Enjoy Kyoto with a Knowledgeable Local Guide! List of Tours by Magical Trip
If you want to explore Kyoto, which is packed with attractions, why not join Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip?
Kyoto has tourist spots scattered throughout the city, making it challenging to explore on your own. With Magical Trip, guides who are well-versed in the area will not only efficiently introduce you to Kyoto's major tourist attractions but also take you to rare spots that aren't featured in guidebooks.
The time you spend on Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip will become an unforgettable memory.
Table of Contents
-Best Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
-Night Food Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
-Cultural Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
-Walking Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
-Experiential Tour in Kyoto by Magical Trip
-Private Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
-Private Tours from Kyoto by Magical Trip
Best Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
First, let me introduce two particularly popular tours from Magical Trip that ranked in Tripadvisor's Best of the Best 2025.
Fushimi Inari Hidden Hiking Tour
The Fushimi Inari Hidden Hiking Tour allows you to explore the area around Fushimi Inari Shrine while hiking along hidden routes. Fushimi Inari Shrine is the head shrine of Inari shrines (shrines dedicated to the Inari deity) founded in 711, and is a popular tourist spot known for its mystical scenery of vermillion torii gates (gate-like structures leading to shrines) lined up in succession.
The tour takes you through hidden narrow mountain paths that tourists cannot find on their own, rather than the main paved roads, allowing you to explore the Fushimi Inari Shrine area while experiencing lush nature including natural bamboo groves.
After hiking for about an hour, you'll head to the mountaintop while passing through torii gates, enjoying mountain climbing while visiting various shrines and taking in panoramic views of Kyoto's cityscape.
Since most of the tour goes through paths that other tourists cannot find, you can enjoy sightseeing while avoiding crowds. You'll be able to fully enjoy the solemn atmosphere of Fushimi Inari Shrine that you usually can't experience.
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Meeting Point: FamilyMart Nakai Tofukuji Store
Tour Area: Fushimi Inari
Start Times: 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30
Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Tour
The Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Food Tour allows you to enjoy brunch while strolling through the lively streets of Nishiki Market. Nishiki Market is a shopping street with about 400 years of history, selling Kyo-vegetables, processed foods, light meals, and more. With various ingredients available, it's beloved by locals as "Kyoto's kitchen."
The market features approximately 130 carefully selected stores lined up, with numerous Kyoto specialty gourmet foods displayed at storefronts. The attractive point of the tour is that guides will introduce you to their recommended dishes from the abundant menu. Each dish that allows you to savor Kyoto's unique ingredients and seasonings is exquisite, so enjoy them to your heart's content until you're full!
The tour has a great reputation because you can hear about Kyoto's food culture and culinary knowledge from the guide, making the meal even more delicious.
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Meeting Point: In front of the Izumo no Okuni statue, immediately outside Exit 5 o
Tour Area: Around Nishiki Market
Start Times: 9:30, 10:00
Night Food Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
The restaurants introduced on Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip are all places where you can taste exquisite cuisine that even locals flock to visit, even among Kyoto's renowned establishments. Experience becoming a local and savor exquisite cuisine at restaurants that are hard for tourists to find on their own!
Kyoto Bar Hopping Nightlife Tour in Pontocho
The Kyoto Bar Hopping Nightlife Tour in Pontocho allows you to enjoy meals at izakaya (Japanese pubs) in Pontocho and other entertainment districts in Kyoto that tourists might easily overlook. Pontocho is famous as Kyoto's hanamachi (an area where teahouses with maiko and geiko gather), and you can also enjoy the atmospheric streetscape reminiscent of the Edo period.
On the tour, you'll visit three hidden izakaya that the guide confidently recommends, where you can taste popular Japanese dishes such as sashimi and yakitori, along with local sake and shochu.
Since you can choose from an abundant menu based on the guide's recommendations, try challenging yourself with Japanese cuisine you've never eaten before. The tour can accommodate vegans and vegetarians, so if you have dietary restrictions, feel free to consult with your guide.
Why not enjoy Kyoto's nightlife with a guide at an izakaya bustling with locals?
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Meeting Point: In front of the Izumo no Okuni statue, immediately outside Exit 5 of Gion-Shijo Station
Tour Area: Pontocho, Gion, Kiyamachi
Start Time: 17:30
Kyoto Night Foodie Tour
The Kyoto Night Foodie Tour allows you to eat numerous traditional Kyoto dishes at three unique restaurants located in the back alleys of Gion and Pontocho.
At the first restaurant, you'll enjoy traditional Kyoto cuisine known for its delicate seasoning that allows you to savor the natural flavors of the ingredients. At the second restaurant, you'll taste tempura and seafood in a retro atmosphere. At the third restaurant, you can choose between having an exquisite sake experience at a sake bar or enjoying delicious sweets at a matcha dessert bar. Since the three restaurants you visit have different atmospheres, you'll make new discoveries at each one.
Another attractive point of the tour is that while moving between restaurants, you can stroll through Kyoto's enchanting nighttime streetscape reminiscent of good old Japan.
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Meeting Point: In front of the Izumo no Okuni statue, immediately outside Exit 5 o
Tour Area: Gion, Pontocho
Start Times: 17:00, 18:00
Cultural Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip offers a wide variety of tours where you can experience Japanese culture in Kyoto. By trying Zen meditation, which is usually difficult to experience, or dining with a maiko and tasting matcha and sake, you will be immersed in traditional Japanese culture and come to love Japan even more.
Dinner with Maiko in a Traditional Kyoto Style Restaurant Tour
In the Dinner with Maiko in a Traditional Kyoto Style Restaurant Tour, you can enjoy a meal while watching maiko performances. Maiko is one of the traditional Japanese performing arts originating in Kyoto, where they perform dances and songs in the dining room to entertain customers.
During the tour, you will stroll through the Gion district and head to a restaurant in a machiya (traditional townhouse) that is approximately 100 years old, where you can savor the refined taste of Kyoto cuisine with all-you-can-drink beverages including sake. After a while, a maiko will appear and not only will you be able to watch impressive dances, but you can also enjoy chatting and playing games together.
Since calling a maiko to a dinner usually requires connections, time spent with a maiko is said to be precious. A commemorative photo with a maiko, who you don't easily get to meet, will surely become a lifelong memory.
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Meeting place: In front of the statue of Izumo no Okuni immediately outside Exit 5 of Gion-Shijo Station
Tour area: Gion
Start time: 18:30
Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Tour in Fushimi
In the Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Tour in Fushimi, you can taste various types of sake at the sake brewery in Fushimi, one of Japan's three major sake brewing districts. Sake, which has a history of over 2000 years, is not only enjoyed for its taste but is also used as an offering to gods and in ceremonies, making it an indispensable element when discussing Japanese culture.
During the tour, you will learn about the history of sake and the brewing process at a sake museum, then taste three types of sake. At the sake bar, you can compare and taste up to 18 different types of sake brewed in Fushimi. By tasting multiple types of sake while listening to the guide's explanations, you will discover new charms of sake.
Besides sake tasting, the tour also stops at tourist spots such as Teradaya (an inn where historical events took place) and ancient shrines, so even those who don't like alcohol can have a great time.
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Meeting place: Outside the north exit of Chushojima Station
Tour area: Fushimi
Start time: 13:30, 14:30
Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with traditional Sho-jin lunch
In the Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with traditional Sho-jin lunch, you can experience Zen meditation at Tofuku-ji Temple and enjoy shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine based on Buddhist teachings) for lunch. Zen meditation is one of the monk's training practices, where you sit with your back straight, calm your mind, and concentrate your spirit.
First, while viewing the elegant Zen garden that expresses Zen teachings, you will receive a lecture from the guide on how to do Zen meditation. Next, you will move to the meditation area, and even during the meditation, the guide will translate the monk's explanations into English, so even first-timers can participate with confidence. Finally, while eating shojin ryori, you can reflect on the experience with other participants and immerse yourself in the worldview of Zen.
Through appreciating the Zen garden and experiencing Zen meditation, please feel the Buddhist culture rooted in Japan firsthand.
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Meeting place: FamilyMart Nakai Tofukuji Store
Tour area: Tofuku-ji
Start time: 10:30
Kyoto Gion Tea ceremony & Wabi-sabi Walking Tour
In the Kyoto Gion Tea ceremony & Wabi-sabi Walking Tour, you can enjoy strolling around the Gion area and experiencing the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony is the act of making tea to entertain others and is a traditional culture that symbolizes Japanese hospitality culture.
First, during the Gion stroll, the guide will teach you about the history of the tea ceremony while touring matcha shops in the Gion area and Kyoto's oldest Zen temple.
At the temple, while viewing Japanese paintings and karesansui (a dry landscape garden that expresses water using stones and sand without actual water) and receiving explanations, experience "wabi-sabi," a uniquely Japanese aesthetic sense.
After the stroll, you will experience the tea ceremony at a tea ceremony iemoto (the place where the tea ceremony school's traditions are inherited). If you taste tea with Japanese sweets in a quiet Japanese-style room, you will be released from the noisy daily life and be able to relax from the heart.
Through the tour, please experience the traditional Japanese culture that Japanese people have cherished since ancient times.
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Meeting place: In front of the statue of Izumo no Okuni immediately outside Exit 5 of Gion-Shijo Station
Tour area: Gion
Start time: 13:30
Walking Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Garden Half-Day Walking Tour
In the Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo forest & Garden Half-Day Walking Tour, you can visit famous spots in Arashiyama such as the bamboo forest and Tenryu-ji Temple through special routes known only to local guides.
Did you know that Arashiyama has not only the bamboo forest popular with tourists, but also the World Heritage site Tenryu-ji Temple and Okochi Sanso Garden, which took 30 years to complete, scattered throughout the area? The tour has a reputation for allowing you to visit these hidden gems while receiving explanations from the guide, as well as leisurely enjoying shojin ryori while listening to the murmuring of the Katsura River, fully savoring the charms of Arashiyama.
With such fulfilling tour content, half a day will pass in the blink of an eye!
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Meeting place: At the bottom of the stairs after exiting the north exit of JR Saga-Arashiyama Station
Tour area: Arashiyama
Start time: 9:00, 9:30
Experiential Tour in Kyoto by Magical Trip
Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip include tours where you can make and eat Japanese cuisine such as sushi, ramen, and udon. Since skilled craftsmen teach you directly, the delicious food you create is guaranteed to turn out great. You can eat the freshly prepared dishes on the spot, so make sure to come hungry!
Kyoto Sushi Making Experience with a Professional Sushi Chef
In the Kyoto Sushi Making Experience with a Professional Sushi Chef, you can make sushi while receiving instruction from a sushi chef and taste freshly made sushi together with sake. It's a valuable experience to receive direct guidance from a skilled sushi chef, as such opportunities are quite rare.
During the tour, at an authentic sushi restaurant, you'll watch the sushi chef's knife skills and sushi-making techniques up close before actually making sushi yourself. If you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make sushi, the guide will immediately check with the chef for you, so feel free to ask anything you're curious about.
After enjoying the sushi and tempura fried by the chef together with sake, you can also enjoy matcha that you whisked yourself and Japanese sweets for dessert.
Since this tour doesn't require any cooking skills, even beginners can feel free to participate!
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Meeting place: Diesel Kyoto
Tour area: Karasuma Oike
Start time: 15:30
Kyoto Ramen & Gyoza Cooking Class with Professional Chefs
In the Kyoto Ramen & Gyoza Cooking Class with Professional Chefs, you'll make Kyoto-style ramen, gyoza, and fried rice together with a ramen chef. The combination of ramen, gyoza, and fried rice is a standard Japanese ramen lunch that's popular with tourists.
Ramen-making starts from making the noodles. You knead and stretch the dough, cut it finely with a knife to make noodles, and finally add toppings to complete your own original ramen.
For gyoza, you wrap the filling in the skin and fry it, and for fried rice, you finish it with your preferred seasoning. Although you'll be tackling three dishes, the friendly guide and ramen chef will teach you carefully, so you'll be able to complete everything yourself.
You can take home the recipes you actually made, so try serving them to friends and family at home parties.
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Meeting place: In front of the main entrance of Kawaramachi OPA
Tour area: Kawaramachi
Start time: 10:00, 13:30
Kyoto Udon & Tempura Cooking Class with Professional Chefs
In the Kyoto Udon & Tempura Cooking Class with Professional Chefs, you'll make udon, onigiri, and inari sushi, and enjoy them together with tempura.
First, using only flour and water, you'll make chewy udon noodles. The process of mixing and kneading the dough for making noodles isn't difficult, and even those who aren't good at cooking can enjoy the work.
After trying your hand at easy-to-make onigiri and inari sushi, you'll watch a demonstration of the head chef frying tempura. Finally, enjoying the food you made yourself together with tempura and sake will surely satisfy both your stomach and heart!
Since the tour barely uses knives, children aged 6 and above can participate. The guide not only explains how to make the dishes but also supports you during the work, so even families can participate without hesitation.
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Meeting place: 7-Eleven Kyoto Kawaramachi Takoyakushi Store
Tour area: Kawaramachi
Start time: 10:00
Private Tours in Kyoto by Magical Trip
Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip offer popular tours where you can visit Kyoto's tourist spots in a private car. If you travel to your destinations with a guide in a private car, you can sightsee efficiently without using crowded public transportation.
Also, since these are private tours, the schedule can be flexibly adjusted according to the interests of the person who booked.
1-Day Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage Site Tour with a Private Car and Guide
In the 1-Day Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage Site Tour with a Private Car and Guide, you can visit world heritage sites scattered throughout Kyoto in one day with a private car and guide.
The tour is popular with tourists for its rich content, including not only sightseeing at historical landmarks such as Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji Temple, and Ryoan-ji Temple with the guide's explanations, but also strolling through the bamboo grove full of nature and Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka lined with souvenir shops.
While it would be a volume impossible to cover in one day when traveling individually, if you travel in a private car with a guide well-versed in Kyoto, you can efficiently cover everything in one day.
The guide is not only knowledgeable but also active as a photographer, so you can have Instagram-worthy photos taken at photo spots. Photos taken by a professional will surely remain as unforgettable memories.
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Meeting place: Hotel or Kyoto Station
Tour area: Kyoto
Start time: 9:00
1-Day Kyoto & Nara Day Trip Highlights Tour with a Private Car and Guide
In the 1-Day Kyoto & Nara Day Trip Highlights Tour with a Private Car and Guide, you can sightsee tourist spots in Kyoto and Nara over one day. Although Kyoto and Nara are somewhat far apart, you can travel comfortably in a private car.
After sightseeing at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in Kyoto, which is photogenic with its vermillion torii gates, you'll move to Nara to feed the deer roaming freely in Nara Park and visit historical buildings such as Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Horyu-ji Temple. The guide will take photos for you, so you can enjoy sightseeing to the fullest without worrying about photography.
Since it's a private tour, it's also attractive that they can flexibly respond to dietary accommodations such as vegetarian and vegan, schedule requests, and weather and physical conditions. Recommended for sightseeing with children or elderly people.
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Meeting place: Hotel or Kyoto Station
Tour area: Kyoto, Nara
Start time: 9:00
Private Tours from Kyoto by Magical Trip
Kyoto Tours by Magical Trip also offer tours where you can go to popular surrounding tourist spots that are difficult to access from Kyoto by private car.
When traveling to places far from Kyoto, using public transportation involves the complexity of transfers and waiting times, but with a private car, you can move smoothly! You can also relax during the journey without worrying about other people, so there's no stress.
UNESCO Sacred Koyasan Day Trip: Hidden Buddhist Mountain Village by Private Car [from Kyoto]
In the UNESCO Sacred Koyasan Day Trip: Hidden Buddhist Mountain Village by Private Car [from Kyoto], you can take a day trip from Kyoto to Mount Koya in Wakayama by private car. Mount Koya is a sacred place where Kukai founded the Shingon sect 1,200 years ago and is designated as a World Heritage Site.
On the tour, while heading from the hotel to Mount Koya, you'll receive explanations from the guide about Buddhist history and Kukai. Upon arriving at Mount Koya, while strolling, you'll visit Kongobu-ji Temple and temples not generally open to the public, and also participate in the impressive Goma Fire Ritual (a ritual of putting wooden sticks with wishes written on them into flames to pray for their fulfillment).
You can write your own wish and throw it into the flames, so please give it a try.
The guide's explanations include detailed information about Mount Koya's history, including the spiritual aspects in the background, so you can fully enjoy the charm of Mount Koya.
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Meeting place: Hotel
Tour area: Mount Koya
Start time: 8:00