Gion and Fushimi Inari Shrine Kyoto Highlights with Government-Licensed Guide
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
For the time and budget-conscious traveler, experience the Gion district with our government-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guides.
You'll start your day by meeting your guide at the Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine, the center of Gion. While exploring Gion, your guide will show you the history and culture of geisha―from their kimonos and hairstyles to rules and daily rituals.
You'll walk down the cobbled streets of three Geisha areas in total―Gion, Pontocho, and Miyagawacho―while you listen to stories of Kyoto's ancient past. If you're lucky, you may even spot a geisha on the street!
This short but value-packed trip is a fantastic way of experiencing a side of Kyoto that most tourists do not get to see.
This private tour is a walking day tour with a guide. A private vehicle is not included.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
What To Expect
Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社, Fushimi Inari Taisha) is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds.
Gion
Gion (祇園) is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain. Gion attracts tourists with its high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses. Due to the fact that property taxes were formerly based upon street frontage, the houses were built with narrow facades only five to six meters wide, but extend up to twenty meters in from the street.
Options
Gion and Fushimi Inari Shrine Kyoto Highlights with Government-Licensed Guide
What‘s Included
The pick up/drop off for this tour is on foot.
Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of
Private Vehicle
You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed in the itinerary.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
21 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Walking tour of Kyoto
mikerT3981BH,Jul 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide took us to several shrines and to the market. His Japanese accent was so strong it was sometimes difficult to understand him, but he tried so hard to have us understand him. He was very knowledgeable and I was impressed with all that he showed us in one day!
Private guide
Cathrine Schlyt... K,Jul 10, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We were very pleased and were told a lot of story that was interesting. Everyone in the families thought the day had been teaching.
Great day out in Kyoto
wendyo762,Nov 4, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide was Kazuo and he was very helpful in advising on what we should see on our full day tour of Kyoto. He was knowledgeable about all the sites and kept an eye on us as we negotiated trains and buses! Very enjoyable day.
Wonderful Gion evening...
Marona M,Mar 27, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful Gion evening tour! We had a great night with our friends taking great pictures during the tour and getting to know the history of Gion district, the difference between Maiko and Geiko. Very informative tour! specially we had an awesome tour guide name: Mari san! Thank you so much!
Excellent tour!
natvashev,Mar 2, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide was Kazo and he was very knowledgeable about the gion area. He came prepared and had pictures to show us of the geiko and maiko in case we didn't see any (but lucky we did see one!). You get to see lots for only an hour including Yasaka shrine, gion entire area, gion corner, Yasaka temple etc. Highly recommend.
Great evening walk in Gion with Mr. Kazuo
Mirtokyo,Feb 7, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a lovely walk with guide Mr. Kazuo. He is a very experienced guide and shares a lot of information about Gion area and the sights. We really enjoyed our evening tour and will be back!
Knowledge
G855LJantoniog,Jan 6, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour is very good, we learned about the different types of religion and the various restaurant recommendations, our guide was friendly throughout and we were lucky that the guide was only for me and my friends (4 total) for the price is very worth it.
Very poorly organized - tour guide let us wait in the freezing winter for 30min
940yus,Dec 31, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00My tour guide never showed up at the meeting point described on the TripAdvisor page. I emailed her a day before to confirm but she didn’t reply to me. After waiting for 25min, making 3 phone calls and sending another text message, she first told us that she would be there in 5min, then she claimed that we were not on her list and she already started the tour with others. We ended up waiting in the freezing winter night for over half an hour. I have done many walking tours in many cities and this has never happened to me.
Attentive guide, enjoyable tour
ackh77,Dec 19, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were fortunate to have Kaeko-san as our guide. Apart from being knowledgeable, she was extremely patient and attentive to our needs. As we had a young child and a pram with us, Kaeko-san was always quick to ensure that our pram would be able to move along smoothly along the paths of Gion. An informative tour that was made even more enjoyable was the presence of a good guide who not only shared with us her knowledge but also ensured that we were well taken care of in the one hour tour.
Personalized and informative
kaputabo,Dec 5, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00When I booked the tour, i didn't know it was a personal tour just for our family of 3. That proved to be great value for money. K Suga, our guide was waiting for us with my name board at the meeting point. His English was excellent and the fact that he was born and raised in Gion was great as he knew all about the the place and could answer all the questions that we had. The 1 hour tour was very informative about the history and the quirks of Gion and got good recommendations on the shops to buy the things we were looking for. There is a bit of walking involved, but nothing most people can't handle. We had our 6 year old daughter with us, she never once complained. I highly recommend taking this tour before going out and exploring the place on your own armed with the knowledge of what you are seeking.
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Operated by Japan Guide Agency