Kyoto Geisha District Walking Tour

Explore Gion’s geisha districts with a local guide. Discover hidden gems, learn captivating stories, and immerse in Kyoto’s rich cultural heritage.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Yasaka Shrine - Situated in the Gion district, Yasaka Shrine is one of Kyoto’s most renowned Shinto shrines. Visitors can appreciate its stunning architecture, lanterns, and the peaceful ambiance of its surroundings. This shrine has a significant connection to geisha culture, which can be explored further by joining our tour.
  • Gion - Gion is…
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Guided walk of Gion
Additional Information

Discover the enchanting streets of Gion, Kyoto’s iconic Geisha district, and immerse yourself in its rich culture and history with insights from an expert guide who knows the area like the back of their hand.
On this small-group cultural tour, you will explore two geisha districts in Gion, gaining a sense of Kyoto’s rich cultural heritage and traditional…

Location
Japan Kanji Museum & Library
In front of the Japan Kanji Museum & Library (5 minutes walk from Keihan Gion Shijo station, 2 minutes walk from Gion bus stop) . Find your guide who holds a green board. *Please come 15 minutes before the start time.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(91 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Cywongwcy
Jan 27, 2025
Amazing Tour with Toshi!! - We had such an incredible time on the Kyoto Geisha District Walking Tour with Toshi as our guide! He’s super knowledgeable about geisha culture and traditions, and his sense of humour made the tour fun and engaging from start to finish. What we loved most was how Toshi shared his own personal stories and gave us a real glimpse into Japanese culture and daily life. He added examples and anecdotes that made everything so much more relatable and enjoyable. This tour with Toshi was hands-down one of the highlights of our trip. We’d 100% recommend it to anyone who wants to explore Gion and learn about its fascinating history and culture. Thanks so much to Toshi for such an unforgettable experience in the beautiful city of Kyoto!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J8659bgjackies
Jan 26, 2025
Very informative and fun tour that's a bit different. - We loved our tour with Tom . He is so courteous and knowledgeable. We lucked out and got a private tour as no one else signed up. We love the smaller tours especially when going through the historical districts. We saw other tours that were much larger groups. Tom was so knowledgeable about the history of Japan and gave us a wonderful tour through the Gion district. We started at the Yakasa Shrine where he explained the history of Japan and how the shrine let to the rise of the Geishas. He then took us through the streets of Gion and showed us the Geisha houses where the Maikos live and train and the teahouses where they would entertain the guests. All throughout the tour, he tied the history to the location and he exhibited deep understanding and passion for what he does. For anyone interested in the Geishas, we highly recommend this tour. We were even fortunate enough to catch not one but two Geishas on their way to work; one Maiko and one Geiko. Tom explained this is a rare event so do not set your expectations too high on this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacationer170715
Jan 15, 2025
Walk around Gion leaning about the history of Geisha in Kyoto. - Yoko explained the history and meaning of many things in the area we would not have picked up through just reading. We visited some sights, learnt differences between Shinto and Buddhism and learnt about Maiko’s.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P4576rvsteveb
Jan 5, 2025
Highly recommend - Toshi was a great tour guide! Clearly a local, he was very familiar with the area and was able to answer all of our questions. Great way to learn more about the Gion district!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joedh1127bj
Dec 26, 2024
Tom the gion tour guide - Tom imparted knowledge for us during the tour and was very knowledgeable. I enjoyed our time with Tom and appreciate his awesome demeanor.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dalia_m
Dec 23, 2024
Our guide made it so... - Our guide made it so special interesting informative funny and intimate would highly recommend her . It was magical at night
Review provided by Viator
Ulyzuzu
Dec 12, 2024
Great tour - The tour was great. It was interesting to learn about the process that the geisha goes through to become such a highly skilled performer and to see the area where it happens. Our tour guide was fabulous. He was knowledgeable and able to answer about Geishas, Gion and Japan in general
Review provided by Tripadvisor
600nelfab
Dec 2, 2024
Gion night walking tour with Tom of Japan Wonder Travel - We had an amazing walk around with Tom our guide who started our tour from Yasaka Shinto Shrine then towards the Gion Geisha district. He opened our eyes about the place and broaden our knowledge about the Shinto Shrine and the Geisha life and the tea houses that surround the district. It is worth the experience. My children of adult age enjoyed it that we walk around around again at daytime hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Evabd8661tx
Dec 2, 2024
Gion guided walking tour by Tom - Tom, our guide, was really informative, I have learned quite a lot, nice, and comfortable to be around. 10/10 experience, would like him to be my guide again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X3997fbjimmyn
Dec 2, 2024
Do it! Comfortable Tour Through Rich Culture - One of the best quick and efficient tours we have experienced! Our guide, Takuma Goda, was very knowledgeable and we learned so much. He answered all of our questions, was incredibly friendly, and created a comfortable atmosphere. Takuma made us feel right at home the whole way through. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to gain insight on geisha in the Gion district. I should also mention that we learned about a lot more than just geisha!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 8 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today