Private Shore Excursion Kobe Port: Exploring Best of Kobe with Local Guide

Experience the best of Kobe with a private shore excursion. Explore the city’s old and new attractions with a local guide, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Minatogawa Shrine - One of the two most popular shrines in Kobe City.
    It is a shrine, and for this one, it is more muted… without the famous orange/red every where.
    Very popular for many different important celebrations for locals.
What's Included
  • 4 or 7 hours with a Local Host
  • Native English Speaking Host
  • Walking experience (alternative transport at extra cost)
  • 100% Private and Personalized Experience
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Entry fees if applicable - (including for guide) Sōrakuen ¥300pp Ropeway ¥1800pp
  • Transportation costs within city (including for guide)
  • Gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

A private tour - to keep the exceptional vibe of your group intact.
Have any particular hobbies or wishes?
We can incorporate it into your Kobe journey…simply let us know.
A Fantastic Blend of the Ancient & Modern of Kobe City… absolutely!
You will enjoy the company of a local guide fluent in English.
Relish the beauty of the city without the…

Location
Kobe Station
JR line. Right outside of the ticketing gate.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(16 Ratings)
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Essen16
Apr 28, 2025
Michelle Kiyoko excellent guide in Kobe - Michelle Kiyoko is a very good friendly guide. She's given a lot of information about Kobe. We are very satisfied to have her as a guide in Kobe. I can highly recommend her to take Michelle as a guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolroad
Apr 26, 2025
Wonderful and unique tour - We had an absolutely wonderful tour with Michelle. She is from Kobe but spent many years in the US. She showed us a couple of shrines, which were beautiful but explaining her inside knowledge of the everyday life of the cities residents was something that really fascinated us. She explained different shops, hotel, the inside daily activity of neighborhoods etc. that you never get on a regular tour. Because this wasn't just seeing tourist attractions, this was one of our favorite tours ever... and we do a lot of traveling.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carol_r
Apr 16, 2025
A great guide and tour - We really liked this tour because the guide was born and raised in Kobe but lived in the US for many years so she was able to explain parts of her city that would be new to us. She showed us a couple of wonderful shrines, a neighborhood and how people lived their daily lives, local shops, malls, waterfront, etc.. She was very accommodating to our needs and wishes. It was a great day.
Review provided by Viator
Hansel_y
Apr 11, 2025
Fun and Friendly Local Guide - Michelle's tour around her town was a lot of fun. The tour is really custom to what you want to see. We learned a lot about Japanese history, things we didn't learn from other guides in Japan. We got to see the sights, see great views, eat Kobe beef, drink Kobe sake and stroll around local neighborhoods. My wife enjoyed shopping with her and learning about local stores/souvenirs and buying some Japanese candies. She's also a great photographer, we got some great photos together. A very personalized tour, it felt like strolling around a town visiting an old friend. I would definitely recommend her tour.
Review provided by Viator
Rosita
Apr 11, 2025
Amazing experience in Kobe with Michelle as our guide - We are a private party of 6 seniors (3 couples) Our tour guide Michelle met us at the port exit, and took us on a train ride to the mountain. Michelle listened to our needs (mint too excessive walking), and adjust our itinerary accordingly. She is an excellent tour guide, explaining to us along the way about Japanese culture etc, and took us to a vintage ride that is unforgettable. The view from the mountain overlooking Kobe and with the Sakura background is just breathtaking!! Thank you so much Michelle !! You are definitely a 5 stars tour guide 🙌
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wileblancjr
Mar 16, 2025
Great walking tour with a knowledgeable guide who gave us an excellent overview of life and culture in Kobe - Michelle was a terrific guide. She fashioned an interesting itinerary of venues that we were thoroughly delighted with and made our visit to Kobe memorable. Michelle met us at the Kobe Port Terminal and guided us through the public transportation network to a subway station near the Minatogawa Jinja a beautiful Shinto shrine where we learned a little about this indigenous Japanese culture. From there we walked to Harbor Land passing through malls and shopping areas. Took photos at the popular “BE KOBE” signage in Meriken Park and marveled at the stones etched in Kanji with the names of notable American actors. Michelle led us through local neighborhoods, passing Sōrakuen Garden, the former residence of the Mayor of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture government offices and the public library. We visited many residential side-streets where we saw how neighborhoods were organized and people went about their daily lives. Michelle led us through entertainment areas, Chinatown, shopping areas from luxury to inexpensive, and made a recommendations for a Kobe beef lunch we thoroughly enjoyed. Michelle was a superb guide. Personable, energetic, knowledgeable, and flexible in altering the itinerary. We had a wonderful day and learned much about life in Kobe. I highly recommend Michelle as a guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Onairtwiceover
Feb 25, 2025
Kobe city is tradition and international at the same time. - Kobe is such a lovely city. Many different atmospheres in one smaller city. We tried the famous Kobe Beef, and popular Kobe sake. The tour was less about temples and shrines, and more the life of a typical Japanese local, and what separates Kobe from other popular cities like Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Betsi_k
Jun 27, 2024
Kobe - Top to Bottom! - No stone was left unturned and no experience left behind! Our tour guide went above and beyond to make sure that this day gave us a deep insight into her city!
Review provided by Viator
Deanbm9479ut
Apr 26, 2024
Highly Recommend! - I had the pleasure of embarking on a tour guided by Michelle, and it was an unforgettable experience. From start to finish she demonstrated unparalleled knowledge, professionalism, and enthusiasm for the subject matters being discussed. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about the sites we visited, but she also went way above and beyond to provide valuable experience and made sure you enjoyed your time. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kenbeck_l
Apr 19, 2024
Outstanding Tour Guide - Our guide Michelle speaks perfect English and is very knowledgeable on all aspects of Kobe City. When my wife's knee was suddenly acting up at the beginning of the tour, Michelle rented a wheelchair to go down from the top cable car station to the mid station at Nunobiki Herb Gardens. She took us to an excellent Kobe Beef Steak House for lunch. When my wife wanted to buy a specific Japanese product, Michelle knew exactly where to go. Michelle sequenced our tour of the City to minimize the walking distance for my wife.
Review provided by Viator
From $70
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).