Private Tour
Private Kyoto Tour with a Local, Highlights & Hidden Gems, Personalised
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Experience Kyoto with a private walking tour shaped around your interests and pace.
This experience combines Kyoto’s most iconic sights with quieter local corners, creating a day that feels both reassuring and personal. You may explore well-known places such as Gion, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Ginkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto Tower, or Togetsu-kyō Bridge, alongside lesser-known neighbourhoods and spots chosen around what interests you most.
After booking, you’ll receive a short questionnaire about your interests and travel style. Based on your responses, we’ll match you with a host who fits you well and who will be in touch before the experience to suggest ideas and shape a flexible plan together.
This experience is designed to adapt as you go — allowing time to linger, adjust pace, and explore Kyoto in a way that feels natural rather than rushed.
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 maybe 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
Kyoto
See Kyoto through the eyes of someone who calls it home—uncovering its hidden gems, rich culture, and untold stories with a passionate local by your side. This isn’t just a tour—it's a City Unscripted experience: real people, real connections, designed around you, full of authentic moments and unforgettable discoveries. Before your adventure begins, you will receive a short online questionnaire so we can craft an itinerary that reflects your interests—whether it’s exploring world-famous landmarks, savoring local flavors, or stumbling upon tucked-away treasures only locals know. Here are some highlights and hidden gems to spark your curiosity:
Pontocho District
Pontocho Alley—a stunning hidden gem often hailed as Kyoto's most picturesque street. With its car-free, timeless charm, traditional wooden shops, and intimate restaurants, it offers a glimpse into authentic Kyoto.
What‘s Included
Meet your host at your accommodation or a convenient central location (where accessible)
Flexible pacing and route, adjusted as you go
Local insight, recommendations, and cultural context
Pre-experience questionnaire to personalise your day
Private walking experience tailored to your interests
Direct communication with your local host before the experience
Food, drinks or entry fees (chosen together on the day, if desired)
Transportation (primarily a walking experience, public transport may be used at an additional cost)
Fixed or guaranteed itinerary
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
4 hour walking tour of Kyoto
Duration: 4 hours
Pickup included
3 hour walking tour of Kyoto
Duration: 3 hours
Pickup included
2 hour walking tour of Kyoto
Duration: 2 hours
Pickup included
5 hour walking tour of Kyoto
Duration: 5 hours
Pickup included
Reviews
1,544 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Afternoon in Kyoto
jakesB6919XV,,Jan 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Alex was an amazing tour guide and knows everything about Kyoto and Japan. Super informative and gave us tips and recommendations for the rest of our trip. Took us to the bamboo forest, the temple and shrine. Highly recommend for first time visitors, especially in the beginning of your trip.
Private tour with Amy
Oluwande E,,Jan 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Thank you Amy for a great tour of Kyoto. I was short on time as I had a flight to catch, but Amy was able to fit a lot into the time we had together including Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-Dera. She was also quite knowledgeable and shared great information about the sites we visited. Thanks again!
Great walking tour around Kyoto
GabiC1,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time walking around the best parts of Kyoto with Milo today for 5 hours. He was very knowledgeable and had excellent insights into history, culture and hidden secrets. He went at the pace we asked him to go at and he took into account all of our needs (food stops, comfort breaks, start point and end point).
Miles of smiles with Milo
P9473PMwendyd,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Milo was a generous and considerate guide, who managed to keep our three teens well fed, interested and walking for five hours without a complaint (almost!) We finished the tour with plenty of recommendations to follow up on, and the offer to keep in touch if we needed any more help. Highly recommended!
3 hour Kyoto tour
Dana L,,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Alex was a fantastic tour guide. We had limited time so could only do a 3 hour tour but somehow managed to tick off a lot of my Kyoto list with information on culture, religion and geography. We did a large part of Gion which was my personal favourite! It really was the best way to discover Kyoto in an afternoon!
Beautiful historic Kyoto with Mia.
Escape59447568196,,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The 'walking' tour is walking and subway riding, which is perfect for us. The subway fares are not included. Mia is great! She knows details of the city and point of interests. Intelligent and easy to get along. She gave recommendations o places to visits based on how long you book the tour, but open if you have your own preference. Highly recommend Mia.
We packed as much as we...
Murray B,,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We packed as much as we could into our 4 hours with Amy our guide . She came to our hotel to meet us and Explained all our Japanese history and the different cultures and ways of the life here in Kyoto. If you get Amy you will be in good hands and she is always keen and ready to take pictures as we moved around temples and shrines . Wear your best and most comfortable shoes and Kyoto is not as well connected so often a good walk is necessary. Amy took us to the best shops to try out local delicious foods and sweets and macho tea and saka . We left the tour with hundreds of photos of a great day .
Kyoto in a day!
CLAUDIA M,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Shaan was our personal guide in Kyoto. She is highly knowledgeable of Kyoto and answered all our questions on how you live as a local plus the historical perspective. Having limited time in Kyoto it was well worth spending it with a professional. Her English is excellent and my husband and I really appreciated the accommodations to the schedule that suited us.
A wonderful tour off the beaten path
293carie,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were paired with Kenta, who did an amazing job of tailoring the tour to exactly what we wanted to see! We kept it open ended and asked him to take us off the beaten path -- especially after just visiting Tokyo, we wanted a quieter tour. Kenta totally delivered! The temples we visited had almost no crowds, and he took us on a path alongside a tranquil creek for much of the tour. Kenta also just had SO MUCH knowledge about so many things! I mentioned offhand my (little) knowledge of the various Japanese writing systems, and he dived into a quick history of each one. We definitely will book this tour again the next time we're in Japan!
Incredible and fascinating 3 hour Kyoto history tour which we will never forget
OnAir30922644020,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Milo made such a difference to our stay in Kyoto. We booked a 3 hour tour which was perfect for us and he brought us to Nene no Michi Maruyama park Chion in temple gate (pure land sect) Heian shrine gate Nanzenji temple Philosophers path The silver temple He is so knowledgeable and passionate about Kyoto’s fascinating history. He also connected so well with my two sons who are 23 years and 21 years old. After the tour, he sent us numerous recommendations for the rest of our Japan holidays. For sure, we will come back to Kyoto and book Milo again!
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