Kyoto-based · Licensed travel agency

Tailor-Made Japan Tours, Designed in Kyoto

Your Japan, designed from the inside. Private journeys of ten days to three weeks, planned and run by our licensed team in Kyoto. A personal reply within 24 hours.

DESIGN MY TRIP → SEE SAMPLE ITINERARIES

Kyoto-Based & Licensed · 3-1039 – Travelers’ Choice · TripAdvisor – Reply within 24 hours

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WHO WE ARE

We Don’t Sell Tours. We Design Journeys.

My Japan Guide is a licensed travel agency in Kyoto specializing in private, custom Japan tours and bespoke itineraries – from single-day guided experiences to three-week journeys for travelers who want more than the standard route.

Our team lives and works in Japan. We know the ryokan that never appears on booking platforms, the shrine path that opens at six, the sake brewery that welcomes private visits by arrangement. That local knowledge is what you’re hiring.

About our team →

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HOW IT WORKS

Four Steps to Your Private Japan Journey

01 – Tell us

Share your travel brief

Share your dates, interests and travel style in the trip planner.

02 – We design

Receive a personal proposal

Once we have your travel dates and budget, we send you a first itinerary.

03 – We refine

You review

The itinerary is yours until it’s exactly right – no pressure, no sales script.

04 – You travel

We handle everything

Guides, logistics, bookings, local surprises – all managed so you stay fully present.

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CUSTOM TRIPS

How Long Would You Like?

Multi-day trips built around your dates, pace, interests, and travel style

10 days
MOST POPULAR

Classic Japan
Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Nara · Hiroshima · Osaka
From USD 5,150 p.p.

14 days
RECOMMENDED

Japan in depth
Tokyo · Nikko · Hakone · Kyoto · Hiroshima · Okayama · Osaka · Kanazawa
From USD 5,890 p.p.

21 days
FULL EXPERIENCE

Japan uncovered
Tokyo · Nikko · Kanazawa · Takayama · Kyoto · Hiroshima · Nagasaki · Fukuoka · Kyoto
From USD 8,650 p.p.

DESIGN MY TRIP →
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Sample Itineraries

JOURNEYS WE’VE DESIGNED

Winter · 9 days Biei Blue Pond frozen and illuminated electric blue at night with snow falling and dead birch trees rising from the ice, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan

Hokkaido Winter Discovery Tour & Private Itinerary

Noboribetsu · Niseko · Otaru · Sapporo · Biei
When to visit : December – February
Best for : Snow landscapes, onsen, winter food, skiing, nature, and off-season Japan
From USD 6,250 p.p.
View itinerary →
Spring · 11 days Cherry blossom trees illuminated at night arching over Hirosaki Castle moat with red bridge and reflections in the water, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan

Northern Japan Spring Tour & Private Itinerary

Tokyo · Tohoku · Kanazawa · Kyoto · Osaka
When to visit : April – May
Best for : Repeat visitors, quieter spring routes, Tohoku, nature, food, and local festivals
From USD 5,400 p.p.
View itinerary →
Alps & trails · 11 days Empty Edo-period street lined with preserved wooden buildings in Tsumago post town on the historic Nakasendo trail, Kiso Valley, Nagano, Japan

Japanese Alps & Nakasendo Tour & Private Itinerary

Tokyo · Nagano · Matsumoto · Takayama · Kyoto
When to visit : April–May · Sep–Nov
Best for : Mountain scenery, historic post towns, ryokan, walking days, and rural Japan
From USD 5,370 p.p.
View itinerary →
SEE ALL SAMPLE ITINERARIES →
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CUSTOM ITINERARIES

Ready to start planning?

Share your travel brief – we’ll handle everything else

DESIGN MY TRIP →
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PRIVATE DAY TOURS

Also Available: Private Day Tours & Experiences

30+ private day tours & Experiences across Japan – bookable individually or built into a longer journey

FOODIE Chef cooking yakitori at a traditional izakaya counter with handwritten menu boards, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Izakaya & Sake Pub Crawl

Evening (03h) - Up to 6 - From JPY 48,000 for 2 guests
NATURE Traditional thatched-roof farmhouses surrounded by clipped hedges and a still pond at Oshino Hakkai with snow-capped Mount Fuji rising behind, Oshino, Yamanashi, Japan

Mount Fuji Private Car Tour from Tokyo

Full day (08h) - Up to 6 - JPY 128,000/group
EXCLUSIVE Maiko in pale pink furisode kimono and elaborate kanzashi hair ornaments performing a deep formal bow on tatami, Kyoto, Japan

Private Dinner with a Geisha in Kyoto

Evening (02h) - Up to 6 - From JPY 229,000 for 2 guests
INSIDER Fresh bluefin tuna block and traditional Japanese yanagiba sashimi knives on a wooden board, Toyosu Fish Market insider tour, Tokyo

Toyosu Fish Market Private Tour with a Sushi Chef

Half day (05h) - Up to 6 - From JPY 94,000 for 2 guests
BROWSE OUR TOURS →
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OUR STORY

Designed in Kyoto, for the World

My Japan Guide was founded in Kyoto by Xavier, who, after years living and working in Japan, set out to show visitors the country he had come to love – not the version sold by package operators. His wife Yoko joined soon after, bringing a deep grounding in omotenashi, the Japanese art of anticipating a guest’s needs before they’re spoken.

Together they built a team of local experts who share one belief: the best experiences come from genuine human connection, not a script.

About our team →

3-1039
Kyoto Licensed Travel Agency

30+
Private Tours Across Japan

4.8 / 5
Tripadvisor · 193 reviews

15+
Years of Japan Travel Expertise

TRIP PLANNER

Design your perfect Japan itinerary

Start Your Itinerary
A personal proposal in 24 hours.
1
Choose your style and destinations
2
Set your dates and budget
3
Receive a personal proposal from your Kyoto Tour Designer

Ready when you are. Share your travel brief and your Kyoto-based Tour Designer takes it from there.
DESIGN MY TRIP →
Free · No obligation · Reply within 24h

What Our Clients Say

Reviewed by travelers as Private Tours Japan – My Japan Guide and Private Tours Japan are operated by the same Kyoto-based team. Our TripAdvisor reviews are listed under Private Tours Japan and reflect our work arranging private Japan trips, bespoke itineraries, cultural experiences, executive transportation, and on-the-ground travel support.

Off-the-Trail Experience and Personalized

Enriching experience, off the usual path with natives. Personalize in relation to what we wanted to do, top.
We recommend.

NougArtha CJanuary 27, 2026 on Tripadvisor

Japan whiskey tour 2025

Everything was very organized, we had very knowledgeable guides, and they made great food suggestions that wasn’t places that tourists normally go which is the experience I was looking for. If I ever had a question before, during, or after my trip, they are super quick to respond to anything I need. I look forward to working with them again for future trips.

BRANDON COLEDec 27, 2025 on Trustpilot

Tours in Japan

Enchanted with our 15-day tour with this agency that organized us a perfect stay: very well thought out tour, choice of hotels , quality and kindness of guides upon our arrival in each major city , and as a bonus an unfailing responsiveness.
We recommend them without hesitation.
Beautiful stay.

Francois VNovember 22, 2025 on Tripadvisor

Very nice trip by a very competent agency

Thank you for the efficient organization of this beautiful last minute trip, which the other agencies had refused to organize in view of the delays. We had a great holiday, matching our desires. The circuit to discover countryside and cities we liked and the daily instructions of routes were valuable. The alternation of journeys by train, or by car was judicious. Japan is beautiful, it is a complex country for us Western but very interesting. Andrew’s guides in Tokyo and Nobusan in Kyoto gave us a better understanding of this culture. We liked the upscale accommodations and especially the superb traditional Ryokans. The choice of hotels in 2 different neighborhoods during the 2 stays in Tokyo was ideal. The meeting of Hori san sushi master remains a precious and tasty moment.

Pitch2005September 3, 2025 on Tripadvisor

Private Tour – Kanazawa

Xavier and Yoko-san did an excellent job catering to our needs. We wanted a private tour of Kanazawa that would really indulge us into the history of the NInja, Samurai, Geisha, Tea Ceremony, etc. and the organization and itinerary did not disappoint! They helped us coordinate the bullet train from Tokyo to Kanazawa and Kanazawa to Osaka and they even directly mailed the tickets with directions to our first hotel in Tokyo. Xavier was very responsive and accommodating to all email exchange and itinerary request and helped us book a private Geisha experience in a Ryokan. This part of our honeymoon was one of the most memorable experiences and I highly recommend their service! Junko-san was our tour guide in Kanazawa and she was amazing and so kind.

Nicole DSeptember 3, 2025 on Tripadvisor

Wonderful Trip

We had a fantastic trip touring Japan with the help of Xavier and crew at My Japan Guide! They helped us with all of our travel logistics, including car service, train reservations, etc., and it was so nice to not have to worry about this tactical planning. And they touched based with us with details and times through Whats App throughout the trip – a nice touch! We scheduled our time so that we had guides on some days and were able to explore on our own on other days, which was a nice balance for us. All of our guides were amazing, and worked with us to see the must-see spots but at our pace. Shout out to Yoichi-san who showed us the sites in Tokyo and Nikko; Carol-san who took us around Mt. Fuji and took tons of pics so we could be present and in the moment; and Yoshi-san who showed us the sites in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, and gave us a private sake lesson at his shop! We enjoyed our time with each of them, and especially the great conversations about the history and culture of Japan. We left Japan with gratitude for the great srvice provide by My Japan Guide and our hearts full from the amazing sites and experiences we had. We will be back! ありがとう ございます – Arigato gozaimasu!

Linda SMay 18, 2025 on Tripadvisor
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