Private Tour
Kobe Half Day Tour - Private & Personalized with a Local Guide
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
This isn’t a scripted tour. You’ll explore Kobe alongside a local host matched to your interests. From historic neighborhoods and street food spots to peaceful gardens, your half-day experience is designed to give you an authentic feel for the city.
After booking, you’ll receive a short questionnaire so we can pair you with a like-minded host. They’ll reach out to suggest an itinerary and confirm the meeting point. The route remains flexible, allowing you to explore at your own pace and adjust as you go.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This is a private City Unscripted experience: real people, real connections
After booking, you'll receive a short online questionnaire to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your City Unscripted guide will personally reach out to craft a fully customized itinerary that suits your style—whether you love history, food, hidden gems, or cultural experiences.
This private tour is a walking experience. A private vehicle is not included.
Public transportation or local taxis may be used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with your host after your reservation is finalized.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kobe
Spend half a day discovering Kobe with someone who knows it intimately. Whether you're curious about history, food, scenic spots, or local culture, your host will shape a route that fits your pace and interests. Before the experience begins, you’ll complete a short questionnaire to help design your itinerary. Here's a sample route to inspire your walk:
Ikuta Shrine
Begin at one of Kobe’s oldest and most revered Shinto shrines, quietly nestled in the city center. Your host will explain its historical and cultural significance while guiding you through its peaceful grounds and nearby sacred spots.
What‘s Included
Flexible start times - pick your preferred time when you book
Online questionnaire link sent after booking to tailor your experience and match you to a local host
Get picked up (on foot) at your accommodation if it's central!
Private and personalized walking experience with insider tips from a passionate local
Direct communication with your host for itinerary planning and local recommendations
Food, drinks and tickets to any attractions
Transportation (primarily a walking experience, public transport may be used at an additional cost)
Gratuities (optional)
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
4-hour Kobe Walking Tour
Duration: 4 hours
Pickup included
3-hour Kobe Walking Tour
Duration: 3 hours
Pickup included
Reviews
18 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Scenic & Fun Tour in Kobe
Larry P,,Oct 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This tour in Kobe was fantastic! The cable car ride to the top gave us beautiful views, and the walk down through the botanical gardens with a waterfall stop was unforgettable. We finished at a shopping mall where my wife found the perfect souvenir for our granddaughter. Our guide, Rio, was wonderful — friendly, helpful, and such a pleasure to talk with. He really made the day special. Highly recommend this experience!
Nice guy but ineffective guide
discerningCanada,,Sep 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Our guide was a nice person but an ineffective guide. His command of English was not good. He was unassertive and didn’t seem to be sure of how to get to the places on our itinerary. In fact we seemed to go the wrong way a few times. He seemed to know quite little about the places on our itinerary and Kobe generally, or at least didn’t share this information with us. We had to keep asking him questions as he volunteered little, and he often didn’t seem to know the answers. This was an expensive few hours that was of poor value. Sorry to give a negative review, hopefully this will be fed back to him so that he can use it to improve for the future.
Fun trip in Kobe.
Rosalind T,,Apr 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Angelica did her very best to show us as much of Kobe as she could. The use of public transport she took us to the most interesting places we could fit into our time schedule. She kindly added an extra hour to our trip. Gave us a little test at the end to make sure we had all listened! Good guide to have.
Kobe 101 for brilliant knowledge
Patricia P,,Mar 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Hamu was fabulous! Wonderful English and knows the area really well. She very much loves what she does as she has so much history and cultural knowledge of the area.
Excellent customized half-day tour, highly recommended.
FirstL190,,Jan 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent custom 1:1 half-day walking tour of Kobe with a great guide who read my input and already had an ideal tour in mind from what I said I was interested in when filling out the questionnaire, but also had options along the way to modify if desired. It was truly unscripted and I got to see everything I was hoping to, along with a couple cool things I would have never found on my own. Great conversation and lots of clear explanations with historical context. Had a great time, highly recommend.
Not quite as planned, but resolved.
Mike N,,Apr 11, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Not as hoped:( We asked for historical information from our guide and he really never talked very much at all. Cherry blossoms were not yet out, so that wasn't his fault. He just led us to trains and areas to look around. No discussions. We could have done this on our own. We had to pay several train tickets and admission to a major attractions, including his ticket! We were not told about buying guides stuff! It was over in 3 hrs when we asked why he was not showing us more for our 4 hours. Then he scrambled to walk us to a couple more places, but no discussion. I reported to City Unscripted and they were very responsive and arranged for a 50 % refund. Nice guide but not talkative, which is their #1 job! I know City Unscripted will use this to improve their services and we definitely use them again!!
Kobe
issla79,,Mar 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed our tour with Taiga. He was accommodating and friendly.. We enjoyed the places he took us during our private tour.
Taiga is the best!
Linda H,,Nov 2, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fun day with Taiga as our guide in Kobe. We loved his flexibility and sense of humor. He arranged a last minute, delicious Kobe beef lunch for us at his favorite place.
Highly Recommended
elizabethsL2645UA,,May 29, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Toru was an amazing guide. He picked us up at the cruise terminal and took us around the sights such as China Town, Meriken Park & Nunobiki Herb Garden Park. We’ve accomplished quite a bit for this half day tours. At the end of our tour, Toru showed us a great place to enjoy Kobe Beef. We were glad our guide was knowledgeable & we highly recommend esp. if you have limited time.
A day of gardens and culinary delight
Marsha N,,Apr 13, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Hirotake gave us an unforgettable day in Kobe, helping us move smoothly through the busy city streets and the subway system and up into the hills to the exquisite Nunobiki Botanical Herb Gardens where we rode a cable car past waterfalls and the last of the cherry tree blossoms. Arriving we spent the afternoon strolling through beautiful flowers, ranging from fields of tulips to greenhouses of tropical plants like the ones in our gardens in Kaua’i and the fruits and vegetables native to Japan. Returning to the city, our new friend Hiro, who spoke perfect English, brought us to a unique popup seafood restaurant where we cooked fresh oysters 🦪 over a tableside hibachi for a delicious inexpensive feast. Thank you Viatour for a beautiful day in Kobe that we will never forget.
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