Fushimi Inari is one of Kyoto's most iconic Shrines, known for its thousands of vibrant red torii gates that form scenic pathways up the forested Mount Inari. Dedicated to Inari, the god of rice and prosperity.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple is the most popular place for tourists and a must visit when in Kyoto. Located on top of a mountain, it commands a panoramic view of Kyoto City. Because of its history and scenery, it is one of the few temples recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka are charming stone-paved streets lined with souvenir shops and restaurants nestled in historic wooden buildings. Strolling through them feels like stepping back in time.
Yasaka Pagoda(Hokanji temple) is one of the oldest wooden structures in Japan. Its overwhelming scale makes it hard to believe that it was built without using nails. It is undoubtedly a symbol of Kyoto.
Yasaka Koshindo is a mysterious temple of unknown date of construction. The colorful decorations here are astonishing, as many temples are of subdued colors. The beauty of the colors makes it a popular photo spot for young people.
Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, known for its traditional wooden machiya houses, teahouses, and preserved historic streets. It’s a place where visitors can experience the charm of old Kyoto and sometimes catch a glimpse of a geisha or maiko on their way to an evening engagement.
Our final destination is Yasaka Shrine, the headquarters of 2,300 related shrines throughout Japan. This historic shrine, dedicated to the gods of prosperity and protection, has been a vital part of Kyoto's cultural heritage for centuries.
Great tour with Ikki, he was very friendly, polite, and insightful. We learnt a lot about Kyoto local sites as well as Kyoto itself. Would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone. The tour itself explored some major sites in Kyoto and getting up early to see them was well worth it. It took around 5 hours and we engaging the entire time.
We had a private tour with Ikki - super friendly and knowledgeable guide!! The tour was informative, fun and extensive. He also did take photos of us and recommended some good spots :) He gave lots of interesting information and on top we had lots of chats regarding life and customs in Japan - would recommend him as a guide to anyone wishing a light but extensive Kyoto experience :)
Our guide was amazing! He made our tour so memorable!
This was an absolutely delightful tour. Starting early meant we avoided the crowds and we were able to customize the tour to see things we hadn’t seen yet since this wasn’t our first trip to Kyoto. Highly recommend!
Ikki was an amazing guide! He let us move at our own pace, patiently answered all of our questions and gave us incredible detail about everything we were seeing. I highly recommend this tour!!
Juntaro(Jay) was an excellent guide and gave us a great tour of the city. We met him early(7am), which let us best both the crowds and the heat. He was very friendly and knowledgeable and followed up afterwards with lots of other helpful info about Kyoto. The tour was great and alllowes is to focus on the sites and history instead of the logistics. I highly recommend it
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had a wonderful experience exploring Kyoto with Ikki Kataoka! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and explained the history and culture of each place in a very interesting way. He also took some really beautiful photos of us, which made the experience even more memorable. The tour was well organized, relaxed, and enjoyable from start to finish. We highly recommend Ikki to anyone visiting Kyoto. Thank you for making our trip so special!
Our guide Mariko-san is fantastic. Personable and friendly. She is very knowledegable. The tour was our highlight on the trip to Japan.
Mariko-san is fantastic. Personable and friendly. She is very knowledegable. The tour was our highlight on the trip to Japan.
My family and I had a wonderful experience in our private guided tour of Kyoto temples and shrines. The early start meant fewer crowds, quieter visits, better photo ops, and faster access to the sites and trains. It may have helped that we toured on a weekday. Our tour guide Ikki was very friendly, generous, knowledgeable, helped us with family photos, and even squeezed in an extra temple near by because my family were brisk with visits. We learned and practiced rituals though were not pressured to. We covered a lot of ground which helps when your visiting from so far and with limited days but secure to e perigee as many things in Kyoto as possible, the value in having a private tour meant we could move at the pace we desired and asked all the questions we desired and could hear the guide well due to the small, more intimate size. This tour was thee highlight of our stay in Kyoto and we think anyone who enjoys learning and experiencing culture would have a wonderful and memorable time.
We had a wonderful time with our guide Kai! We had two young kids and he was very accommodating. He took fantastic photos of our family. We would love to visit again and if so, we would call Kai!
Mariko was a great guide and knowledgeable. She also recommended some good restaurants for lunch after tour. Highly recommend early morning private tour to have cooler weather, and to avoid some of the crowds, which was better for pictures. This is a metro/walking tour.
Many thanks for a lovely tour experience. Mariko san is a fantastic guide. We enjoyed her insights and expertise shared during our time together. We experienced it all at a relaxing and fun pace. She shared the culture and history in a thoughtful way and allowed us time to enjoy the natural beauty of Kyoto. The recommendations provided to continue our journey following our time together are a great benefit. I highly recommend this experience to make the most of your Kyoto visit.
Mariko was great!! We really enjoyed get explanations and her kindness
Mariko was a great tour guide :) super knowledgeable and kind! This tour was good at hitting multiple sites in one trip! I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to walk around the city for the morning with a great guide!
Mariko was a great tour guide :) super knowledgeable and kind! This tour was good at hitting multiple sites in one trip! I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to walk around the city for the morning with a great guide!
Ikki was a perfect tour guide who obviously cares about giving the great balance between information and time to take in what we were seeing. His English was great and he chatted to us throughout about his lived experience in Japan as well as giving us so much context and insight on what he was sharing with us. Couldn’t recommend this tour enough
Fantastic tour with Ikki who was very knowledgeable, respectful and enthusiastic throughout the tour. We both learnt loads and would recommend to anyone travelling to Kyoto
We had a great time, Mariko was wonderful and helped us feel welcome on our first day in Kyoto. We loved learning about all the sites and our guide was very knowledgeable. Great recommendations as well.
Ikki was a great guide! We had a real blast and he exceeded all expectations. He was really helpful, patient and had great facts of every spot. He knew how to beat crowds and the best picture spots! He was so amazing he even had his camera and made pictures of us! Gracias, gracias, gracias!!!
Great tour but even better with Ikki, out guide, made it just extraordinary ! The beautiful places we visited today were packed with tourists, but Ikki helped us by taking us to special places to grab the best photos. The full experience was so good but with his English explanations about the rich history and stories and his own thoughts were perfect too. Coming to Kyoto? Ask for Ikki as your guide, you won’t regret it, in the contrary will help you appreciate more the tour and him.
Everything was lovely from start to finish. It was our first day in Kyoto, and my partner and I went on this early morning walking tour with our guide, Ikki. He shared with us historic knowledge, cool insights, as well as fun (and funny) stories along the way! We were also pleasantly surprised at how he took his own initiative to capture photos of us at different pitstops along the way—making it great for memories. Thank you for a memorable morning tour!
Beautiful tour. Mariko is an amazing tour guide who taught us so much. I enjoyed meeting her and spending time learning about Japan's culture amidst the beautiful pagodas, temples, and shrines of Kyoto.
My husband and I had the pleasure of having Kai as a private guide. Kai was punctual, friendly, funny, knowledgeable and spoke excellent English, making it easier to really learn the history of all the special places we visited. Kai was able to teach us about facts we would never have known had we just visited on our own. Very enjoyable and informative day.
Amazing!!! Even with the rain, the tour was worth every minute! Knowledgeable and patient, Ikki San took us around Kyoto, providing wonderful stories, history lessons, laughs and smiles. Our group enjoyed the tour with him very much. He gave us wonderful recommendations for the city beyond the tour from day one…so helpful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommend!!
Thank you, Ikki, for a fabulous tour of Kyoto’s most beautiful shrines and temples! He took his time and made sure that we had the opportunity to ask questions and take plenty of pictures! It was an unforgettable experience! We totally recommend the tour.
I’m not typically a tour person but this tour was 1000% worth it. Learning the history and traditions were priceless and fascinating. Our tour guide, IKKI was very knowledgeable about the history, culture, and community. In addition he gave us incredible restaurant recommendations, suggestions for matcha & chocolate and even where to buy specific souvenirs. IKKI was hands on, kind and genuine. Highly recommend.
What a great tour! Going with Ikki to visit these spots truly gave us insight into these shrines/temples that we would not have gotten just walking around. He also gave great insight into the culture of Kyoto and some great food/drink recommendations!
Tour was very good. The guide knew more than most guides, and spoke excellent English. The tour is a bit shorter than advertised, sitting at 2.5 hours, but still absolutely worth it. Thank you ikki!
Our tour with Ikki was truly a highlight of our trip. We are a family of four, with two teenagers, and Ikki kept all of us interested and engaged with his itinerary and informative explanations. My 14 year old son dreaded the early morning 4 hour long tour but ended up declaring it the best part of our trip to Kyoto!
Great experience! I really enjoyed my time with Hana! The tour is well designed and Hana is very professional. She speaks very good English and explained everything in detail.
We had the best time with Ikki! He’s very knowledgeable and helpful. He even played photographer for us all day and shared tips on where to go afterwards. Going early and beating the crowds was the best decision - I’m so very happy we did this tour. Can’t recommend it enough.
Had a great experience on this tour. Ikki-San is very knowledgeable and a local. He went above and beyond showing me some key places early before the crowds and took some wonderful pictures for me for my memories. He also gave me lot of details on what to see next and good food option in the city to make my travel experience better. I highly recommend this trip.
It was an amazing experience! The guide was very nice and the path was well organised. I absolutely recommend it if you went to spend a nice day in Kyoto!
This tour was wonderful! We learned so much from our guide, Mariko, and feel like we saw these amazing sights through new eyes. What a great way to start our day in Kyoto!
My wife and I did a tour with Ikki and it was FANTASTIC! He was soo polite and knowledgeable, he made the tour soo much fun. If you’re looking for a temple/shrine tour of Kyoto look no further than Ikki!
My wife and I did a tour with Ikki and it was FANTASTIC! He was soo polite and knowledgeable, he made the tour soo much fun. If you’re looking for a temple/shrine tour of Kyoto look no further than Ikki!
I can't recommend this early morning Kyoto tour enough! IKKI's knowledge of the city's landmarks and hidden stories brought everything to life in a way I hadn't expected. His engaging explanations and perfect pace made even the busiest spots feel tranquil. Kyoto’s magic in the early hours, coupled with IKKI's expert guidance, created memories we’ll treasure forever.
Ikki-San was very informative and had great spots for pictures. Gave good recommendations for Restaurants and other Activities.
Visiting the Shrines and Temples was a great and informative experience! Ikki-san was very knowledgeable and friendly.
This is a great tour with lots of history and cultural context given each step of the way. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit because we were able to understand well what each shrine and temple represented. Our tour guide Ikki-San was fantastic! Super helpful and had tons of recommendations for us in the city. We would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a local perspective of these historical sites.
Perfectly paced tour with plenty of time to stop and take photos and shop. Through explanations of all the sites, I learned so much. Ikki is the best!
This was an excellent tour. Ikki is passionate and knowledgeable. He talked us through the history, as only a local can. He also has an excellent grasp of the English language which made the tour even more pleasurable. We also really appreciated all the excellent recommendations! Ikki knows all the best food spots around Tokyo!
Excellent trip! Ikki was excellent - he knows Kyoto inside out and gave us an incredible tour of the main shrines and temples. He was able to answer all our questions and give his insight into the history of the area. He’s very personable, passionate and has an excellent grasp of English, which makes the experience even more pleasurable. Thank you so much!
Really informative and interesting with an incredibly kind and warm guide. Covered all the main sites and learnt plenty. Would definitely recommend!
The tour given by Joi was absolutely amazing!! These places are an absolute must in Kyoto, the shrines and the views were breathtaking. Joi gave me fantastic explanations about the sites and the meanings. He was generally also just a very entertaining and knowledgeable guide to talk with. I greatly enjoyed me tour with him. The spots were we stopped were just about right with timing, and he even knew some shortcuts just to avoid the tourist congestion. I definitely recommend taking this tour!
Ikki was a great guide! He was very knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Kyoto for first time!
Amazing tour of the shrines in Kyoto, a must do if you get a chance. The early start means you get to see everything without the usual crowds, and the tour guide is very friendly and informative, I learned a lot about the culture that I wouldn't have if I'd just wandered around on my own. Definitely worth the price, you get a good few hours going around Kyoto.
Really interesting tour with a fantastic guide, Ikki. The stops were great choices and helped make our holiday in Japan varied. Really recommend this tour!
since we met with Yuki on night tour before and he was excellence, so we decided to ask him again. Once again, he provided us with an experience that exceeded our expectations.
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