Tailoring each experience to your wishes by locals who love their city
From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences
City Unscripted Original
Your perfect Kyoto day, tailored to you. Explore icons, hidden gems & culture with a local host shaping a flexible experience around your interests.
$265.5 per person
8 hours
(567)
City Unscripted Original
Explore Kyoto at night with a local. Explore mystical Gion and the winding streets in Pontocho or mingle with the locals at a bar; it's up to you!
$151.5 per person
3 hours
(129)
City Unscripted Original
Explore Arashiyama's instagrammable bamboo forest, historic temples and gardens, and one of Japan's most famous and iconic bridge
$255 per person
6 hours
(159)
If you’re seeking the best private tour guides in Kyoto to help you make the most of your visit, look no further than City Unscripted. The most magical city in all of Japan, Kyoto is a perfectly preserved pocket of Japanese history and culture that feels like stepping into a fairytale. Our fantastic private tour guides in Kyoto are eager to share with you the Japan of centuries ago. All of our handpicked private guides in Kyoto are intimately familiar with every inch of their city, and they’ll help you experience this historic gem beyond major tourist sights like lantern-lit Gion, the famous geisha district, and 1200-year-old Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Kyoto may be known for iconic attractions like the wood-built Higashiyama district, ancient temples, and traditional teahouses, but there’s so much more to be explored when you have one of our knowledgeable private tour guides in Kyoto leading the way. Whether you jostle through centuries-old Nishiki Market, the crowded “Kitchen of Kyoto”, join locals snacking on gyoza dumplings as the sun sets over Kamo River, or even belt out a song at a karaoke bar, our private tour guides in Kyoto will help you strike the perfect balance between the highlights and hidden gems off the tourist trail.
City Unscripted offers a wide range of diverse tours in Kyoto – simply pick your type of tour, and our private tour guides in Kyoto will personalize the experience for you! You might want to squeeze in as many tourist sights as possible on a must-see experience, or take a day trip to the Arashiyama bamboo grove. Perhaps you’ll book our fantastic food experience, or maybe you’ll simply spend a full day with one of our private tour guides in Kyoto exploring a combination of iconic sights and hidden gems you wouldn’t find in your guidebook. Whatever you decide, we’ll make this a day to remember.
At City Unscripted, we understand that no two travelers are the same. You could be a history buff who wants to move between Kyoto’s ancient temples and shrines, a culture-lover eager to catch a geisha performance at Gion Corner, or a fanatic foodie who dreams of experiencing traditional Kaiseki dining. That’s why our private tour guides in Kyoto take the time to plan the perfect tour 100% personalized to you! All our itineraries are created with your personality and passions in mind. With one of our private guides in Kyoto planning your trip, your dream day will be made a reality.
We had a great tour with Toga, who knows Kyoto really well. He took us to the most important sights and added interesting historical context. He also gave us restaurant recommendations and tips on which sights to visit next for the rest of our trip as we had a second day planned for Kyoto. All in all, a very nice experience!
3 October 2026
Jose was awesome! It was super relaxed and she showed me different temples and shrines in Kyoto and went over their history. Throughout the tour, it felt like I was hanging out with my friend. We ate food and he showed me the city. I loved it.
30 September 2026
Alex was very knowledgeable on the history, culture and cityscape of Kyoto as well as being very enthusiastic and engaging on the many topics he knew. He brought a causal yet professional sense to the tour and provided as an excellent means of which to spend a few hours!
28 September 2026
Myself and my wife had a half-day private walking tour with City Unscripted, hosted by the excellent Mr. Scott North. I would not normally leave a review, either good or bad, but I felt Scott’s knowledge, enthusiasm and friendly manner really deserved a mention. Scott was very informative without overwhelming us with information, and his knowledge of the city and its history was clear throughout the tour. He was also very approachable and happy to answer our questions, which made the experience feel relaxed and personal rather than like a standard guide or someone just doing their job. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Scott and came away having learned a great deal while also seeing the city from a more local perspective. He was a pleasure to spend the morning with and we would have no hesitation in recommending him to others. If you are going to book a walking tour in Kyoto you wouldn't go wrong asking for Scott. Thank you Scott, for making our visit such an enjoyable one.
28 September 2026
