Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience at Tondaya
3.9
64 Ratings
Kyoto

Immerse yourself in the rich traditions of Kyoto at Tondaya, a historic machiya house offering a tea ceremony and kimono experience. Discover the art of kimono dressing, indulge in a traditional tea ceremony, and explore the captivating history of Kyoto on a Machiya tour.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Tondaya -Nishijin Japanese Cultural Experience Museum - The tea ceremony is not just about drinking tea; it is also a means of spiritual enlightenment. In this plan, you will experience wearing a beautiful kimono and participating in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
    The plan is as follows
    Upon arrival, you will first put on a kimono.
    We will…
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What's Included
  • Tour of a townhouse
  • Kimono experience
  • Tea ceremony experience
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Tondaya is a traditional Kyoto machiya house, recognized as a National Cultural Heritage site in 1999 and designated as a Structure of Landscape Importance in Kyoto in 2007. Our journey began 140 years ago with a Kimono wholesale business, but today, we run the Nishijin Lifestyle Museum to educate visitors about traditional Kyoto lifestyle culture. At…

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Location
Tondaya -Nishijin Japanese Cultural Experience Museum
※Please bring socks to protect cultural assets. ※Please avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing such as turtlenecks during the kimono experience.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.9
(64 Ratings)
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208abbyl
Oct 5, 2024
Wonderful time with Matcha - We had a wonderful time learning about the ceremony trying traditional clothes and experiencing this treat. It started off promptly and the ladies got us dressed in what felt like record time with lots of experience in helping us feel comfortable and taking by pictures. The ceramics used were all very nice as well and highlighted the experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Darren_p
Aug 31, 2024
Great intro to tea ceremony and traditional culture. - Very informative from nice staff, authentic building, nice kimono etc. explained the tea ceremony very well. Only complaint was that it was difficult to find with poor signage.
Review provided by Viator
Adjia_g
May 14, 2024
Nice place and Kimono experience - We had an excellent experience during this tea ceremony. First the kimono, you have very nice ladies that help you wear it, then the visit of a typical Japanese house. The tea ceremony was quite fast but enough to understand it.
Review provided by Viator
Juliet_w
Apr 20, 2024
Such a memorable and rich tea house experience - The tea ceremony and kimono experience were so unique and memorable. The first group of women helped get everyone in our group ready in kimono and set up, while our guide gave us the history and cultural significance of the tea making and serving process. We were guided around the 140+ year old tea house and told about the rooms, the furniture and items in each, and how the tea ceremony process came to be. It was a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend others to try this at this tea house.
Review provided by Viator
Nevena_b
Oct 6, 2024
Tea ceremony Kyoto - The genuinity of the experience and historical significance of the home in which it is conducted. More expensive than others on offer but arguably more realistic
Review provided by Viator
Samdn5479to
Jun 9, 2024
Fun cultural activity - Fun experience. We put on kimonos and had tea and watched how tea is traditionally prepared. We also got a tour of the museum. Museum is an historical townhome that was once a wholesale supplier of kimonos. Hosts were very friendly! Got some great photos!
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Cass_c
Jun 3, 2024
Disappointing - Over priced dress-up. A very amateur experience. - It was disappointing. It's not much more than an expensive dress up and take photos. You're dressed in a communal room, which is quite frantic and sent upstairs to the tea room. The tea ceremony was over in minutes and little detail provided. I would have expected information about the dressing and what we were wearing and deeper knowledge parted in regards to the tea ceremony eg how, why things are done and some history relating to the culture. The 1st tea is given by the main lady performing the ceremony, then all the rest are handed out on a tray. You're then led round the small house into rooms and told you can take photos for your socials. Then it's time to go while the ladies count their money (we literally saw them doing this! They are laughing all the way to the bank!) Not worth the money. A very amateur experience.
Review provided by Viator
Cass1166
Jun 3, 2024
Disappointing - Over priced dress-up. A very amateur experience. - It was disappointing. It's not much more than an expensive dress up and take photos. You're dressed in a communal room, which is quite frantic and sent upstairs to the tea room. The tea ceremony was over in minutes and little detail provided. I would have expected information about the dressing and what we were wearing and deeper knowledge parted in regards to the tea ceremony eg how, why things are done and some history relating to the culture. The 1st tea is given by the main lady performing the ceremony, then all the rest are handed out on a tray. You're then led round the small house into rooms and told you can take photos for your socials. Then it's time to go while the ladies count their money (we literally saw them doing this! They are laughing all the way to the bank!) Not worth the money. A very amateur experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Birgitta-kenneth
Apr 21, 2024
Close to a ripoff - Started up nice with a dressing up in kimonos but then people started to fill up until we were more than fifty in a small area. A tour of the premises followed where, at the most, a domen of us could hear what was said! Then followed the tea ceremony in a room way to small for the amount of participants of the tour which meant that we, among others, just saw the back of the Lady performing the ceremony which was DISappointing to say the least. All in all something that could have been good left us with a sour taste when we left
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M6595suantonias
Apr 28, 2024
Avoid! - This can only be described as being terrible and a complete rip off! We were dressed in kimonos- this was good but is the only positive comment I can make. There was no explanation about the rituals or the meaning behind anything that was performed in the tea ceremony. Throughout the 'performance ' all you could hear were the other ladies who worked there, chatting in a back room, which was very distracting. The tea that was served was stone cold. After this, we were then taken back downstairs and told we could take more photos of ourselves 'for free.' We then queued to go into another room where the ladies seemed to be giving some kind of explanation- I was at the back of the line so by the time I had got in there, I'd missed most of what had been said. The individuals working there spoke hardly any English and so it was very difficult to hear/tell what they were saying. For £80, I would have expected much more from this and regret not taking more note of the previous one star reviews!
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November 2024
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