’t included and can be purchased directly at each location.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Pick-up and Drop-off to Hotel

Pick-up options available from Osaka and Nara charging an additional fee.

English-Speaking Driver

Air-conditioned vehicle

Private transportation

Food not included

Admission tickets are not included. Travelers can purchase these directly at location.

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto

7 Seikanji Ryozan Cho, Higashiyama Ward Kyoto Japan

Your driver can pickup you in Kyoto area and pick-up options available from Osaka, and Nara charging an additional fee of 20000 yen. This is a tour with an English-speaking driver.

What To Expect

Arashiyama

Arashiyama, located in western Kyoto, Japan, is a picturesque district renowned for its natural beauty and cultural heritage. It is best known for the iconic Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, where visitors can walk through a mesmerizing pathway lined with towering bamboo stalks. The area is also home to the historic Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site with stunning gardens, and the scenic Togetsukyo Bridge, which offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Arashiyama’s charm is especially captivating during the cherry blossom season in spring and the vibrant autumn foliage, making it a popular destination year-round.

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Not Included

Kinkakuji Temple

Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion, was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. After his death, the villa was converted into a Zen Buddhist temple. The structure reflects a blend of traditional Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. Although the original building was destroyed by arson in 1950, it was rebuilt in 1955, with the top two floors covered in gold leaf, symbolizing purity and enlightenment.

1 hour • Admission Not Included

Options

Pick-up and drop-off at Kyoto

Pick-up and drop-off at Kyoto
Pickup included

Reviews

4.79

38 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Private transportation to all the historical Kyoto sites
Laura H,
Sep 28, 2025
- Viator
4.00
This was a helpful way to see all the sites in Kyoto and should be thought of as having a private uber with polite and nice driver for the day. Kavishka picked us up in a red Prius and took us to all the areas described on the itinerary. We walked about the shrines and areas ourselves and looked up historical information on our cell phones to understand what we were seeing.
Kyoto with Dhanu (ie our private driver)
Tara M,
Sep 24, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Couldn’t have navigated a better full day - got in everything we wanted to and more! Our chauffeur, Dhanu (Dhanush), was lovely, an excellent driver, and went above and beyond!
Request Dhanush in Kyoto!
Keith Y,
Sep 18, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Our guide Dhanush was great! He was very knowledgeable about the temples and shrines we visited and about Kyoto in general. While he didn’t go into the sites with us (which we didn’t expect), he did walk us to the entrances, explained the process for each place and gave a brief overview of the site, including good spots to take pictures. We were able to do everything we wanted and then some! Best way to see so much in one day! Thank you Dhanush!
Great driver and easiest way to get around Kyoto
KirkA,
Sep 17, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Having a driver is a must in Kyoto. The main sights are all over the city. You can do it by metro but will need to add buses or do a lot of walking to get to some of the sights.
Visiting Kyoto on a tight one-day timeline - Outstanding Experience
PATRICIA O,
Sep 15, 2025
- Viator
5.00
My family and I travelled via the bullet train for a one-day visit to Kyoto. With a limited amount of time, as we were only in Kyoto for about 8 hours, we decided to book the Private Kyoto Customizable Tour. It was terrific. Our driver, Nadu, who was from Sri Lanka, was absolutely fantastic. Not only did he know where to take us to maximize our experience while meeting our limited time constraints, but at each and every stop, he walked us to each of the sites, gave us the history on what we were visiting, and then took some of the absolute best pictures (using out iPhones) of my family. Nadu really knew where the best picture spots were and how to best capture our time in Kyoto. He was absolutely outstanding and made our day and time in Kyoto so memorable. The tour was well worth the money, as we saw so much in a limited amount of time, ad really had an experience that was one of the absolute highlights of our time in Japan and Asia.

From $510.00