Kyoto Early Morning Tour With English Speaking Guide

Gene was exceptional!! He made the tour fun and informative. He was also very helpful in answering questions about not only the sights but recommending good restaurants and willing to help above and beyond the tour!!! A big high five 🙌 to Gene!!!

The tour was excellent and the tour guide Naomi was very knowledgeable and friendly. She made sure that everyone stayed together through the busy crowds and even gave food recommendations that included matcha ice cream along the way! Would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone looking to learn more about Kyoto history!

Ayame was an amazing guide with perfect English and great local knowledge. She set a comfortable pace and had lots of tips and great insights. She recommended a great place to get coffee and breakfast too

An excellent excursion where we visited the Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine, the bamboo grove and the Golden temple. Given the early start, the sites were busier than we expected but we were able to see everything we wanted. Our guide, Yuya, was brilliant. He told us so much about the places we were visiting, answered our many questions about Japan and gave us some very helpful recommendations.

We had an early morning trip with our guide Rin and he was fantastic. While the weather didn’t cooperate we still went out umbrellas in hand and had a blast. He was informative and knowledgeable. Highly recommended. Also gave us some brilliant suggestions on food places around the Kyoto area that we tried over the next few days

What a lovely 6 hrs. Gene was a gentleman, so caring and attentive to our needs. He went the extra mile to ensure we got as much as possible from the morning. Would definitely recommend this tour. If you are worried at all about the public transport aspect of this tour don’t be. Trains run on time and are frequent, distance to the various sites are short. Longest train ride was 20mins. Our guide was sure to herd us towards the right platform. Met some lovely people on this tour max 8 people. Thank you fellow travellers and Gene for a great way to spend a Tuesday morning in Kyoto and its surroundings.

Jin was a fabulous guide! His communication and photos before the tour was so helpful and all the information he shared at the sites made the experience so much richer. He took care of each of us in the group so well and made sure no one got lost! Finally, each place visited was magnificent in its own way. So glad we did this tour!

Ended up having a 1-1 experience with the guide which was fantastic, felt like we were hanging out with a friend who was teaching us about the history of Japan and life in Japan. Really enjoyed the casual feel of the experience and were able to see some highlights before they were completely overrun by tourists. Would recommend to knock out some “must do” in a casual and fun setting

Kanami was an outstanding tour guide throughout our time in Kyoto. She was incredibly knowledgeable about each destination we visited and shared fascinating insights along the way. She was also very patient and helpful when assisting us with photos at every stop, making sure we captured wonderful memories of our trip. Additionally, she provided several excellent restaurant recommendations, all offering delicious local cuisine at reasonable prices. We truly appreciated her hospitality and would highly recommend her to anyone visiting Kyoto!

Great way to get to know Kyoto, learnt the trains. Went to three of the major attractions. Guide had excellent Japan knowledge and strong English

A great tour, and Kanami was a great guide.

Gene Placido did an awesome job! He was very knowledgeable about the sites on the tour and good insights to Japanese culture. He was very enjoyable to be with for the 6 hour tour.

This tour was perfect for first time visitors to Kyoto and was a great way to learn more about the places we visited! We had an amazing time! Our guide, Miyu, was really knowledgeable, sweet and spoke excellent english!! She really made the tour extra memorable.

Wonderful experience! The early wake up is absolutely worth it to beat the crowds. Our guide Ryugo was absolutely amazing, he was knowledgeable and friendly and I feel like I left the tour having learned a lot more about Japan thanks to him. All the stops are carefully thought out and everything was made super easy for us. All in all, one of the highlights of our trip to Japan.

We thoroughly enjoyed our early morning Kyoto tour with Jin. He was very knowledgable & helpful with bus connections etc. He was also good fun. We would recommend this tour. 🇦🇺

We had a delightful day with our young guide Sara Omae. In spite of the rain we travelled easily via subway and bus to our destinations. What I most appreciated were the stops she made to point out and explain sculptures, fountains, trees, shrines and temples that alone we would have passed by with a simple acknowledgement. She explained the reason, the history and cultural aspects that make Japan so unique. Having her with us helped us to appreciate what we were seeing and her sharing her experiences of living here was informative as well. Personally, I can’t wait to try her recommended Wagyu Kobe Beef hamburger restaurant!😋

Kanami was an excellent guide, entire trip went by very smoothly. Learned many new things and had fun throughout

This tour includes a great deal of walking and climbing hills and steps. Not suitable for anyone who doesn’t walk on a regular basis.

We had a wonderful tour of Kyoto with Konami. We appreciated the small group format. Konami is exceptionally knowledgeable and engaging. Thank you for sharing Kyoto’s precious treasures with us today.

Lin was awesome. Very knowledgeable and kind! We had an excellent experience!!!

The early morning tour was better than I'd expected. It was like a day out with friends, riding on a train and bus. And Kanami is a highly experienced guide, she is open minded, just great. I can recommend the tour, as I really had a fantastic time. All 3 places are gorgeous.

We are usually not the guided tour kind of tourists but we really loved the format of this one, with small group and public transportation. Sara was great at getting in touch beforehand, keeping our group together, tell us about the sights but also about Kyoto and Japan in general when we had questions. Last but not least we got great recommendations for dinner options.

This was a good, efficient tour and Reiya was super friendly and shared lots of historical facts with us. The tour starts just before the crowds start to trickle in, so you can get decent photos and go through the main sights without much delay. Reiya also helped navigate us through the transit system seamlessly so there wasn’t ever any stress. It was a great tour!

Very nice experience, starting from easy meeting point, comfortable travelling through public transport, we choose our own pace, small group of 7 persons and beautiful places. Best part was our tour guide Sara, she was a charming and welcoming girl from Oshaka, she explained every brief details and listen our stupid questions, she answered each and every question with smiling face. It was fun and feel good tour. Bit tired.

This was an excellent tour because it allowed us to see 3 of Kyoto’s major tourist attractions that are located in completely different parts of the city. Kanami was a fantastic guide with impeccable English. She introduced everyone and managed to guide 8 people successfully across multiple subway and bus trips between the locations. She gave an excellent overview of the history and significance of each site, and also gave insight into the culture and every day life in Japan.

We had a wonderful experience on the Kyoto Early Morning Tour with Sara. She was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about Kyoto, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. Starting early was definitely worth it — we were able to experience some of Kyoto’s most beautiful sights before they became too crowded, making the tour feel much more relaxed and special. Sara was fantastic throughout the tour. She explained everything clearly, shared interesting stories and local insights, and was always happy to answer our questions. She also made us feel very comfortable and welcome from the moment we met. It was a pleasure meeting her and spending the morning exploring Kyoto together. A fantastic experience and one of the highlights of our time in Japan. Thank you, Sara! Highly recommended!

Kanami was a fantastic guide. I did the tour with my son and she kept the day interesting for both of us, with clear explanations and stories behind each place. She also gave us thoughtful recommendations for what to see and do in Kyoto afterwards, which we used the very next day. The early morning start meant fewer crowds at Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji, and the pace was comfortable. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see Kyoto's key highlights in a limited time."

If this is your first visit to Kyoto and are short on time, I highly recommend doing this early morning walking tour. By noon you will have had the opportunity to see Fushimi Inari, the bamboo forest, and Golden Pavilion. These tree sights are spread across the city, so having a guide is helpful to get a taste of how public transport works in Kyoto. Our guide Toshiya was so nice and kind. I loved how he took us to a beautiful matcha cafe instead of a coffee shop once he learned we were big fans of matcha. Also, he was patient at the golden pavilion while we got our goshuin stamps. Quick tip: If you are hoping to hike all the way to the top of fushimi inari, I recommend returning on your won’t have time to do the entire hike on the tour. Highly recommend adding to your Kyoto trip!

Yuya was our guide and he did an amazing job. He picked us up on time at the meeting point and showed us various locations in Kyoto. He was very knowledgeable about the city's history and typical Japanese conventions at temples and shrines. I also liked his open and supportive attitude, which made us feel very comfortable with him. I definitely recommend him as a tour guide!

I had a wonderful experience exploring Kyoto with Kanami! The small-group format was ideal, making the tour feel personal and relaxed. Kanami was personable, knowledgeable, and engaging, sharing wonderful insights into Kyoto’s history and culture. A fantastic way to experience the city. Highly recommend!

Thank you to our guide, Shin, who did a great job showing us around some of Kyoto’s most famous (and impressive) landmarks. This is a perfect half-day tour for those visiting Kyoto, which goes through some absolutely stunning places.

Naomi was well informed on each destination and very fun to spend the day with! She even helped us find our restaurant after the tour and always offered to translate for us! I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for a historical Kyoto tour.

This was a great tour, our guide was great- knowledgeable, spoke excellent English, and provided nice insight at all of the points of interest. Would definitely recommend!

Toshiya was an absolutely brilliant guide. His English was excellent and he was so knowledgeable. He made sure we were all ok and let us take as many photos as we wanted to. I would thoroughly recommend this tour. Thanks for a brilliant morning.

Kanami was such a joy on our tour! She was very knowledgeable and even gave us a couple great recommendations! Highly recommended!

This early morning walking tour was a fantastic introduction to Kyoto. We beat the crowds to see three of the most iconic attractions in all of Japan. Our superb guide DK was very knowledgeable and friendly and kept our small group together through subway and bus rides and interesting walks Great Terrific to guide, great company.

We had an amazing experience on our walking tour with Haruki! He was incredibly knowledgeable about every place we visited and shared so much interesting information that made each stop even more enjoyable. We would not learn as much if we did the visits on our own. His communication before the tour was excellent, and he even provided great recommendations for lunch after the tour. Since it was an early morning tour, Haruki made sure everyone was doing well and comfortable throughout the walk. He was personable, friendly, and spoke excellent English, making the entire experience enjoyable and easy to follow. He even took photos of us at each stop. And taught us a lot about Japanese culture and customs. I would highly recommend this walking tour with Haruki to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, thoughtful, and engaging guide. He truly made our experience special!

We had an amazing experience on our walking tour with Haruki! He was incredibly knowledgeable about every place we visited and shared so much interesting information that made each stop even more enjoyable. We would not learn as much if we did the visits on our own. His communication before the tour was excellent, and he even provided great recommendations for lunch afterward. Since it was an early morning tour, Haruki made sure everyone was doing well and was comfortable throughout the walk. He was personable, friendly, and spoke excellent English, making the entire experience enjoyable and easy to follow. I would highly recommend this walking tour with Haruki to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, thoughtful, and engaging guide. He truly made our experience special!

This was my favorite tour I took in Kyoto. Reiya was my guide and the group included only one other couple, so we were able to go at our own pace. We were able to knock out a lot of the primary tourist attractions in Kyoto in half a day. Reiya was very knowledgeable and did a great job of communicating with us before, during, and after the tour.

Reiya was an amazing guide, super patient, positive and attentive. Shared some really interesting information about all of the posts we stayed at. Would highly recommend the tour!

Reiya was a wonderful guide with a depth of knowledge. He guided us effortlessly onto the trains and buses and gave us answers to all our questions.

Great tour guide Natsuki. Thank you!

Great tour. Very informative and the tour guide, Yu, did a great job explaining each site and the history behind it and he was able to answer any questions that were not about the tour also.

Love it! You get to see 3 different places, use bus and train, learn history and more. We had amazing time with my family. Definitely, a lot of walking but very enjoyable.

very organized itinerary. Great and personable guide with his research done. Very caring

Our guide, Yu, took great care to give clear instructions on how to locate the meeting place, including photographs, which I really appreciated. Yu was a wonderful guide who deftly helped us travel around Kyoto using public transportation. He was very knowledgeable about the sites we visited and Japanese culture in general. I loved that we got to stop at some food stalls, experiencing some new things I might not have tried on my own. I highly recommend this tour!

Kanami gave us an incredible tour of Kyoto. She speaks English perfectly, communicated every step of the way, before, during and after. We couldn't have asked for a better guide to show us the highlights of Kyoto, through a young student's eyes. She is a truly special person.

Yu has been a great guide, friendly and knowledgeable; his English was excellent; the group size of 8 persons was ideal. It was very helpful for being guided through the transportation system. All worked very well - thanks for the nice your.

We enjoyed this early morning tour with Reiya! He was informative, kind and helpful. He led us through some of the busiest sites in Kyoto carefully, not leaving anyone behind, navigating us through the sites and on crowded busses and trains. He knew the best spots to take photos and offered willingly and patiently to take them for us. He also knows a lot about the history and culture of each site and taught us the meaning behind some of the things we saw, which we would never have known the significance of otherwise. We met at 6:45 am and even with heading out at this time, sites were very busy. We would never have been able to see all that we did ina half day, without Reiya’s experienced navigating, which allowed us to enjoy the beauty of Kyoto more and not worry about how to get to and from each destination. If you want to see these locations then this is a highly recommended way to do it!