• 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, Español, 中文, العربية, Français, 日本語

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 7 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

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

Fiona

(About local Yoshihiro)

6 November 2024

Yoshihiro is a great guide, we would highly recommend him. He has got a whole host of interesting local knowledge and stories. He adapted the tour to suit us and kept us in the shade wherever possible (it was August and 34 degrees!). It makes such a difference to have a tour guide and he is excellent.Fabulous tour guide

Randy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Shohei)

3 November 2024

Shohei gave us a great overview of the city and helped us understand more about the religion and culture of Japan and Kyoto. He was very upbeat and fun to spend time with. Great overview of the city

Claire

(About local Yoshihiro)

28 October 2024

Would recommend this tour to everyone, ideally soon after arriving in Kyoto as it was so useful. Thank you so much for such an informative walking tour Ted. You catered for all of our needs as a family with 2 children and kept everyone entertained and interested. We learnt about the Geisha culture which was fascinating. You showed us local culinary delights which were truly delicious - we will never forget sampling curry bread! An essential guide when exploring Kyoto

Edmund🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Yoshihiro)

26 October 2024

Thanks Ted, very interesting intro to Gion district and the way of life in Kyoto Great for Adults and Kids alike Kyoto introduction

Melanie

(About local Guia)

22 October 2024

We only had limited time in Kyoto, but we really feel we had the best experience from our tour with Guia. She was flexible and adjusted the tour to what we wanted to see. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to experience this amazing city. Perfect introduction to Kyoto

Maybritt🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Eiji)

20 October 2024

Eiji is a very friendly person und the tour with him was very pleasant. He gave a good insight to Kyoto and the culture. You can ask him everything, he is a very easygoing person. Thank you Eiji, it was a pleasure meeting you!Eiji rocks

Jarrod🇺🇸 United States

(About local Maha)

20 October 2024

Maha was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable and friendly. Had a great time walking through the main attractions of the tour and helped immensely on my upcoming itinerary for following days. This was the only tour I did in my time in Kyoto and it was definitely a highlight and my experience here was better because of it! Thank you Maha Great Day in Kyoto

nick 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Eiji)

18 October 2024

Eiji was a thoughtful and considerate host who clearly took pleasure in showing us the highlights of his home city. At our initial meeting place, he offered us the choice of one temple visit with a snack or two temple visits and we chose the latter. He helped us to understand the history and significance of Kennen-Ji, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. This was a tranquil and delightful place. Our next temple visit was to Kiyomizu-Dera, a spectacular location high in the hills. As it was a hot day and a long climb to the temple with many visitors in the narrow streets, two of our group opted not to continue. Perhaps WithLocals should make it clear that the walk does include a 20-25 minute continuous gradient to arrive at the temple. However those of us who did continue did enjoy the spectacular setting and architecture. Throughout our walk Eiji was an interesting and informative guide. He also took many photos of our group and sent them to us later for us to enjoy our memories of the day. A walk back in history

Larry🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

17 October 2024

We spent a nice morning with Ted touring local sites from Gion to temples to a park. Ted is extremely knowledgeable and eager to share the history and story of Kyoto and beyond. He was thoughtful. We also appreciated the tips he gave us for seeing other sights in the city which we have already benefitted from. Thanks Ted!Thank you Ted

Heather🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

14 October 2024

We had the most amazing time with Ted while visiting Kyoto. We loved all of his stories and knowledge which made our love for this city grow even more. I was amazed on how much we saw and how much we learned in such a short period of time. Ted was also very kind to inform us about the railway and subway systems since they are different than in Tokyo. He also helped us plan the rest of our time in Kyoto with great tips on where and when to see the top sights. We loved seeing the Thousand Torii gates at night! Thank you, Ted, for an unforgettable tour. We highly recommend you and look forward to touring with you again. Best Tour Guide in Kyoto

Dmitry

(About local Shohei)

6 October 2024

Rosanne

(About local Shohei)

30 September 2024

Our tour of Kyoto with Shohei has been the highlight of our first trip to Japan. His wealth of local knowledge and historical information were combined with his friendly manner and funny jokes for a wonderful, personalised experience for our family of 4 Aussies (2A and 2 teens 14/16). Best way to start your Kyoto experience- don’t miss out, book Shohei now! Thank you ShoheiBook Shohei Now! Best tour of Kyoto 😊

Klaudia🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Shohei)

29 September 2024

Shohei is a great tour guide! We can recommend him and his tour a lot, he is very knowledgeable, funny, kind and reliable. Getting to know details about Japan, the history, the living and people there is very interesting, especially from a local! We could ask whatever we were interested in and Shohei had a lot to talk about. It was a wonderful experience! Highly recommanded

Matthew

(About local Yoshihiro)

19 September 2024

Ted is so sweet, knowledgeable and fun. We had the best time! I highly recommended him to anyone. Ted is the best

Valentina🇷🇴 Romania

(About local Yoshihiro)

2 September 2024

Our group of 4 had a really enjoyable tour with Ted. On an increddibly hot day, we took our time through Kabuki history, Kyoto Geikos and Hanamachi and a wonderful explanation of Buddhism and Shintoism, while perusing temples and shrines. Thank you, Ted, our time passed by very pleasantly and we forgot about the weather. A really pleasant journey through history

Fiorella

(About local Eiji)

26 August 2024

Molto bravo e preparato Eiji e disponibile ad assecondare i nostri desideri e darci consigli validi per il nostro soggiorno a Kyoto. Giro stupendo

Anya🇺🇸 United States

(About local Guia)

22 August 2024

Guia was so knowledgeable and offered such knowledgeable and deep insights into Kyoto and Japanese culture generally. We learned so much during our walking tour. It was a super hot day, and Guia was very considerate of our 11-year old, not only engaged him with her stories but also treated us all to delicious matcha ice cream treats! I cannot recommend Guia highly enough!10

Oliver

(About local Shohei)

16 August 2024

10

Ellie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

13 August 2024

I was incredibly fortunate to have Ted as my guide during my short time in Kyoto. He was accommodating with my last-minute request to add another participant to the tour and made me feel comfortable from the start. Despite the particularly hot and humid day, Ted was patient with my frequent stops for water and bathroom breaks. He always adjusted the pace to suit me and provided insightful answers to my many questions (and I had plenty!). Even though it was one of Japan's busiest tourism days due to a national holiday, Ted made the tour feel special, helping us navigate around the crowds. He even joined me in shopping for a gift for my family! Our time together was wonderful, and we ended the tour with a prayer at a shrine—I truly felt like I made a friend. I highly recommend Ted to anyone visiting Kyoto, especially for exploring the historic district. He also offers food tours and bamboo forest tours, which I'm sure are just as excellent.Ted: Lively, Knowledgeable & Accommodating

Anna🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Yoshihiro)

31 July 2024

The tour was very interesting, Yoshihiro (Ted) was extremely well spoken and versed and has taught me a lot of interesting things about Japanese coulture. More than that he was very helpful before and after we had met, giving me suggestions about hotels to stay and what to visit in other places as well! Ted has a beautiful soul, he is a wonderful person and it was a delight to spend a couple of hours with him, would absolutely very highly recommend him.Beautiful tour with a beautiful soul

Roberto🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Eiji)

30 July 2024

Eiji has been a fantastic guide. He lets us visit the tipical (and also hidden) streets in Gjon as far as a Temple. He explained us how to pray in front of the altar and he answered to several questions we had about traditions and behaviours. After the visit at the shrine we took a taxi for visiting a tipical festival in Kyoto with very few turists and a lot local people: we did a little walk in the river water (very clean and fresh) and we have lighted a candle. We recommend Eiji as expert guide.3 hours walking in Kyoto

Ferran

(About local Yoshihiro)

17 July 2024

It was our first time in Kyoto. We highly recommend the tour with Yoshihiro (Ted), he explained the history of Kyoto while we were walking through quiet streets of Gion zone (better than the more crowded streets). We could feel the true essence of Kyoto and learn some important tips about japanese culture. Of course a private tour is more expensive than a group tour, but the personal attention of Ted worths it.First time in Kyoto

Bineeta

(About local Yoshihiro)

24 June 2024

Ted was a great host. We had to change the date of the tour due to double booking but Ted was very efficient before the day of the tour with restaurant recommendations. He gave the Gion district a great deal of historic significance and an insight into the geiko life. We were also taken to a wonderful temple and shrine that we would have otherwise missed. Many interesting facts along the way too!Hidden gems!

Arthur🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Guia)

24 June 2024

Guia was very knowledgeable and passed on lots of information about life in Japan - the history, culture, religions etc were discussed in detail and she was always happy to answer our wide ranging questions - she understood fully our sense of humour also.Excellent Guide

Barb🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoshihiro)

22 June 2024

A wonderful experience and tour of the historical Kyoto. Ted was very knowledgeable in the history of Kyoto and the geisha district. A great mix of sight seeing, nature, history, and culture. Ted has a wonderful sense of humor and a knowledgable tour guide, his tour was completely worth every yen. Excellent guide! Highly recommend!