Kyoto

Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Kyoto Private Tour

Badge of ExcellenceKyoto, Japan
Kyoto Highlights and Hidden Gems Private Tour
  • 3 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Swap the typical sightseeing tours for a personalized experience of Kyoto. This private tour gives you a local's perspective on a much-visited city. You'll see major landmarks, such as Gion, but also be able to escape the crowds by heading for off-the-beaten-path spots that only locals know about.
  • Get a local's perspective on Kyoto
  • Private tour: A personalized experience
  • Escape the crowds of Kyoto
  • Visit hidden gems that most tourists miss

What's Included

  • Private Tour
  • Local Guide
  • 1 local drink/tasting
  • Tickets for Kiyomizu Temple included
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Food & beverages not listed as inclusions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 198 Nakanochō, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0075, Japan

    at the entrance of the Minamiza Theatre, next to Gion Shijo station

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Garden

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yasaka Shrine

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kongoji Temple

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yasaka Shrine

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gion

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kamogawa River

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nishiki Market Shopping District

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Private tour: only you & your local guide
  • CO2 Neutral: all tours carbon emissions are offset
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

See more

Reviews

5.0
84 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
0
0
Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 84 reviews
The best tour guide!!!!
Lisa_T, Apr 2024
The tour guide was engaging and knowledgeable and took us to impressive and memorable sights. He took pictures of the four of us throughout the day and they are a wonderful souvenir from this experience.
More than just seeing sights
Louis_N, Feb 2024
Our guide Ted was truly amazing. He brought so much history, culture, religion, and more, layering it into our tour experience. And making Kyoto come alive for us. Ted made each area we visited that much more relevant and enjoyable. He was helpful in so many ways and we appreciate all that he brought to the tour to make it extra special and a meaningful experience. Thank you Ted-san. Louie & Jean
Private tour of Kyoto highlights
Robert_R, Jan 2024
Our guide, Shohei, was terrific. His energy and insight brought Kyoto to life! He entertained our countless questions with great humor and provided fascinating anecdotes throughout our time together!
Somewhat disappointed
Allison_H, Nov 2023
Nice to walk around and see beautiful places, but I wouldn’t book again. My tour guide had lived in Kyoto for several years but wasn’t Japanese or fluent in the language. It was interesting learning about the experience of an expat here, but it wasn’t the perspective on Kyoto I was hoping for. I was also under the impression temple admissions were included but I paid in cash for both myself and my guide.
Highly recommend
Anna_G, Sep 2023
Ted was an incredible tour guide. He customized the tour based on what we already saw and what we were interested in seeing. Ted has a deep understanding of Kyoto history and culture and it was a pleasure spending the day with him navigating the city.
Wonderful afternoon in Kyoto!
Jaclyn_B, Jul 2023
We are so glad we booked this tour! We had a wonderful time walking back streets and learning history of the area. Guia was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable of the area. We loved getting to know her and the area. She even bought us refreshments and treats along our journey! We would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kyoto!
A Fantastic Tour Guide for Our Family
Mitch_S, Jun 2023
Ted is an incredibly knowledgeable guide who brings the history of Kyoto to life with wonderful stories and great energy. Our three teens thought we was terrific, and we learned a ton during the day we spent with Ted. He is also great to hire for a food tour - we found and tried lots of wonderful food that we never would have discovered without him. Just a great guy / guide to introduce you to the amazing city of Kyoto. Highly recommend,
Don't do Kyoto without this tour
Richard_E, Apr 2023
We the had the best time in Kyoto with Shohei. We learned things, ate things, and saw gems we would have definitely missed otherwise. Shohei is, by far, the best tour guide I've had on any international trip. Three hours for the experience we had felt like one heck of a value!
Disappointing tour of Kyoto
AMY_L, Mar 2023
It was nice to be led into some tourist parts of Kyoto. Guide was nice enough but wasn't Japanese, didn't speak Japanese and had only been in Japan for a couple of years, during which time he was a ski bum. We learned nothing new, different or off the beaten path about Kyoto and overall it was pretty disappointing. Also, tour was supposed to include one free drink but we never got this.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Hi there, at Withlocals we want our guests to have the best experience of their trip so we are very disappointed to find out about your negative tour experience. As we cannot directly get in touch with you from here, please email us at info@withlocals.com and we will make sure to follow up on this issue. We are looking forward to your email. Thank you in advance. Have a great day, Withlocals
Disappointing
Kimberly_B, Dec 2019
Our guide took us to several sites and quickly rattled off a fact or two about each one - usually the date that it was built. There was no narrative, context, or storytelling. At one point he told us that a particular alley was named after a shogunate’s wife, but not why that was significant or even what a shogunate is! The tour description states that you will “learn how samurais used to rule Japan” and “discover a folk faith linked to monkeys” - neither of these were ever mentioned on our tour. At first we tried to ask questions but after a few vague and unhelpful answers, we gave up and just went along for the ride. We skipped the tea portion of the tour because we were ready for it to be over. The one aspect we enjoyed was not having to navigate ourselves from site to site, so the tour was not a total waste of time. It was however a waste of money, and I would suggest anyone else just buy a map and a guidebook if they actually want to learn about the city.
Likely to Sell Out

From $166.72

Price varies by group size

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Compare Similar Experiences

1 / 3
Current
Likely to Sell Out
No Photo
Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Kyoto Private Tour
84
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$166.72
Likely to Sell Out
No Photo
5 Top Highlights of Kyoto with Kyoto Bike Tour
286
7 to 8 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$199.00
No Photo
Private Highlights of Kyoto Tour
73
7 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$152.97

Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought

Explore Similar Things to Do

Help CenterCustomer CarePrivacy and Cookies StatementAbout ViatorNewsViator blog
© 1997-2024 Viator, Inc.
Terms & Conditions