Gion Maiko Tour: Explore Kyoto's Traditional Streets

Discover Gion’s maiko culture with a local guide, stroll traditional streets, and dine in a Kyoto-style restaurant. Unveil secrets of maiko history.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Gion-Shijo Station - We will meet here
  • Gion - During our tour, we will stroll through the enchanting streets of Gion, one of Kyoto’s most iconic districts, renowned for its traditional wooden machiya houses and preserved historical charm. As we wander through this cultural hub, your knowledgeable guide will illuminate the mystique surrounding…
What's Included
  • Photos during the tour
  • English-speaking guide
  • All-you-can-drink
  • Maiko Performance
  • Kyoto Style Course Meal
Additional Information

In the birthplace of maiko, Gion, stroll through the traditional streets of Kyoto while learning about the maiko culture from a local guide. After gathering at Gion Shijo Station, the tour will involve walking through the beautiful traditional machiya architecture and streets of Gion, the birthplace of maiko. A local guide will provide explanations…

Location
Kawabatacho
Gion Shijo Station, right outside of Exit 5, in front of Izumo no Okuni Statue Your guide will be holding a board saying "Magical Trip
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(68 Ratings)
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Dominic
Jan 15, 2025
Incredible experience - a must book - We couldn’t recommend this tour more, definitely a highlight of our trip to Japan. The evening started with a delightful short tour led by Yumi. Her knowledge and enthusiasm brought the area’s history and culture to life and provided fascinating insights. We then had a delicious meal with many courses of Kyoto’s cuisine - definitely arrive hungry! Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared, perfectly complementing the atmosphere of the experience. The highlight of the evening was meeting the maiko, Kanasue. Her grace and poise were captivating, and she generously answered all of our questions, offering a glimpse into the life and traditions of a maiko. Her performance of two dances was mesmerizing—every movement was elegant and precise, leaving us in awe. To end the evening we played a fun drinking game (without the drinking) with Kanasue. Her cheerful demeanor and sense of humor made it incredibly fun, creating a lighthearted and memorable conclusion to an unforgettable experience. This was a perfect blend of culture, cuisine, and entertainment—a must for anyone visiting Kyoto!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hoisqui
Dec 29, 2024
Hikari is the best! - Hikari was a gem. She gave an amazing tour with lots of interesting history about different places in Gion, and her translation for the restaurant staff and geiko (as luck would have it, a professional geiko showed up!) were top-notch. She also was extremely accommodating for our needs. My wife is vegetarian, and Hikari made all the necessary arrangements. I want to underscore how much she went above and beyond - eating vegetarian is in Japan, especially the more traditional restaurants, is frustrating at the best of times. The tour itself was also fascinating, the food delicious, and the entertainment was first class. I would heartily recommend this experience to anybody.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maria
Dec 24, 2024
Such a beautiful way to interact with the culture - Hikari was our guide and she was so informative, kind and fun! This was one of the highlights of our trip to Kyoto. Our maiko (geisha) was elegant and so talented and demure. Such a beautiful way to interact with the culture
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kartikandrichard
Dec 24, 2024
Amazing time with Hikari - Hikari was amazing tour guide and genuinely one of the nicest person. We learnt so much and had one the best of times. Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
I5062ybbrianw
Dec 24, 2024
Don’t Miss Out! - Hikari was an incredible guide and this was an amazing experience. Solid food, very informative history , and the Maiko experience exceeded expectations. This is absolutely worth your time and money. One of my best moments in Japan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard
Dec 24, 2024
Excellent experience! - Amazing tour! Hikari was fantastic. Super knowledgeable. We had a lot of fun. I learned a lot about Kyoto, had a delicious meal, and a great time with a Meiko!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
87cullenc
Dec 12, 2024
A Wonderful Experience - I'm so happy I was able to have this experience. My tour guides (there was a second guide shadowing in my case) were wonderful and gave the tour a personal touch. I'm lucky enough that I actually ended up being the only tour participant on my day, but the tour still went forward and we had a wonderful time. When they say all you can drink, they mean it. The kaiseki meal was delicious through and through and our maiko-san was very kind. You can ask anything you want, gaining new insights on the tradition and culture of geiko. Hikari-san, my tour guide, was able to translate everything perfectly so communication was never an issue. The dances and games were also very entertaining. I'm so glad I could experience and learn more about this culture and enjoy time with others during my solo trip. Thank you so much Hikari-san and Naruki-san! You were both fantastic, welcoming, kind, thoughtful, and overall great company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karol_m
Dec 7, 2024
One of the highlights of our trip! - Our tour guide Hikari brought her wonderful positive energy despite the heavy rain. We learned a lot from her and the maiko-san that joined us. At first my friends and I didn’t know if we would have any questions but Hikaru made us feel comfortable to ask our questions about geishas. Did I mention that the dinner was delicious? It was an excellent experience and I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Janwijnandh
Dec 5, 2024
Super and welcoming - Well prepared, friendly and informative Great food and plenty of time to talk to the geisha Recommended for everyone Delicious menu
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Becarose88
Dec 5, 2024
Amazing Geiko evening - Our host Eri-San was wonderful as was the kaiseki dinner. Meeting a geiko was obviously the highlight of the evening and exceeded our expectations. Would definitely recommend as a very unique and special experience. Thanks again Eri-San.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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