Ahmed

the expert foreign local

Responds quickly
  • I live in Kyoto
  • I speak English, العربية
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 11 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

Hello! I’m Ahmed, a passionate tour guide based in Kyoto, Japan. Originally from Kuwait, I moved back to Palestine where I earned my Medical Degree (MD) in 2008. In 2015, I was fortunate to receive a Japanese government scholarship to pursue further studies at Kyoto University, one of Japan’s top institutions.

Living in Kyoto opened my eyes to the rich history and stunning scenery of this ancient city, which served as Japan’s capital for over a thousand years. It ignited my passion for culture, history, and food, leading me to embark on a rewarding career as a tour guide.

I have traveled extensively across Europe and Asia, and I love sharing my knowledge of Japanese culture with others. I can provide historical insights at every stop, recommend the best local cuisine, and create personalized itineraries, including day trips from Tokyo to Kyoto.

I’m fluent in English and Arabic, and I thrive on connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. Whether you’re interested in exploring temples, experiencing traditional cuisine, or simply enjoying the beauty of Kyoto, I’m here to make your visit unforgettable.

Your safety and comfort are my top priorities. I measure my temperature before our tours and am happy to wear a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable. While I'm not a driver, I will accompany you in your vehicle or arrange for a separate car and driver if needed.

Book with confidence and get ready to explore Kyoto with me! I can’t wait to show you why I believe this city is the most beautiful in Japan.

Ahmed, MD, PhD, MBA

  • I live in Kyoto
  • I speak English, العربية
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 11 hours

My Kyoto in pictures

Book one of my offers in Kyoto

Let's explore Kyoto together! As your local guide, I'll show you the best of Kyoto on a private & personalized tour for you.

Did you know that I can personalize your experience?

All Withlocals tours are completely customisable to your needs. Just let me know your preferences for a private and personalized experience!

Responds quickly

Reviews

justin
13 January 2025
We are a family of two adults and two teens and we did the 3hr tour of Kyoto with Ahmed. We would highly recommend it. Ahmed met us at the station and took us on a tour through shrines, alleyways and local neighbourhoods. Ahmed was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed hearing his insight of the local Kyoto sights as well as discussing Japan more generally. highly recommend
Desha
5 January 2025
Ahmed was very helpful and adaptable to our needs how to get around Kyoto especially with buying train tickets. He is very knowledgeable about temples, Japanese traditions and restaurant recommendations. Even before meeting him he contacted me ensuring everything will be fine (I was quite stressed about being in Kyoto and not knowing the language). I was very grateful for that. We booked him for 3 days but after 1st day his child got sick so he organised amazing Matheus De Mello to take care of us for the next 2 days. We are extremely grateful since getting around Kyoto is very challenging if you don’t know Japanese language and not familiar with train system. Kyoto - highly recommend get the guide
Ulrike
29 October 2024
The time with our guide was just great and fantastic. We felt from the first minute well and interesting informed Ahmed was flexible and warmheard friendly The places he show us had been just brillant My sons & myself enjoyed the experience so much 🫶 Fantasic interesting hours
Jennifer
10 March 2020
It was a good trip Ahmed was knowledgeable about each of the areas we visited. And even adjusted the schedule on the fly as he found we moved through each of the planned areas quicker then average. (There were very few tourist that day).A relaxing trip around tokyo
Viator
27 February 2020
My teenage daughter and myself had just two days to stop in Kyoto, and we concluded we need a time-efficient strategy to explore Kyoto's most significant sights. Our guide was an international medical student, with excellent knowledge of Kyoto. He planned the day according to our wishes. This included several famous temples and shrines, on all sides of Kyoto (West/North/South/East/Center). He knew everything we needed about each place visited. We also ha a lunch together, and numerous discussions about Kyoto, Japan and own experiences. I would highly recommend this way of exploring new cities .highly recommend
Angelo
31 January 2020
Ahmed was a great guide for what we needed out of our trip through Kyoto. He was quick with us because he realized we wanted to move fast and try and see a lot in one day. He had great historical knowledge on the shrines and temples visited which is nicer to hear while walking through the space more so than stopping to read plaques and walls. Nice random pop-quiz sometimes too which kept you on your toes. His humor worked well with ours which was refreshing from the strict discipline we had experienced with the Japanese culture thus far on our trip. He's flexible and will adhere to what you want to do within the time limits. Overall, a great and educated guide! Thanks!Adventure with Ahmed
Steven
29 December 2019
My family and I came down from Tokyo to visit Kyoto. We booked the Geisha tour with Ahmed. He was an amazing and extremely knowledgeable tour guide. He took us around the Gion area and told us all about the history. My entire family had a great time and Ahmed was also helpful with our youngest who can be difficult. If we go back down to Kyoto again we would definitely schedule another tour with Ahmed. Amazing and informative tour with Ahmed.
Neil
21 December 2019
Dear Ahmed thank you for a wonderful and an interesting tour of central Kyoto especially the Gion area home to the famous Kabuki theatre, and beautiful Maiko, and Geiko. Also, thanks for your patience with our 3 children who also enjoyed your Kyoto walking tour very much!
Elias
17 December 2019
I had only one day to explore Kyoto, and i chose Ahmed, and it was a great choice! Ahmed is extremely friendly, very knowledgeable, and he made sure to customize the tour according to my needs and my tastes. He is very kind, and thanks to him i got to see the best places and hidden gems in tokyo while enjoying his great company. I highly recommend him! My day with Ahmed
Melissa
6 November 2019
We really enjoyed our tour with Ahmed, he explained everything about what we were seeing, but didn't go on too long, enough to be interesting and fun. No way would we have found all the good stuff that we got to see without him. Top tour, highly recojmmend Ahmed.Great tour, Ahmed was awesome!

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