• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Kyoto? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Kyoto!

Destination

Kyoto, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 日本語, 中文, العربية, Français, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• Entrance Tickets to the Kodaji Temple
• 1 Local Drink or Snack
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to other attractions than mentioned

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 at the entrance of the Minamiza Theatre, next to Gion Shijo station - 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 from Yasaka-Jinja Shrine, Gion Area, Kodaji Temple, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Kyoto so unique

4. Hidden Gems

   Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

5. Magical Storytelling

   Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

6. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

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

Repa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Sebastian)

25 April 2025

Our tour of Kyoto with Sebastian was very interactive and engaging. He's very knowledgeable about Japanese culture more broadly and Kyoto culture in particular. Very knowledgeable

Debbie

(About local Shohei)

24 April 2025

Early walk through old Kyoto which was beautiful & atmospheric. Stunning but peaceful gardens, awesome temples, a way of living at one with nature & your environment. Loved it all. Even got an amazing coffee! Shohei brought great perspectives, charm & fun.Kyoto at its best 👌

Julia🇯🇵 Japan

(About local RYUKI )

24 April 2025

We had a fantastic tour with Ryuki today! He is truly a local who knows his history and was full of helpful recommendations for what to do during our remaining days in Kyoto. He also helped us with ideas for the rest of our Japan trip. And, he took great photos :) We would highly recommend him!!!An AMAZING tour with Ryuki!

Rikard🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Shohei)

23 April 2025

We met this nice guy and had three wonderful hours full with interesting stories about Kyoto’s history combined with modern life in Japan. Shohei is very knowledgeable about history and presented it in a relaxed way. Thanks for a memorable afternoon AoRInteresting and relaxed

Andrew🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Eiji)

21 April 2025

Naomi

(About local Shohei)

21 April 2025

We were a group of adults and teenage boys. Before we left for Japan I was in touch with Shohei about the tour. He always responded promptly and was flexible about what the tour was going to cover. Shohei was knowledgeable and fun. He was able to enagage both the teenagers and adults. As well as the tour he gave useful advice about other things we might want to do in Kyoto, given our interests. They all proved to be spot on. We planned to do a day trip from Kyoto. He gave us advice about how to navigate the trains and buses. We couldn't have done the day trip without his help!

Nani and Manuel🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Yoshihiro)

20 April 2025

Ted was incredibly kind, polite, and warm-hearted. He shared so many interesting stories and facts with us, and his passion made everything even more special. We truly enjoyed our time with him – such a lovely person!History of Kyoto with Ted

Heather

(About local Guia)

20 April 2025

Guia gave us a wonderful tour in Kyoto - she was warm and personable. She was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. The kids are still bringing up things they learned from Guia today on the tour. Guia was deft at giving a tour that met the needs of an age range of 11 yrs old to 54 years old. Guia is the perfect tour guide

Elena🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Shohei)

19 April 2025

Shohei is a wonderful person and guide. He is is positive and knowledgeable person. We spend nice . It was really interesting to listen his stories. Highly recommended!Amazing

Darren🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

18 April 2025

Just want to send a shout out to Ted. We booked a simple walking tour with him on our first morning in Kyoto. Weather was great, sakura were still in bloom, and luckily the crowds weren't too big. To top it off, Ted did a great job of providing context to us as we walked through Gion, Chionin Temple, and Maruyama Park, ending at the Yasaka Shrine. He then dropped us off at a nice soba and tempura restaurant, which the family was craving. Wish we could've done/seen a little more within the tour, but that's probably a good indicator. Not to mention the next two days in Kyoto our kids were asking if we were going to bump into Ted again and were actively looking through the crowds for him =). Great first Kyoto experience with the fam

Unknown

(About local Shohei)

16 April 2025

Had an amazing experience with Shohei, learnt a lot from him. It was a fun & engaging tour. Highly recommended

Sarah

(About local Eiji)

16 April 2025

Eiji was fantastic. He took us to see a few temples of Kyoto and expertly guided us through the streets, stopping off for some street food along the way. He was very kind and patient with our kids (nearly 3, 6 and 8) who aren’t always the easiest! He was informative and friendly and easy to talk to, explaining to us about the many temples of Kyoto, pointing out details like the little gargoyle protectors on houses. He took some great photos of us which he sent us right after the trip and gave us some tips for a rainy day. It was lovely to meet him and spend that time exploring with a guide - especially as we visited at a busy time and we would have struggled to navigate it all. Thank you so much Eiji! Brilliant guide of Kyoto

Samantha

(About local Shohei)

15 April 2025

We loved the tour with Shohei. He was knowledgeable, interesting and humorous. Would highly recommend him as a guide. Great tour in Kyoto

Michael

(About local RYUKI )

15 April 2025

Ryuki, was a late stand-in for our selected guide Guia who was unavailable for our tour. Ryuki was an enthusiastic tour guide who introduced us to some hidden gems of Kyoto around the Gion region. He is a local born guy who had some interesting facts and history of the area and the sights we visited. It was a wet day but we pressed on and saw Kodaiji Temple, Yasaka Shrine where we were introduced to the prayer technique of a Shrine vs a Temple. We passed through Shimokawaracho area and the bamboo gardens. Ryuki, took many photos for us which used techniques on the iPhone that were new to us - with some impressive results. The stroll down Ninen-zaka Path was colourful in the rain and passed the Hokan-ji Temple. In all an interesting introduction to some of the history and culture of Kyoto. Thank you Ryuki Interesting introduction to Kyoto

Renarta🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Yoshihiro)

11 April 2025

Ted was very flexible with our tour given our children and showed us some key sights of Kyoto. He also shared some great recommendations for later in our trip. Lovely host

Dmitri🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

7 April 2025

Ted was great. Knowlegeable, easy going, great with our kids. Someone you want to spend the day sightseeing with.Quality time

Katie

(About local Yoshihiro)

5 April 2025

Ted was punctual and very good at communicating prior to our tour. He gave us detailed information on the tour about Kyoto and the history and cultural events. Plus, he felt like a friend and was so kind and courteous and went above and beyond to help us figure out some plans for that evening and the next day. Ted went above and beyond!

Anna

(About local Eiji)

1 April 2025

We had the most amazing tour of Kyoto with Eiji! Eiji is such an attentive and captivating guide. He brought us in hidden treasure places, and sure knows Kyoto and its history like no one else. On top of that: he took the most amazing pictures of us during the entire tour so we have nice memories. Thank you so much Eiji ! Enchanting Kyoto visit with Eiji

John

(About local Shohei)

27 March 2025

We spent a wonderful afternoon with Shohei in historic Kyoto. He was very conscious of our mobility issues and found easy paths, steps and stairs for us to navigate. Although he has a deep knowledge of the city and the sites we visited he was able to keep his presentation at an easily understood level. Altogether, a perfect host.

Stacey🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

27 March 2025

We had a very enjoyable morning touring the historic area of Kyoto. Shohei tailored our tour to our group of five - my husband and I and our three adult sons. He peppered our tour with so much interesting history and alerted us to hidden details all throughout the tour. He also shared his recommendations of where we should go after the tour (restaurants, coffee places etc) We highly recommend him to English-speaking groups. Shohei hit it out of the park!

Matt🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

26 March 2025

Shohei was a great tour guide and was extremely knowledgeable on the history of the temples we saw. His knowledge is the exact reason you would book a tour like this. It’s one thing to walk an area or temple and look around, it’s another thing to listen to the history or how and why they exist. I’d highly recommend booking with Shohei. Fantastic tour

Pam

(About local Shohei)

25 March 2025

Our tour with Shohei was wonderful. We learned so much about the history and culture of the city and really appreciated his guidance through the temples and shrines of the area. He also gave us some great tips on things to check out on our own!Beautiful day in Kyoto

Bridget

(About local Shohei)

21 March 2025

Shohei was a fabulous guide. He was relaxed and easy to relate to but had a plan and method to make the most of our time. He speaks English and related well with us adults and our teen daughter. He shared great insights and pointed out interesting details that helped us better appreciate the sights we visited. Most importantly, he seemed to know all the secret ways to enter VERY busy sights where there was little to no traffic and very few people. We called it the Shohei Way and looked for ways to do the same thing the rest of our trip! Lastly, he shared lots of tips for the rest of our travels, including restaurant recommendations! Thank you Shohei! The Shohei Way

Unknown

(About local Yoshihiro)

17 March 2025

Had so much fun with Yoshihiro. Kind, energetic, and informative. He led us through a lovely day in Kyoto. Would recommend to anyone. Great tour!

Erich🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Yoshihiro)

10 March 2025

Ted was a perfect host on our tour. He was well prepared and told us a lot of stories about Kyoto‘s history and Japan’s religions. He is so polite and helped us with our further plans in and around Kyoto.Wonderful experience in Kyoto

Janet

(About local Yoshihiro)

9 March 2025

We spent a wonderful afternoon with Ted who is interesting, funny and very thoughtful. He went above and beyond in helping us get to know and feel at home in Kyoto. In addition to a great tour he was very gracious in providing recommendations and helpful tips. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and very highly recommend!Fantastic tour witj Yoshihiro (Ted!)

Kristyn

(About local Shohei)

1 March 2025

Shohei is a great story teller with a lot of knowledge about shrines in Kyoto. Since it was our second time in Kyoto, he did a good job showing us hidden gems that were new to us. If you would like him to take photos of your group, you will definitely have to ask in contrast to other With Locals guides I’ve experienced who are on top of this themselves. Kyoto Storytelling

Paula🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

26 February 2025

Sho was an amazing tour guide. He was good at communicating and was flexible when we were running late. The 3 hours flew by and we learned so much about Kyoto. Sho was very knowledgeable but also honest about if he didn’t know an answer to a question. We highly recommend taking a tour with Sho and wouldn’t hesitate to do another one with him!One of the best tours!

Henry

(About local Yoshihiro)

26 February 2025

We cannot recommend Ted highly enough. His knowledge and enthusiasm was ever-present throughout our tour. He had clearly given much thought to the structure and content of the tour and was also very eager to know what we wanted out of the morning, and our time in Kyoto more generally. 10/10Fantastic morning in Kyoto

E

(About local Yoshihiro)

24 February 2025

Yoshi was very knowledgeable about both authentic Japanese culture, how it related to modern culture (both theater and movies), and gave great recommendations for local restaurants and shops that were both authentic and a good value. We love to support locals, during travels, and this was a great experience! Would highly recommend to anybody who comes to Japan.Amazing local experience

Robin🇫🇷 France

(About local Shohei)

20 February 2025

Our family of 4 (kids are 10&12) had a great walk with Shohei. He was very knowledgeable about the history of Kyoto and the Japanese culture, and even the kids stayed engaged. We really enjoyed seeing the temples and historical parts of town. We love tours with the WithLocals guides and our tour with Shohei was no exception. Our snack stop for matcha 🍵 cappuccinos and mochi was delicious. Thanks 🙏 for a wonderful experience!Great tour for history and culture

Reid🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

16 February 2025

Yoshihiro (or Ted to us Americans) is an excellent and knowledgable guide. He gave us a comprehensive view of Buddhist, Shinto, and secular traditions in Kyoto, has wide ranging knowledge of the city's art and history, and showed us the culture on a deeper level than most guides. He's also a very pleasant and fun guy. He also led us to an great tempura restaurant after and gave us some nice recommendations for other parts of our trip. I would highly recommend Ted to anyone visiting Kyoto.Great Experience with Ted

Synnove

(About local Yoshihiro)

4 February 2025

Ted took us through the artistically startup journey led by the female with a sword - he gave insightful story telling linked to the Geisha neighborhood. The guiding towards temples and shrines gave us a good basis for continuing to visit more interesting places in Kyoto. Thank you Ted!Kyoto insights

Phillip

(About local Yoshihiro)

27 January 2025

I had an excellent informative tour with Ted!Great tour!

Paul

(About local Shohei)

9 January 2025

My son and I experienced a relaxed yet informative tour of Kyoto. Great depth of knowledge. Thoroughly recommended to start a stay in beautiful Kyoto A great Kyoto experience

Mathilde

(About local Maha)

6 January 2025

Nous avons passé une super après-midi avec Maha, qui nous a fait découvrir Kyoto et qui a adapté la visite à nos enfants (4 ans et 7 ans). Super expérience avec une guide enthousiaste et qui connait très bien la ville et la culture japonaise.Super visite de Kyoto avec nos enfants

Guy🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Guia)

4 January 2025

We loved our tour with Guia. She showed us the main shrine and the surrounding markets and explained the role of geisha and the training involved. Whilst we didn’t see any geisha on their day off, she provided us with the details for a geisha performance and also arranged for us to attend a tea ceremony. Would definitely use her again, if we’re in Kyoto againAwesome tour with great guide

Ralph🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Guia)

31 December 2024

We had the pleasure of joining a guided tour in Kyoto with Guia, and it was an unforgettable experience. Guia was incredibly friendly, funny, and entertaining, making us feel comfortable and engaged from the start. Her deep knowledge of Kyoto’s rich history and culture was impressive, and she shared it in a way that was both informative and captivating. She took us to the most beautiful and iconic spots in the city, as well as a few hidden gems we would have never discovered on our own. The time flew by, and by the end of the tour, we all felt like we had not only learned a lot but also gained a genuine appreciation for Kyoto. If you’re looking for an amazing guide who can bring the city to life, Guia is the one to choose. Highly recommended!Great time, great city, great guide

cn66hs7gjb🇶🇦 Qatar

(About local Sebastian)

30 December 2024

I really enjoyed the tour, Sebastian knew a lot of information about Japanese history and culture, he was flexible and personalized the trip to suit us. We had a train to catch so wanted to finish the tour near our hotel and he planned it that way! He was kind & funny Enjoyed the tour

Anna🇫🇷 France

(About local Shohei)

29 December 2024

Shohei’s English is perfect. He is very knowledgeable, fun and the three hours tour went by too quickly! We cannot recommend Shohei enough. Don’t miss a tour with him.The best guide we had in Japan

Jamie

(About local Guia)

29 December 2024

My wife and I booked a half day walking tour of Kyoto with Guia. She was an excellent guide and produced a steady stream of fascinating information about Kyoto, its culture, traditions and landmarks which was just what we, as first time visitors to Kyoto, needed to start our visit here. Guia - you were a star. Thanks so much. Kyoto Tour with Guia

Courtney🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

28 December 2024

Shohei was right on top of communication with us in the days leading up to our tour, and he was responsive and flexible when our plans changed, which reduced our stress greatly. Shohei provided a great overview of Kyoto history and Buddhist practices, and this was greatly appreciated as we wanted to be sure we were respectful of customs. We really enjoyed our time with Shohei and recommend him highly.Well Informed!

Kara🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Guia)

28 December 2024

We had a great time touring Kyoto with Guia. We enjoyed her stories and she was great with my three kids. We enjoyed seeing some of the less crowded areas of Kyoto, and the kids had fun learning how to walk like ninjas. Her tour was accessible and leisurely paced - we took the stairs up to the temple, but there was a van available or a less steep path.Relaxed tour of Kyoto

Samantha🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Yoshihiro)

27 December 2024

We were a family of 5 and booked both a Hidden Gems and Food Tour with Yoshihiro (Ted) in December. Ted’s knowledge and engaging stories meant that both our tours were unique, fun, different to the run-of-the-mill guides and entertaining! We would absolutely recommend Ted as a guide for any Kyoto visitor Excellent Walking & Food Tours with Ted

Rachel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

26 December 2024

We are a family of five from Chicago and really enjoyed our experience with Shohei's guidance. He is curious and knowledgeable and able to answer questions in a creative and thorough way. He clearly loves Kyoto and we would highly recommendShohei is both likeable and knowledgeable

Pip

(About local Shohei)

3 December 2024

Shohei helped us get the lay of the land in Kyoto with the hidden gems tour - he gave us a good understanding of the history of the area, the basics of the Shinto and Buddhist belief systems, as well as showed us some of both the major and off the beaten path sites. He also generously shared his recommendations for food and drink throughout the city. Overall this was a great way to get introduced to the city at the start of our 3 day stay. We especially enjoyed the matcha latte break! Thanks Shohei!Friendly and knowledgeable!

Stuart

(About local Shohei)

30 November 2024

Shohei was very knowledgeable and pleasant. He showed us the preserved area that we would not have gone to on our own. We saw temples and shrines. The changing leaves were magnificent and we had plenty opportunities to take memorable photos.Osaka short tour

Anna🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

26 November 2024

We enjoyed walking around the area and adding structure to our day, but we found our tour guide underwhelming if not uncomfortable. At a shrine, he was speaking very loudly and using shockingly inappropriate (won't repeat here) language for any setting, particularly a shrine. It felt disrespectful for the area and also made us uncomfortable. We're definitely not strict or chaste people, we're young and have heard it all-- but this was too much for even us, on a tour of a quiet area of Japan, during our honeymoon. It continued throughout various parts of the tour. While I wish he had more info about some of the history etc of the shrines & temples, I understand maybe that's not what this tour was. Also the tour ran almost an hour long-- which threw off the schedule for the rest of the day. Totally understand things take a while, but if we needed to skip a section or move faster we would've appreciated a heads up; obviously my husband and I had no idea how long anything would take/where we were/etc. Our guide did introduce us to the most wonderful local ice cream, which we appreciated!Fine, could be better

Richard🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Shohei)

20 November 2024

Shohei is an excellent guide. He is very approachable, informative, and, most importantly, friendly. He answered all of our questions and speaks excellent English. This was a perfect introduction to the city, its history, and culture. Highly recommended.Enjoyable tour of Kyoto!

hutton.chris🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Yoshihiro)

13 November 2024

Ted was an amazing guide, even before our arrival. He provided us a fantastic list of restaurant options that we were able to reserve ahead, with every recommendation being some of our favourite meals of the entire trip. The hidden gems and stories from Ted were all fascinating and gave us a perfect overview of the city. He then left us with great ideas for what to do with our remaining days, including some excellent out of the way places where we could escape the crowds. We would highly recommend Ted and this tour to anyone. Best way to see Kyoto