This is a wonderful tour... - This is a wonderful tour that takes you to a Shinto Shrine, a Buddhist temple and a beautiful nature spot in Kyoto. Keiko is an excellent guide who skillfully took us around by train and bus rides among early morning commuter crowds , and we never had to worry about losing her. We learned the history of both Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine and Kinkaku-ji temple, and the differences in how one prays in a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist temple. Keiko made sure that our teenage daughter got to pray at the same place Japanese students pray for academic success in the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. When we got to Kinkaku-ji temple, there were already many people. However, Keiko had some good photo spots and made sure that we could take good pictures of the Golden Pavilion and the reflective pond. Keiko showed us the baby bamboo and explained the growth and life cycle of bamboos in the bamboo forest of Arashiyama. The only thing was that we should have booked the 6:45 am tour instead of the 7:30 am tour. Given it is June and tourist season, the bamboo forest of Arashiyama was very crowded, but the subsequent walking through the park and the river side was less crowded and very pleasant.

We saw sooo much! - Excellent tour but be ready to walk! Thank goodness we started early. Saw the Inari shrine, the thousand torii, the golden temple, the bamboo forest and the beautiful river gorge! I would have never been able to pack this all into one AM with out the expertise of the amazing tour guide, Miho!! She was exceptional! And her historical knowledge of each location really enhanced the experience. This was our top tour while in Japan! Great bang for your buck!! But bring extra cash! Miho has you going to so many places that the metro fees and entrance fees add up.

Spectacular kyoto - Our guide was amazing! She was more than happy to adjust our itinerary when it ended up just being my daughter and I. I would highly recommend this tour

All around incredible - We had an amazing experience with our tour guide Ken! The tour was truly a highlight of our trip in Japan.

Wonderful and insightful visit to 3 top spots - We had a wonderful experience with our guide Megumi. We saw the attractions before they became super busy. She had a wealth of knowledge about each place and even slowed the pace down a little to help us when we let her know that we were very tired after a week packed with activities. I would recommend this tour to all that would like to see the main sights in a small private group. We had an amazing time with an understanding guide.

Fantastic Experience Without the Crowds - E nothing the scenes without large amounts of traffic. It was well worth waking up early for the experience. We also had a really amazing guide and her English is great! I highly recommend Akiko!

Wonderful tour to beat the crowds! - Our tour guide Hiroko was wonderful she was so knowledgeable and helped us take photos together. The whole day went so smoothly and it was nice not to have to worry about how to get from place to place. We are so glad that we booked this tour!

Efficient way to see Kyoto's iconic landmarks - My partner and I always asked ourselves on this trip: "if we can recommend one thing on our entire trip to our friends, what would it be?" This hands down, would be that recommendation. Admittedly, we got off a rocky start because we didn't allow enough time to find the correct meeting spot, but our guide, Saki-san, was very quick to contact and see us. The biggest hurdle was over. We started off going to the tori gates and as the listing promises, we happened to beat a large portion of the crowds and got nice pictures without a lot of other tourists. Then we made our way to the Golden Pavilion and was in awe the second we turned the corner and saw the building. Finally, we went to Arashiyama, or the bamboo forest. These sights are iconic for Kyoto and we were relieved to have a guide helping us with the public transportation and teaching us so much about each site. One of my favorite things about Saki-san's guiding is her ability to weave in history and culture into everything we were looking at. We could look at the sites through a lens that brought them to life. This tour requires heavy walking and moderate hiking, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather. Saki-can was really good about catering the tour to our physical levels and always checked in on us if we needed a break or water. I highly, highly recommend this experience for anyone thinking about it.

Greatest day of sight-seeing in Kyoto. - Our guide Toshie was excellent. He explained the history & religious aspects of the 3 important places on the tour. Firstly we went to Fushimi - Inari Shrine, then to Kinkakuji Temple, then to Arashiyama the bamboo forest. We travelled by train to the different places. It was a great day.

Highly recommended Kyoto tour! - A wonderful day out in Kyoto! I highly recommend this “early bird” tour because you will get to Fushimi-Inari shrine with almost nobody there. For photography buffs it is ideal. Our guide, Misae, was one of the best I have ever met, and I have traveled quite a bit. It was great fun spending time with her and learning about Kyoto. Her English is excellent and her enthusiasm is infectious.