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Kyoto Gion Tour: Traditional Kaiseki Dinner Experience
4.8
62 Ratings
Kyoto
Stroll through Gion’s historic streets, meet geishas, and savor an unforgettable Kaiseki dinner on this magical Kyoto evening food tour.
Stroll through Gion’s historic streets, meet geishas, and savor an unforgettable Kaiseki dinner on this magical Kyoto evening food tour.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Japan Kanji Museum & Library - Let’s meet there! Then, discover Gion, Kyoto’s famous Geisha district, with a local.
- Gion - Gion is a prominent, traditional entertainment district and Kyoto’s center of Japanese arts. It is a maze of old wooden buildings, teahouses and very exclusive Japanese restaurants, mostly available by invitation only….
- Japan Kanji Museum & Library - Let’s meet there! Then, discover Gion, Kyoto’s famous Geisha district, with a local.
- Gion - Gion is a prominent, traditional entertainment district and Kyoto’s center of Japanese arts. It is a maze of old wooden buildings, teahouses and very exclusive Japanese restaurants, mostly available by invitation only. Your guide will tell you stories about this very exquisite part of Kyoto along the way.
- Gion - Gionmachi
- Rinn Shirakawa South（鈴ホテル 白川南）【 Rinn Hotel Group 】 - Gion Shirakawa
- Gion Corner - Gion Corner
- Gion Shirakawa - You will also explore the gorgeous Shirakawa neighborhood, and have the chance to whet your appetite with a special Kyoto treat as you wander. Learn about the life of Kyoto’s famous Geisha (Maiko and Geiko). This area is simply impossible to describe- a must-see for yourself experience.
- Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine - Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine
- Statue of Izumo no Okuni - Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni
- Kiyomizu-dera - Kyomizu Temple
- Yasakanoto - Hōkanji Temple and Yasaka Pagoda
- Tatsumi Bridge - Tatsumi Bridge
- Gionmachi Minamigawa - Hanamikoji Street
What's Included
- One drink included
- 10 Course Dinner plus Green Tea and Dessert
- Local Guide
- One drink included
- 10 Course Dinner plus Green Tea and Dessert
- Local Guide
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Transportation costs.
- Additional drinks or food
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Transportation costs.
- Additional drinks or food
Additional Information
Enter the captivating realm of old Kyoto and experience the allure of Gion and Shirakawa on this memorable evening walking tour. As dusk descends, lanterns illuminate, casting a gentle glow on cobblestone streets bordered by ancient teahouses. The gentle swish of kimono-wearing geisha passing by and the faint sounds of a shamisen in the distance create…
Enter the captivating realm of old Kyoto and experience the allure of Gion and Shirakawa on this memorable evening walking tour. As dusk descends, lanterns illuminate, casting a gentle glow on cobblestone streets bordered by ancient teahouses. The gentle swish of kimono-wearing geisha passing by and the faint sounds of a shamisen in the distance create a truly enchanting Kyoto atmosphere.
Stroll through historic alleyways where time appears to pause, uncovering the secret corners of Kyoto’s renowned geisha districts. Along the journey, enjoy a few local delicacies—each taste narrates a tale of tradition and artistry.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult. Passport information copy is required for kids 10 and above.
- Minimum drinking age is 21 years
- Same-day Booking available
- For solo travelers, please email us
- Changes to tours and spots we visit may occur due to schedules of restaurants, public holidays, weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances. Applicable substitutions will be made in this case.
- Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Gluten-Free Friendly
Location
Japan Kanji Museum & Library
Meet up point: In front of Kyoto Kanji Museum
漢検漢字博物館・図書館
Address: 551 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 605-0074
〒605-0074 京都府京都市祇園町南側５５１
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(62 Ratings)
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Alexandra_m
Dec 26, 2024
Awesome Experience with Thomas! - Our family had a really fantastic time! Thomas was extremely knowledgeable with perfect English. He had a comprehensive understanding and deep appreciation for the rich culture and history of Tokyo. Our kaiseki meal was also delicious and Thomas did a good job explaining the different components of the multicourse meal.
Review provided by Viator
Sunshine01485450336
Sep 2, 2024
Amazing tour! Don’t miss out!! - Our tour with Sae was amazing! Truly one of the highlights of our trips. We had a rainy day but still had a great tour. Sae was so knowledgeable on the area, the culture and the history of not just Kyoto but all of Japan. It was so cool to learn about all the nuances of the Geisha district and of Kyoto itself. Besides the cool walking portion, the Kaiseki dinner was amazing, and being talked through it and all the work that goes into it made us appreciate it even more. We learned a lot in the most fun way, Sae was the best guide we could ask for, so fun and kind and answered all our questions! On top of it all we were lucky enough to see some Geisha rushing past us at the end!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Irene_c
Jun 18, 2024
Amazing - Really informative and interesting tour through the Gion district of Kyoto.
Our guide, Sae was personable and wonderful. We stopped at a few local shops (delicious matcha cookies, plum shop, etc) for samples and explanation of the different specialities. The tour concluded with an amazing ten course traditional Japanese meal. The tour guide also taught us basic Japanese words of graffitied related to meals. We also learned about personal perspectives of our guide who has lived abroa and is now back in Japan. We have done a lot of food tours around the world, this was by far the best.
Review provided by Viator
Karena_s
May 24, 2024
Excellent guide, interesting tour and delicious meal - Yoshiko was an incredible tour guide. Kind, warm hearted, and very passionate about Kyoto and its history and traditions. We loved exploring the Gion district and sharing stories over a traditional Kaiseki dinner (delicious). This is a great tour if you are looking to experience the heart of Kyoto ♥️
Review provided by Viator
Go10029553696
May 22, 2024
Fun night in Kyoto - Very fun evening with Yoshiko. She was super friendly and knowledgeable about local traditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ben_g
Apr 17, 2024
We had a great time on... - We had a great time on our Gion tour. It ended up just being our family (two adults and a baby) and was a very informative and enjoyable stroll through Gion. The dinner was great, and they were very polite about our fussy baby. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Dreamer59157935457
Apr 17, 2024
Unforgettable Night with Yosiko in Kyoto - Our Kyoto Evening and Geisha Food Tour was awesome - sugoi! Thanks to our wonderful tour guide, Yoshiko. She showed us all the beautiful sceneries of the city. She was knowledgeable of each place's history. Best of all, we had a great time during our traditional Japanese dinner. We ate as a family, learning and sharing each other's culture and traditions.
Yoshiko was very friendly, polite, warm and beautiful.
We would love to have her as our tour guide on our next visit, and spread good words about her to friends/relatives who would tour Japan.
Thanks Yoshiko for giving us a very memorable night in Kyoto! Take care.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erin_c
Apr 18, 2024
Good overview of the Gion District - We really enjoyed our guided tour of Gion! It gave us some amazing context into the area including shops that have been around the area for years. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helped answer all of our questions. For the price point, we expected dinner to be more filling and a higher quality experience but overall the food was solid.
Review provided by Viator
243aaronk
Oct 15, 2024
Not worth the cost for mediocre food. - We have had Kaiseki dinners previously in both Tokyo and Kyoto and have had incredible culinary experiences. AS we only had one evening in Kyoto with my sister who had never been to Japan, we decided to book the tour to see Gion and learn about the preparation and cultural significance of the Kaiseki dinner. At almost $300 each, we expected a fine dining experience. Previously we paid up to $200 each for an excellent dinner, including high end sake and drinks. The 90 minute tour of Gion was fine but that could be done separately for well under $100 each. The dinner was mediocre at best, typical of what you'd pay about $50 per person at other locations. Some dishes were of the same quality of what you'd buy at a food court. We did not learn anything about the history and culture of the Kaiseki dinner. The dinner only included one drink, basically beer or cheap wine or sake. The were out of white and plum wine. We had to pay for a second beer. Our advice is to book a tour of Gion lseparately and ask your hotel concierge for advice on restaurants.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aaron_k
Oct 15, 2024
Not worth the cost for mediocre food - We have had Kaiseki dinners previously in both Tokyo and Kyoto and have had incredible culinary experiences. As we had only one evening in Kyoto with my sister who had never been to Japan we decided to book the tour to see Gion and learn about the preparation and cultural significance of the Kaiseki dinner. At almost $300 each we expected a fine dining experience.
Previously we paid up to $200 each for an excellent dinner, including high end sake and drinks. The 90 minute tour of Gion was fine but that could be done separately for well under $100 each. The dinner was mediocre at best, typical of what you'd pay about $50 per person at other locations. Some dishes were of the same quality of what you'd buy at a food court. We did not learn anything about the history of culture of the Kaiseki dinner. The dinner only included one drink, basically beer or cheap wine or sake. They were out of white and plum wine. We had to pay for a second beer. Our advice is to book a tour of Gion separately and ask your hotel concierge for advice on restaurants.
Review provided by Viator
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