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Hi, I’m Ben.
I moved to Kyoto eight years ago after marrying my wife, who grew up here. What started as a new chapter slowly became home. Over time, I found myself learning the small details of this city, not just the famous places but the quiet streets, the seasonal traditions, and the stories behind everyday life.
I’ve been guiding for several years now, leading history walks, food tours, and cultural experiences around Kyoto. I prefer small groups where we can actually talk, ask questions, and explore at a comfortable pace. No flags, no memorized speeches, just real conversation and context.
If you’re curious about geiko culture, tea traditions, samurai history, or simply where locals spend their time, I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned.
Kyoto has many layers. I’d love to help you see a few of them.
I was pleasantly surprised by the knowledge that Ben has for the history and culture as well as the route that he took us on. In some areas, it was crowded by large groups of tourists but Ben managed to avoid the sea of people in the bamboo forest.
Benjamin was already waiting for us when we arrived shortly before the start time. He spoke fantastic English and gave us a lot of local insights. We explored all the sites listed on the itinerary without a big crowd. He was always patient with our questions and offered to take photos at the best spots. Highly recommended!
Benjamin is GREAT !! You will be lucky to get him as your guide, whether you are 10 in your group or just 1 or 2. He's extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto, and it's history, surroundings and culture. He is extra nice, with a funny sense of humor, a bunch of fun on the tour, with a ton of energy, but perfect pacing. You're a miserable, half-dead zombie if you don't enjoy him :)
I had the best time with Ben the Tour Guide! Our group met early in the morning and he showed us around the Arashima bamboo forest, history, poetry, pottery and quiet nature and neighbourhoods. In addition, he was our personal photographer and told us many stories with a peronal touch. He was especially extremely kind to me when I needed a bit of help to sort out my travels. I recommend Ben to anyone passing through Kyoto!
Ben was so nice! It was just me and him but I had a great time as he was taking me around. He also was my personal photographer for the time which was great lol. He was also very generous like holding my bag and paying for certain things. He also took me to some spots that weren’t as touristy which was super nice to experience to escape the crowd. Great experience overall!
