Discover Kyoto your way — with a 100% personalized itinerary built around what YOU want to see, at your own pace. No crowded group buses. No places you didn't ask for. Just you, your private guide, and the Kyoto that interests you most — whether that's iconic shrines, hidden alleyways, local food spots, or all of the above. Your guide handles everything: navigation, cultural context, photo spots, and any last-minute changes you want to make along the way.
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $195.
Larger groups pay less per person.
Out at sunset: the 3:00 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 4:59 PM in the coming weeks.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 23.
This is one of the places that you can expect to visit. This shrine is located on a mountain so you'll be hiking up the mountain going through thousands of Red Gate. This is one of the most popular places in Kyoto.
This is one of the must-visit places in Kyoto. You will see a huge building of the temple with a view of Kyoto city. You will also enjoy walking around the area before and after visiting this place.
This is also one of the oldest district in Kyoto and you will be walking around the area looking around the traditional buildings, taking pictures, and seeing some shops.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Kyoto: 3h 100% Customized Private Tour -Your Pace, Your Interests lasts about 2–3 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.
Prices start at $163 per person for this Kyoto experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $195. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 19 departures a day between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
Children aged 6–12 pay from $81, adults from $163. Infants go free.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered.
The experience is available in JA, EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 7 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Wheelchair accessible
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Accommodating, knowledgeable and easy to deal with :)
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. It was a pleasure assisting you, and we truly appreciate your kind words. We hope to welcome you again in Japan someday! 🇯🇵😊
This is an outstanding tour, designed for deeper learning about the places you are the most interested in. We visited Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Fushimi Inari Shrine. Our guide, Mark Maruyama was amazing - highly knowledgable, pleasant and flexible. We learned so much about history of each place, but also about the Shinto religion, which gave us deeper understanding of the places. Highly recommend.
Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful review! We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the places you visited. Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari are incredibly rich in history and culture, and it’s wonderful to know that the experience resonated with you. Mark will be especially pleased to hear your kind words — his passion for sharing history and culture is something we are very proud of. Thank you again for your recommendation, and we hope to see you again on your next visit to Japan!
The flexibility in creating your own guided tour was the main reason we signed up for this tour. It was very helpful as we had no idea how much we would be able to schedule into the timeframe given locations and transportation. Tom’s suggestions helped us create our own experience.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful review. We’re really glad to hear that the flexibility of the tour and Tom’s suggestions helped you create an experience that suited your schedule. Planning around time and transportation in Kyoto can be challenging, so it’s great to know that aspect was helpful for you. We also appreciate your feedback, and we’ll continue working to make the experience even better for our future guests. Thank you again for choosing our tour, and we hope to welcome you back to Kyoto someday
A great personalised experience that was very kid-friendly and tailored to our preferences. Our guide was a terrific.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re really happy to hear that the experience felt personalized and kid-friendly for your family. Creating tours that adapt to each guest’s interests is very important to us. We hope to welcome you back to Kyoto again in the future!
The tour was exactly what we were looking for. A walking tour of the key spots in Kyoto. We really enjoyed our time with our tour guide Nanako
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear the tour was exactly what you were looking for and that you enjoyed your time exploring Kyoto with Nanako. We hope to see you again on your next visit to Japan!
Kyoichi (Mark) was really great. He knows his history and made the tour very worthwhile. He saved me from getting overheated by bringing cooling wipes! Kyoto was 98 degrees with a heat index of 103 that day. But it was worth every bead of perspiration to see the shrine, the temple and the bamboo forest I experienced. I will return again some day in April when it is cooler.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Kyoichi (Mark) and that his knowledge helped make the experience worthwhile. Kyoto summers can definitely be hot, so we’re glad he was able to help keep you comfortable! We hope you’ll come back to Kyoto again—April is a beautiful time to visit.
This tour was one of the best parts of our trip to Japan. I was traveling with a friend, and what really stood out was how personal and flexible the experience was. Instead of just following a script, our guide took the time to understand what we were interested in and tailored the conversation and spots to match that. It didn’t feel like a typical tour — more like hanging out with someone who really knows the city and wants to share it in a fun, authentic way. We got to see a different side of Kyoto that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Highly recommend this tour if you want something more real and personalized!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re thrilled to hear that the tour became one of the highlights of your trip to Japan. Creating a flexible and personal experience for each guest is exactly what we aim for. We hope to welcome you back to Kyoto again someday!
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and able to communicate very well. He knew about things that were not part of the tour, which was extremely helpful. The food he chose was exceptional as well, contributing to the experience without being so unusual that you didn’t enjoy it.
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and the local food experience as well. It’s wonderful to know the guide’s knowledge helped make your visit even more memorable. We hope to see you again in Kyoto!
Teppei was the perfect guide - bringing his wide knowledge and kindness to make it a special experience
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We’re very happy to hear that Teppei helped make your experience special with his knowledge and kindness. We hope you had a wonderful time in Kyoto and would love to welcome you back again.
I would not recommend this tour at all. Our tour guide was very sweet but wildly incompetent. He was very communicative and helpful to “plan” out the day, the actual tour was hardly a tour. Our guide missed our train a few times, and even asked us if we knew which way to go. When asked the most basic questions about the most popular sights in Kyoto our guide always googled the question. Simple questions like “how long has the bamboo forest been here,” or “why is it here,” he didn’t know. We learned absolutely nothing about the history or culture of any of the sites visited. Paying nearly $100 per person for a service powered by Google is robbery, I could have done that for free and probably navigated the trains better myself. I’ve reached out for a refund and Viator has denied the request. DO NOT book your this tour and save your money using Google.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Our goal is always to provide guests with a smooth, engaging, and informative experience of Kyoto, and we regret that we fell short during your tour. We do appreciate your kind words about the guide being friendly and communicative during the planning stage. At the same time, we sincerely apologize that the tour itself did not provide the level of historical insight and guidance you were hoping for. Your feedback is very important to us. We are currently reviewing this case internally with our guide team to ensure we continue improving our training and tour quality so that every guest receives the experience we aim to deliver. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, and we truly regret that your visit did not meet the standards we strive for.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto: 3h 100% Customized Private Tour -Your Pace, Your Interests | 2–3 hours | 4.8 (21) | $163 | |
 KYOTO Private Walking Tour – 100% Personalized | 8 hours | 4.6 (11) | $256 | View |
 Kyoto Hidden Gems A Private Customized Tour for You With Guide | 8 hours | — | $176 | View |
 NARA Private Walking Tour – 100% Personalized | 8 hours | — | $240 | View |
 Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide | 4–8 hours | 4.9 (1,712) | $107 | View |
 PERFECT KYOTO 1-Day Bus Tour | 8–9 hours | 4.9 (17,632) | $127 | View |
 Kyoto : Chopsticks Making Workshop with Engraving Option in Gion | 1 hour | 5.0 (4,563) | $7 | View |