Kyoto Photo Tours

Photography + Guide

Discover Kyoto with a local photographer without worrying where to go, what to see, camera or selfie stick. Just relax and enjoy the sites while I take care of everything. The next day you receive some amazing photos to share and cherish for years to come as memories of your magical stay in Kyoto.

The biggest challenge most visitors face is to navigate the major sites of Kyoto because they are so far apart in all four corners of the city. I’m here to offer a helping hand for a smoother, richer, stress-free and more relaxed experience.

EVERY TOUR INCLUDES:

Guide in English (“funny” & friendly)
Professional photos sent within 24 hours
Help with kimono booking or early morning to avoid the crowd

Kyoto's 4 Epic Areas

Gion/Higashiayam (East Kyoto): Gion Geisha District, Kamo River, Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda, Kiyomizu Temple are close to downtown area, and famous for its geishas, tea houses, restaurants, souvenir shops and most importantly for its centuries of history and culture.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (West Kyoto): Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Katsura River, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kameyama Park, Kimono Forest are famous for their natural beauty and ahem “tranquility”.
Fushimi Inari (South Kyoto): Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous for its endless orange tori gates that wind their way to the summit of Mount Inari. This is where religion and business intersect.
Golden Pavilion (North Kyoto): Golden Pavilion or Kinkakuji is famous for its gold covered zen temple.

Photo Shoots &Tours

1 Hour Photo Tour: One Area

Choose 1: Gion | Fushimi Inari | Arashiyama ($199~)

Half-Day Kyoto Photo Tour (3hrs): Top 2 Areas

Choose 2: Gion| Fushimi Inari | Arashiyama ($399~)

Full-Day Kyoto Photo Tour (6hrs): Top 4 Areas

Gion | Fushimi Inari | Arashiyama | Golden Temple ($599~)

*Proposal shoot ($399) in epic locations.

*Tours ONLY available, if you do not need photos. Get in touch.

Why Me?

I am Matt, a professional photographer, specialising in portraiture, family, couples, and travel photogrpahy. I have done over 500 photo shoots with people from all over the world. My style is clean, natural images, minimalistic and the context being as important as the subject. You don’t need to worry about posing or anything. I will help you to be natural and yourself. I fully understand how everyone feels in front of a camera, so I do my best to capture the best of you. Happiness is in moments, so are photos!

I know the city inside out. I will tell you all about Japan, Kyoto and the culture and history of this amazing city. Not just facts, but you learn the bigger picture like as to why all temples are outside the city or why there are 1600 temples and 400 shrines, or how Japanese practice/not practice religion or what are the origins of some cultural and traditional activities. And of course stories to give each fact a proper context. I have 16 years of experience living in the area.

Gallery

Picture Yourself!

What my clients have to say

"This experience absolutely made our trip. I'm not sure we could/would have had the same experience in Kyoto without this trip and would absolutely recommend to anyone that is visiting the area He was a wizard with getting about and explaining anything and everything from the sites we were visiting to the historical background of Japan. Truely an experience worth having and worth every penny. Couldn't fault anything."

Sam (UK) Airbnb

"Had an awsome experience with Matt. He was very friendly and gave a lot of background information on Fushimi Inari. He made me feel very comfortable and at ease during the shoot and gave good directions for different poses. The pictures are absolutely amazing, great quality and he got them back to me very quickly. Highly recommend this experience."

Melissa (USA) Airbnb

"Matt was awsome! We did the half-day photo tour of Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari. He's super flexible and willing to build an itinerary that caters to what you'd like to see, which was perfect. He was kind enough to wake up at 5am to that we could go as early as possible to avoid the crowds, which proved to be very worthwhile. We were able to explore and take photos at these beautiful locations without any people around."

Daniele (Philipines) airbnb

"Explored the most photogenic spots of Kyoto all the while learning history of these places. Matt was well versed in the history of well known places such as the Gion District, Fushimi Inari and so besides getting some amazing photos, I also received some awesome history lessons. Speaking of photos, Matt has an excellent eye and thus chose the best spots to take photos. As a result, I left Kyoto with great photos to remember of the trip. I would highly recommend this tour to all kinds of travelers."