Arashiyama from Kyoto: Private & Personalized with a Local Guide
Description
This private Arashiyama walking tour is a flexible, personalized day trip from Kyoto that offers a unique alternative to standard sightseeing. Instead of following a rigid schedule, you'll explore at your own pace with an itinerary thoughtfully tailored to your interests. Experience Arashiyama’s highlights and hidden corners in a way that feels dynamic and engaging. Stroll beneath towering bamboo groves, visit tranquil temples off the beaten path, and wander atmospheric streets lined with artisan shops. Along the way, enjoy captivating stories, discover local traditions, and appreciate the distinctive character that makes Arashiyama so memorable. After booking, you'll receive a brief questionnaire to share your interests. Your guide will then create a customized, flexible itinerary to ensure your experience is truly immersive and tailored just for you.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore the stunning scenery of the Arashiyama district, including its world-famous Bamboo Grove. Wander serene lanes and hidden pathways with your knowledgeable local host, who will share the area’s rich history and local legends.
Discover this hidden gem tucked away on the slopes of Ogura Mountain. Jojakko-ji is a peaceful temple known for its lush moss gardens and a 12-meter pagoda offering breathtaking panoramic views over Arashiyama.
Meet the cheeky residents of this hillside park—Japanese macaques roaming freely in their natural habitat. Hike up for fantastic city views while your host shares tips on respectful wildlife interaction.
A true highlight of Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Kyoto’s five great Zen temples. Learn about Japanese Buddhism while strolling through its famous landscape garden, designed to inspire quiet reflection.
Venture off the beaten path to this wonderfully quirky temple on Arashiyama’s outskirts. Admire over 1,200 whimsical rakan statues, each with its own expression—making this a memorably unexpected stop.
Explore this former imperial villa turned temple, which played a key role in Japan’s cultural history. Ask your host about The Tale of Genji, Japan’s first novel, whose scenes are set here, and enjoy the serene pond garden and elegant architecture.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This is a walking tour. Your host will meet you at your selected hotel, and the tour will begin on foot. If you’d prefer to meet at a central location instead, please choose the meeting point option. If your hotel isn’t on the list, simply select the central landmark option. This is a private walking experience. Once you’ve booked, our Experience Planners will get in touch to confirm the meeting point and help with any final details to ensure a smooth and enjoyable start to your personalized tour. NO private vehicle is included. For longer distances, your host may suggest using public transport. Any transport costs can be settled on the day.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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
- After booking, you'll receive a short questionnaire to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your 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.
Reviews(47)
This tour was one of the highlights of our visit to Kyoto. Our guide Eric was the best. So thoughtful, knowledgeable and accommodating. We learned so much! The pace was never rushed, and Eric answered every question we had. We learned so much about the local culture, and more. We had some wonderful food tastings along the way, too. All in all, Eric was a fabulous guide, and this was a fantastic tour .
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! It’s great to know that Eric's thoughtful and accommodating approach, along with his knowledge of the local culture, made such a positive impact on your day. We’re especially glad you enjoyed the relaxed pace and the opportunity to explore, learn, and enjoy some delicious food along the way. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we hope to welcome you on another tour in the future!
Amy was a fabulous guide. She was early to meet us, very knowledgeable and got us everywhere we wanted to go. She was responsive to our needs and flexible when we needed her to be. Very grateful for our day in Kyoto and highly recommend her and this tour.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that Amy’s punctuality, knowledge, and flexibility helped make your day in Kyoto so memorable. We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future.
We had a wonderful day exploring the bamboo Forrest and several shines. Our guide Vanessa was wonderful! She was full of knowledge, friendly, and very informative. She tailored the trip to our wants and even met us at our hotel. I highly recommend booking a trip with Vanessa!
Vanessa is indeed an amazing host, and we’re glad she was able to tailor the trip to your interests. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback!
Alex was above and beyond an excellent guide and companion. He is gregarious, knowledgeable, a great guy. He showed us everything we wanted to see, gave great advice about local insights and good strategies for local getting around. One of us lost an item on a local bus after the tour. We called him and he and his wife found which lost and found the bus took it to and we recovered it next day. We could not have done that without their local knowledge and fluent Japanese. Service above and beyond! Strongly recommend this tour, start early, crowds are impressive!
We are thrilled to hear that Alex went above and beyond to ensure you had an exceptional experience. It's great that he could help you recover the lost item, showcasing his local knowledge and dedication. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope you have many more amazing travels ahead! Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We had a fabulous time on this trip!! The tour guide Kokoro was really great and knowledgeable about history and all the sights! The Bamboo Grove was amazing and we loved feeding the monkeys!
We had Alex as our guide and he was great. As we have young children he made sure the experience was suitable for them too, spending more time at the monkey park. At the end of the tour he took us to markets and sent me directions to more places that would be good to take the kids for the rest of our stay in Kyoto.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future!
The bamboo forest is amazingly gorgeous and would have been serene if not for the crowd there. Recommend to go early morning to avoid crowd. The actor’s house on hill is really beautiful and the temples and surrounding gardens are amazing. Our guide is sweet and obliging though very much lacking in local knowledge. We had to prise him for information rather than him volunteering to explain the history behind these places. It would be great if the company could provide us with knowledgeable guides instead of someone who could just speak English.
Hi Rafidah, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're delighted that you enjoyed the beauty of the bamboo forest and appreciated our host's kindness. However, we apologize for any disappointment regarding the host's knowledge. Your feedback is invaluable, and we're reviewing our host's qualifications to ensure a more enriching experience for our guests. We hope for the opportunity to match you with the perfect host and create a memorable experience for you next time. Warm regards, Ruslan and the City Unscripted Team.
Our guide Ada is amazing. As it was pouring rain, we decided to skip the bamboo forest and Ada took us to lesser known shrines and historic sites. Her understanding of Japanese culture and history was a delight and most interesting to listen to.
Thank you for sharing your experience with Ada! It sounds like she did a fantastic job adapting to the weather and providing you with a memorable tour despite the rain.
The trip was wonderful. It was very peaceful and interesting and the bamboo forest was beautiful. Our guide, Hide, was very kind and helpful in both setting the itinerary and helping with my sprained ankle.
It's great to know that Hide was such a helpful and kind guide, especially in accommodating your sprained ankle. If you have any future travel plans, don't hesitate to reach out to us again. Safe travels!
Mia was EXCELLENT. She was flexible and kind to my son who has autism and enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We loved our tour!!
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we're thrilled that Mia was able to accommodate and engage with your son.
