• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Imagine this: a scenic road trip from Kyoto to explore Arashiyama with stops along the way to discover viewpoints, villages, incredible nature, and cultural gems. Sounds like a dream? No, it’s possible on a Withlocals day trip with a local host leading the way!

Destination

Kyoto, Japan

Category

Day Trips

Duration

6 hours

Transport mode

Public Transport

Available languages

日本語, English, עברית, Indonesian, العربية, Français, Italiano, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• Public Transportation
• 1 Local Tasting
• Tickets for Iwatayama Monkey Park; Okochi Sanso Villa and Tenryuji temple
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance for other attractions than mentioned
• Lunch (on guest expenses)

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 9 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Kyoto station - at the Central Exit in front of Porta Dining and 7 Eleven - Kyoto to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Station Meeting Point

   Meet and greet your local host at an agreed station and get an introduction to your full-day trip and what to expect

4. Scenic Trip

   This full-day trip is arranged for you, so all you have to do is enjoy the sights as your host takes you through Arashiyama while telling you incredible stories and insight

5. Only You & Your Host!

   Forget about cramped touristy buses, on this private day trip, you’ll have all of your host’s attention. Get the chance to speak 1-1 and get all of your questions answered for a personal experience that will make this trip more memorable

6. What’s in Store for You

   Check out from viewpoints, nature, and cultural gems such as Bamboo Grove, Tenryuji Temple and Monkey Park Iwatayama plus other stops your local host has prepared for you along the way

7. Optional Lunch

   Along the way, your local host will recommend you typical and local places where you can stop to have lunch and catch a break. Lunch is not included in the price

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Mark🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

21 August 2025

Great job. We learned a lot. Great English. Kyoto

Ajay

(About local Eiji)

31 July 2025

So, this was my first time in Japan, and I wanted to learn about the traditions in Japan from a local rather than an YouTube guide. Mr. Eiji was the perfect person for it. He was extremely patient with me and more than just being a guide he genuinely wanted me to enjoy Japan and what it had to offer. It was very heartwarming because most guide don't go that far. He showed me the nuances of Japanese culture and explained to me the commute methods. Also, he is a very good photographer lol.First time in Japan

Julie

(About local Guia)

5 July 2025

My 16 yr old son and I took a tour of Arishiyama Bamboo Forest, a villa, and the town area with Guia. My son was dead set against a tour at first, and afterward he raved about what a wonderful time it was and how he is “now sold on tours”! Guia was knowledgable and a great guide who knew how to pivot when some places were closed due to our need for a late start. We highly recommend a tour with her!Wonderful Afternoon with Guia

Wendi

(About local RYUKI )

12 June 2025

We had an amazing experience in Kyoto thanks to our wonderful tour guide. He was kind, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable—sharing the city’s history with real passion and excitement. He handled our large group of 10 (including teenage kids!) with ease and was especially great with the children, keeping them engaged and happy throughout the day. He was on time, organized, and sweet, and made our day in Kyoto truly unforgettable. Highly recommend! Big group with teen children.

Nathalie🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Eiji)

10 June 2025

We had the absolute pleasure of doing a guided tour of Kyoto with Eiji, and I can’t recommend him enough. From the very beginning, he was incredibly warm, kind, and welcoming — the kind of person who instantly makes you feel at ease. He’s extremely knowledgeable and shared so many fascinating stories and historical insights about Kyoto that really brought the city to life. What stood out the most was how thoughtful and patient he was with us throughout the entire experience. Eiji went out of his way to take so many beautiful photos of us along the way — such a kind gesture — and even sent them afterward to us, which meant the world to us. It’s little things like that which make a guide truly special. Overall, Eiji is not only an amazing guide but a genuinely lovely person. We were so grateful to have met him and will remember this day fondly. Thank you, Eiji!Eiji, a guide like no other

Sundy

(About local Guia)

2 May 2025

Guia took incredibly good care of us, from completing the booking to completing the tour. She was warm, friendly, efficient, considerate, knowledgeable, and patient with our large group. She helped us find just the right experiences, going above and beyond in some instances. The experience was delightful. We highly recommend her!Delightful

Sundy

(About local Guia)

2 May 2025

Guia took incredible care of us, from completing the booking to completing the tour. She was warm, friendly, efficient, considerate, knowledgeable, and patient with our large group. She helped us find just the right experiences, going above and beyond in some instances. We highly recommend her!Superb Service

Gabriel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

28 November 2024

Great experience!! Sebastian is the best guide of Kyoto!! My wife and myself went with him to all the best places, including all the temples and a tea ceremony. Ask for Sebastian if you are in Kyoto, Thank you!!!The Best of Kyoto with Sebastian!!

Camilla🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

21 August 2024

Better late than never! Teddy-san was amazing. He was very responsive and more than willing to modify our tour to include a location we requested. He also recommended some temple night illumination events, and we’re so glad we followed his advice. The experience was absolutely beautiful! We also lost a souvenir we had bought for our niece and described to him where we had purchased it, but we couldn’t remember how to get back there. At the end of the tour, Teddy went out of his way to take us to the place he thought matched our description. It was such a kind and thoughtful gesture. We highly recommend Teddy—he’s sociable, very nice, and a fantastic guide.Teddy is sweet and kind!

Candy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

19 August 2024

We had an amazing experience with Guia as our guide in the bamboo forest and Arashiyama! Her deep knowledge of the area’s history added so much value to our visit. Guia was incredibly patient and flexible, seamlessly adjusting the itinerary to suit our needs. As a family with varying ages, we were especially grateful for how well she connected with everyone, making sure each person felt engaged and included. Her warmth and attentiveness made this tour truly special. Highly recommend Guia for anyone looking to explore this beautiful area with an expert guide!Guia’s Tour was Arashiyama-zing

Darcy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mako)

10 June 2023

Mako completed our day in Kyoto wirh her charm and grace. She knew so much about the city and highlights, (local short cuts also) our day was flawless. I would highly recommend Mako for your day in Kyoto.Japanese hospitality and Charm

Katrin🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ollie)

9 April 2023

Olli was a very nice and courteous guide. he adapted the route to my wishes and was even able to show me a few hidden corners and paths that weren't so crowded. so we had a little more peace. At the end he showed me a very nice café and gave me a few addresses and tips for the coming days. it was very nice excursion and I recommend itRecommend Olli and the Tour

Colleen 🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Eiji)

24 February 2023

Eiji is a lovely guide, taking us to Arashyiyama and then to two wonderful temples. Eiji is well informed and was eager to meet our needs for both sights and restaurants and to see things at a pace that allowed us to appreciate everything. Thank you for a memorable day.Wonderful day trip

Helene🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Guia)

11 September 2025

Fantastic guide showing gems and places with history and personal details. We enjoyed the tour and company with Guia!Kyoto guide

Howard🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

10 September 2025

We just completed an amazing 7 hour private tour with Ted to see the highlights of Kyoto. Ted was very well organized, professional, and communicated with me throughout the process. We had chosen 4 primary sites to visit but as we finished a little early Ted, at no additional charge, gave us a few options to see for a 5th additional site. We really appreciated that added flexibility. Ted was an incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and personable guide. He took several amazing photos of our group and gave us a great suggestion for lunch. We recommend him at the highest level. I plan on booking with him again on our next trip to Kyoto. Important Note: We had an ambitious 1 day itinerary and with Ted’s assistance we booked a private driver for the day. If you can mange the budget, I highly recommend the private driver. The rate through Ted was lower than if I contacted the transport company myself. It was very hot during our September trip, having toe driver drop off/pick-up directly in front of most of the sites was definitely a lifesaver. Amazing Kyoto tour with Ted!

Mary🇺🇸 United States

(About local David)

9 September 2025

Wonderful evening with David! He was funny, engaging, and knowledgeable. Very informative and great tour. It was a highlight of our time in Kyoto and I highly recommend him!

Daniel

(About local RYUKI )

9 September 2025

tina🇸🇮 Slovenia

(About local Tiro)

8 September 2025

Had a great walk exploring Kyoto with Tiro, despite the crazy heat. We found a few parallels in our lives and our travels, so it was also fun to chat and compare experiences. The tour was really relaxed but at the same time very informative for all 4 of us. We saw some spots, which we would have surely missed if we had explored on our own. Tiro dropped us off by the restaurants next to the river, where we also had a delicious lunch. Great morning in Kyoto!Great walk and talk!

Travis

(About local Yoshihiro)

7 September 2025

We had such a great time with Ted walking through Kyoto! He promptly reached out to us prior to the tour/ after we signed up to introduce himself. We felt we could ask him any questions to help us prepare. Based off what we wanted out of the trip, he constructed a great day that matched exactly what we wanted to see. He was respectful, professional, and knowledgeable on his history. He was also very genuine!! He recommended us great restaurants for the remainder of our trip. Thank you for being so welcoming and showing us your city!! Ill be recommending to all my friends and will be contacting when I’m back :) A spectacular tour through Kyoto!!

Sandra

(About local Sebastian)

6 September 2025

We had a great trip with Sebastian to Ōsaka on our way back to the airport. Everything went smoothly - from the planning and communication in advance, the pick up at our hotel in Kyōto, the impressions of Ōsaka we were able to get to the drop off at Ōsaka airport. Sebastian shared much of his rich knowledge with us so that we got a lot of new impressions. It is not the cheapest way to explore Ōsaka but yet highly recommended!Great trip to Osaka

L Fay

(About local Eiji)

5 September 2025

Eiji was a delight. He communicated in advance well, was on time and kept us on time. He was helpful with our non-tour-related questions and shared his knowledge and experiences clearly. Eiji is obviously proud of his adopted city, Kyoto, and we'd be happy to go with him again. Well-paced, informative & tour

beate🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local RYUKI )

2 September 2025

Ryuki was an excellent guide in Kyoto – insightful, attentive to stories and to our needs, and generous with tips for the rest of our trip. He made the city come alive in a personal way, and we give him our warmest recommendation.Insightful and Memorable Tour with Ryuki

Caroline🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Jessica)

2 September 2025

Jessica was very kind and gave me a bottle of gluten free soy sauce to take on the rest of my trip. We had a sake tasting in a very special little place and tried some Kobe beef as well. Jessica explained customs and etiquette to us as we went. We learned a lot on our tasting tour. Fabulous and catered for gluten free

Dimitri🇺🇸 United States

(About local Simone)

2 September 2025

We had a wonderful time touring Osaka with Simone. What a personable guide! He was truly indefatigable considering that it was an unbelievably hot day at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. He kept up a running dialog about all the sights he shared with us and it was clear he had a real love for Japan and was eager to share the special places of Osaka with us. We never felt rushed and he was so attentive to our needs, especially my wife who had some trouble with the heat. Very highly recommended!!Great introduction to Osaka with Simone

John🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

1 September 2025

My wife and I toured Gion in Kyoto with Eijii. I strongly recommend him. He is knows the city and its history very well. He is very kind and friendly - fun to be with. I had many questions about Kyoto history and culture as well as general questions about modern day Japan. I very much appreciated his answers and our conversation. He also gave us some excellent advice on other sites to see during our time in Japan. You would enjoy a tour with Eijii!Eijii is a great tour guide

Michel🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Simone)

1 September 2025

We had a fantastic time last night on our food tour with Simone. Simone was really knowledgeable on every aspects of Osaka. The food was really good and it gave us a real appreciation for the food scene in Osaka. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the experience. I hope to get the chance to do this all over with Simone on our next trip to Japan. Ciao Simone and thank you for making this a really fun experienceOsaka food tour with Simone

Mark🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Eiji)

1 September 2025

Eiji was very informative as you would expect guides to be on this platform but his ability to add in the extra details that appealed to me, architecture / sport / music details and ensured i did not miss the perfect photo opportunity was outstanding. beyond the normal touristy details

Kim🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Eiji)

31 August 2025

Eiji was the perfect guid. Well thought out tour. Great bits of insight into the culture. Eiji was easy to talk to and both my son and I really enjoyed the tour. What a great thing to do.

Sara🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

30 August 2025

We had an amazing experience with Eiji in Kyoto. He was so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed trying foods we would never have tried unless Eiji had suggested it, and everything was delicious! We highly recommend this experience. Absolutely fantastic!

Maria

(About local Simone)

28 August 2025

We had an amazing guided tour of Kyoto’s main temples with Simone. He was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and always willing to answer our questions. What we appreciated the most was his openness in sharing insights about Japanese culture and traditions, making the experience not just informative but truly engaging. Thanks to his explanations, we were able to understand the deeper meaning behind the temples and rituals. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to discover Kyoto with someone passionate and attentive!A great japanese experience with Simone

Dominique🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Yoshihiro)

25 August 2025

We enjoyed very much the tour with Yoshihido. He gave the tour a personal touch and we learned a lot from him. Excellent gyided tour

Mária

(About local Guia)

21 August 2025

Jack🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Hiroki)

18 August 2025

Me and my wife had an amazing food tour around Osaka with Hiroki. We tried a number of specialities of the city, and Hiroki’s knowledge of the food scene led us to some really special places to eat, some of which we would not have experienced without this tour. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants to throw themselves in to the cuisine of Osaka.Fantastic experience with Hiroki

monika.wagner.paf🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Yoshihiro)

18 August 2025

Our guide was very nice and gave us a really good time in Kyoto. He was very kind and well informed about everything we wanted to know about the town and history. He also helped us with a reservation in a spezial keiseki restaurant. Thank you very much. we were 6 people, the price was a little bit high for 3 hours 310 €.Umfassende, sehr persönliche Betreung

Stepan🇷🇸 Serbia

(About local RYUKI )

16 August 2025

I had a great time exploring Kyoto with Ryuki, he knows and navigates the area expertly - giving insights on even the smallest of details. It was very interesting to particularly chat about the history of Kyoto and its shrines/temples, a true professional of his work! The only sad part is that I didn’t book a longer tour, otherwise it was AMAZING. Thank you very much Ryuki for the tour and I hope I will visit Kyoto soon enough to explore even more of it!Great and fun tour with Ryuki!

f56b4bfpg5

(About local Sebastian)

16 August 2025

Sebastian helped us to know the city and realize the culture and meanings behind everything. The bicycle was comfortable and we enjoy the ride. Beautiful views. The tour could be a little bit shorter. Great experience!!!

Karol🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Yoshihiro)

16 August 2025

3h tour with Yoshihiro at the beginning of our Kyoto adventure gave us great insights into Kyoto culture, Kabuki history and religious context. Exactly whether we needed! Local stories and family atmosphere. Taste of Kyoto Culture

Kurt

(About local Simone)

15 August 2025

Simone met us on time and with a cheerful greeting. His English is excellent, and he has deep knowledge of food, sights, culture and is very engaging. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and he went well and beyond helping make our visit to Kobe memorable.Simone is a great guide

Irene Kanter🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Yoshihiro)

12 August 2025

Ted is extremely friendly and knowledgeable, he answered all our questions along the way and made sure to make the tour engaging for our teenage girls as well.Very nice tour!

jar0311

(About local Guia)

12 August 2025

The tour with Guia was really nice, fun and interesting. She has shared really a lot about the history and life itself in Japan, she has great knowledge about Kyoto. She’s very open and easy talking to. I really had a wonderful time with Guia exploring the beautiful historical places in Kyoto. I really recommend her as an experienced tour guide!Exploring historical Kyoto

Christoph🇩🇪 Germany

(About local RYUKI )

10 August 2025

Enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you, Ryuki and see you next time. Top notch

Rebecca🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Simone)

10 August 2025

Simone was excellent. We would highly recommend him for anyone looking for a tour in Osaka. He went above and beyond in preparing for our tour to meet the food allergies of our daughter. Everyone in our family had a fantastic memorable time. Osaka Food Tour

Douglas🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

8 August 2025

Eiji gave us a fun and informative day through Kyoto and its lesser known areas. He was a gracious and helpful guide who told some great stories, talked baseball, and made the day memorable.Great Tour of Kyoto

Mark🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Simone)

8 August 2025

On our last day in Japan, we had a wonderfull tour with Simone. In advance we had contact to tailor-made our tour and we eventually had a great day with Simone. He showed us several interesting places in Osaka and we had much fun. Not only knows Simone a lot but we had a great connection and time run by very fast because we had a lot of fun. He showed us how it is to live in Japan and how everyday life in Japan is. If you have the chance to book Simone, we highly recommand it. Thanks Simone!A wonderfull tour with a wonderfull guide

ginacambareri

(About local RYUKI )

8 August 2025

We had the best tour with Ryuki! He is a native of Kyoto and his family has been in Kyoto for 1000 years. He knows it’s history, it’s streets it’s food and most importantly the local customs. He can point things out that you would not otherwise be looking for. We had a great day with him so much so that we invited him to lunch with us at the end of our tour because he was so fun to hang out with! Could not recommend him more! Wonderful tour!

Harry🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Jessica)

6 August 2025

Jessica was fantastic & the food was great. Highly recomend.What a great wvening

Katarina🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Yoshihiro)

6 August 2025

We booked a private 90min Tour with Yoshihiro (Ted). Communication before our meeting was very easy. Ted was really great and so friendly. He gave us a nice Tour of Gion and answered our many questions. He also gave us many recommendations and asked where we were planning on going next. After the tour he sent us a lot of information on our next stops via Whatsapp! I can fully recommend booking a tour with him. Thank you so much for a great time!Fun and interesting Tour with Yoshihiro

Anne Lene

(About local Simone)

6 August 2025

We are super happy with the guided tour from Simone. He had a good overview and a great historical understanding of everything he showed us, as well as being very sympathetic, attentive and responsive. Overall he was a wonderfull guide and we can highly recommend Simone.We highly recommend Simone

Shay🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

3 August 2025

Look no further. It was a perfect day with Guia with Kyoto with my family including two kids. She showed us cool spots, history of Kyoto and Tokyo and a perfect end to our trip in KyotoBest day in Kyoto wiyu Guia

Ineke🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Eiji)

1 August 2025

Eiji is a super guide! We loved the bicycle tour and all the ins and outs of Kyoto and the nice pictures Eiji made (and send us afterwards). Many thanks! Great experience