Definitive Kyoto, Osaka and Nara in 4 days

This was one of the best tours I have ever taken, and Ichi may be my favorite guide ever. He knew all the best paths for the major sights (and took amazing pictures) and we really enjoyed seeing some of the lesser known areas, including a beautiful practically empty neighborhood temple and some really interesting residential streets. Ichi was incredibly knowledgeable about the city and all of its history and it was clear that he loves Kyoto. Whenever we had to wait for something, like the train or our food at the delicious local restaurant he took us to, Ichi kept us engaged with fun ways to remember the language or origami lessons. He went out of his way for us, escorting us on the bullet train and trying to help us find a specific souvenir. He was a great conversationalist and a pleasure to spend the day with. If we ever return to Kyoto, I would love to tour with Ichi again!

Our Kyoto tour was amazing, all thanks to our fantastic guide, Ishi-san. He contacted us before the tour with great recommendations for places and restaurants, even beyond the itinerary. On the day, he was incredibly knowledgeable, fun, and super accommodating—any request we had, he handled quickly and easily. We visited iconic spots, went shopping for specific items, and even saw real geiko (geisha)! Since it was a hot day, Ishi came prepared with cooling sprays and electrolyte candies, which was a thoughtful touch. Our group of four (my husband, two friends, and I) had an unforgettable time. Highly recommend touring with Ishi—110% worth it! P.S.: we also booked a tour with Ishi in Osaka - lucky us!

The tour was very well-organized and perfectly balanced. We had a pleasant, informative, and thoroughly enjoyable day with Toichi. He was attentive to our wishes, flexible throughout the day, and helped us save a lot of time.

Toichi “Ichi” Nakata was an exceptional, wonderful guide who made our two days in Kyoto an amazing experience we will always remember. He expertly took us to all the sights - both famous and hidden treasures. He explained history and culture with pictures and stories; we learned so much from him in the most delightful way. He was fun, kind and attentive. And took great pictures of us which he immediately shared with us on WhatsApp 😁. Ichi is truly Number One!

Ichi met us promptly in the lobby of our hotel in Kyoto at the appointed time. He was very well organized, and even had a nice welcoming sign for us as well as a small gift, as we were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed walking with him and occasionally taking the subway on our tour, and he was quite good at leading us around to the most interesting sites that we could see within the 8 hours that we were with him. We learned a lot from him about the history of Kyoto, of the geishas, and about all the temples that we visited. At the conclusion of our tour, he took us to a rooftop bar near the Gion area that most tourists would not know about. We enjoyed having drinks on the terrace as we watch the sunset, surrounded by a nice view of the city. We would highly recommend Ichi! Ron & Victoria

Ichi was a very good guide. He knew the history of Kyoto and its temples very well. He has a good sense of humour and is very pleasant. We loved our day out and would recommend him to anyone