Kyoto Tea Ceremony: Explore Gion and Wabi-Sabi Art

Explore Kyoto’s Gion, savor matcha, and experience a traditional tea ceremony. Discover wabi-sabi through art, pottery, and serene Zen gardens.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Gion - Begin your journey by exploring the history and process of Japanese tea production.
    Take a leisurely walk through the historic Gion district, stopping by a renowned matcha shop.
  • Kennin-ji Temple - Discover the ancient Kennin-ji Temple, a site with a rich history spanning centuries.
  • 24 Tsukimichō - Explore the tools and vessels…
What's Included
  • Entrance fee of 2 temples included
  • Photos during a tour
  • An English-speaking guide
  • Tea Ceremony Experience
What's Not Included
  • Additional Food and Drinks
Additional Information

In Japan, the tea ceremony transcends the act of drinking tea—it’s about embracing the essence of beauty. While beauty is often linked to external appearances, the tea ceremony encourages appreciation for the inner beauty of nature, introducing the concept of “Wabi-sabi.”
Wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic that celebrates beauty in…

Location
Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni
In front of Izumo no Okuni Statue, right outside of Exit 5 of Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan line)
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(29 Ratings)
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Sabrinamartha1
Aug 23, 2025
Good experience - Hide is a great tour guide. We have learned a lot about Japanese culture and traditions. Ending with a matcha tea experience. Takes about 3,5 h
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Majaliajoys
Aug 20, 2025
Best tour - Hikari is very kind and informative and helpful. She knowledgeable in the history of the place and gave us some great place to visit.
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182mitjac
Aug 9, 2025
Wabi-sabi experience - We wanted a tea ceramony experience, but got more than that. Our guide, Tsukito, was awesome and totally adopted to ur situation (2 small children). Everything ran smoothly and we had great time.
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K7937dgjessem
Jul 25, 2025
Kyoto Wabi Sabi tour - Hide was extremely knowledgeable, showing us many interesting and beautiful places in Kyoto. We would highly recommend him and his company for anyone looking for a tour.
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Mariapb3253pk
Jul 20, 2025
Gio with guide was amazing - Hide was so patient giving us answers for all our questions. Furthermore I can't imagine see everything what we have than in the tour without our guide. So cool Gio neighborhood
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765bmk
Jul 12, 2025
Fantastic introduction to Kyoto - Josh was very enthusiastic about the tour and the Zen Buddhism. He explained the origins of the religion and highlighted how the traditions are incorporated into everyday life. We visited two temples, sampled some matcha and ended the tour with a lovely tea ceremony. Even on an extremely hot summer day, we enjoyed this tour tremendously. Highly recommend it for a quick yet informative tour and introduction to Kyoto.
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Marie
Jul 11, 2025
A wonderful afternoon despite the heat. Mari, our guide, was kind and considerate. We will recommend this tour to friends. - There were two of us on the tour, both over 70. Our guide, Mari, was excellent. Her English was very good and she gave us a lot of background information and history when visiting the temples. The tea ceremony was very special and relaxing.
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Gerhard
Jun 19, 2025
Gion Walk and Tea Ceremony with Tour Guide Hide - We had an amazing Gion walk with our tour Guide Hide who has a lot of knowledge and stories to tell about this area. The following authentic tea ceremony was as well a great experience !!!
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416stevenjc
May 25, 2025
Gion tour with Hikari - Touring temple gardens in the spring rain was unexpectedly gorgeous - the green moss glowing ever greener. Our guide, Hikari, was super friendly, compassionate, eager to understand us and eager to share her extensive knowledge of the area. Time stopped during the Tea Ceremony - so many powerful memories.
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Melmi554wx
May 16, 2025
Kyoto Tea Ceremony - The Tea Ceremony was great, we learned a lot. We will do it again. Hopefully the Wabi-Sabi tour takes a bit longer and more informative because i really love the wabi sabi interior.
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From $78
up to 7 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).