Kyoto Evening Gion Food Tour Including Kaiseki Dinner

Badge of ExcellenceKyoto, Japan

Gion and Kamogawa Evening Food Tour in Kyoto

3 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Immerse yourself in the Japanese culinary tradition of Kaiseki Ryouri during this evening food tour in Kyoto. Follow your guide through the Kamogawa and Gion areas, eating your way through a 10-course meal with included beverages and dessert.

Culinary walking tour in Kyoto
Cross the Kamogawa bridge, and stroll the endless terraces along the Kamo River
Enter Gion, the home of many Geisha and traditional tea houses, and learn about this historic area
Walk along main roads and back alleys to gain a sense of Kyoto’s special charm
Enjoy an unforgettable Kaiseki meal

What's Included

Local Guide
10 Course Dinner plus Green Tea and Dessert
One drink included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Transportation costs.
Additional drinks or food

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Japan Kanji Museum & Library
551 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0074, Japan
Meet up point: In front of Kyoto Kanji Museum 漢検漢字博物館・図書館 Address: 551 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 605-0074 〒605-0074 京都府京都市祇園町南側５５１

Start time

05:00 PM

End point

Idumoya
173-2 Kashiwayachō, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8014, Japan
End point: Pontocho area

What To Expect

Meet your guide and group at a central location in Kyoto. From there, set off on foot in the direction of the Kamogawa River, stopping for some tastings along the way. Observe the locals relaxing on the terraces along the river, a traditional evening pastime in the area.

Head to Pontocho, an area traditionally known as a home to Geisha since the 16th century. Keep an eye out for Geisha walking between teahouses in their traditional kimonos, entertaining customers.

Next, walk to Gion, Kyoto's center of entertainment and traditional arts. The area is home to many invitation-only exclusive restaurants, tea houses, and traditional-style wooden buildings.

Once you reach your dining destination, sit down for a 10-course Kaiseki meal, during which you will learn about the Kaiseki tradition. Kaiseki typically incorporates a combination of seasonal ingredients, prepared to maximize the harmonious blend of the flavors.

Japan Kanji Museum & Library

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gion

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gion (Pass By)

Rinn Shirakawa South (Pass By)

Gion Corner (Pass By)

Gion Shirakawa

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine (Pass By)

Statue of Izumo no Okuni (Pass By)

Kiyomizu-dera (Pass By)

Yasakanoto (Pass By)

Tatsumi Bridge (Pass By)

Hanamikoji Street (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Passport information copy is required for kids 10 and above.
Minimum drinking age is 21 years
Same-day Booking available
For solo travelers, please email us

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Changes to tours and spots we visit may occur due to schedules of restaurants, public holidays, weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances. Applicable substitutions will be made in this case.
Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Gluten-Free Friendly
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

55 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 55 reviews

Good overview of the Gion District

Erin_C, Apr 2024

We really enjoyed our guided tour of Gion! It gave us some amazing context into the area including shops that have been around the area for years. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helped answer all of our questions. For the price point, we expected dinner to be more filling and a higher quality experience but overall the food was solid.

We had a great time on...

Ben_G, Apr 2024

We had a great time on our Gion tour. It ended up just being our family (two adults and a baby) and was a very informative and enjoyable stroll through Gion. The dinner was great, and they were very polite about our fussy baby. Highly recommend!

Our guide, Zae, was...

Vanessa_D, Apr 2024

Our guide, Zae, was great! You really feel that she loves her job and she loves sharing her knowledge with her customers. She told us a lot about Gion district and Japanese food. I’d definitely recommend the guide, although the tour was way too expensive.

A nice way to go through the Gion area for any first timer

Cindy_C, Mar 2024

The tour and dinner exceeded our expectations in every way. If you have never been to Kyoto or Japan this tour is a great way to experience the local Gion area.

A Fun and Lovely Evening!

Ginny M, Nov 2019

Our guide Tomas was great! Despite not being Japanese, he passionately explained the making of geishas, the sweets we tasted, and finally the tradition of the Kaseiki dinner. All in the beautiful Gion district of Kyoto. A lovely evening well worth the cost.

Kyoto Evening Gion Food Tour review

Excursion43492203324, Oct 2019

This tour was one of our favorite memories from our Japan trip, strongly recommend for both adults and children. Our great guides Yoshiko and Sabreena provided lot of information about Japan culture, Kyoto, food and answered all questions we had. Just join!

Exciting Evening Strolling the Gion Area

Ivan T, May 2019

This was a great tour, our guides Russ and G were excellent. The shops we were introduced to we would have never found without their knowledge, they made us so comfortable during the tour and so informative, would do this tour again in a heartbeat.

Gion Tour

Karen_T, Nov 2018

Excellent tour. Very accommodating with food allergies. Our guid was very informative. Made the evening very fun.

Fantastic tour! Highly recommend...

Hansel_S, Jun 2018

Fantastic tour! Highly recommend taking this. We enjoyed walking about Kyoto, learning about the history of the city and of course the food. The day we took the tour was not the best for the weather, it rained on us quite heavily, but that did not deter us from enjoying our time.

We had a wonderful night with...

Laura N, May 2018

We had a wonderful night with Rosalia. With only my fiancé and I on the tour, it was a very intimate experience with plenty of time for us to ask questions. The walking tour was lovely and insightful. The meal was delicious and after having been in Japan for about 6 days, it was great to be able to ask all the questions we had built up thus far in our trip. We highly recommend this experience!

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Even...

Johnny_M, Apr 2018

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Even though it was raining, our tour guide Bernard kept it fun. We enjoyed the many sights as well as the insights into the area he shared with us. He even pointed out many Geisha, without him we probably would have missed them. The meal was delicious and we loved the traditional setting of the restaurant. We highly recommend both the tour and the tour guide Bernard.

Exceeded expectations! Our...

Joanne C, Apr 2018

Exceeded expectations! Our lovely guide met us and gave us a comprehensive tour of Gion , she explained the Geisha system in detail , and we even managed to glimpse a Maiko. The Keiseki meal was fantastic, we enjoyed it all , but go hungry there is a lot of it ! We had the company of another lovely family who made our evening all the more enjoyable. Would highly recommend.

Our guide Akari was...

Elizabeth_M, Jan 2018

Our guide Akari was excellent. The tour was really interesting and she gave us just the right amount of information with out it becoming an academic exercise so that it was still great fun. Our meal was very good.

This is our third trip to Kyoto but...

Rene_T, Oct 2017

This is our third trip to Kyoto but our guide really opened our eyes to the Gion area. She was so knowledgeable and gracious...I would recommend this tour to everyone. Thank you for a most informative and enjoyable evening!

Wonderful tour. Our guide was...

Joanne P, Jul 2017

Wonderful tour. Our guide was knowledgeable of Kyoto as well as cuisine. Personalized tour was a treat.

This tour was the best experience we...

Rosemary V, Jun 2017

This tour was the best experience we had in Kyoto. We walked with our guide through the preserved Gion area and learned so much about the Geisha and the culture. It is wonderful to be able to view what old Japan looked like Our guide was excellent. The meal was varied and delicious. Yum!!

Our tour guide was wonderful. There...

Dennis, Jun 2017

Our tour guide was wonderful. There were just 4 of us 2 adults and 2 young children. Lots of walking. She gave us lots of history and info on the Gion area and the Geisha, which we saw a few. Dinner was great and she actually stayed until 9:30pm and chat with us throughout the dinner. Highly recommended.

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