Kochi Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Kochi, Japan
+21
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See Kochi your way with this customizable private guided tour. To ensure you only visit places that interest you, you can choose 2–3 sites from a list provided to you before the tour. Then, enjoy the company of a private guide who can provide commentary as you explore the sights. Potential places to visit include Kochi Castle, Chikurinji Temple, The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, and Harimayabashi Shopping Street.
- Don’t worry about getting lost: Explore Kochi with a guide
- Swap fixed itineraries for this customizable tour experience
- Receive a list of sights and landmarks to choose from
- No language barriers: A guide translates everything for you
What's Included
- Licensed Local Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'What to expect' list
- Private vehicle
- 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
This private tour is a guided tour with a private vehicle designed for travelers coming to Kochi by cruise ships. Your guide and taxi will pick you up and drop you off at Kochi Shin Port or hotels near the port.
Itinerary
1
Kochi Castle
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Kochi Castle Museum of History
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Chikurinji Temple
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Yokoyama Memorial Manga Museum
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
Obiyamachi Itchome Shopping Street
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Harimayabashi Shopping Street
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
8
Hirome Ichiba
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
9
Katsurahama Ryuogu Shrine
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
10
Sunday Market
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
11
Ryugado Cave
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
12
Kaiyodo Space Factory Nankoku
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infant seats available
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- 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
4.9
based on 72 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Very adaptable tour guide who made great suggestions to do things considering the weather conditions which constrained the possibilities for the day
Super Tour with an Amazing Guide who was very Carring about us and our Interesse! Highly recommended
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Dear guest,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and giving me five stars.
It was such a pleasure meeting you and your family.
You were all so curious and interested in so many things, and truly enjoyed
spending the day with you!
I’m very happy to know that our tour became a fun and memorable part of your time in Kochi.
I hope you and your family will always have wonderful memories of your trip here.
Thank you again for your kind words.
They mean a lot to me😊
Warm regards,
Peach 🍑
Our guide Kimy was great! On time pick up and return. Having mobility issues Kimy and our driver were respectful and concerned with our limitations while planning just the right itinerary for the day. We somehow managed to see and do a lot. Kimy was professional and knowledgeable on all the venues we went to, from the gardens and temples to the beach and the castle grounds. Kimy shared the important stories and history of the area. The observation locations she took us to were breathtaking. We enjoyed and appreciated the day we spent with Kimy and our driver were - such good people.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for taking your time to write this review. I was greatly inspired by your wonderful sense of humor, the way of interacting, and your zest for enjoying life to the fullest. Spending time with you has taught me so many important lessons about living a rich life. I truly appreciate it. Please enjoy the rest of your journey!
Kimy
Kimy was wonderful. She was so accommodating and knowledgeable. She took several fantastic pictures of our family and shared them so we didn’t have to keep getting our bones out. She took us to a great local spot for lunch. The driver was very friendly. I would highly recommend this tour if visiting Kochi.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
It was a great pleasure to accompany your family on your trip.
Yes, I took many photos to capture the memories of your wonderful three-generation trip!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip in Japan.
Kimy
We were so blessed to have Hiroshi as our tour guide. He was patient, extremely attentive, well prepared and super informative. Our tour was well planned out and his lunch spot was excellent. Hiroshi's English was excellent and conversational. Thanks so much for a wonderful tour. Best wishes. Paul
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. I truly appreciate your kind words. It was a pleasure spending the day with you, and I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour, the lunch, and our conversations.
I wish you all the best, and I hope you have the chance to visit Japan again someday. If you come back to Kochi, I would be delighted to show you more of our beautiful region.
Hiroshi
Had an amazing time with our guide Kay in Kochi. She was very proactive and contacted me several weeks before to plan the itinerary for the day and also to help with our dietary requirements ( we are vegetarian). She involved us in the plan of the day at every step. She met us as we got off our cruise ship with a very nice vehicle and friendly driver.
She was very knowledgeable about the local area and Japan in general and gave us lots of interesting information and could answer all of our questions. She took us to the Sunday market and helped us try some local vegetarian delicacies. The weather that day was very poor, with heavy rain but she readjusted our tour so that we were sheltered from the worst of it with a visit to the castle museum. The castle was a real highlight. We also went to the botanical garden and Shinto shrine which were also fantastic.
Thank you very much Kay for being and excellent guide. We loved our day with you.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking your time to write this too good review!
I was happy to explain everything to you because all of you were curious enough to listen to what I was talking.
Yes, the weather was awful with the seasonal rain, but I hope you've brought back some good memories of Kochi, and Japan.
Thank you for having me as a guide! ---Your Kochi guide, Kay
We had an absolutely wonderful day exploring Kochi with Kimy as our guide. From start to finish, everything was perfectly planned and executed.
Our tour included visits to Kochi Castle, a delightful sake tasting, a delicious Japanese lunch, Chikurinji Temple, and the beautiful Makino Botanical Garden. Each stop offered something unique, and Kimy shared fascinating insights about the history, culture, and traditions of the area.
What made the day truly special was Kimy’s exceptional care and attention, especially toward my elderly parents. She was patient, thoughtful, and attentive to their needs throughout the tour, ensuring they were comfortable and able to enjoy every part of the experience. Her kindness and professionalism gave us complete peace of mind.
Kochi is a beautiful destination, but Kimy made it unforgettable. Thanks to her, we enjoyed a perfect day filled with wonderful sights, delicious food and sake, and lasting memories. We highly recommend this tour and especially Kimy to anyone visiting Kochi.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience.
Nothing makes me happier than the word 'lasting memories' .
Your message was really encouraging.
Please enjoy the rest of your journey!
Kimy
Kay was a wonderful guide. We visited the beautiful botanical gardens and Kochi castle. She climbed the steep stairs with us to the top of the castle.
She helped us navigate ordering food at the food stalls.
We truly enjoyed our day with her!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for taking your time for the review! I also enjoyed my day with you.
Yes, we visited Makino botanical garden and Kochi castle together. It was quite crowded inside the castle tower, but I'm sure you were able to get a real sense of its history and atmosphere. I'm also grateful to your friends for patiently waiting at the museum while we were exploring the castle.
There are a lot more to see in Kochi. Please come and visit again!
KAY
Nuri was very proactive contacting us months ago to insure we agreed with her proposed itinerary, she was early to pick us up and made sure we were well taken care of
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review. I am glad to hear that you had a wonderful day in Kochi. Also, I am appreciative of the heartwarming message you sent me even after the tour ended. I look forward to seeing you again someday.
- Nori
Kimy and our driver took very good care of us and were very attentive to our needs and preferences. Very knowledgeable, professional, helpful and courteous. Kimy went over and above what we expected. We had a wonderful time!
Thank you Kimy.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review. We're delighted to hear that our service surpassed your expectations. It was an honor to be part of your journey.
- Kimy
Nori is delightful and the driver was careful, professional and thoughtful to his passengers. Would recommend both Nori and the driver.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your heartwarming review of me and the driver. I am appreciative of hearing that you had a wonderful day in Kochi. It was great day for me, too. I look forward to seeing you again someday.
- Nori
The Tour offers a full view of the main sites plus a true local experience with lunch in the market. Our guide, Saori, spoke impeccable, English and guided us with ease.
Keiko was great. Very friendly and accommodating. The castle read very interesting. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your kind review.
I’m glad you enjoyed the castle tour.
Although the weather wasn’t great, I really enjoyed spending time with you.
I hope you had a wonderful time in Kochi!
Keiko
Miyuki was wonderful. She had plenty of information to keep the tour interesting. Her comments where not only interesting, but she was was a lot of fun. She went beyond the normal explanations and history ny providing us with local snacks. Thank you very much for a very enjoyable day..
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your warm message.
I'm also very glad to hear that you had a good time in Kochi. Have a wonderful day! Tomoko
Kay has a wonderful knowledge of Kochi which she was very happy to share with us. We saw everything that we asked to see, but Kay showed us extra sights which were really great. We had a wonderful visit to Kichi with Kay. Elizabeth and Neil NZ
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your warm words.
It was quite an exercise to walk up the castle mountain, but we did very good!
I hope you are not too tired from all the walking.
Have fun for the rest of your journey!
-KAY
Saori was amazing. Extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Especially when we went to the market, there is no way that we would have been able to navigate without having someone with her expertise telling us where to buy the food, the local must eats, and being receptive to multiple people's needs. The driver was always available and we never had to wait long at any of our locations for him to be there probably. It was a very comfortable vehicle. I would highly recommend this to anybody who needs to find a port excursion. They were there promptly. They got us back to the ship on time without any delay. We were able to change our itinerary as the day progressed based on the people on the excursion with us since some of them didn't want to do some of the stops. Communication with a tour company was excellent. I was able to get confirmation immediately as well as driver information as soon as it became available. I would highly recommend.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you very much for having us as your guide and driver! If you enjoyed this tour, it is thanks to all your cooperation and abundant curiosity. Kochi and Shikoku are full of hidden gems that are not yet mainstream. You can experience the real Japan here. Please come and visit us again and again. We look forward to seeing you again!
Mika was an excellent tour guide. She took us all over Kochi so that we could experience it in a truly authentic and intimate way that we would not have otherwise gotten with a larger group. We even were able to spend time watching the annual Yosakoi festival!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you very very much for wonderful review. I’m very grateful. I will continue to do my best so that many people can enjoy it.
Mika
Kochi was such a delight to visit. Miya took such good care of us. We visited a temple in the mountains as well as getting to participate in a Tea Ceremony which was the highlight of the trip. The food market was impressive as well as the lunch we had. Thank you, Miya, for making our day in Kochi so special.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I'm so glad to hear that you felt Kochi special, and had a enjoyable day.
I also appreciate your interest in Japanese culture, like temples, shrines, the gardens and specially, the tea ceremony!
Thanks to your great offer for the tea ceremony, I could share with you all this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Please remember Japan again by drinking green tea!
Thank you,
Miya
We had such a great time on our tour in Kochi. Keiko was an amazing, fun, knowledgeable and kind tour guide, and Mr. O was a great driver. The van was modern, spacious and comfortable. Kochi Castle was a great start to the day and we enjoyed all the views and climbing to the very top. The museum was also very nice and a good way to escape the heat. Lunch in Hirome Market was so much fun. Keiko took us to the different shops and stalls and helped us pick out our lunch, and make sure we didn’t accidentally buy any items that we were allergic to. We then went to Chikurinji Temple and Makino Botanical Garden. They were both beautiful and worth the trip. Keiko made a big difference, keeping the tour fun and also teaching us about Japan along the way. At the end she even gave us some lovely origami cranes she had personally made. Such a nice touch!
The entire family (3 teenage boys) agreed that this was the best tour of the our trip to Japan (and we had been on many!). We loved it and would recommend it to anyone.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
I'm truly happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the tour in Kochi. It was my pleasure guiding you through the sights, food, and culture. I'm especially glad the boys had fun too! Wishing you many more fun travel adventures ahead. White hydrangeas and strawberry ice cream totally remind me of you.
From your guide, Keiko
My spouse, 13-yr old daughter and I toured Kochi, Japan with Yoshi. We enjoyed ourselves very much. We had a limited amount of time in Kochi and I set a very aggressive agenda of all the things I wanted to see in a short period of time. Yoshi was able to cover my whole agenda and also throw in an observatory and the museum of dance. Despite having very little time, we felt that we got a comprehensive view of the city. Yoshi even brought a gift made in Japan for my daughter, which was a nice touch. We would recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for your wonderful letter. We certainly visited many places in 6 hours. Now that I think about it, I wonder why we could do that. Maybe your daughter's power led us to do so.
Really, I enjoyed the fruitful tour, too. I remember vividly that your daughter told me that she practices how to make tamago-yaki. I said to her, using my hands " You should cut an egg like this." I wonder It was a right answer or not? I also remember that we all trotted to the Katsurahama-beach at dusk. This is one of my happy memories. Thank you again.
Yoshi
Yoshi was the worst guide of our 6 week trip. He literally read from a piece of paper at every stop including a lookout over the city to explain what buildings were where.
The gardens weren’t really in season, but he had a script he was going to follow, and he would stop in front of a bare plant and talk for 10 minutes about what it would be. There were some beautiful flowering trees and then he took us to a green house. We had already spent way too much time looking at bare plants and dirt and then we get to the greenhouse full of beautiful orchids and other plants and he runs through there. We all wanted to enjoy the beautiful plants, and he raced right past them. He said later “they weren’t Japanese”. After spending way too much time looking at plants that were not in season and he says we now only have 30 minutes at the temple.
He wasn't able to answer simple questions. (language barrier or lack of knowledge?)
Unlike yesterday where the guide was so helpful in assisting us with ordering lunch, he was useless. It was a food court with lots of choices and of course all in Japanese. He just kept saying what do you want? We wanted to know what they had and what are the various things we were seeing. He would just point at something and say chicken or pork. I saw one thing that looked good, and it was chicken of some kind and I asked if it came with rice and his answer was "do you need rice"?
Greg got sushi and I set out to find my own lunch. I saw a rice dish that looked good, and it turned out to be Biryani (Indian dish) and they had some amazing garlic naan. (they spoke English, so it was easy) It was all cooked fresh and hot and everyone had already finished eating when I just got mine. The guide comes over and says we need to meet up front. I explained I just got my food and said we would be there asap. (we had 15 minutes before the meet time anyway) We were supposed to have time to shop here but he ran past everything.
The tour was over, and we had an hour left in our tour time so we asked about the shopping arcade we were supposed to visit. So, he took us back there and gave us like 20 minutes. He was always running way ahead of us instead of guiding us. He raced back to the port and most of us were a block or more behind him. He passed us as he left, and we still had a long way to reach the ship. Kochi was a nice stop, but we would have enjoyed it more with a guide we could converse with and one who guided and not read from a sheet of paper.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that your experience in Kochi did not meet your expectations. We sincerely apologize for the issues you encountered during the tour, particularly with regard to the guiding style, pacing, and communication.
Our goal is to provide all guests with an engaging and enriching experience, and we regret that we fell short in this case. Your comments have been noted and will be shared with the local team to ensure we address these concerns and work toward improving the overall quality of our tours.
We appreciate your honest input and hope the rest of your trip in Japan was enjoyable.
Japan Guide Agency
We had a very good tour in Kochi. The castle was very impressive but lots of stairs. It was worth the effort. Nori was very informed of Kochi.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
I'm grateful for your great review. I'm glad you enjoyed Kochi. We climbed a lot of stairs on that day. I was worried that you might be tired. The cherry blossoms in spring are also beautiful, so please come to Kochi again. I heard that you are traveling all over the world. I wish you the best of luck on your trip.
Noriko
Lovely tour of the Ryogado Caves and the Hirome Market! Tour guide was very sweet and informative. The market is adjacent to a fun shopping street as well which our teen girls enjoyed!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you for your great review. I'm so glad that your daughters loved the shopping street. I also really enjoyed talking with your lovely mother. I hope your daughter's friends will like the snacks from the convenience store. I look forward to seeing your family someday in Kochi again.
Noriko
Had a fabulous day being shown around Kochi with Noriko. Nori took the time to show us around and ensured we were saw the best of her beautiful city.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your great review. I am glad to hear that you had a wonderful day in Kochi. All of your cheerful personality really helped me. It was great day for me too. I look forward to seeing you again someday.
Noriko
We were three couples on a cruise round the South of Japan and we spent a day in Kochi with our guide Yoshi in early April. I had been in communication with him before our trip asking if he could arrange a tea ceremony for us which he did at Kochi castle museum; an experience we all thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately it rained heavily for most of the day but we enjoyed the castle the blossom there, and the views from the top. Lunch took rather longer than it might have with translation difficulties ordering a gluten free meal, so we only had a short visit to Makino Gardens, which would have been beautiful in good weather. Thanks to Yoshi for a very pleasant day.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
It was raining all day, but it was wonderful day.
The tea ceremony we organized was held in a new tea room smoothly.
Kochi Castle, the main sightseeing spot, was also wonderful. Botanical Garden was beautiful even in the drizzele and fog. The host of tea ceremony was a little depressed because she couldn't put on her kimono, but I will confort her by telling that you everyone are grateful.
Thank you.
Yoshiro
Our guide, Koba picked us up at the cruise terminal for a private tour in Kochi. He showed us the highlights of Kochi and explained us a lot about the history, a tasty lunch, no rush, exactly as we hoped to be. We had a beautiful day thanks to his great guiding. Do you go to Kochi, we really recommend Koba!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you so much for writing a wonderful and kindhearted review for me! I’m really happy to know that you had a beautiful day in my town, Kochi. But I think that I should have thought about your conditions more and your wishes about places which you wanted to visit. I will never forget talking and eating with you in Kochi Castle, in a vibrant Market called “Hirome Ichiba” and a peaceful temple called “Chikurinji Temple”. From now on I’d like to keep in touch with you and send beautiful photos about my hometown to you.
Thanks again! Have a wonderful journey in Japan! And please return to your beautiful country, the Netherlands safely.
Koba
Our tour guide and driver were excellent. Professional, timely, informative, pleasant and very helpful. We had a wonderful day. I highly recommend our tour and guides.
When Holland America’s Westerdam arrived in Kochi it (and we) were met by pouring rain. We were also met by our tour guide Kobay. A former high school teacher and life-long resident of Kochi, he was very knowledgeable about the area, and he had the personality to make us feel like we had met a new friend. Since the rain was still pouring down when we departed the maritime terminal we had to focus our explorations on a limited area or spend the whole day sopping wet. The attraction we focused on was the beautiful Kochi Castle. We spent the initial part of our visit at the Castle’s main gate (from which you can see the Castle itself on the hill nearby) listening to Kobay talk about the great historical events that had occurred there since construction was completed in 1611. Our next (and favorite) stop was at the Castle Historical Museum, where we spent hours viewing displays of period costumes, cooking and eating vessels and weapons, among many other items. In entering the galleries, visitors are offered the opportunity to make their own postcards of the Castle through an ancient block printing process. We heartily recommend allowing time at the end of your visit to go to the Museum’s Tea/Coffee Shop, where over a beautiful cappuccino and coffee, our discussions ranged from Japanese history, language and culture to origami, the basics of which Kobay demonstrated at the table. Our visit concluded with him accompanying us back to the ship terminal. It was still raining …but thanks to Kobay, we’d had a great day!
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thank you so much for giving me a wonderful and kind review. Thank you very much for choosing my tour. I was sorry that it rained so much when you visited Kochi, but now I’m very happy to know that you enjoyed the tour after reading your review. Especially I really enjoyed talking with you about various things. When I knew that your son graduated from the university where I had joined the summer course for two weeks, I was filled with a sense of affinity toward you. I miss you, but I think that you are doing well in your country. Thank you again and take care!
Koba
Koba, our Private Guide took us to the Sunday market which was one of the largest in Japan, so many great locally produced and grown items we never knew about, not to be missed. We then went to the Hirome Ichiba food court for lunch. What an experience! Never seen anything like it because of the scale, volume, choices, people, etc. We had an Anthony Boudain experience that day at lunch, ate with an elderly local gentleman and shared sake and lunch items from the market stalls. We were noty expecting to have such as memeorable time in Koce as we did. We did a half day walking tour to shop and eat the local treats of Kochi. We will definitely be coming back because of our guide Koba. Koba is a long time resident of Kochi and speaks excellent English. We highly endorse Koba as a guide.
Response from Host, May 2023
Thank you very much for the nicest and prompt review! I really enjoyed talking with both of you during this tour. Especially, in the Sunday market, I was very surprised to know that you grow almost the same vegetables and fruits as in Kochi. I was so glad to see your happy and lively faces in the market. And in the Hirome Ichiba food court I
really enjoyed talking and drinking with you while tasting various kinds of local sake.
Your knowledge about Japanese sake is much wider and deeper than any other local people I know. In the near future I want to drink other local sakes with you while listening to your artistic and senseful words. I miss you and also that elderly local gentleman surely misses you!
Thanks again!
Koba
Fantastic experience. Our guide Atsuka was super. Kochi is a hidden gem in Japan and worth visiting
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Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hartelijk dank!
I had a fantastic time guiding you.
Kochi is such a special place, and if I could help you discover this hidden gem, that makes me absolutely thrilled!
Hope our paths cross again!
Atsuko
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