• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Welcome to Kyoto! Want to know the best places to eat? Cool events in town? Which places to go to and which to avoid? Or simply get some help to navigate the city? Book this private tour with a local and get the perfect introduction to Kyoto to start your city trip on the right foot.

Destination

Kyoto, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

1.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 中文, العربية, Français, 日本語

Included

• Private Guide
• Local Tips & Tricks
• City Orientation
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 6 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 At the entrance of the Tohka Saikan building - 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. City Highlights

   See the Kenninji temple, Yasaka Shrine, and more landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots of the city so you can get the perfect introduction to what makes Kyoto so special

4. Local Hot Spots

   Along the way, your host will point out hangout spots and hidden gems that only the locals know about and will help you get acquainted with the city in the most local way possible

5. Food Recommendations

   Receive tailored recommendations according to your taste and where to go and what to eat while visiting Kyoto. Avoid tourist traps thanks to your local host!

6. City Orientation

   Learn how to navigate the city, and get the answers to your Kyoto questions that will help you in the following days making your time in the city much easier

7. 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

Bonnie

(About local Eiji)

28 February 2025

Eiji came highly recommended and we were very pleased. He gave interesting information without overwhelming us.A pleasant and knowledgeable tour guide

Kelly

(About local Eiji)

27 January 2025

Very insightful- very kind and showed us around the city at night. Took great photos as well of us as another perk!! Wonderful tour!Wonderful tour!!

MaryAnne🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Yoshihiro)

12 January 2025

Yoshihiro (Ted) changed our meeting point closer to our hotel which was very kind. We learnt a lot about how to get around and some local history in our 1.5hr tour. Ted even went out of his way to get us to the markets at the end of our tour. A friendly local guide. Great start to Kyoto

John

(About local Guia)

30 December 2024

She’s a great person and a great guide and really knows her stuff. I’m really glad that I spent the time with her and it was a short tour, but I got a lot out of it!Local soulful knowledgeable!

Celeste🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

26 December 2024

Guia was wonderful, helping us orient ourselves on our first day. She adapted instantly to our interests, telling us cultural and historical information. As we walked through the market, she pointed out the best foods and products. It was like visiting a friend who lives in a foreign city—comfortable and warm. Thank you!Like being with a friend

Assaf

(About local Shohei)

23 December 2024

Gabe🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

23 December 2024

Sasha

(About local Eiji)

11 December 2024

Thank you a lot Eiji for such a wonderful walk. Eiji is very friendly and open local guide. He showed us some of the must see spots in Kyoto and few hidden jams. We learned a lot about Japanese culture and about the city itself. Besides that we just had a great time and as a bonus received so many beautiful pictures as a memory. A wonderful walk in Kyoto

Unknown

(About local Eiji)

7 December 2024

Eiji, is a really nice and friendly guide. He had a program in mind of where we should go, which was great, as being new to Kyoto, some guidance is really helpful 😅. Besides, we had a lot of questions about the Japanese culture, history, traditions, and he answered all of them. He's a great guide and and our times was really enjoable.Friendly, knowledgeable and fun

Toby

(About local Shohei)

6 December 2024

We had a wonderful tour around Kyoto with Shohei! Shohei was really informative and gave us great pointers for after the tour too! We would highly recommend for everyone to book in with Shohei! Great Tour Full of Gems

Judith 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Yoshihiro)

25 November 2024

Ted was a wonderful guide who know explanations to everything we wanted to know- since this is out first time in Japan, it was a lot:) he was very kind, very patient, very entertaining and had very good recommendations for our whole stay in Kyoto - Perfect Information in a Brief but still relaxed way. Until next time, Ted! Simply perfect

Claire🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Yoshihiro)

18 November 2024

Ted was a terrific local guide. We communicated well and everything worked perfectly. He took me to the places I wanted to see and explained a lot of history and points of interest. I just wanted more time A great introduction to Kyoto

Karin🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Yoshihiro)

14 November 2024

Ted was an amazing guide. He speaks very well English and answered all of our questions. The tour was great to get a good first impression of Kyoto of and even after our tour he was still available for questions and advice. 100% recommendWhat a great way to explore Kyoto!

Mary Ellen 🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Maha)

13 November 2024

Maha was so helpful and friendly. Really enjoyed our time with her. We spent a couple of hours with her in Gion. She helped plan the rest of our time in Kyoto. Very knowledgeable. Lovely person. Afternoon tour in Gion

Margaret🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Maha)

9 November 2024

Maha was a delightful guide to some interesting temples and a wonderful old area with street food and beautiful houses. She encouraged us to go back at night and we were glad we did. The lighting of the huge Pagoda was magical. As wonderful walking tour with Maha

Andrea🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Yoshihiro)

7 November 2024

This is my first visit to Japan and I so I booked the 90 minutes Starter Tour with Ted. Communication via WhatsApp was easy, tourstart was very much on time. I enjoyed his explanations and benefited greatly from his knowledge. Besides from walking me around he answered all my questions, gave me helpful ideas what to do in Kyoto and even sent me links via WhatsApp after the tour. Thank you for making the start in this fascinating city easy Ted. Highly recommendedPerfect start of my Kyoto stay

Ambita🇮🇳 India

(About local Eiji)

4 November 2024

Fun, knowledgeable , kind , accommodating, flexible, and the MOST wonderful person to see Kyoto with. Kyoto through his eyes is magical. The only way to see Kyoto. THE most authentic experience. Thank you Eiji. You made our trip so so special!The master!

Christine therese🇵🇭 Philippines

(About local Guia)

4 November 2024

Time was short but Guia gave a great over view of the history and culture of Gion . She has a good vibe and was considerate of the difference in ages in our travel group. She was very helpful in sharing with us the Dos and Donts and even helped us get a dinner reservation since we were a big group of 8 . Great introduction for the area

Kathleen🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Eiji)

1 November 2024

Eiji was so friendly and full of fun facts during our 1.5hr walk. We saw places we may have missed on our own, and learnt so much, it was amazing how much Eiji fit into our short time. He very kindly went at our slower pace and took lovely photos for us at every opportunity. We chatted about travel and family and got to know a little bit about him too. We could have spent much longer, the time flew by. Thank you Eiji for a great tour!Interesting & entertaining walk with Eiji

Joseph 🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Yoshihiro)

21 October 2024

Ted was a super guide. Knowledgeable, pleasant and lovely company. Id most certainly recommend him to anybody! JoeExcellent Tour in Kyoto

amy🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Shohei)

18 October 2024

My teenage daughter and I had a wonderful experience with Shohei. We explored the streets of Gion while also gaining insights into cultural and historical aspects of Kyoto. Shohei is a wealth of knowledge and we had great conversations that gave us much deeper appreciation of the beautiful city that we were in. Shohei is also very friendly and entertaining and I’d highly recommend him. Informative and entertaining

gary🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

7 October 2024

What an awesome, “kick start” tour with Eiji through busy Gion and surrounding areas. Eiji was very accommodating and knowledgeable of the places we visited. We even were so lucky to see 7 geisha/maiko in the busy Gion district that evening! He even walked us to our dinner restaurant that evening tucked away in Pontocho district. Very nice gentleman and would highly recommend him as a guide. Bring your walking shoes as lots of walking and hilly areas in Higashiyama district. Great value for price paid. Great experience with Eiji

Roberta

(About local Shohei)

1 October 2024

We had an amazing day with Shohei and actually we booked an extra short tour with him upon arrival in kyoto. We saw the major sights, took lots of photos, had lunch together at a very local spot, and he even helped us get a bus ticket to the Osaka airport for our departure the next day. He was very easy and enjoyable to talk with and his knowledge of japan was great. He enjoys giving tours and loves japan. We learned so much and would highly recommend. Kyoto extraordinary experience

Neil🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Shohei)

27 September 2024

Shohei was extremely friendly , enthusiastic and knowledgeable in our quick first day tour in Kyoto. It's a good way to get your bearings and understand what areas you would like to return to later in your stay in the City. He also kindly gave some great advice for restaurants and other places to visit. Highly recommended tour guide.Great way to start in Kyoto

Thomas🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Yoshihiro)

25 September 2024

Ted was very pleasant and helpfull. He could answer all our questions and understood what we need. I think it’s an advantage that he is Japanese but with working experience in other countries. He gave us useful tips (philosopher pad, bamboo forest…) and we only can promote him to book him. He is really a nice guy. So thank you very much Ted 🙏 Excellent guided tour

Louisa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Eiji)

22 September 2024

Thanks Eji for a fantastic night time tour of Kyoto. Eji knew all the secret lanes and best photo spots, and also answered all our questions - with knowledge and insight. We even saw a geisha during our walk and I’m sure it was Eji’s good vibes which conjoured her! Arigato for a beautiful atmospheric evening. A beautiful night!

Lorraine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

16 September 2024

My son and I took a walking tour with Ted Yoshihiro on our first full day in Kyoto. Ted was very knowledgeable and provided many insights and tips on how to take in the city. We learned a lot! More than that, Ted is a warm and friendly guide who took time to get to know us and connect on a personal level. We really enjoyed the tour & visiting with him! Japanese culture intro

Gil🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

18 August 2024

Guia was a pleasure to meet and to take this tour with. She is smart, funny and engaging, and extremely knowledgeable about local customs and Kyoto. It was a pleasure taking this tour with her!A terrific tour with a an excellent guide

Briana🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

9 August 2024

We had a great tour with Ted. He was so friendly and knowledgeable. He showed us some spots we would have missed otherwise and the only thing I might change was the timing of the tour to later in the day as many places were not yet open and our tour was 9-10:30. When choosing a guide, you should plan for a good experience with Ted. Great tour!

Judith

(About local Shohei)

7 August 2024

We had a great evening walk with Shohei. He was extremely competent, knowledgable, entertaining and a great communicator. It was amazing how much ground we could cover on a 1,5 hour tour. Most important we got so see areas of Kyoto that we would never have found ourselves. We highly recommend this guide for a starting tour in Kyoto. Great Kyoto guided evening tour

Manuel🇫🇷 France

(About local Yoshihiro)

5 August 2024

Perfect way to get a first orientation discovering Kyoto by foot. Organized and very kowledgeable. Very good English communication before, during and after the tour to help us with recommendations Perfect start

Joshua

(About local Guia)

7 July 2024

My wife and I had Guia as our Intro to Kyoto guide, and she was excellent. We met in Gion and went to Nijo Castle for a lovely and thorough tour. She even showed us what snacks to try in the gift shop. Guia spoke perfect English which allowed for the castle tour to be in depth and informative. She also gave us several other recs for where to eat and what to do. We used her dinner rec and it was absolutely incredible. Would 10/10 recommend! Excellent English Speaking Guide to Kyoto!

shelly🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

18 June 2024

Loved our all to quick tour w Shohei. He had great energy and enthusiasm and was a wealth of information. Fun to hang out with as well. Can’t say enough good things about him!!!Great guide!!!!

Dawn🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

24 May 2024

Guia provided a great kick starter tour of Kyoto! It was fun and informative and Guia provided some great recommendations based on our interests. She has a great knowledge of Kyoto and its history. Would definitely recommend Guia!Great tour and tour guide!

Meher🇮🇳 India

(About local Sebastian)

6 May 2024

Sebastian was very nice. He planned a lovely hike at the Fushimi Inari Shrine for the 7 of us. He was very patient with us and planned it accordingly to our group. Good experience

Natalie 🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Yoshihiro)

27 April 2024

Ted was a wonderful tour guide who gave us the history of Kyoto which I found very interesting. He showed us some of the Gion area and explained how the Geisha and Meikos work, study and live. I found that very fascinating. It was the perfect amount of time and I highly recommend Ted to anyone visiting Kyoto. He also recommended a famous Ramen restaurant at the train station for us that night as we were heading to Tokyo. And it did not disappoint. Best ramen I’ve had! Delightful and insightful

Kersti🇪🇪 Estonia

(About local Shohei)

14 April 2024

Shohei was very friendly and easy to talk to. We had a lovely tour that helped us understand and see Kyoto in a more knowledgable way than before. I thought I knew quite a bit about Japan, but I learned so many more fun facts, especially about Kyoto and the shrines here. The tour was very fun but it was over too fast (at least it felt that way!). A bundle of joy with fun facts

A.🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Eiji)

3 April 2024

Unsere vierstündige Tour durch Kyoto mit Eiji war ein absolutes Highlight. Eiji führte uns nicht nur zu atemberaubenden, ruhigen Kirschblüten-Spots, sondern teilte auch sein tiefes Wissen über japanische Bräuche. Seine Fähigkeit, uns abseits der Massen zu führen und dabei die Geschichte und Kultur Kyotos lebendig werden zu lassen, machte unseren Besuch besonders eindrucksvoll. Ein besonderes Plus waren Eijis fotografische Fähigkeiten. Er hielt wunderschöne Momente fest und schickte uns die Fotos, was eine schöne Erinnerung an unsere Zeit in Kyoto ist. Auch seine Restaurantempfehlungen waren herausragend, sie ermöglichten uns tiefe Einblicke in die japanische Küche. Kurz gesagt, Eiji bot uns eine tiefgreifende, persönliche Erfahrung Kyotos. Seine herzliche Art und sein Engagement für das Wohl seiner Gäste machten die Tour zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis. Wir empfehlen Eiji wärmstens als Guide. Danke für die wundervolle Zeit!Unvergessliches Kyoto mit Eiji

Gemma🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

2 April 2024

My mom and I recently went on a tour with Ted our first day in Kyoto. Ted helped give us advice on our itinerary while we are here and showed us a few of the sighting in the Gion district. I couldn’t recommend doing this tour enough to start off your time. Ted was an amazing guide and even sent us links/recommendations to events happening and restaurants in the area before our trip! Take a tour with Ted!

Tanya🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Eiji)

31 March 2024

We are very happy with our tour with Eiji. He told us many interesting things about Kyoto and its history and traditions. What a great start of our visit in this city! Thank you, Eiji, for your time!😊An amazing start of our visit in Kyoto

Naomi🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Shohei)

31 March 2024

Shohei welcomed us warmly to Kyoto and helped us find our feet, our bearings and some lovely little secret local spots! Our stay in Kyoto has been special and fun, thanks to Shohei’s hospitality and expertise! Thanks Shohei!! Friendly, vibrant, informative!

Castallo 🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Maha)

25 March 2024

Maha è una persona gentile disponibile e preparata, che ci ha preparato un percorso molto interessante nel breve tempo che avevamo a disposizione. La raccomandiamo caldamenteCi siamo trovati molto bene

Amber🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

17 February 2024

Ted was absolutely great. He was not only knowledgeable and super helpful during our tour, but went above and beyond before and after. Prior to our tour, he shared a list of his favorite restaurants categorized by food type and sent us so much follow up information after our tour based on the topics we discussed. It’s really nice to go around the city with someone who can point out things you would never notice wandering alone. 10/10 would recommend! The sweetest person ever!CHOOSE TED

tatiana

(About local Shohei)

25 January 2024

Nos encanto el tour y Shohei fue un gran guía. Lo super recomendamos. Excelente!

Sujata🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

31 December 2023

I had a great tour with Shohei! What I learnt from him kept coming back to me as I spent a week I Kyoto and was immensely helpful. Shohei was very communicative, and gave good directions about where to meet. His narration about the city was the right blend of history, culture and recommendations for me. Highly recommend!Great Kickstart to Kyoto

hollymccfit

(About local Eiji)

14 December 2023

Our experience with the guide was exceptional. Brimming with insightful information, he expertly navigated us through the most scenic shortcuts to the area's top attractions. Not only did he pinpoint the ideal photo spots, but he also enthusiastically snapped numerous photos for us. The tour, albeit brief, left us yearning for more. We wholeheartedly recommend this perfect, 10/10 experience!Superb guide/ tour, highly recommend!

Tim🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

13 December 2023

Ted-San was a remarkable tour guide and went above and beyond. He gave us such a great history of the city and also tips and guides for discovering more during our stay here! Could not recommend him more! Thank you! Kyoto Tour

Molly🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

15 November 2023

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Shohei through Gion area. I was with my 6-year old and my partner, who is not much of a walker. Somehow Shohei matched our differing needs perfectly throughout the 90 minutes—great pace, very interesting stories. Not too much info., just enough, to remember all that was shared. We will definitely cherish our tour with Shohei as a great memory of our Kyoto trip. Percectly-paced tour

Natalia🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Yoshihiro)

6 November 2023

Ted’s kickstarter tour was a great start to our trip in Kyoto. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and made the tour entertaining. Ted had lots of suggestions for us and the rest of our time in Kyoto, going over and above anything we expected 😊 we would highly recommend Ted - we wish we had more time to book on one of his longer tours! Thank you so much for a great time!Excellent time with a friendly guide!

Patty🇰🇭 Cambodia

(About local Yoshihiro)

14 October 2023

Ted was an absolutely fantastic guide, we were very lucky to tour Kyoto with him. He kept our kids engaged the entire time while also providing us with very interesting historical and cultural information. Ted tailored the experience specifically to us and gave us exactly what we were looking for. He was kind, funny, and a joy to spend a couple of hours with. We also required some help later on in our trip and he went out of his way to help us! I highly recommend Ted for anyone looking to learn more about Kyoto!Fantastic experience, excellent guide