Discover Kyoto's most popular & memorable sites! This is a semi-tailored tour so you can choose a few spots from my recommendations in addition to two must-see sites. You'll also learn how to use public transportation system in Kyoto and tips for other points of interest that you're looking at for the rest of your days in Japan. This tour is good for first timers in Kyoto on the first day!
*PLEASE MESSAGE ME BEFORE BOOKING
At JR Kyoto Station or at your hotel in Kyoto
TBD
Let's discover Kyoto's most popular & memorable sites with a local guide! In addition to 2 must-see sites, you can choose a few sports from my recommendations depending on your interest. You'll also learn how to use public transportation system in Kyoto and tips for other points of interest that you're looking at for the rest of your days in Japan.
If you'd like to experience a local dinner/drinking at a local bar together, you can extend the tour with a minimum fee and enjoy the night like a local!
This tour is good for first timers in Kyoto on the first day.
Guide fee, hotel meet-up in Kyoto station or Shijo area
Transportation fee (for you and guide, about 1,000-1,500 yen/person), lunch/dinner(for you and guide), entrance fee (licensed guide gets free admission at most temples & tourist spots)
Please note below before booking and contact me first for availability:
1. My schedule on GoWithGuide site is open for the next 3-month only.
2. All my listed tours include hotel pick-up fee and guide fee. Please ask for quote for custom tours.
3. For tours in the peak season, I am currently prioritizing mult-day tour requests (at least two "full-day" tours per group) and accept one-day request between the booked tours etc.
***Excursions ***
I can guide you in Okayama (including Naoshima and Kurashiki), Hiroshima (Onomichi, Shimanami islands cycling, Miyajima, etc.) and Shikoku (Iya valley etc.) if you pay for my transportation.
The above areas can be visited from Osaka/Kyoto in one or two days.
PLEASE MESSAGE ME BEFORE BOOKING
1. You will be walking a lot during the tour(ave. 15,000-20,000 steps). Please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes and bring an umbrella or poncho in case of rain.
2. Transportation fee for the day will be 1,000-1,500 yen per person depending on your itinerary and hotel location. Lunch/dinner for you and guide is not included in the guiding fee. Credit cards cannot be used at ticket machines and many small restaurants, so please bring enough cash for the day.
3. Any other sites not mentioned in the list cannot be added to the tour. Please book a customized tour with me if you'd like to visit anywhere not listed.
4. Please let me know in advance if you'd like to extend the tour for a local dinner. I will take you to a local diner or izakaya unless you have a special request. Please also choose 9:30 or 10:00 for the start time and add "dinner extension".
5. When booking, please choose one spot from A and B. If not specified, I will choose based on your group's attribute and/or seasonality.
A: Kinkakuji (Golden Temple @500 yen), Kitano Tenmangu Shirine & Kamishichiken (Geisha district), or Nijo Castle (Ninomaru Palace and garden @1,300yen)
B: Nishiki Market (food and souvenir street) or Gion (Geisha district & Kenninji temple)
Seiko was an excellent tour guide for Kyoto with broad and deep knowledge about everything from the specialized shrines to history of sake distilleries. She met us at our hotel and even adjusted our schedule on the fly to try and avoid the expected rain that day. We toured the Fushimi Inari Shrine, explored the Fushimi district and ate at a local yakitori restaurant, went to Kimozu Dera, and explored the streets and alleys in Ninenenzaka/Sannenzaka. It was a very full 6 hours covering a lot of areas and we thoroughly enjoyed it all.
Thank you Tuan for your kind words. With your flexibility, no hesitation to walk further to see more, and trusting my recommendations, we could see both major attractions and true local scenes. Lucky us, we didn't get much rain during the tour despite the almost hopeless forecast:) Hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Kyoto and your family trip in Japan! Best reagards to all of your sweet family members. Seiko
Seiko, my family and I can't thank you enough for such an amazing, information Kyoto cultural experience. Our tour was above and beyond our expectations, with bonus hidden attractions on the day that we would never of seen without you. I wouldn't hesitate booking with you again and highly recommend you to anyone looking for a friendly knowledgeable guide. Thank you again.
Thank you Alison for your kind words! It was the busiest week in Kyoto I've ever seen but thanks to your flexibility and willingness to walk extra miles to see hidden attractions, the tour went smoothly and most importantly, I am very happy that your whole family enjoyed the day in Kyoto! Hope you also had a great time in the other destinations of Japan. Seiko
We had an outstanding experience with Seiko-san as our guide to visit Fushimi and Uji! She's such a fun and super friendly person to show you around the sights, and she's fluent in English since she lived in the U.S. We spent the whole day with her learning about matcha and sake, and she took us to a wonderful sake tasting bar in Fushimi that we would have never discovered on our own! We are sad we did not book her for more days while we were in the Osaka/Kyoto area. She's the best guide we had while visiting Japan! Sorry for forgetting to submit the review sooner, Seiko, but we will definitely call you when we come back to visit - hopefully this year! Kim, Gary, and Sandra
Hi Kim! Super excited to hear from you about our tour in Fushimi and Uji as I also enjoyed the time with you guys so much! Glad to know it was not my one-way love, hahaha! I was also impressed how much planning you've done, which led to your having a great time in this special area. I also felt we didn't spend enough time together and have more to show, so hope to see you again in Japan! Seiko
Had an amazing time with Seiko for a day trip to Nara and Osaka. We managed to see all the main attractions and didn’t feel rushed. Seiko was very responsive, helpful, knowledgable and caring. Highly recommend
Thank you so much for your kind review. I had an amazing time with you as well! It was just so easy to go around with someone who loves to walk, see the nature, try to eat something new, and interact with the locals! Hope you'll have a great time for the rest of your trip in Japan. See you next time;) Seiko