The right way to know Kyoto

I don’t think I have just one. We visited a bunch of locations and our guide was SUPERB!! Knowledgeable about shrines and temples and educated us a lot on this. Talkative but not too much. Educational which was excellent. Funny and kind.

Our guide, Eriko, was phenomenal. She was professional in her approach and was also friendly, likable and lots of fun. I booked a full-day tour with Viator and they were quick to respond and confirm that Eriko would be the guide for me and two of my friends to explore Kyoto. I had a couple questions along the way and both Viator and Eriko were quick to respond answering all of my questions. As I was planning the agenda with Eriko, she let me know that a day tour would not be enough time to experience all there is to see and do in Kyoto, so she kindly provided a list of the places we would go on our 8-hour tour along with a list of must-see places to go on the day we were not with her. She even provided guidance on food and helpful hints on how to get around. On the day of our tour, Eriko arrived promptly to pick us up at our ryokan and she guided us throughout the day to all the sites we would see. She provided insightful historical information as well as interesting back stories that made the tour even more interesting. She also shared fun, interesting stories about life in Kyoto, the culture, her own personal experience growing up there, and much more. In addition to the breadth of historical knowledge she shared, what I liked most about Eriko is that she listened to what interested us and she adjusted the agenda in real time to accommodate going to some places we hadn't planned on going. She was a pure joy to be with and her passion for the city showed. She is doing exactly what she was meant to do -- share her knowledge, experience and love of Kyoto with those who care to go on the ride. I HIGHLY recommend both Viator and our guide, Eriko, as the best place to go to arrange any of your tour guide needs. My experience was first class and well worth the value.

Nico was an excellent guide for our family of four (with kids ages 7 and 9). Not only did he help us to stop and appreciate the beauty of Kyoto around us (including backstreets and local shrines), he helped us discover hidden gems in each of the shrines and temples we visited - tips, tricks, and knowledge we would not have otherwise known! Nico helped us to map a very reasonable plan for the day and was gracious about stopping for frequent food and snacks to keep the kids’ (OK and my own) blood sugar up. He is a cool human who knows how to make the most out of a day without going overboard with too much information. He relates well with kids and knew how to engage them throughout. As a seasoned traveler and one who doesn’t usually engage in guided experiences, touring with Nico was an absolute pleasure. We had a day that will go down in the books!!