Kobe Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Kobe, Japan
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
- Private vehicle
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'What to expect' list'
- Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Kobe City or your preferred location around Kobe Port or Kobe Airport. Please use email for any communication before the tour.
Itinerary
1
Mt. Rokko
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Shin-Kobe Trail
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Kobe Harborland
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Kitano Ijinkan-gai
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Chinatown (Nankinmachi)
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Kobe Shushinkan Brewery
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
11
Sawa no Tsuru Museum
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
12
Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infant seats available
- Service animals allowed
- Stroller accessible
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Only one reservation per group allowed. You cannot combine multiple reservations into one group.
- There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 16 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
C_M, Apr 2026
We went to the Engyoji Temple where they filmed the Last Samurai. We were basically the only visitors there, so it was very peaceful as I had imagined. Our guide was very knowledgeable. We then went back to Kobe and had the best Kobe beef at Mouriya Lin. Some of us proceeded to walk back to the ship through the shopping streets. and the others were taken back by car. It was a most enjoyable day!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review.
Yes, we went to Himeji from Kobe by car and visited Shoshazan Engyoji Temple, and back to Kobe for lunch at an authentic Kobe beef steak restaurant.
That was a different tour course than normal due to the long distance between Kobe and Himeji.
However, it was more amazing than I thought.
Thanks again I had a great time with your group.
From your guide, Norio
Alan_F, Apr 2026
Great way to see the city. Good choice of destinations, which was always flexible if we changed our mind. Our guide Yama was excellent
Response from Host, May 2026
Many thanks for your most kind and thoughtful comment. I am very much glad to know that you have enjoyed the tour with me. I have also had a very happy with you all. Moreover, I am sure that you have enjoyed tasting "Buta-man" (steamed buns filled with port minced meat) at Nankinmacihi China Town and various kinds of "Bento" in front of Daimaru Department Store. How about your own perfume blended at Nunobiki Herb Gardens? I hope you like it.
Doomo Arigato Gozaimashita,
Yama
Timothy_C, Mar 2026
Not worth the money. The problem in Japan is they certify the tour guides, but most of them do not speak very good English. That was the case here. She didn't understand half of what we said. Guide and a taxi driver showed up 45 minutes late. They went to the wrong cruise terminal. Information. We had the information desk people in the terminal track them down. No set itinerary, they used what we had sent them. Got us to all the sights we had sent in. We had a fantastic Kobe beef lunch in an exclusive Japanese Steak House. Just wasn't worth what we paid for the tour. Very nice people but the dialogue wasn't there with the places we visited. Better than a bus tour. But for a private tour you expect a lot more.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you very much for your review! We will of course review the guide's skills, but in order to be a certified guide in Japan you need to have a high-level speaking score on English proficiency tests. We do have customers that have trouble with accents though, so we will take this into account. As for the port and schedule, this was complicated since you cancelled your original tour & then rebooked. Once you had rebooked, we did not hear from you at all about your tour. We contacted you several times to ensure the pick up point and tour plan was correct. We did not hear from you so the guide could not update your tour plan to your preferences. Additionally, your selected pick up point was incorrect. The guide and taxi went to the point you had originally selected since we had no updates, despite efforts to reach you. We hope that you have a safe journey home from Japan.
Japan Guide Agency
Vincent_Y, Nov 2025
The guide was thorough and detailed throughout the tour. It was more than we expected. Worth every bit of it.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
I am overjoyed to know that they had a wonderful time in Kobe. Thank you very much for letting me know.
I really appreciate them listening to me.
I was extremely happy to see them enjoying my joke and plan. I also had a great time thanks to them. Please enjoy the rest of your trip‼ Take care‼ Chiyuki
AnaP_V, Oct 2025
Yama-San, he’s the most amazing, energetic, friendly, funny and at the same time most professional tour guide to explore Kobe.
From the initial communications to seek the places of interest; he made me feel like I knew him all of my life; but when we finally met, he blew our minds; my husband, and my friends who were in the group tour had made the decision to called Yama-San the #1 guide of our trip to Japan and South Korea.
Just as he told us, he met the group at the cruise terminal, he was waiting for us, so puntual; then the fun began, so much information, and so much fun, just thinking about it, brings me a smile, and the desire to go back.
Yama-San, you made our dream trip an amazing memory for all of us, we enjoyed a great weather, but even if we had a cloudy moment, you were the sunshine of the moment, keep smiling, and “rock on”🤟.
We also enjoyed a very comfortable car, and a super driver, going up those mountains are no joke, but he made us feel secure.
For all the awesome moments we shared with you, we would never forget you Yama-San
本当にありがとうございます。
Hontōni arigatōgozaimasu.
Sincerely,
Ana Patricia
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Many thanks for your most kind and considerate comment. I am very much glad and honored to hear those. I have also had a very nice and happy time with you all. Moreover, I am very glad that you all like my home city of Kobe, and of course, you like Kobe Beef and Buta-man (steamed buns) at Nankin-machi. I do hope you can visit here again soon. Elvis and I will welcome you all any time! Ha ha ha!
Muchas Gracias or Doomo Arigato Gozaimashita!
- Yama
Kristina_C, Jul 2025
We got rained out for a few stops on the tour, but our guide (Yama) made the best of it and allowed us to quickly pivot. Yama is extremely knowledgeable, kind, funny and very professional. Would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Many thanks for your most kind and thoghtful comment. I am very much glad to know you have enjoyed the tour with me. I have also had a very good and happy time with you and your nice and beautiful family. Particularly, I have enjoyed talking with your family on wild animals in your state and of course, the story about Corona Beer, which is very interesting and instructive for me. I do hope I can see you again here in Kobe and would like to show the "home of your favorite Japanese Sake".
Doomo Arigato Gozaimashita,
Hermina_T, Mar 2025
We had a nice day with our guide and driver and saw most of what we wanted to see. Would have liked to hear more history and be able to have an earlier break for lunch but overall a great way to see Kobe.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
We appreciate your kind feedback and our guides do too! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour with your guide. We look forward to your next visit to Japan. Japan Guide Agency
Steve_J, Feb 2025
Yama was terrific from the time we booked until we said goodbye in Kobe. The ride was so roomy and comfortable. We researched the city and submitted a list of our wants. Yama created a custom itinerary and sent it to us. We approved it and he kept in touch. When one part of our tour became unavailable due to maintenance, he notified us right away and provided a work around. The tour was professional and thorough. He took pictures of our group during the tour and sent them to us right away. He made every stop very interesting and we left with wonderful memories.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
I thank you very much for your most kind and considerate comment. I am glad to know that you have enjoyed the tour with me. Sorry about the cable-car at Mt. Rokko and I do hope you can visit that place sometime again. I have also had a very good time with you all. Actually, I have enjoyed talking with you all, which was very interesting and instructive for me.
Doomo Arigato Gozaimashita,
Yama
Mark_F, Feb 2025
Yama-san was our wonderful, energetic Kobe guide. Born and raised in Kobe, he had lots of “native” info.
He was also very prepared. Before our tour, he communicated ideas about our itinerary in excellent English. On discovering the herb garden was closed, he smartly suggested visiting two sake breweries instead. He also gave clear, detailed directions from our hotel in Osaka to our meeting place at the train station in Kobe and was there to greet us on our train’s arrival.
Yama-san immediately led us to our very nice driver of a large, comfortable van. We headed to the impressive Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Maiko Marine Promenade, boasting the second longest suspension bridge in the world. Yama-san described the building of the bridge and also his childhood years before that, when he’d fished there with his father.
We then went to Chinatown where we walked up and down the colorful, crowded street (fortuitously during the Chinese Lunar New Year).
We next visited Kitano Ijinkan town. Yama-san summarized its history, showing us examples of how wealthy businessman and diplomats lived in the early to mid-20th century, including a former US Consul’s home. That's where he talked about the devastating 1995 Kobe earthquake that destroyed many of the Ijinkan homes, and more tragically, killed over 6,000 people. He was at home that morning and relayed personal details of that day.
From there, we drove to two sake breweries which we found extremely interesting and thoroughly enjoyed.
We learned the intricate process of how sake used to be made and how that has changed with modern technology. Happily, we got to sample saki at both breweries and bought some to bring home as a memory of our day in Kobe with Yama-san. Mark and Suzan, Miami
Response from Host, Feb 2025
I greatly appreciate your most kind and considerate comment. Moreover, I am very much glad to know that you have enjoyed the tour in Kobe, my home city. I have also had a very nice and happy time with you , particularly, talking with your nice partner was very interesting and instructive for me. I do hope I can see you again, maybe, in the city of Himeji, where you can visit Himeji Castle, the very best castle in Japan.
Doomo Arigato Gozaimshita.
Yama
Linda_F, Jul 2024
Norio was a terrific guide. Despite the misty weather, we had a great tour. We really loved our visit to the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and the view from Mount Rokko would be just amazing on a clear weather day. If you take this tour, ask for Norio!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thanks for your kind review.
We visited Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Mt. Rokko.
The longest suspension Bridge in the world, Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, was so beautiful.
It was cloudy that day, but we had fun riding the cable car to and from Mt. Rokko.
It is me to say thank you, I had a great time.
From your guide, Norio
Geraldine_N, Mar 2024
Our guide Yama was excellent! He was very informative, friendly, courteous, upbeat and positive. He shared many interesting sights and facts about the places we selected and went beyond by taking so many group pictures for us . He spoke excellent English. We would highly recommend this guide .
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Many thanks for your most kind and thoughtful comments.
I have also had a very happy time with you all. Particularly,
I was very glad to know that you have enjoyed Arima very much.
I understand that you all liked Ramen and “five-second Sembei”,
and of course, Kin-sen (brown-colored spa).
Doomo Arigato Gozaimashita.
From $340.96
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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