Your Kyoto Private Tour

“ Off the charts A+++ Guide (look no further) ” 　We were looking for Kyoto tours over two days with my husband and 9-year-old boy, and once we found Masaki\'s profile we were already sold (he was obviously intellectual and extremely good with families/kids), but literally he surpassed every expectation. Upon booking Masaki (\"Makoon\") immediately understood what we would need to keep our little boy engaged, so planning was easy from Day 1 (promptly following our initial email exchange we received a detailed, extremely well thought out personalized itinerary from which it was clear he absolutely understood our needs/desires and that we had found the right person). What I didn\'t expect, however, was that Makoon\'s two days with us would be the highlight of our entire (and amazing) time in Japan. Makoon is extremely charismatic, well-educated, extremely personable, an amazing storyteller, and he understands kids. We went to what was probably our best lunch during our entire trip, an off-the-beaten-path place that we would never have found or enjoyed so much without him (and we ate at many other wonderful places), and thanks to his interest in history we learned far more about the history and culture of Kyoto than I think most guides are able to impart. His English is incredible from having lived several years in Canada (where he learned to breakdance!), and my little boy thought and thinks he is the coolest guy ever. Makoon also did a very cool \"Kyoto passport\" challenge for our boy which was a huge hit. More generally he is also just an extremely cool guy, and he speaks perfect English and knows how to deliver and bring what is already a magical part of Japan to life. Our 9 year old adores him and we will definitely hire him again the next time we are in Japan (obviously, as you can see from his schedule, book early). We are so happy we found him!

“Anniversary Trip”　 Makoon made our visit to Kyoto so memorable. He tailored our tour(s) to meet our objectives. He was so informative on the culture, he was able to be very active and keep up with our hectic pace, he was very easy to understand (English), and he was an absolute joy to spend our days with. We wish we could have had him for our entire trip through Japan. We have recommended him to friends who have since used him as well. In a word, Outstanding!!! Ross and Tara

“Best Guide Ever!!!”　Makoon is the best tour guide I ever had! My husband & I went to Japan to celebrate our 30th birthdays and our favorite day was our Kyoto tour with Makoon. He tailored an itinerary that highlighted everything we wanted to see. He is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Kyoto and shared a lot about the culture and other fun facts! We even had some time at the end so he showed us some other interesting spots. We are also still dreaming about the incredible sushi lunch he took us to! I would highly recommend Makoon, we had so much fun with him!

“Truly a gem”　Our morning went too fast with Makoon. Perfect english, so relatable and beyond knowledgable. Makoon was a helpful resource from before our trip and still. He created a great day in Kyoto and we only wish he could take us around more!! Dont pass him up!

“Best tour!!”　My husband and I received the tour with Makoon as a gift from my boss. It was the best gift we could have received seeing as we were in Japan for the first time celebrating our honeymoon. Makoon was able to give us a tour that was exactly to our liking. He made it customized with history, customs, and delicious food. It was everything and more we could have hoped for! We definitely recommend his tour to anyone that travels to Kyoto.

”Best Tour of Kyoto”　Makoon is an outstanding host and we could not recommend him more highly. He worked with us to customize our tour and planned out a full itinerary before our arrival. He met us at our hotel first thing in the morning and provided excellent insight on Japanese history and culture as we toured the Gion district, Nijo Castle, and the Nishiki Market. Overall, this was easily the best tour experience we have ever had. It would be a huge mistake to visit Kyoto without booking a tour with Makoon!

“Super Fun and Educating Day with Makoon”　We had a great 1st day in Kyoto with Makoon! He is very knowledgeable as well as very curious about continuous learning. Makoon is a certified guide and trains other guides, so that says it all! He took us to Fushimi Inari shrine, Tofuku-ji Temple and around Gion. He taught us a lot about the local culture, both historical and present-day. He also taught us a lot about geisha (geiko / maiko) and their lifestyle, and we encountered 7 - 8 of them on the streets of Gion which surprised Makoon (some people don\'t see any). We capped the tour with lunch at an awesome A5 beef BBQ place in a private room. It was a great day in Kyoto with Makoon!

”Unforgettable Tour of Kyoto!”　We enjoyed an unforgettable tour of Kyoto with Makoon during a recent visit to Japan. He did a fantastic job creating an individualized itinerary to keep our whole family engaged and interested. He scheduled a great blend of history, culture, food, and outdoor activities, and we all enjoyed every minute. Highlights of our tour included the Bamboo Forest and Arashiyama district, the Nijo Castle, and the Nishiki Food Market. We were also fortunate enough to spot 3 Geisha (actually Maiko!) while touring the Gion area. Makoon came highly recommended by some friends who toured with him last summer, and we will enthusiastically recommend him to our friends who visit Japan in the future.

“Great Tour!”　Makoon is a wonderful tour guide! He answered all of our questions via email beforehand, created a custom itinerary based on what we wanted to do in Kyoto, and even offered to answer any questions we had for the rest of our trip! Makoon keeps things fun while teaching the history of each site visited. He is a great guy - he even gave us a bottle of champagne style saké since we are on our honeymoon! Definitely book a tour with Makoon if you have the chance.

“BOOK MAKOON IF YOU CAN GET HIM”　Look no further. Makoon is incredibly knowledgeable, delightful, and prepared. He took so much of his time even before the tour to help us prioritize our time in Kyoto. We have hired guides everywhere from Istanbul to Tokyo and Makoon stands out as the best. Makoon doesn’t just recite memorized facts. He says that’s what you have Google for. He relates the experience to your life and makes you think and teaches you more than a bit. Fantastically interesting. And, completely delightful to be with for us all!!! Such a lovely interesting person with such a deep knowledge of Kyoto and Japanese culture and history as well as pop culture and today’s world politics. You will not be disappointed ! He pointed us to the best restaurants and helped us plan our next day. He’s a WOW. But he does book up. Book early.

”Best tour I’ve ever done”　Makoon is unbelievable! As you might expect, he’s extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto and runs a very professional operation. He’s a tour guide trainer, so he really sets a high bar, and his English is flawless as he studied and lived in Canada. Some things you might not expect: some tours with other guides might be a bit stiff, with a lot of canned knowledge and set routes. Makoon however, is accommodating and likeable. He’s very genuine and everything feels spontaneous. He easily handled questions about a range of topics unrelated to the tour. You can tell he’s sincerely interested in many subjects and has much more than surface-level, academic knowledge. In terms of itinerary, we did the Fushini Inari shrine, followed by Higashiyama, then Gion, before ending around Nishiki. It was 5 hours, a nice mix of the old and the new, the well-traveled and the underground. Despite doing so much, it didn’t feel rushed at all. Makoon knew that Fushimi Inari would be packed so made sure we started that early. I highly recommend doing a tour with Makoon.

”Kyoto Tour Guide - The BEST!”　Of all the tour guides I have had in my travels to many countries throughout the world, I can honestly say that Makoon was the best! He was very well prepared, thoroughly informed, extremely personable, and his English was flawless. What most impressed me was the extensive research he had done about all the sites we visited and the way in which he individualized our tour to our general interests. Moreover, not only did he fill us in on the history and background of what we saw, but he also challenged us to think about the meaning of what we saw and experienced to us, today. In addition to his intellect, research ability, and oral presentation skills, he is a charming and warm young man who made our hours together fly by. I can\'t imagine anyone who could do a better job as a tour guide in Kyoto.He is from Kyoto, knows it well and is eager to share his pride of the city and its rich and complex history with tourists. He also volunteered to take pictures of us at various sites, which he then promptly sent to us. If you are visiting Kyoto, plan to spend a few days and hire Makoon for one or more of those days. You will not be disappointed!

”Hands down the best guide we had!”　We adore Makoon! Not only does he have perfect English but he connects with his tour. I have 12 year old twin girls and a 14 year old son, he made each place we visited not only interesting to the adults but captivating to our pre-teens and teen, which is almost an impossible feat! We had other guides in Toyko that were very basic and toured us around all they typical places but Makoon created a tour just for our family. When it was my son\'s birthday he brought him a small gift and made the day extra special. He is a complete gem, I only wish we had him our entire time in Japan!

”Family Vacation in Kyoto”　My family and I recently visited Kyoto and was referred to Makoon. We had the best time with him. He showed us around to all the best sites including some off the grid places that most tourists don’t get to see. He is so knowledgeable and makes each site interesting and beautiful as he tells stories and comments on all of the history behind each site. The one thing I enjoyed most about listening to Makoon was that when we visited each site (shrines, temples, etc.) he told a story with confidence and clear diction that focused on the sites significance in a memorable way. Unlike other tours Makoon’s unique style captivated us and allowed us to enjoy and remember each place as we look back on pictures. Our trip to Kyoto was amazing because of him! We could not have asked for a more polite, knowledgeable, fun, and interesting guide! I would refer him to anyone looking to see sites in Kyoto. I can’t imagine seeing the sites without him. He also brought us to some great restaurants and taught us so much about the language, culture and background of the city and country of japan. We had fun with him and will always remember our time with Makoon!

”Kyoto by Makoon”　Makoon was an awesome guide. We fell in love with Kyoto because of Makoon. We are older and a little slower but our family is younger and he was able to combine the paces and make it a exciting. He tailored our day and was able to determine our like and dislikes immediately. He took us to such fun places. His stories were enlightening and added to the charm of Kyoto. We were with Makoon for two full days and we saw so much of the most beautiful sites even a secret one that was magnificent . He took lots of pictures for us so we could enjoy the scenery. I wouldn\'t go to Kyoto without calling Makoon again as he will make your trip so memorable and I hope to see him again to show us more of his lovely city. Lynn K

”Fun 2 days with Makoon!”　I did quite a bit of research for a tour guide for Kyoto before deciding on Makoon. I was looking for a guide who is young enough to keep up with me but not so young that I would have trouble relating. Also he seemed fun and engaging from his profile. When we met I was so glad I picked him! Not only is he fun and engaging, he is very funny and kind and has great patience. He was able to quickly determine my likes and dislikes and continued to tailor the tour through the 2 days. He told me a lot of interesting stories and seemed to have endless knowledge about Kyoto. He was never at loss and was able to answer all my questions, even the more obscure ones. We had a very comfortable 2 days together. I never once felt awkward and it was like talking to am old friend. in fact I had a better time with him than I do with some of my actual friends. I will definitely be back to this beautiful city and I will definitely call on Makoon to guide me to more places next time!

”Outstanding 1 day TOUR”　We were introduced to Makoon who is based in Kyoto by a friend who suggested we do a day tour with him, and i can honestly say it was outstanding. Makoon speaks brilliant English and his knowledge and ability to introduce a brief history of Japan in one day set the tone for the rest of our trip.He asked what we are interested in before by email-then suggested a mixture tailor made for our group of 4 ladies, We are foodies & artists and love to wonder small interesting streets as well as see one or two of the most interesting temples and palaces. Our day started at 9am and ended at 4pm with visits to places of interest that would suite us, he never once tried to take or show us things we did not care for or let us feel we were on a tour, it was simply the best day trip and guide experience i have every had, and i have traveled a lot. We were asked ahead of time what we like to eat, and then he gave 5 options, we chose the Ramin restaurant - and our food was excellent. I can highly recommend Makoons services and hope you will enjoy your day out with him. Kyoto is a lovely place, but having some history to enhance the experience is worth the money.