Uncover the best of Kyoto Day Trip the local Way

"Yoshihiro (aka Ted-san) is just such a wonderfully delightful, likeable man, and we are honored to have spent time with him in Kyoto. My only regret is that we spent several days in Kyoto (right around the New Year) and were not able to book Ted-san until the day before we departed. Nonetheless, Ted-san was exceedingly communicative before the trip to help us plan our time/experiences independently so that by the time our day with him arrived, we had a better sense for what we wanted to focus on. The crowds are no joke, and Ted-san deftly navigated our meeting spot and itinerary to make the most of our time together. He was also very flexible as my son/spouse were hungry and wanted a bit of a breakfast/coffee stop before we began. Ted-san chose a great spot to fuel up and get our bearings, and was so sweet about accommodating our requests. He thoughtfully and carefully presented information at the perfect "level" of detail for our group which included my teenage son. We came away with enough information to understand the significance and impact of Kyoto within Japanese history without feeling like we were bogged down with information. Ted-san graciously answered my questions to help us understand the more personal cultural aspects of modern Japanese citizens, all with thoughtfulness and warmth. If we get to return to Kyoto during the Spring (and I hope we do!) I would absolutely book another tour with Ted-san. He is a gem!!!"

"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!! "

"Naoki was an excellent guide. He took us to several temples, explained the differences between the different religious traditions in Japan, took us through the Gion, the geisha district, was engaging and gave us the perfect amount of information about each site. He answered every question and was very knowledgeable. we had to change one of the stops at the last minute and Naoki was flexible. We were a group of 6, 60+. We had just finished skiing so our knees were not great but we easily got up the few stairs involved. We absolutely loved it. I highly recommend his tour!"

"We had been told by friends that when we are in Kyoto we should use Yoshihiro as our guide and we are thankful that we did. Yoshiro is charming and so kind; as we were meeting on the 21st of January he suggested that we modify our plans and consider going to a special monthly market held at To-Ji temple - being the first one of the New Year he said it would be great and it didn’t disappoint. Fabulous food and craft stalls with wonderful traditional products as well as combining that with a tour of the World Heritage 5 story wooden pagoda. Given my partner’s recent skiing injury requiring crutches he couldn’t have been more thoughtful, obliging and informative. Thank you Yoshihiro.. Jeff "

"We had a really fantastic time with Naoki/Stephen today and covered an enormous amount of Kyoto’s landmarks and also some lovely quieter spots without ever feeling rushed. Naoki was a wonderful guide, extremely knowledgeable, great company and very good at conveying lots of information and insights in a way that was easy to absorb. He answered endless questions, tailored the tour to our needs and went above and beyond in giving us lots of information for the following day. I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Kyoto."

"Excellent tour with Naoki yesterday! We met him at a convenient location near the hotel and were taken with his easy demeanor. We trekked through hidden streets, historic neighborhoods and temples all the while tracing a historic path through Japanese culture and history. Particularly interesting was the discussion on Geishas, Shoguns and the Samurais. Having grown up near Kyoto, Naoki was bristling with information and answered all of our questions without hesitation. Post-tour, he sent us a thorough text summarizing restaurant options in Kyoto as well as Osaka. We tried one—fantastic! We highly recommend spending a tour with Naoki. Thank you sir!"

"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!"

"Naoki was an outstanding guide in Kyoto. He is extremely friendly, very well-educated, and clearly passionate about Japanese history and culture. He explained everything in a way that was engaging and easy to understand Another great thing is his flexibility and willingness to help - he adapted the schedule to our pace and interests, and was always ready to assist with anything we needed, from restaurant recommendations to local tips/translations. We also had a wonderful dinner together and friendly chat, which made the whole experience more personal and authentic. Thank you Naoki for a wonderful experience!"