City Tours in Kobe

We opted for our small group (8) excursion rather than the ship's offerings. Kaoru Tomoyoshi was our guide for our trip to visit the world heritage site of Himeji Castle from our cruise port of Kobe. She met us at the train station very close to the ship terminal. We took the Portliner line two stops to Sannomiya Station where we changed lines to Himeji. The castle was beautiful to photograph and very interesting to visit. Karou provided lots of interesting background on the history of the castle and the construction. There are a lot of steps to climb so you have to be in good shape to do it. She then took us to the very nice Koko-en garden nearby. Afterwards Karou had reserved a very special multi-course Japanese meal for us at a local restaurant where we had a private dining room. It was an excellent excursion! The only thing that could have made the day better is to have made it for the cherry blossoms but, they came early this year and we missed most of them.

Kaoru is the best! Tour guide turned friend. Our experience was amazing and we couldn’t have asked for more. Next time we go back to Japan, we won’t hestitate to call Kaoru! Thanks for an incredible time in Kobe!

Kaoru gave us a wonderful tour of Kobe. We all enjoyed the excursions very much. The Takenaka museum was fascinating. The Nunobiki Garden was beautiful, seeing it from the tram and walking down the path.

Kaoru selected a special restaurant - Eita. We have had Japanese food before, but we have never had anything as exquisite as today’s lunch .👍

Kaoru was so patient with us. She was understanding and so accommodating even when we changed our schedule several times. My husband uses a wheelchair so that was difficult at times. At Nunobiki Gardens, even though the wheelchair was “automatic” electric, it was still a challenge. We could not have handled it ourselves. We really appreciated Kaoru's assistance with that.

There were 4 of us traveling together, so every time we got a taxi, Kaoru would run to our next stop and meet us there. She was amazing.

At the end of the tour, my sister discovered that she had left her purse in the taxi. We panicked! but Kaoru handled the situation in such a professional manner. I don’t know what we would have done without her. The taxi driver found the purse and returned it - that says a lot about the people of Kobe.

It was a joy to have Kaoru as our guide. She has a winning personality and a kind heart, and she was sensitive to our needs.

My wife and I went on a Sake Brewery tour with Kaoru in Kobe. We booked our tour with her about one month in advanced. We had great communication with her before our arrival and she even sent us directions on how to get from Osaka to Kobe. She also made us an itinerary of what to expect on the day of our tour.

After we met with her at the train station, she took us on a short little walk to the area where they had most of the breweries. If you are visiting in the summer, remember to have some water as it will be very hot! Kaoru is knowledgable on the sake brewing process and explained it to us in every stop we made. After drinking the samples, lot of samples, at the various breweries, we made our way into the Kobe harbor area of town. She tailored this part of the tour for us as we wanted to try some Kobe beef. She took us to a nice little restaurant and we all had a very nice lunch. Our day ended with her at the Kobe Harbor.

Kaoru is extremely friendly and my wife and I feel as though we made a new friend. If we are ever in the area again and need another trip planned, we won't hesitate to book with her.

Kaoru was a terrific tour guide. Her English was excellent, and she was very helpful navigating the train system and town in Himeji. The castle tour was excellent, as well as the gardens. She was accessible and very helpful with our 7 year old daughter. We ate at a local restaurant, and had great conversation. The final part of the tour was of the Akashi-Kaikyo suspension bridge, which is the longest of its kind in the world. The views from the observation deck were very impressive. Overall terrific tour, and would value have Kaoru for any excursion given her knowledge and helpfulness. She was a terrific tour guide and very helpful throughout the excursion!

We are so glad we used likealocalguide! We have no regrets and must say it's worth to pay a bit more than the cruiseline for a private guide! Kaoru was fantastic! Excellent english, warm/personable, knowledgable and informative. She made our 30th anniversary very special and one we will cherish forever. The castle was stunning and we had excellent weather. Amazing local lunch, Kaoru ordered couple of side dishes a local would eat too. The whole experience of having a private guide was exceptional. We plan to use your services again whether in Japan or another country. We also thought the cancel policy was fair which also led us to your services.

We explored the beautiful Kobe city with Kaoru on a 2 days customised tour. It was great, did things on our own pace. Visited 2 breweries, Kitano area and Shin-Kobe ropeway which were most memorable for us. Kaoru is really friendly and genuine. Explained all she knew about the city to us. Kaoru brought us to a couple of excellent restaurants, one of Kobe beef (it is expensive for the good Kobe steak) and a superb Japanese restaurant which was rather inexpensive.

We enjoyed Kobe thoroughly thanks to Kaoru. If you ever want to have a personalised Kobe city tour, I would not hesitate to recommend Kaoru.

Kaoru greeted us with her smile. Then she took us on a 3 day adventure from
Kobe to Ōsaka to Kyoto. She
Showed us the sights and told us about local culture And history. She was extremely flexible to our desires and catered to us all the time.
We lunched on local cuisine and tried all her recommendations which were delicious. Her constant smile and desire
For our comfort And education was joyful to us.
Kaoru could disappoint no one . We would recommend her Highly. We made a new
Friend.

Kaoru speaks excellent English if that’s important. She took us on a broad walking tour throughout Kōbe which gave us a nice taste of nature and history, as well as a lay of the land which helped us immensely on our days following in Kobe, on our own. She was flexible and adjusted pour route during our time. We have two teenagers, and Kaoru engaged them in conversation, which they appreciated. Thank you!

Our local guide Kaoru met us at the ship terminal and took us to Himeji town and the castle, a truly beautiful sight. Kaoru spoke English well. After touring Himeji Castle she took us to a traditional Japanese restaurant where we enjoyed lunch. And then to a sake tasting room where we enjoyed several different styles. Later she took us back to the port.
Excellent guide.

This was one of the best days we have had on our trip. Our guide Kaoru was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable about the brewing processes and her knowledge of the local area and it's history was great.

I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone in the area for a great day of sake tasting and sight seeing.

Our tour met all our expectations and more, mostly because of our fantastic tour guide, Kaoru. She is professional, kind, fun, and very attentive to our safety and happiness. Everything you could ask for in a tour guide.
We love Japan and can’t wait to return. Thank you!!

We loved our guide Kaoru. She was so patient and knowledgeable, even though we went to Himeji castle on probably the busiest day of the year.