Kyoto Night Tour: Local Food and Entertainment

Experience the best of Kyoto’s local cuisine and vibrant nightlife on a small group walking tour. Sample regional specialties, mingle with locals, and get a glimpse of Kyoto’s nightlife scenes.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

6:30pm You’ve done the daytime temples, gardens, and academic thing, had a bit of rest, and are now ready to set about seeing what the night has to offer. We’ll meet at Gion Shijo Station, then start with an educational walk through the justifiably famous Gion district, which is located on the east side of the Kamogawa River. Learn about the geiko (and…

What's Included
  • Dinner included.
  • Option of two alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
  • One beverage available at each restaurant.
What's Not Included
  • Drinks beyond the two included. Additional drinks can be purchased directly from the restaurants if you wish.
Additional Information

Join a group of no more than five others on a unique, comprehensive evening tour of Kyoto’s food and nightlife districts! You’ll socialize with locals, taste regional delicacies at two diverse standing bar eateries (although we occasionally sit at one or both), and receive an eye-opening introduction to the various evening entertainment scenes in Kyoto,…

Location
Minamiza Theater
We will meet in front of Minamiza Theatre, which is right at street level of Gion Shijo Station exit 6
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(405 Ratings)
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Diana_p
Dec 29, 2024
Great nighttime... - Great nighttime experience in Gion! We loved the cultural insights and local restaurants we would not have visited if it weren’t for our guide. He was very knowledgeable and engaging!
Review provided by Viator
Barrington_l
Dec 22, 2024
Excellent Tour - A really good tour. The guide,. Maya, was knowledgeable and provided excellent context and background for the area and history in Kyoto. The night food stops were really good and definitely enough to satisfy a hungry traveler
Review provided by Viator
Rose_y
Dec 15, 2024
Enjoyable evening of fun and learning in Kyoto - We had great fun! Our tour operator Mata was very accommodating and amicable. We enjoyed the night life of Kyoto but also she shared with us the cultural aspect of this beautiful city.
Review provided by Viator
Cory
Dec 3, 2024
Incredible food and guide - Maya was a great guide and fun to tour gion with. As great as she was, the food was even better. It was arguably some of the best food we've had in Japan so far!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_a
Nov 18, 2024
Excellent tour. Leto was... - Excellent tour. Leto was very informative and engaging and the dining experiences he arranged were exactly what we wanted...local and not run of the mill tourist destinations.
Review provided by Viator
Jenni_s
Nov 15, 2024
Relaxed tour - Brian was an easygoing guide to be with and generous with his time. The restaurants and the small alley ways.
Review provided by Viator
Davidjs6969xg
Nov 9, 2024
Great Experience! - Great tour, knowledgeable guide and we liked his sense of humor and playfulness! Meals were delicious and exploring the Gion area was a fascinating experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_g
Nov 9, 2024
Kyoto at night - This tour is a great way to see Kyoto at night and try some new foods. The guide and group really makes a difference when it comes to your experience. I would have liked more food stops on this tour. We only had two and I didn’t love the first one. Also if you get the Wagyu upgrade be sure to tell them how you want it cooked as ours was overdone.
Review provided by Viator
Kathryntq8732fb
Nov 15, 2024
Walking tour Good-Eating Where Smoking is allowed-Not so much - We met in front of the Minamiza Kabuki theater. Two other couples were in our group as well as our tour guide, Karim. Really nice group of people. Our guide was energetic and upbeat the entire time. We had been on another Gion tour prior to this one and this guide took us to some areas we hadn't previously seen in Gion which was nice. The first place we stopped for food was an extremely small place which is very normal in Kyoto. The issue my husband and I had was that as soon as we walked in a gentleman was smoking non stop and the entire place smelled of cigarette smoke. The sashimi offering was delicious, but the two dishes offered were just okay (3 small pieces of tempura and a crab rice). There was just enough room for our party of seven people to sit. We could't converse easily with each other because four of us sat facing the kitchen /bar while the other couple sat at the small table behind us, as well as the guide. We thankfully left the small eatery (fresh air!) and walked to other beautiful areas of Gion. The next izakaya we went to also had people smoking. Smoking in eating establishments in Kyoto is not the norm so this was a bit strange for us. The food was honestly just okay again and the staff at this place was surprisingly not very friendly. Kyoto area has some of the best food offerings and nicest people. I felt the two places we were brought to eat were just okay. I did appreciate the guide's informative history behind the Geiko (Geisha) and Maiko (apprentice to become Geiko). Also the origin of Kabuki theater was fascinating. Lore says it was originated by a legendary female dancer, Izumo no Okuni. There is a statue dedicated to her in Gion. There were young musicians busking near the area of her statue by the subway entrance. All in all a good walking tour but not for the food.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ariel_s
Nov 21, 2024
Over priced and very disappointed. - I thought I signed up for a food tour but this was definitely not the case. First, the tour guide was not very informative. Second, we went to two different places to eat but I should rephrase that to “snacking.” I just do not think that 1 skewer of chicken and 2 pieces of sushi is worth $100. I’m not exaggerating. This is the amount of food that was offered. Please do not label this a food tour and I am very disappointed.
Review provided by Viator
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January 2025
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