Kyoto Geisha District Walking Tour in Gion
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
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 charm. Learn about the lifestyle of Geisha and uncover the fascinating history of this renowned geisha district through captivating stories told by a local guide. Delve deeper into the real geisha culture in this iconic district. Geisha are most likely to been during this tour, so if you're lucky, you might even encounter geishas during a tour! Your guide will also share tips on where you can see maiko in action.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
As this is a walking tour, we recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes.
Not suitable for the people with disability to go up and down stairs
Children must be accompanied by an adult
The tour will take place rain or shine
Services not listed (for example: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Transportation to/from the meeting spot, Extra food and drink, Other personal expenses) are not included in the tour.
[For Kimono Plan] After Changing into Kimono, please go to the Japan Kanji Museum & Library by yourself. It's about 5min walk from the kimono rental store
[For Kimono Plan] After Finish the tour, please don't forget to return the Kimono by 5:30pm.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
[For Kimono Option] Kimono*If you want to wear Kimono, Please choose Kimono Plan: Gion Walking Tour
Local guide
Guided walk of Gion
What To Expect
Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine, located in Gion district, is one of Kyoto's most famous Shinto shrines. Visitors can admire its beautiful architecture, lanterns, and enjoy the serene atmosphere of its surroundings. This shrine is deeply related to geisha culture. You can find out what those connections are by joining our tour.
Gion
Gion is the most famous geisha district in Japan, known for its traditional wooden houses and narrow streets. As the sun goes down, the lights of the paper lanterns start dimly, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Gion has been the center of geisha culture for centuries, where visitors can experience the elegance and artistry of Geiko (Kyoto term of geisha) and Maiko (apprentice geiko) performances. While strolling through beautiful alleys, a guide will tell you about the history of geisha, how they are trained, and what their daily life is like. If you're lucky, you might even encounter geiko and maiko during a tour! Join our tour and delve deeper into the real geisha culture in this iconic district.
Options
Kyoto Geisha District Walking Tour in Gion
Starting point:
Japan Kanji Museum & Library, 551 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0074, Japan
Kimono Plan: Gion Walking Tour
You can enjoy the walking tour with Japanese traditional clothes "Kimono". *Please return Kimono by 5:30pm
Starting point:
wargo Kyoto Kimono Rental Kyoto Gion Store, Japan, 605-0075 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Nakanochō, ２１６ 祇園OKIビル 2階
Reviews
188 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great place to see
Kenneth G,
Oct 30, 2025
- Viator
5.00Hide was a great tour guide. He was knowledgeable about the district and took us to a place where the geisha’s were leaving one party and going to another, supposedly we were in the right place, at the right time. The walk thru the quiet ba k streets was a nice relief from the very busy city.
Avoid at all costs, claimed a full refund.
Jordi S,
Oct 27, 2025
- Viator
1.00Extremely disappointed and angry. The guide was very disorganised and distracted, often mumbling, forgetting things, and struggling to lead the group. His English was quite hard to understand, and instead of sharing any information, he seemed only interested on taking photos of us and making us uncomfortable. We also noticed he had a large, odd stain on his trousers, which didn’t feel very professional, at some point we thought he was having difficulty to keep himself balanced. He also rushed into a convenience store when he had a chance… draw your own conclusions from this. We saw other guides nearby explaining and engaging beautifully with their groups, which made us realise how much we were missing, it was very frustrating. We’ve started a claim and requested a full refund, as we’ll have to return again to truly enjoy it, which mean we may need to cancel other plans to visit this properly.
Tour guide was nice but...
Lisa F,
Oct 25, 2025
- Viator
3.00Tour guide was nice but disorganized. He only wanted to take pictures of us in front of things. Did take us to a very cool store for fabric that was from the 1600’s and we saw 2 Meiko by coincidence. Fun but not very informative.
Tour with Yoko
Christopher E,
Oct 18, 2025
- Viator
5.00Yoko was an informative guide, we enjoyed our tour thank you we loved walking around this beautiful area
Quick tour in Gion Kyoto
Pamela D,
Oct 15, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our tour guide was very knowledgeable with history facts. Spoke very good English, which was very helpful..
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