Uncover the best of Kyoto Day Trip the local Way

"My wife and I had an outstanding day with Guia after sitting down , chatting and founding common ground on the best things for us to experience in Kyoto. We are frequent travellers and being able to design a tour for us with such an experienced guide. Guia answered all of our questions as we find Japan a fascinating place to visit , but with many contradictions. She helped us design several days of touring from her extensive experience. Thanks for a fabulous day "

"What a wonderful time we had with Guia as our guide in Kyoto! It was our first day in Japan and our expectations were exceeded due to her natural charm, wide knowledge and professionalism. Loved every minute and felt we had a true introduction to the customs, culture, religions and more. Great stories and explanations- haven’t stopped talking about it ever since. No hesitation in recommending Guia- an outstanding guide who made our day! Thank you! "

"We had a wonderful experience with Ted and couldn’t recommend him more highly. From the very start, he was friendly, gentle, and incredibly patient — especially appreciated as we were running a little late to meet him. He immediately put us at ease and adapted the tour to suit our group perfectly. Because we are food lovers, Ted created a slightly bespoke experience for us, which we absolutely loved. He encouraged us to try both new and very traditional Japanese dishes, explaining their cultural significance along the way. It felt thoughtful, personal, and never rushed. We learned so much about Japanese culture through food, history, and everyday customs — including a fascinating insight into the world of geisha — all explained in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. We were a group of six — my husband and I, four teenage children, and a 10-year-old — and Ted somehow managed to appeal to everyone. That alone speaks volumes. He adjusted his style naturally so that each of our children felt included and interested, and we all came away having learned something new. One piece of advice for future visitors: do this tour early in your stay. Ted helped us get our bearings in Kyoto, showed us how the city fits together, and importantly helped us avoid a few tourist traps, which made the rest of our trip so much better. What really stood out was Ted’s generosity beyond the tour itself. Later that day, he messaged me with dinner recommendations, which we happily followed — and they were fantastic. That extra care made such a difference and showed how genuinely invested he is in helping people have a great experience in Kyoto. Ted is warm, knowledgeable, and incredibly thoughtful. Our time with him was a real highlight of our trip, and we’re so grateful for the experience."

"We couldn’t have been more happy and pleased about our experience. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Eiji. His knowledge about the city from the little things to the big things really helped us get acquainted with Kyoto and definitely makes us want to come back. We so appreciate the time you spent with us and we can heartily recommend him to anyone else who needs a great guide."

"Ryuki was a great guide during our entire tour. We had to add more people last minute and he was so accommodating. During the tour, he not only shared food knowledge but also Kyoto facts which I liked. He was also very patient with my parents, and not only answered all of their questions but also did small detours along the way. My parents raved how great Ryuki was!"

"Ryuki is a fantastic tour guide! He took us to some hidden gems away from the crowds as well as instagram spots. Our favourite was the bamboo forest, the cherry blossom and matcha icecream and yummy snacks. It was really interesting to learn about the history of the templeS and shrines as well as the geisha culture. Thank you!"

"My partner and i were so pleased to book a private tour with Yoshihiro (or Ted as he preferred we call him!) Ted was prompt, enthusiastic, had a deep knowledge of Gion, the history of Kabuki and Geisha and took us around some quieter areas to get a real feel of the neighbourhood of Gion. Afterwards he took us to Nishiki market where we basically ate every 5 minutes, from beef sushi, to custard snoopys, scallops, KFC (kyoto fried chicken, of course) we were shown all of the best spots and our tastes and preferences were considered and amended the whole walk (for example, im not a huge seafood person, so Ted took me for more sweet foods and my partner for more savoury) At the end of the tour, Ted gave us a tonne of excellent local recommendations! It was a sensational way to get an introduction to Kyoto and to spend some time with such a lovely local - we'll certainly be back!! "