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Great hiking tour that started us off the beaten path that wasn't crowded and able to get some great pictures!

Fantastic and super knowledgeable guide! A must-do!

The tour was amazing! We discovered so many beautiful paths and hidden spots that we would never have found on our own, while also avoiding the crowds.Most importantly, Matt was an incredible guide—curious, knowledgeable, and always happy to share his insights. His explanations were clear, respectful, and easy to follow, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable.I also loved the fact that he shares my appreciation for wild boars! 😊Highly recommended for anyone looking for a unique, authentic, and enjoyable experience of Fushimi Inari Shrine

Beautiful walk along not crowded places. Our guide Matt was very enthusiastic and friendly!

We had Matt as our guide and he was very relaxed, very helpful with our needs, and very knowledgeable regarding the process and background of sake making. For a first timer trying sake Matt had some fantastic recommendations.

Excellent experience.  Started in shade, without any crowds.  Very informative and made the experience even more worthwhile!

The tour was fascinating. Our guide, Mat, was very knowledgeable and spoke fluent English. He gave us a comprehensive tour of the area, avoiding the chaos of the usual tourist tour. The guide was very helpful and friendly. The walk through the woods was pleasant. I recommend it.

Before our hike, we decided to check out the main train early and walked around and thought we saw most of it, but after meeting up with our tour guide, he showed us so much more we didn’t expect he shared the backstory behind the Japanese religions, the details of the Shinto gods and why the shrines are designed the way that they are. We felt like we got an awesome experience that was very personalized for the price. Our tour guide was very kind and down to earth and asked a lot of questions about us and our travels and it was really nice to have a conversation with someone while hiking. Well worth it!!!

Matt did amazing definitely would recommend!

We were delighted with this excursion to Fushimi Inari in the company of Matt and Kazu. We really liked the route taken, we were able to enjoy the famous Torii away from the flow of tourists and in a really nice atmosphere!

Great walk through nature and temples with our kind and knowledgeable guide Matt :)

Beautiful views from the hike and definitely a nicer way to approach Inari. Thanks Matt!

Amazing morning hike tour with Matt! Family of 4 had a great time and learned so much from Matt!

This was the best tour! Avoid crowds, and see some really cool shrines along the way. Great to go with a local guide- Matt was wonderful! Definitely recommend this tour to see the sights of the shrine off the beaten path.

Matt was a very kind and knowledgeable tour guide, with lots of great explanations and insights into the local culture! I highly recommend him!

The best tour. Highly recommend. Just an incredible experience. Must do when in Kyoto

We had a great morning with Matt. He was so informative and friendly and didn’t rush at all. We learnt so much. We liked that you entered via the back entrance so as to miss all the people at the main entrance. Allowed us to really enjoy the experience and have the time take it all in. Matt even helped us with lunch advice and directions to get home. Highly recommend!

Incredible time! Matt was so amazing, so knowledgeable and great with English speakers. Learned so much & had such fun conversations! We loved every second and would highly recommend:) thank you Matt for everything!

Matt is an excellent guide.The tour was comprehensive and beautiful.Usually, when people walk to Fushimi Inari, they go to the Torii gate, but the place has much to offer, and I'm so glad I took this tour and saw these hidden gems and the beautiful hiking!

Matt was so great! He explained everything and we learned so much. We made friends along the way. Great tour!!!!

A fun way to see the shrines and walk the paths from the back. And mostly downhill! Appreciated that so much. And Matt was a lovely guide.

Matt was a lovely guide, had a lot of info to share and showed us a less touristic route - which meant more serenity, peace and quiet. I'd definitely recommend booking a tour with him!

This was a fantastic tour! Matt was so friendly and knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting things with us. He also took us up the mountain a different path so we had a more peaceful experience, which was so appreciated.

Matt was an excellent guide. The tour started from the lesser used entry on the back side of the shrine allowing for the ascent to be very quiet, private and relaxed, with far fewer people than the normal entry.

Matt was a great tour guide and super knowledgeable! Perfect tour for getting away from the crowds and understanding the history behind the shrine.

Fantastic tour! Matt was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I went solo and had one other solo traveler on the tour so it was very immersive and private. He knows the spots/way to go to avoid the crowds and secrete passage ways. Highly recommend

We loved the back way to Fushimi shrine and Matt had an abundance of knowledge of both Shinto and Buda shrines an temples

Excellent hike that took us all over the Inari shrine area. We also got there through a back way that saved us a lot of the tourist crowds. Thank you Matt and Esu.

Matt was a great guide. Very knowledgeable. Explained the history of sake thoroughly and answered all of our questions. Wonderful experience. Highly recommend!

Matt was AMAZING! We did this on our first day of our trip trip to Japan and it was an amazing choice. Don’t even hesitate, just go for it, you’ll dive into  trip with so much knowledge and fascination and reverence. Thank you so much!

Excellent experience with Matt. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area and we had a wonderful walk in a quiet area of the Fushima Shrine, where we learnt so much information about the bamboo trees as well as the shrines.

Matt is an excellent guide. He is incredibly friendly and kind, taking into consideration the needs of our small group. The tour is incredibly interesting and the route he took us is highly recommended, away from the crowds and manageable to walk. I highly recommend this tour.

Our sake tasting tour was awesome with Matt, not too much walking and we learnt a lot about sake making history. The tastings were vast and delicious, the food at the Izakaya oishii ! Matt is a great guide.

Matt is so chilled.. we had a nice fun and informative tour with him to see the shrines on the mountain 🤗 i suggest carry minimal and lite and wear active gear to enjoy the experience.

Matt was our guide for the sake tour, he was informative and very helpful in explaining the intricacies and history of sake and tulips of sake. Learned a lot with this tour. The final tasting of 18 sake from 18 breweries was great and you get to order whatever food you want to pair with the tasting. Definitely recommend it if you want to learn and taste the varies sakes not found outside Japan

Matt was very well spoken and full of knowledge!  We learned all about the religious history behind shrines, temples, and torii gates!

We were able to see many unique locations and avoid a lot of the crowds by doing this tour. Highly recommended if you're in Kyoto!

An incredible Inari tour with Matt. We saw so many sights off the beaten path, with great explanations. It was a truly enjoyable tour, with manageable hills and breaks if you need them!

We had a wonderful tour with Matt.  It was a beautiful day in Kyoto! Highly recommended. Great hike and we learned a lot about Japanese history and customs.

Matt was amazing and provided us with so much history and insight during the tour!  The hike was beautiful and so scenic.  The experience was definitely the highlight of our whole time in Kyoto!

Matt was fantastic! Even though the sake museum was closed, he knew a second, smaller one nearby that absolutely made up for it. Very knowledgeable and the sake was delicious! Would highly recommend.

Our guide Matt was very friendly and gave us lots of info about the history and practices of shintoism. We also started from the other side of the mountain so it was not crowded and we got to see the tori gates in peace! Since it was just us two, he took us to Tofukuji as a pit stop since we wanted to do it after our tour.

Matt is an amazing guide! He is quite knowledgeable about the history of Sake and it’s rich cultural ties to Japan. He has a great sense of humor and is very warm. He is super impressive in his abilities to connect with the group, he is very inclusive, attentive and a great leader. We greatly appreciate his recommendations on where to eat. Bonus: his Tagalog is also incredible!  As per the tour itself— just wow! Walking the Fushimi-Sake District was such a treat. It’s a beautiful part of Kyoto. Sake tasting was 10/10. We loved the unpasteurized Sake so be sure to give it a try! You won’t regret it. The tour price is worth every penny.

Matt was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable and fun. Would strongly recommend this tour. The sake is generous and delicious.

Jeff and I had a great tour with Matt. He was very knowledgeable and interesting. We walked around the sake area including checking out a local temple. Matt was saying this place is amazing in spring with all the cherry blossoms. 
Autumn was pretty with the changing colour of leaves.the sake museum was fascinating and Matt walked us through it ending up with a tasting of 3. And buying a bottle of course. 
The tour ended with a tasting of 18 different sakes. We bought food as well which was delicious. So definitely a worthwhile tour if you're into sake

Matt was terrific! The hike up the Mountain trail through cedars and bamboo was serene and beautiful. His knowledge about the Shinto, Buddhist and Christian traditions was extremely interesting and set the stage for the temples and shrines that we visited along the way. Definitely recommend especially if you are up for some physical exercise and want to see some hidden gems!

Matt was amazing!! We loved this tour and would highly recommend to all!! Incredible sake and food and so much local information for travellers. Do it!!! 😊😊🇯🇵 kanpai

Our tour guide Mat was very knowledgeable and helpful and introduced us to many different foods inside the market and showed us lots of cool places

Matt was knowledgeable and engaging.  His English was excellent and we can throughly recommend Matt for future tour groups.

We had a wonderful time with Matt! He explained the entire market to us and took us to all of the shops that we were interested in. He was very kind and we enjoyed great conversations. I tried the best plum wine of my life, and he showed us many of his favorite shops. We are super grateful that we were given Matt as our tour guide for the day. He made our trip to Kyoto very memorable. He even carried all of my shopping bags, and I shopped a lot!

Matt was very informative and personable! He was willing to help to share a lot of information and my husband and I learned a lot.

Wonderful! Matt was full of history and, by the end, I was full of sake. And then Matt found us a taxi to go see Fushimi inari all light up. Recommend!

We had a great time with our guide, Matt, who expertly guided our family & infant through the market. We started early which I highly recommend as it gets crowded around 12. I highly recommend this tour and Matt in particular - he even helped us navigate finding diapers at the local drug store for our 3 month old.

A really lovely way to spend the morning. Matt was a very friendly and informative guide who looked after us well. A very special place to visit. Definitely a good idea to start from the back entrance to the shrine - much more peaceful than the main entrance.

A great tour!  Learned a lot about Kyoto and the food market. Our guide was great!  Matt took extra time to let us know history of the area and environs.

Great experience touring the Nishiki food market. Matt was a great tour guide and introduced us to very good places to try.

Mat has led us on a little known, very beautiful path, through bamboo forests and small shrines, without many other people to the shrine / temple. We were very happy with the tour and would recommend it to others.

This was an amazing experience!! I learned so much on it and had a blast with my wife!!! Would highly recommend!!! Matt did an amazing job explaining everything to us and was a lot of fun!!

Matt was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable and always making sure we had breaks and got the best photo opportunities.

Our guide Matt took us on a magical hidden hike where we had the whole trail to ourselves. He was very knowledgeable and went at a great pace as our group included small children. Highly recommend

Great experience. Friendly tour guide explained and showed the whole sake making process. Had an amazing time. Highly recommend.

Excellent guide,knowledgeable and highly recommended!  Thanks Matt and the sake was delicious to finish off our tour!

The tour was very fun and instructive. Recommended during the cherry flowering season. The guide was very nice and exhaustive.

Great time with Matt. He took us around Nishiki and showed us all there is. We loved the experience! Big thanks to Magical Trip tours and Matt!

Fascinating sake tour with a very knowledgeable guide! Matt was super friendly and entertaining. We loved it and definitely recommend!

We had a great experience!! Our guide took us to a few diff breweries with a relaxing environment served with a drink...... 

Matt did an awesome job giving us a tour of the market and history of the culture.  We got to taste some delicious food and sake in a relaxed way.

Very nice hike with places you would not find on my own. Very peaceful avoiding the huge crowds visiting this area. I can highly recommend this one, but beware you must be fit.

Matt is an enthusiastic guide! The organized tour is so beautiful because we were able to join the top of the hill by a not so used way in the forest, without the crowd of the main route. Impossible to know and find without a guide.Really recommended!

Had an amazing time with Matt, very friendly and accommodating. Took us for 12 glasses over sake and got a bit tipsy followed by some lovely ramen, horse meat and gyoza that went well with the sake. Would recommend to anyone. Thank you for a great tour.

Had a great experience! Very interesting learning about the history of sake making and tasting a variety of different types of sake. Genuinely a very enjoyable experience, Matsuzaki was an amazing tour guide. Would definitely recommend, especially if you’re interested in sake and traveling alone.

This is a wonderful tour.  Entering through the back of the complex gives you an opportunity to avoid the crowds & take in many gates, pathways, shrines and bamboo groves with few other people. Matt does an excellent job of explaining the various sites, their meaning and the appropriate rituals. We left with a better understanding of Shinto & Buddhist traditions and practice and role in the lives of the Japanese people. I highly recommend the Imari tour as a rich, interesting Kyoto experience.

We had an amazing experience with Matt. He was knowledgeable, extremely kind and made our visit to Fushimi Inari shrine very memorable. This was our first time booking an Airbnb experience. The hike is so serene and beautiful and we barely saw another person before we reached the main shrine which is of course is quite touristy. I would highly recommend this tour and I hope you are lucky enough to get Matt as your guide!

We had a great time on this hiking tour. Matt was brilliant and even brought along spare water, insect repellent and cups. He was very knowledgeable and the route we took I would have no way found myself. Make sure you bring along good shoes as some of the trail was a bit bumpy!

the tour was simply breathtaking. We had a wonderful time on the hike with Matt. He was a brilliant guide with a lot of knowledge, patience and led us through the bamboo groves and shrines. There were only two of us with him and we were simply thrilled with the tour. Highly recommended, especially with Matt as a tour guide. Thank you Matt for a wonderful half day.

Matt was a fantastic tour guide - the experience was a great time! The food was incredible and we learned a lot about Kyoto history.

Very nice way to experience Fushimi Inari.   Avoids crowds and you get to see beautiful natural areas and parts of the shrine most people don’t get to see. Matt was very knowledgeable, spoke english well, and made sure we had a great time. I would highly recommend doing this over going on your own.

We had our tour today with Matt in Fushimi Inari, Kyoto, and it was an amazing experience! He was incredibly friendly and always attentive, making sure we were comfortable throughout the day. Matt constantly offered us snacks, water, mosquito repellent, and anything else we might need, which made the tour so much more enjoyable. His warm personality and thoughtful care really stood out. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide – highly recommended!

Matt was phenomenal. He provided excellent local knowledge and great information about the individual shrines. Truly a tailored experience. I would recommend him to all my friends and family that make the trek to Kyoto

We went through many hidden spots on our way to Fushimi Inari. Unbelievable experience! Matt, our tour guide was wonderful and really answered every question we had! A+

We not only received a Sake crash course, but also Kyoto history relating to it (and beyond). It doesn’t hurt that Matt was very charming and enthusiastic.

Amazing tour with Matt. Matt was an excellent guide who took all the time we needed, and had never ending patience answering our many questions

Excellent tour from Matt- he arrived early and directed us about bathrooms, snacks, food- hike is moderate (definitely not a beginner hike and tour).- those with knee or mobility problems might think about other tours.- wear good hiking shoes that grip well and are comfortable.- carry water as it was humid (85 degrees F) when we went (June 2025).- great way to see Fushimi Inari from a local point of view.- this tour descended down the stairs, instead of going up and down the stairs.- plenty of bathroom breaks.- nice to walk along the neighborhoods in the beginning of the tour to see local life.- highly recommended and would do it again.

It was a fantastic experience!Matt was our guide, really excellent and prepared. He gave us the tour of Nishiki market, we learned so much about Japanese culture, and had a great tasting.Super recommended experience

Really amazing food tour experience. Learned about the city and history. Got to see the entire market. Learned a lot from our guide Matt. Matt was Japanese’s and a local. Very knowledgeable. Enjoyed the food. Troyes many things. Would highly recommend.

Matt was a great guide. Very knowledgeable of Kyoto and gave us more than enough time to have the tastings and even indulge in more. 10/10 recommend!

Matt was attentive and informative. Great tour and highly recommend going earlier in the day especially during the Summer season!

The tour guide Matt was punctual and informative. He was also very thoughtful and well prepared with insect repellent, water, even snacks(if needed). Going from the back trail was really nice and we were glad to avoid the crowds. Highly recommend. 

Matt was an incredible guide. We came as a family and had a wonderful experience. We learned about the history of Japan and of the area, we took photos, we tried lots of delicious foods, stopped for several snacks, and had a terrific sit-down lunch. Matt was very thoughtful and went above and beyond to ensure that we enjoyed our experience. Would recommend this tour. Thank you!

Matt was a great guide, and we had a lot of fun on our tour. We learned a lot about the local area and tried delicious food. We had our young daughter with us, and Matt was very sweet to her by helping to find treats and helping carry her while I enjoyed food or took a picture. Definitely recommend!

Amazing experience, Matt I very friendly and he provided informative and fun tour:) highly recommend, must have in Kyoto

Gion Tour by Matt was so informative, so helpful & kind & had a blast of a time, great yummy food, Sake & Souvenirs to take home too, lovely authentic Japanese memories to last a lifetime, Thank you Matt

The bamboo forrest was incredible.. it was the highlight of our walk. Matt was a great guide and patient with our kids. fushimi inari shrine is a special place.

Matt was a great guide. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic, sharing the history of Kyoto and local areas in the city, and providing tips and insights when guiding through the Nishiki market.

Awesome time! So much sake! Matt was amazing. Don’t drink too much, there’s 18 different sakes at the end. The museum I highly recommend

Great and knowledgeable tour guide (Matt). The walk was not too challenging. Recommend shoes that don't slip. It was hot when we went in April

We had a great time with Matt! He was very knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting information beyond the food and marketplace! He was also very aware of our children and pointed out things they might enjoy ! We tasted many delicious things and learned a lot! Highly recommend!

Nice trip, entering from the backside which was a lot less tuiristy than the main entrance. Matt did a great job explaining the history and culture

Matt was a great guide. We had a beautiful, peaceful hike with not a lot of crowds. Be aware that there are some very steep parts of the hike and not a lot of opportunities to rest until you get to the top.

MATT

Reviews (178)

My Upcoming Tours

Tours I Guide

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Hidden Garden Half-Day Walking Tour with Michelin Lunch

Fushimi Inari Hidden Hiking Tour: Escape Crowds & Explore Secret Trails

Nara Half Day Trip Walking Tour

Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with traditional Sho-jin lunch

Kyoto Authentic Sake Tour in Fushimi: 18 Sake Tastings & Explore Historic Breweries

Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Food Tour

4.5-hour Kyoto Historical Highlights Bike Tour with UNESCO Zen Temples

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