Experience tomorrow the best of
Kyoto with Withlocals

"Engaged Tito on my first day in Kyoto for a comprehensive city tour. I arrived in the city before my companions, so my goal was to gain a broad understanding of Kyoto’s history and its significance in Japanese history. I also wanted to comprehend the origins of the temples and palaces. As a frequent traveler to ancient cities, I find immense satisfaction in unraveling their original histories and observing how certain aspects have persisted into the present day. Tito’s knowledge was remarkable at each location, skillfully weaving a tapestry of this imperial capital. His guidance was smooth, sophisticated, and accompanied by a vivid and detailed narrative. .We concluded the day by spotting a geisha and listening to his profound insights into their secret society, influential nature and its evolution over time. The following days, my companion was astounded by the wealth of information and familiarity I had acquired in just one day in Kyoto. "

"Ted was extremely helpful in assisting to kickstart our 4 days here in Kyoto. He sat down with us and reviewed the area on a map explaining the layout of the city and pointing out important Sites for us to see. He also helped us to understand the subway train system giving us the confidence to travel on it ourselves. He also gave us some restaurant recommendations which was very helpful especially since I have a Sesame Allergy. He walked us around the area explaining about the Geisha culture and other tips that we wouldn't have known. We wrapped up our time with Ted with him teaching us how to pray at a local temple. We would highly recommend him as a guide!"

"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!"

"Excellent tour of Kyoto. Ryuki explained every location we visited and gave us great recommendations for the rest of our trip. "

"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."

"We took a several-hour bike tour with Tiro in freezing January weather. In addition to offering us heating patches to help us stay warm, he gave us an engaging and fun experience as we saw all kinds of nooks and crannies around Kyoto. His humor and obvious love for history made the experience memorable. He also went above and beyond in finding us a perfect lunch place, helping us with photographs, and plotting out new places to visit on the rest of our trip. Highly recommended!"

"Great guide with extensive knowledge on Japanese’s history!"

"From the start Simone was friendly and very easy to talk to. He filled the day with lots of information not just about the places visited but also about the culture. His knowledge of about Arashiyama and the Bamboo Forest was excellent. Lunch was at a small out of the way, very friendly restaurant with excellent food which was also a great experience. I would highly recommend Simone to anyone looking for an informative and friendly guide."

"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!"

"Eiji was a fun and informative guide. He was very friendly, with good knowledge of the city. Eiji took us to places off the tourist trail. We felt safe on the bikes with him as our guide."