Private tour in Kyoto Daisuke K
5.0
(40) reviews
4 hours
1
4 hours
1
Daisuke K.
5.0
Guide rating
307
Reviews
Tours delivered
46 hrs
Avg. response time
My name is Daisuke, founder of Kyoto’s Secret Formula. Please call me Dice. Awards & Recognition 2023 – Began my career as a private tour guide. 2024 – Second most-booked tour guide of the year on ToursByLocals, and #1 among culture and history guides. 2025 – Dream Tour Award: the most wish-listed tour over the two years following COVID. 2026 – Guide of Tomorrow by Chikyu-no-Arukikata / Globe-Trotter Travel Research Institute, one of Japan’s most renowned travel publishers. Other Recognition & Interests - Gold Member of Foodies Prime, an exclusive foodie community advised by Takefumi Hamada, the world’s No. 1-ranked restaurant reviewer. - Gold Driver’s License holder, with no accidents or traffic violations in the past five years. - History buff, modern art lover, and enthusiast of watches and katana sword. - Former mixologist at a bar ranked in Top 500 Bars, and former seminar host at The Kyoto Distillery, winner of the IWSC International Gin Producer of the Year. My coverage areas are between Tokyo and Kyushu, which include, but not limited to, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Takayama, Kanazawa, Naoshima and Hiroshima. Please feel free to inquire for these or outside these area. *Tour Price and My Availability As the tour has become increasingly popular, I revised the price effective 2026 in order to focus on delivering a premium-quality service. I'm often able to deliver a tour cater to your needs although the calendar says there's no availability. Please feel fee to message me anytime about anything. I'm always happy to hear from you! ■My bio I moved back to Kyoto from Australia in 2021 and finally became a full-time tour guide in 2023, which was my dream! I take you to must-see sites as well as hidden gems where less tourists could find. I'm dedicated to the area around Kyoto and Takayama so let me share the city's deep culture and present "history that makes sense" to you! I also take photos, and I was a culinary/mixology expert as well as hospitality specialist. I will fully use my skills and experiences in my tours. ■My tours All my tours are bespoke for you although there are some recommended itineraries. I use a new 7-seater high-end model van, so you can request anything! My tours include well-prepared materials such as printed slides, high quality photography service and planned travel tips for before/after the tour for the rest of your stay in Japan. ■My speciality I'm a natural born entertainer and presenter, who have a decade of experience in high-end hospitality in both Japan and Australia. I love hospitality job because I love caring people. My speciality is history, food and crafts. Particularly I'm dedicated to everything about Kyoto - it's deep!!! ■Culinary knowledge I worked at two of world-class bars and a gin distillery as a cocktail specialist so I'm knowledgeable in modern culinary too! Kyoto is interesting in this perspective. In my spare time, I often visit farmers and work with them to understand Kyoto's unique agriculture by experiencing it. ■My background I was born in Niigata in 1988, a city by the sea of Japan. My family runs Japanese tea shop and tea ceremony for a century. We weren't even close to rich but my parents would always take us kids to family trip twice a year. I always loved to travel with my family. Even just being in touristy locations and watching others makes me smile ever since. This is why I've always wanted to work in the tourism industry. ■Career to become a tour guide When I was in my mid 20's, I decided that tourism is what I want to do through my life, since then, I'm dedicated to it - learning and experiencing everything I need in order to provide the best service I dream of. I was a nakai (personal attendant/concierge) at one of the most luxurious onsen ryokan in Takayama where I first got certified as tour guide. After I moved to Tokyo, I worked as a team leader in the concierge team at Mercedes-Benz Japan. I was comfortable with my English but I also felt I need to fully learn western culture for my ideal service, and decided to spend minimum of three years in a English speaking country. I chose Australia (because that's where my wife is from!) and became a cocktail mixologist, and luckily, I got a chance to work at two of the best cocktail bars in the world's best bars list. Now I have a permanent residency there. I was ready to begin my career, but COVID hit and the restriction was still in place in Japan, then I met wonderful gin called KI NO BI, made in Kyoto, and worked at the distillery for a couple of years, where I learned craftsmanship of Kyoto. Finally in 2023, I could begin my dream job as a tour guide in my favorite city Kyoto! Can't wait to see you and show you around here :) ■My spare time - Photography, - Going to nature, - Practice martial arts, - Go find a new good restaurant. ■Certificates/Experiences Regional Government Licensed Guide Interpreter - 2015 Certified Information Privacy Manager by IAPP - 2022 Kyoto Tourism Culture Certification - 2023 Gold Driver's License (no accidents/violations) World Class Mixologist (The World's 50 Best Bars) The 5th Generation at Kiguchi-en Tea House I do NOT have any restrictions in regard to my guiding, I can offer a full range of experiences at all time! I can also drive a private vehicle - from luxury van to minibus. Please feel free to request me :)
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Daisuke K.
Hi! Welcome to Kyoto! Thank you for choosing Kyoto as your travel destination. This makes me happy so let me show you around as your tour guide! This tour takes you to Kyoto's must-see sites, such as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are well-known for a reason! With the dynamic and historically important buildings, I also take you to local hidden gems. I believe the value of having a good time and learning different cultures and history when you travel will NEVER fall. So I want to create maximum value EVERY TIME. I worked in high-end hospitality for a long time so I'm not going to talk only about history all day long (unless you want it) but always aim to create a comfortable, entertaining, and bespoke experience. Also, I make slides to brief you on Japanese history and culture, and I carry a good camera so you don't need anything to fully enjoy the day. Transportation and admissions are also covered in this plan so you don't need to worry about cash payment.
Daisuke was great — personable and wonderful English speaker. He personalized consistent with the things we were interested in. He studied history and thus gave some additional insights that helped out round out our experience. My suggestion would be to focus on historical sites where Illini’s at his absolute best — or ask him about sake! Our thanks!
Daisuke (Dice) is a great guide. He is extremely knowledgeable, giving us just the right amount of detail about each sight. And he was very friendly, making it feel like you were visiting these sights with an old friend. We had a great day.
Excellent tour. Highly recommended!
Dice is a super knowledgeable, kind and friendly guide. We had a very enjoyable tour despite some rain. His van is super nice and clean, and very comfortable. He is very easy going and we were happy to be in his company! I would highly recommend you take a tour with this very intelligent and articulate young man.
Daisuke was awesome to help organize our group tour of Osaka with a private van. His co-worker Tomoko was so kind and positive on a very rainy day. We hit all the big stops and found some great hidden gems along the way. She helped us understand the great history and culture along with tasting g some amazing street food. A-Side from the rain our tour was a 10 out of 10!
"Dice" was an incredible tour guide, perfect for our half day excursion. He was so knowledgable about each stop as well as Japanese history and traditions in general that it made the entire time spent with him so enjoyable (and educational). We couldn't have asked for a better guide, it felt like we were going around with a close friend who was excited to show us their city.
This tour covers transportation and admissions as well so you don't need to worry about any cash payment on the day. I recommend having two or three days with a guide in Kyoto/Nara because there are so much to see in this area. Itinerary is changeable depending on your interests and plans. Two or three-location work best most of the time with a relaxing and nice time schedule but fully grants Kyoto's rich history and culture. This is fully bespoke and we can do major sites or hidden gems or mix of them. The below is a SAMPLE itinerary. 0:00 Start - Meet at your hotel lobby or station 0:30 Location 1 - Fushimi Inari Taisha 1:30 Location 2 - Sanjusangendo Temple 2:30 Location 3 - Kiyomizu Dera Temple and surrounding preserved district 4:00 Finish - End of tour! Drop you at your desired destination
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
We use a private van for this tour (very new 7-seater car). If you have any other requests, such as large sized vehicle or walking tour, please DM me. *If you wish to meet outside the city, there might be some additional costs such as toll fees. Message me before you finalize the booking.
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Usually, I will pick you up from your hotel if you stay in Kyoto and meet at Kyoto station if you travel from outside. *This is a rare case but please make an inquiry first if you want to meet outside Kyoto.
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AI-generated. Please confirm details with your guide
4 hours
1
4 hours
1
If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a 20% deposit!
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