What‘s Included

What To Expect

Reviews

• The most amazing experience you’ll ever have

  Marina C,

  Nov 6, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  If you have any doubt, just do it, this is so worth it, I don’t even have words to describe it. Definitely the highlight of our trip, and I wish I could repeat it many times.

  

  

• Lovely experience

  Yo E,

  Aug 12, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  After a warm welcome we had al walk trough Gion explaining the cultural background. Our guide Miyah was the best. She made it fun even for the teenagers present in our family. No question was to much. After a visit to the tea house. Warm welcome as a family and Miyah for perfect translation.

• Great host, great activity, great info, bad food

  Amie S,

  Aug 2, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  4.00

  MIA was an adorable host. A wealth of very interesting information, handled our groups requests well, and kept us great company. The Maiko-san was also super cute and interesting. The food, however was barely edible and it was 2 hours too long. Sorry to say that!!! But - true:)

• Beyond Expectations

  geoffrey p,

  May 24, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This is a pricey tour, and we hoped for a good outcome. We got more than we could have imagined. Our guide, Mia, could not have been kinder or more well versed in Geisha culture. We felt like long lost friends, immediately. Her walk around the Geisha area of Kyoto was fascinating and so insightful in preparing us to meet our Geisha for our private dinner. The restaurant was in a quiet alley and had a private room awaiting us. The many course meal was served over two hours and was a very traditional Japanese Kaiseki dinner, far from the Western version of Japanese cuisine. One must be adventuresome when booking this tour when it comes to food. The Geisha was in training, a “Maiko,” as there are many steps to being a a full- fledged and recognized Geisha, but she could not have been sweeter or more representative of the art of her pursuit. If at first we felt awkward, we became a wonderful little group around the table with Mia as translator. Many smiles and some good chuckling. Our Maiko performed two beautiful dances in our private room. We asked many questions and shared stories of our lives and pets. Thanks to Mia as a teacher and translator and historian, the evening was something we will always cherish. We learned and laughed so much, and we saw the inherent grace of Geisha culture.

• Not to miss experience!

  CaTraveltheworld,

  Apr 23, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We met with our guide/translator Mei and walked around like an hour. She was our translator during the dinner with the maiko, an apprentice geiko. It was 8 of us, we sat at a table and had a great diner experience while talking to our maiko. We learned a lot. This is one of the highlights during our 3 week Japan trip.

  

  

  

• Gaiko experience

  CharlesDan P,

  Mar 26, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Our guild, Mia was truly fantastic. Her knowledge of the area and history, particularly Geisha (Gaiko) was outstanding. highly recommend the experience.

• Outstanding Experience

  Brian F,

  Mar 23, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This is the “real deal” experience with a Geiko San (Geisha) and/or Maiko San (Apprentice Geisha). We learned so much from our Guide Mia prior to and during our dinner at the Tea House. This experience is everything we expected and more. The food was outstanding as well.

• Splurged on the Private Tea House - WORTH THE MONEY

  MeiJean H,

  Feb 19, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  I'll start by saying I have done both options for this tour - the less expensive group tour with a bunch of strangers 2 years ago, and this time I splurged and chose the private dinner option for my whole family. I initially thought that the private dinner would be similar to the group tour experience, but it was SO DIFFERENT. The group tour was wonderful but it was more like visiting a museum - you start off with a walking tour and then you visit a tea house where a maiko performs a couple songs and dances for you, and then you can ask her a few questions as a group. The private tea dinner option is probably closer to what Japanese businessmen would experience as a party - the geiko and maiko actually sit right next to you during the meal and pour sake! They are very good at their job because my cup was never empty the entire night 😆. We also had 2 additional dedicated wait staff who constantly brought out food. The level of food and drink you get is 5x better in the private dinner vs group tour. By the end I was so full I could barely finish the dessert! The geiko and maiko were, without a doubt, the highlights of our night! They were like fairies from a fairy tale. From the moment we entered the private tea house, which was stunningly beautiful and spotlessly clean, I felt an air of elegance that set the tone for the evening. Their traditional Japanese song and dance were performed to perfection, showcasing their incredible skill and dedication. I found myself completely mesmerized by their poise and grace as they moved through each performance. Their manners were so graceful and poised - even when they were sitting next to us during the meal. Even though we enjoyed a delicious Kyoto kaiseki dinner, it was hard to focus on the meal because we were so captivated by the performances and conversation. The food was beautifully presented and full of delicate flavors, but the artistry of the geiko and maiko truly stole the show. Our amazing interpreter, Mie, helped bridge the cultural gap, allowing us to ask questions and learn about their lives and traditions. I thought that it was going to be a simple Q&A, but it truly felt like a conversation with both of them, with the help of our interpreter. Splurging on the private tea house experience was absolutely worth it. My parents and I agreed that this was one of the most unforgettable experiences we’ve ever had—something so rare and special that few people get to witness. I’ll treasure this memory forever!!

• Authentic experience

  Clarisse C,

  Nov 26, 2024

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  An unforgettable experience! We’ve learned so much about geiko and maiko world and in general around the japanese culture. Worth every penny!!

• An amazing experience

  David R,

  Nov 22, 2024

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This was an amazing experience. The Geisha’s were beautiful and elegant. Their performance during our dinner was an amazing experience. Highly recommend to anybody!

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