Kyoto Private Car Tour With Local Japanese Guide – 3 Options

Katsu was incredibly friendly and helpful during the tour he was very open and talkative he did week with my random question as well as helpful when the weather turned foul

Comfy car with air con. All the top spots in Kyoto visited. Fun tour guide Katsu who is good with kids. He can be flexible to your requirements. How long to stay at a spot. When and what to get for lunch. Pick up and drop off locations. Perfect day.

Katsu was fantastic! Was the best tour we have been on in Japan! Katsu was great at communicating with us and getting to know who we were as a family. There was great flexibility in the itinerary and sights. Would highly recommend this tour with private guide around Kyoto or surrounding area. Katsu treated us like his family for the day and nothing was too much for him. Had a day of wonderful memories in Kyoto.

We really enjoyed our day with Katsu. This was an excellent tour and we highly recommend booking with him. He took us to all of the main attractions and timed the day perfectly for us. Katsu responded quickly to all of my pre-tour communication and he even followed up with advice on What’s App for our trip to Nara the next day. Booking with Katsu saved us the hassle of trying to figure out how to get to and navigate each of the attractions and having a great air conditioned van on a hot day was well worth it. Thank you Katsu for a wonderful day!

It was a great way to see Kyoto highlights in a single day. Having a someone bringing you directly to the highlights is a more efficient way than doing all that by yourself. Also trying a restaurant recommended by a local is a plus.

We highly recommend this tour. Yes, you will walk a bit to get to the sites but it was worth the climb of stairs and going upwards to the Temples. Katsu, our driver and tour guide was pleasant, and knowledgable about Kyoto and all the sites we visited. Despite the heat and humidity being at it’s peak our guide ensured we took our time and made stops for cool beverages or when we needed to rest! A beautiful day touring!

We had a wonderful day with our outstanding Kyoto guide & driver Katsu. He picked us up at the Osaka Cruise ship terminal and we spent a very full day with him in Kyoto. Because it was so hot & humid, he re-arranged our day to avoid the worst heat & crowds which was greatly appreciated. Having a break in his air conditioned vehicle between sights, was a life saver. He is very knowledgeable about Kyoto and we learned so much about the sites & Japanese culture from him. He has a passion for guiding- very kind, accommodating and took us to many sights on our bucket list. I was especially thankful to Katsu for helping me navigate a pharmaceutical purchase for a cream for my heat rash. Katsu also took wonderful pictures of my husband and I so it finally looks like we are on vacation together 😂! Thanks for the wonderful day 🙏 Katsu and I would highly recommend him to everyone wanting to have a magical cultural experience in beautiful Kyoto.

Our tour guide, Katsu, was awesome. The tour itself was informative and so much fun. Also, he took us to the best vegan restaurant for lunch and recommended an amazing Omakase restaurant for dinner and made the reservation. I highly recommend this tour with Katsu!

Today was our favorite day of this nearly 3 week trip. A day with Katsu feels like having a friend show you around the city. It couldn’t have been easier to see all the famous spots even with a 1.5 year old. When I come back to Japan I’ll be hiring him again.

Katsu was our driver/guide. He was born and raised in Kyoto and knows the city in and out! He was quite pleasant and easy to talk to. He gave us a lot of insights at each location. He also took us to lesser known temples to avoid large crowds. Hence, the tour is very customizable. I think also the price of the tour is much better than most others. Lastly, he went out of his way to take us back to our hotel to get our luggage and drop us off at the Kyoto Station.

We had the best day out with Katsu! He is super friendly, a good driver, and took amazing care of us. Highly, highly recommend!

Katsu was amazing. Very good English, excellent knowledge about the area and very friendly. He engaged with each member of the family and asked about their life and shared his. We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend his tour.

Katsu was thoughtful and patient with our family. My 79 year old mother was not doing well in the heat, so he quickly changed up the itinerary to suit her needs and it was greatly appreciated. He is fun and knowledgeable as well as flexible. He took us to a lovely soba restaurant for lunch. Great tour!

Katsu was great! He was so nice and knowledgeable. Great at knowing where to go get best views, photos, etc. Our whole family liked him a lot.

Excellent guided tour on our first day in Kyoto. We got to see 4 of the main sites around Kyoto by our friendly guide with detailed knowledge of the city and sites. Driving tour is a great way to see sites a bit outside main city. Got great follow up with ideas for what to do in the following days.

We had THE best day with Katsu. We got to see alllllllll the sites on my list AND take a stop at the top shaved ice place in Kyoto. Make sure Katsu takes you- it’s phenomenal. He’s going to laugh if I send tons of people asking for shaved ice vs temples but again , we got To see the entire city. He took amazing photos of us and was a great guide. The car was super nice and clean and he was also kind and quite funny!!

Katsu was the absolute best! This was such a comfortable and easy tour. Katsu allows you to customize your experience how you’d like and was very kind and fun. My son absolutely loved him, would recommend to anyone looking to see Kyoto.

Super wonderful tour. Very friendly and perfect English!! Katsu was amazing!! Can’t wait to come back. We saw all the sites! Arigato Katsu!

Katsu is fantastic. Great day seeing the deers in Nara and Kyoto highlights. Katsu picked us up at the Kyoto station and took us to all the spots we wanted to see. He took really nice photos for us. He can be a professional photographer if he wanted to. Having Katsu as our private tour guide is like having a local family member take you around. We had a wonderful time sightseeing and eating lunch together at a local restaurant versus a tourist trap eatery. Highly recommend Katsu. He was born and raised in the area and speaks perfect English. Very courteous and professional. We are going to book with him again next year when we return to the area .

Only If there was a way to give Katsu-san a ten star rating! Katsu-san was able to tailor our tour to what we wanted to see. Very informative of all the areas we saw, and provided alternative areas to avoid a few very crowded areas. Highly recommend his tour and hospitality.

Katsu was a great guide. He was an excellent driver and the air-conditioned car was very comfortable. Between Katsu and us, we were able to cover all the locations we particularly wanted to see. It was especially good having a driver for the areas further out from the city. He explained the places we visited and also took photos for us throughout the tour. One very helpful tip he gave us was about feeding the deer — he warned us that they can become quite forceful, so it’s best to not feed them. We were very glad he mentioned this after watching other visitors trying to get away from them. At the end of the tour, Katsu also provided us with a useful list of things to do and see, along with great recommendations for places to eat. Highly recommended.

What a treat to move through the city with a kind, informed, and flexible guide and driver. We wanted to avoid crowds, as much as we could, hitting just a few major attractions and seeing some interesting, less obvious places. Katsu offered lots of ideas and was totally into accommodating our wish list of sights—and the suggestions he made enhanced the day. He’s fun, interested and engaged, and was great with communications (in English) before the tour day and during our time together. We highly recommend spending a day, at least, seeing Kyoto with Katsu!

We had an excellent experience with our private guide Katsu. He was incredibly accommodating, knowledgeable, and provided a very personal approach throughout the tour. He adjusted the itinerary to suit our needs and made sure we were comfortable at all times. The vehicle was very comfortable, and his friendly, easy-going personality made the experience even more enjoyable. We would highly recommend Katsu to anyone looking for a private tour. Alexei and Elena.

Katsu is the best! We had such fun and he provided great information on the sites, in addition to many tips for our visit in Kyoto. We had a fantastic lunch at a local spot we never could have found. Don’t hesitate to book this tour, it is like spending the day with a friend, he is fun and very kind. Definitely a day the we will always remember! Thank you Katsu!

Katsu was amazing, very knowledgable, friendly and accomodating, always one step ahead. We got to see and expereince so much in the limited time we had. We can only recommend!

Katsu was an excellent guide who made the day much better as he was helpful and could speak English well. He gave us great tips for our day such as where to eat, shop, and took us to less crowded spots for pictures and souvenirs. He made adjustments for our tour to give us a personalized experience! Thanks!

Absolutely amazing guide, with a great character, flexible, was kind enough to have a more dynamic itinerary, amazing lunch spot we were taken to and just great insight into little bits about Kyoto. Also an exceptional driver, I will for sure contact Katsu again when I come back next time to Japan. Once again, such an amazing person.

Katsu was absolutely amazing and made our day in Kyoto so seamless and fun. He’s a Kyoto local and took us around to all of the main attractions while sharing so much interesting history and local knowledge that we definitely would have missed on our own. He also took tons of photos for us throughout the day, which we really appreciated. Beyond being a great guide, Katsu was just so normal, kind, and easy to spend the day with — which honestly makes such a difference on a full-day tour. His car was very clean and comfortable, and he was incredibly accommodating, stopping anytime we needed water or a bathroom break. He really catered the entire day to what we wanted to do, including lunch. We mentioned we wanted sushi, and he took us to an amazing local spot that we never would have found ourselves. It felt like spending the day with a knowledgeable local friend and told him to visit us in San Diego! I was nervous since this tour was not as big but was soooooo impressed! Highly recommend Katsu if you’re visiting Kyoto!

Katsu made this private tour unforgettable and was top notch my whole family enjoyed it and are already planning another trip.

Our trip to fro Kyoto to Nara with Katsu was an amazing day trip! Even though the weather tried to rain on our day, we had a wonderful time seeing the bowing deer, cherry blossoms, temples and eating wonderful food at a restaurant Katsu found for us. We also had time to see a few things after getting back to Kyoto where we also walked the red Tori gates. Throughout the customized tour Katsu not only chauffeured us around but also made sure we got into each place we visited and provided commentary on what we were seeing. Definitely a highlight of our trip and we would highly recommend you book with him!

Katsu was an exceptional tour guide. Warm, kind, and a pleasure to spend time with. We had an incredible experience, and he was very flexible and accommodating with our schedule. I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Kyoto. We’ll definitely be back!

A great trip. Very relaxing and flexible. Katsu was an a amazing guide. He likes to talk and find out about you as a person which is great. Definitely will book again with Katsu.

Our family of 5 had a fantastic day with Katsu exploring Kyoto. He was happy to adjust plans so we could see Otagi Nenbutsuji temple (very unique!) and also took us to a great spot to see cherry blossoms. He knows all the sights well and was able to park the car at spots that required less walking for grandma and even helped her navigate a few paths! He also took us to an awesome lunch spot that had sushi as well as other options for our pickier 10 year old. We would highly recommend booking this tour.

We had a wonderful tour with Katsu, who was patient, personable and knowledgeable. We would highly recommend this tour.

If I could give Katsu more than 5 stars, I would. As a family traveling with young children, we were a bit stressed about logistics, but Katsu made everything effortless. He was incredibly warm and patient with the kids, which made the tour fun for all of us. He also shared some amazing hidden-gem food spots that we never would have found on our own. To top it off, he insisted on helping us push our strollers over rough terrain. His kindness truly made our trip special. Thank you, Katsu!

Katsu our guide was Amazing! Professional driver and knew his way aroubd Kyoto and Nara. Nara Deer Park and Temple are a must see when in Kyoto area. Katsu was like a family member showing you the city.

Our guide Katsu was very prompt, knowledgeable and very friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. It was great to get an early start on the tour as we avoided a big crowd.

Katsu was an amazing guide! He took us all around Kyoto to multiple shrines, and to a local spot for lunch. He was very personable and knowledgeable. The tour he planned was amazing, and he even recommended spots to visit for food that night as well as options in Osaka. Our trip to Kyoto would not have been the same without him.

Katsu was a great guide. He was courteous, knowledgeable about Kyoto, spoke English well, and he was fun! He was very understanding that I have a bad knee, and accommodated me throughout the day. It was so nice to walk through sites, but not have to do the trek back. This was a great way to explore Kyoto without exhausting ourselves! Highly recommend!

Our Guide Katsu was wonderful and made all the difference for us. we visited Nara Park and immensely enjoyed it. We really were able to personalize the tour to see what we wanted to see.

Katsu is an incredible guide. He is knowledgeable, flexible, and he is very personable. We talked a lot about Kyoto and my home in America, discussing differences and similarities. I am very glad I took his tour and would recommend anyone who wants a friendly, knowledgeable tour guide to book with Katsu.

Katsu showed us an amazing time! He is a joy to hang out with!! makes your trip hassle free and w/no transportation costs. Plus he knows all the secrets, hidden gems and his picture taking skills are EPIC influencer quality!!! It was so good we added more days!

Katsu is AWESOME! He was so kind, professional and yet gave a fun and interactive tour. We learned so much. He also wanted to know about our culture and experiences so that was nice as well. He was so helpful in ensuring we understood everything we experienced. We did a tour in Tokyo and although it was great Katsu’s was better because he was ensuring we could respect the culture while enjoying it. That is very important to us. Thank you Katsu!!!

Katsu made my Nara day trip exceptional—kind, flexible, and quick to adjust the itinerary. Since I’d seen some spots in Kyoto, he took me to Osaka instead. Truly outstanding.

Katsu San was great from the start. He was worked with our family’s needs and was flexible. He was informative and a safe driver. Highly recommended!

My guide, Katsu, was very professional, friendly, and easygoing from start to finish. The highlight was how flexible the day was. Katsu adjusted the schedule based on what I was most interested in and never rushed anything. He shared great local insight. I highly recommend this tour and Katsu as a guide

From the moment we met, we knew he would be an incredible guide and he was. So caring and funny and made it the best tour we had had. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

We had such a great time during our Kyoto - Nara tour with our wonderful guide, Katsu. He communicated ahead of time to coordinate pick up, arrived promptly, and his car was clean and comfortable, with water bottles and tissue box provided for our comfort. We had a lot of fun chatting and joking with Katsu throughout the day, and had an amazing time (and took great pictures) at Nara, at the Todaiji temple, and later at the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. Katsu also made a great effort to find food that suited our dietary needs, and took us to a delightful sushi restaurant. Lastly, at the end of the tour, because I had mentioned that I had cracked my phone's protective screen, he took us to a store where I could buy a replacement. So thoughtful and gracious! I would highly recommend this tour by Katsu, and would absolutely book with him again in the future!

Katsu was an outstanding tour guide who made our Kyoto and Nara adventure truly unforgettable—extremely nice, informative, and funny, he shared fascinating history and local insights while keeping everyone laughing, thoughtfully navigating transportation, suggesting perfect photo spots, and adjusting the pace to suit us perfectly so we could soak in the temples, shrines, and culture stress-free. We highly recommend booking him; he turns sightseeing into a joyful experience with a knowledgeable friend.