Experience Art & Culture tours in the best of
Kyoto with Withlocals

"Wonderful tour with the wonderful Ren! She is knowledgeable, extremely organised and generally one of the loveliest people we’ve ever met. She was so organised and so helpful starting communication and restaurant / activities from weeks before our arrival to Kyoto so we ensure advanced booking. Loved meeting her, and this tour was the perfect kickstart to our Kyoto trip!"

"We took the tour with Hiroyuki and immensely enjoyed the tour. He was full of knowledge, enthusiastic about Nara and despite the fact that we stopped a lot times he was patient and fun to be with. We highly recommend him."

"Tiro has a ton of knowledge about the history and customs of Kyoto and shares it in an engaging, easy going manner. He was able to keep our 19 and 21 year old interested as well. We all learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him. I would definitely recommend Tiro to others! "

"We had a 2 1/2 hour tour with Ted. Ted was very kind and knowledgeable. He speaks both Japanese and English and gave an authentic and interesting tour of the Gion District. He was able to talk to both adults and children equally well. He went out of his way to give recommendations for things we could do later in the day and week. Can’t wait to return and take another tour with Ted!"

"Ren was amazing from our very first communication. It felt like she committed 100% of her energy—just for us—ensuring our experience was not only memorable but also heartfelt. Her attentiveness, care and personal touch can not be overstated. A gem of a human who we are now very happy to call our friend. "

"We had a fantastic nighttime tour of the Gion district in Kyoto with our guide, Naoki. He was incredibly knowledgeable and shared fascinating insights about Shinto shrines, demonstrating how to pray there, which deepened our understanding of Japanese spirituality. Naoki also enlightened us about the lives of Geishas, discussing the evolution of this traditional art form. He led us to beautiful photo spots and provided excellent restaurant recommendations, enhancing our experience even further. Overall, Naoki's enthusiasm and expertise made this tour unforgettable. I highly recommend him for anyone wanting to explore Kyoto's rich culture! Kim & Dario"

"Yoshihiro "Ted" is a great guide. Informative, friendly, intuitive with a depth of knowledge that makes the tour truly engaging Having taken many tours and experienced private guides, he ranks at the top. Book with him if you can."

"My husband and I took a tour in the Gion district of Kyoto with Ted. We both really enjoyed the tour, in particular Ted’s attention to choosing less crowded streets to include. His knowledge is excellent and we learnt a lot about the origins of Kabuki theatre and Geisha culture as well as how challenging the Geisha careers are to succeed in. I would definitely recommend Ted to other visitors to Kyoto who are interested in this tour. "

"First and most importantly , Guia is an amazing person. Absolutely loved her smile and laugh. We booked her guiding serves for two half day tours. She went above and beyond to provide a personal tour that fit our preferences…with several changes overnight- so receptive. Thank you…and Bravo Guia!"

"It was very pleasant walking around with Guia. She was kind, patient and very flexible. We had a terrific time and would recommend her highly!!! I’m just not sure how much more we saw compared to a group tour of the same area for half the price, however my husband uses a cane and needed frequent rests which we wouldn’t have had with a group. "