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Japan
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Kyoto Prefecture
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Kyoto
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Tours & Activities
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Small-group Kyoto Walking Tour including Traditional Japanese Snacks and Drinks
3h30
Small Group
By walk
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Experiencing Kyoto by night is an essential part of any visit to Japan’s city of tradition. Walking through the old town’s lantern-lit wooden streets is an otherworldly experience not to be missed!
Your Kyoto tour will begin at Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto’s famed Geisha district, Gion. As you wander, there’s a good chance you’ll see both Geiko and Maiko breezing through the narrow alleyways of the old quarter.
From there, you and your guide will avoid the crowds and traverse the serene wooden backstreets through to Yasaka Shrine, where there’s an explosion of light and noise! Famous Yasaka is eternally alive, brought to life by bright lights and buzzing crowds, and lined with street food stalls selling Japan’s favorite evening snacks — everything from frozen bananas to skewered squid.
Then you will dart into the backstreets of northern Gion, walking through the narrow streets lined with smaller and more modern clubs and bars — a fascinating contrast to the quarter’s old buildings and historical air.
Crossing the Kamo River, you will take in the sprawling view of Kyoto’s restaurant district as it stretches into the distance along the river, before crossing into Pontocho. A centuries-old entertainment district now lined with bars and restaurants, Pontocho is lit almost entirely by traditional Japanese lanterns of every shape and size. Each restaurant has its own unique menu and atmosphere, but all retain an old-world charm.
From Pontocho, you’ll cross to Teramachi, a traditional Japanese-style arcade strip that stretches off into the distance. Roofed with glowing, cathedral-like arches, Teramachi is home to a countless variety of merchants and restaurants, including traditional Japanese bookstores and the ubiquitous, brightly lit Manga comic shops. Here, you can find everything from statues of ancient gods at a Butsudan-ya (Buddhist altar shop) to high-quality sushi knives and vintage clothing.
Leaving Teramachi’s arcade, you’ll be lead past the Nishiki food market to check out a tachinomiya — translated in English,‘tachinomiya’ literally means ‘stand and drink shop.’ Bars with no seats offer locals a chance to enjoy drinks and light snacks en route to home or engagements elsewhere.
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Your Kyoto tour will begin at Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto’s famed Geisha district, Gion. As you wander, there’s a good chance you’ll see both Geiko and Maiko breezing through the narrow alleyways of the old quarter.
From there, you and your guide will avoid the crowds and traverse the serene wooden backstreets through to Yasaka Shrine, where there’s an explosion of light and noise! Famous Yasaka is eternally alive, brought to life by bright lights and buzzing crowds, and lined with street food stalls selling Japan’s favorite evening snacks — everything from frozen bananas to skewered squid.
Then you will dart into the backstreets of northern Gion, walking through the narrow streets lined with smaller and more modern clubs and bars — a fascinating contrast to the quarter’s old buildings and historical air.
Crossing the Kamo River, you will take in the sprawling view of Kyoto’s restaurant district as it stretches into the distance along the river, before crossing into Pontocho. A centuries-old entertainment district now lined with bars and restaurants, Pontocho is lit almost entirely by traditional Japanese lanterns of every shape and size. Each restaurant has its own unique menu and atmosphere, but all retain an old-world charm.
From Pontocho, you’ll cross to Teramachi, a traditional Japanese-style arcade strip that stretches off into the distance. Roofed with glowing, cathedral-like arches, Teramachi is home to a countless variety of merchants and restaurants, including traditional Japanese bookstores and the ubiquitous, brightly lit Manga comic shops. Here, you can find everything from statues of ancient gods at a Butsudan-ya (Buddhist altar shop) to high-quality sushi knives and vintage clothing.
Leaving Teramachi’s arcade, you’ll be lead past the Nishiki food market to check out a tachinomiya — translated in English,‘tachinomiya’ literally means ‘stand and drink shop.’ Bars with no seats offer locals a chance to enjoy drinks and light snacks en route to home or engagements elsewhere.
Included
- Local guide
- Food samplings: traditional Japanese snacks and drinks
Not included
- Additional food and drink
- Souvenirs and items of a personal nature
- Transportation to/from the meeting point
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Modest dress is highly recommended as you will be visiting a shrine (It is recommended to have your shoulders and knees covered.)
- Small group is a maximum of 12 people
- Some food allergies can be accommodated; please advise your local tour operator at the time of booking
- Minimum age is 20 years
Features
Tourism
80%
Cultural
80%
Sport
20%
Reviews
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I would definitely recommend this tour . Guide was very knowledgeable and Gion is lovely to see at night and the walk was very interesting
was a cold night but LOVED this trip so much! our guide was German but living in Japan which was very interesting.
What a fun tour! It was great to see the sites in the evening without the crowds. We had a great time with the tour guide. It was more like going around with a friend and then out for drinks afterwards.
Very nice guide, extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Would do it again.
The tour guide was fascinating and the sites in the moonlight were amazing . A delightful evening . An excellent tour
We had a wonderful walk through the back laneways with our guide Tatsuro who was very helpful with explaining about the Gion area including lots of information about the geishas and their lifestyle, we even saw some geishas then we moved on to a local shrine with our guide once again explaining points of interest..after that we thoroughly enjoyed our traditional Japanese snack...would highly recommend this tour as it gave us a snapshot of life in the Gion area
Our local guide Pepijn was extremely knowledgeable and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. There was plenty of walking through the narrow back streets of the Gion region. We were very lucky to see three geisha and two maiko during our tour. We discovered some fantastic restaurants which we came back to the next day. The included dinner - traditional okonomiyaki was lovely. The tour concluded in a small bar where we enjoyed a drink together as a group. Would highly recommend the tour as you get to see a different side to the region at night.
Our local guide Pepijn was extremely knowledgeable and a great guide. There was plenty of walking and we were able to experience a side of Gion that comes alive at night time. We were fortunate enough to see three geisha and two maiko during our walk. The local traditional meal was delicious and we concluded at a small bar where we all enjoyed a drink together as a group. A wonderful opportunity to get some local knowledge and pointers about areas and restaurants to come back to visit during the day or in our own time. Highly recommend this tour for those who don't mind walking.
Our tour guide Pepijin was excellent and highlighting things that a foreigner would find interesting, and explaining their historical and cultural context. The Tour is mostly around the Gion area, and was a good value despite there is only 1 drink, 1 snack, and 1 local dinner item. I was hoping for more, but the guide Pepijin and the area by themselves make it an excellent tour, particularly in the evening time, plus you then know were to go back for 2nds.