# Luxury Private Guide in Kyoto with Mario | Car & Driver URL: https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/kyoto/ Idioma: en > A private English-speaking guide in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari before the crowds, Kiyomizu-dera, Arashiyama, Gion, kaiseki and tea ceremony booked in Japanese. [Private guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/) · Kyoto # Kyoto, at the hour it belongs to you Temples before the crowds, gardens at their quietest, and a kaiseki table booked in Japanese weeks ahead. Kyoto with Mario is paced, private and entirely arranged. [Plan Kyoto with Mario](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20for%20Kyoto.%20Dates%3A%20)[or message Mario directly](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Guided in English · also speaks Spanish · ¥69,600 · full day · 8 h · for the whole private group (Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, reflected in its pond in Kyoto) Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, reflected in its pond in Kyoto Photo: [Basile Morin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Water_reflection_of_Kinkaku-ji_Temple_with_a_tree_on_a_rock_in_the_pond,_Kyoto,_Japan.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 案内人 マリオ In brief A private day in Kyoto with Mario starts early, at Fushimi Inari or Kiyomizu-dera before the tour groups arrive, then moves through Higashiyama, Arashiyama or Gion at your pace. He books kaiseki lunches, tea ceremonies and a car with driver in Japanese. A full day (8 hours) is ¥69,600 per private party. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582. Kansai is Mario’s home ground, so no guide travel costs are added. Kyoto: quick facts Best for First visits, couples, families, slow travelers Ideal time Two or three days; one guided day as a minimum Getting there About 2 h 15 min from Tokyo by Nozomi shinkansen Guide travel None: Mario is based in Kansai Guide Mario, private English-speaking guide (also speaks Spanish); four years guiding Rates Half day ¥45,600 · full day ¥69,600 · long day trips from ¥84,000 (per private party) Book [WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Kyoto ## Highlights with Mario (Kiyomizu-dera) Photo: [Martin Falbisoner](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kiyomizu-dera,_Kyoto,_November_2016_-02.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 ### Kiyomizu-dera The great wooden stage above the eastern hills opens at 6:00. Arriving early means the view over the city, the maples or the cherry trees, without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of mid-morning. (Fushimi Inari Taisha) Photo: [Marco Almbauer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Torii,_Fushimi_Inari-Taisha.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 ### Fushimi Inari Taisha Thousands of vermilion torii climb Mount Inari. The shrine never closes, so Mario starts here at first light, when the tunnels are silent and the higher paths are almost empty. (Arashiyama) Photo: [Basile Morin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bamboo_Forest,_Arashiyama,_Kyoto,_Japan.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 ### Arashiyama The bamboo grove, the Togetsukyo bridge and the temple gardens of western Kyoto. Best before 8:00, then a slower walk along the river once the day-trippers arrive. (Gion) Photo: [Basile Morin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wooden_and_bamboo_facades_of_dwellings_with_sudare_in_a_cobbled_street_of_Gion,_perspective_effect_with_vanishing_point,_Kyoto,_Japan.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 ### Gion Kyoto’s historic geisha district of wooden machiya and lantern-lit lanes. Mario knows which private lanes now forbid photography and how to see Gion respectfully. (Nishiki Market) Photo: [collinox](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tsukemono_shop_by_collinox_in_Nishiki_Ichiba,_Kyoto.jpg) · CC BY 2.0 ### Nishiki Market A narrow, covered market of pickles, tofu, knives and sweets known as Kyoto’s kitchen. A late-morning tasting walk before a proper lunch. (Kiyomizu after dark) Photo: [Martin Falbisoner](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kiyomizu-dera,_Kyoto,_November_2016_-06.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 ### Kiyomizu after dark During the spring and autumn illuminations, the temple and its forest are lit after sunset. A memorable close to a day, timed around dinner. A suggested day ## How the day could unfold A starting point, not a script: Mario adjusts the order and pace to the season, the crowds and your interests. - 07:30 Hotel lobby pick-up. Car with driver if you prefer, or a short taxi to Fushimi. - 08:00 Fushimi Inari, climbing past the busiest gates while the mountain is still quiet. - 10:30 Kiyomizu-dera, then the stone lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka before the crowds peak. - 12:30 Kaiseki lunch, reserved in Japanese, with dietary needs explained to the kitchen in advance. - 14:30 A private tea ceremony in a tatami room, with time to ask questions. - 16:00 Gion and Hanamikoji in the late light, then back to your hotel around 17:00 or on to dinner. Insider tips ## What Mario wants you to know - Kyoto rewards early starts more than any city in Japan: from 7:00 to 9:00 the major sights feel like a different place. - Buses are slow and crowded; a car with driver or well-chosen taxis save an hour or more in a full day. - Several private lanes in Gion now ban photography, with fines posted on signs. Mario keeps you on the public streets. - Kaiseki restaurants and tea ceremony rooms often take reservations only in Japanese, and the best fill weeks ahead in cherry blossom and autumn seasons. - Late November is the peak of autumn color, and the busiest weeks of the year. Book the guide and the restaurants together. ¥69,600 · full day · 8 h · for the whole private group (half day ¥45,600 · 4 h) Trains, admissions, meals and any private car with driver are paid separately, at cost. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before. [All prices](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/#prices) Questions ## Kyoto: frequently asked Who is a good English-speaking private guide in Kyoto? Mario, a private English-speaking guide based in Kansai, guides Kyoto and plans the whole day, bookings included. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; message him on WhatsApp at +81 70 8996 8582. How many days do you need in Kyoto? Three or four days is ideal for a first visit, with Nara as a half or full day trip. With one guided day, Mario covers Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion; with two, add Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji. Can Mario arrange a private car and driver in Kyoto? Yes. He arranges a car with driver on request and the cost is paid separately, at cost. A car makes the most sense for families, for guests who prefer less walking, and for days that combine distant areas such as Arashiyama and Fushimi. Can Mario book a tea ceremony and kaiseki lunch? Yes. He reserves in Japanese, explains allergies and dietary needs to the kitchen in advance, and times the bookings around the rest of the day. Meals and fees are paid at cost. (Mario, private English-speaking tour guide in Japan) **Mario** · private English-speaking guide in Japan. Four years of guiding, fluent Spanish too, and the logistics of someone based in Kansai who married into a Japanese family. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20for%20Kyoto.%20Dates%3A%20) Plan ahead ## Read next Read next - [Is a Kyoto private tour with car and driver worth it?](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/kyoto-private-tour-car-driver/) - [When is the best time to visit Japan?](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/best-time-to-visit-japan/) - [The ideal two-week Japan itinerary for a first visit](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-itinerary-two-weeks/) More journeys ## Other places Mario guides - [01 ### Tokyo Senso-ji and Kaminarimon · Meiji Jingu · Shibuya Full day · 8 h · Private group ¥69,600 for the whole private group](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/tokyo/) - [02 ### Osaka & Nara Osaka Castle · Dotonbori · Kuromon Market Full day · 8 h · Private group ¥69,600 for the whole private group](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/osaka-nara/) - [03 ### Mount Fuji & Hakone Lake Kawaguchi · Oshino Hakkai · Lake Ashi Long day trip · beyond 8 h · Private group from ¥84,000 for the whole private group](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/mount-fuji-hakone/) - [04 ### Nikko & Kamakura Shinkyo Bridge · Kegon Falls · Lake Chuzenji Long day trip · beyond 8 h · Private group from ¥84,000 for the whole private group](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/nikko-kamakura/) Continue? ## Let Mario plan your Japan Send your dates, the size of your party and where you are staying. Mario replies with a plan, and every reservation is made for you, in Japanese. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20for%20Kyoto.%20Dates%3A%20)[See prices](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/#prices)