Geisha Arts: Gion Cultural Walk

Embark on a captivating tour of Kyoto’s Gion district and delve into the enchanting world of geisha culture. Discover the living traditions, history, and lifestyle of geishas, and even meet an apprentice geisha for an unforgettable experience.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni - Let’s learn what Kabuki is and the feminine beginning of the theater. You maybe know the current Kabuki is performed just by men but you wouldn’t know the beginning was just by women.
  • Minamiza : The Kabuki Theater of Kyoto - Look at the actual architecture of the oldest Kabuki theater and hear the story of the…
What's Included
  • 1.5-2 hours guiding in Gion, the geisha district
  • 45-min Geisha meeting and show (An apprentice geisha dance with one or two songs)
What's Not Included
  • Tip for Maiko, an apprentice geisha
Additional Information

Embark on a journey through Kyoto’s renowned Gion district and gain knowledge about the enigmatic geisha traditions prevalent in the region. Your local guide will impart insights about these traditions from a unique insider viewpoint on Geisha culture. Concurrently, you’ll traverse the picturesque lanes, temples, shrines, and shops of Gion, providing a…

Location
Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni
I'll be at the Exit 4 of Gion Shijo station aboveground right in front of Izumo-no-Okuni statue and right next to Shijo bridge. You will find me with a signboard "WALKING TOUR".
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(359 Ratings)
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Peterac6524ss
Dec 27, 2024
Welcome to the world of Geisha! - Ken was very informative and we enjoyed his tour very much. The Maiko performed a wonderful dance while we were having tea. Highly recommend this tour. Thank you very much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tom_w
Dec 20, 2024
A wonderful tour with a fantastic end - Kenta was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. He kept excusing himself for “bad English” despite the fact he very much was near fluent, and able to relay the history and information of Gion Kobu and Miyagawa Cho. Never before would I have expected to learn so much about Geiko and Maiko, and the intricacies of their practices and training is really something. There is a lot of fetishisation of Geisha/Geiko/Maiko in the west, due to popular media portrayals, and Kenta (and of course our lovely Maiko Miyo) were more than happy to provide as much information as possible, especially to remove western negative preconception's.
Review provided by Viator
Vincent_n
Dec 16, 2024
Amazing - Very enjoyable and informative. The guide kenta San was very friendly and funny. The maiko was beautiful and the performance was amazing
Review provided by Viator
Sarahmcarter2012
Dec 13, 2024
Amazing insight into life of Geisha - The tour was really informative, fun and Ken was really knowledgeable about Geisha. It was a wonderful experience which was a highlight of our trip to Japan
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kevinkor
Dec 8, 2024
Must do best tour ever - Fantastic thing to do. Very educational and never boring. Maiko dance is beautiful to see. Nice to chat with it. Ken's doing a great job. A big congratulations and recommendation for each.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_l
Dec 5, 2024
Highlight of our trip - Easily one of the highlights of our trip. Food was delicious, and to have the opportunity to ask questions about geisha life to a meiko and watch her performance is truly a one in a lifetime opportunity for a foreigner. Walking tour was informative. Guide was helpful.
Review provided by Viator
Julie_g
Nov 27, 2024
A truly enriching experience - Such an enjoyable and informative experience. Ken was so knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. The performance by the apprentice geiko was beautiful to watch and she answered all of our questions too. Excellent communication prior to the tour also. A truly enriching experience. Thank you Kento san
Review provided by Viator
Z9956tbrachelm
Nov 26, 2024
Great Authentic Tour! - This was an awesome tour, I’d highly recommend it! Full of information and rich in history. Ken was happy to provide more information or context for any questions people had. The Maiko we met was super sweet and was overall an awesome experience. If you’re looking for an authentic, intimate (only 9 people were in our tour which was a good size), and fun tour - this is the one! Ken is also awesome and was happy to give us recommendations for other things to do in Kyoto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pauline_b
Nov 22, 2024
Fabulous! - This was a very special Experience. Ken was an awesome tour and very passionate about what he does. We felt very privileged to see a Maiko dance for us and she was fabulous! Thank you for such an amazing night!
Review provided by Viator
Kathrine_d
Nov 30, 2024
Great experience - would recommend it - Overall this was worth doing and very informative - a great way to get a more in depth understanding of Kyoto, the history of the area and geishas… the dinner was great and Ken was very friendly and knowledgeable. The night we went was very cold and we probably each needed another layer - so pls keep this in mind. The tour did run a bit over and we excused ourselves as we had to be up super early the next day.
Review provided by Viator
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