Kyoto Evening Gion Food Tour Including Kaiseki Dinner

Highlights

  • Local guide explaining the history and current practices of the Maiko and Geiko culture of Kyoto.

  • Local traditional snack stop.

  • Kyoto specific culture and customs.

  • One of our most beautiful walking tours.

  • Kaiseki Course meal experience with seasonal and regional food elements explained for a deeper understanding of the historic food culture of Kyoto.

Tour info

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
10
Pricing (From)
Adult: (13-80 years)
¥22,900
Child: (3-12 years)
¥11,450
Commentary
English
Meeting Point

551 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, 605-0074, JP

Dropoff location

Kyoto, Kyoto, 604-8014

Why take this tour?

This tour is a celebration of Japanese traditional culture and Kaiseki cuisine: a multi-course, multi-flavored Japanese dinner that flawlessly mixes global and local flavors to produce some of the most delicious dishes on the planet. 

Kyoto is a magical place. You will stroll with your guide along the local streets, amongst the many passersby to fully appreciate the life of the city. Gion is a prominent, traditional entertainment district and Kyoto’s center of Japanese arts. Your guide will tell you stories about this very exquisite part of Kyoto along the way. You will also explore the gorgeous Shirakawa neighborhood, and have the chance to whet your appetite with a special Kyoto treat as you wander. 

Learn about the life of Kyoto’s famous Geisha and then sit down to enjoy a 10-course Kaiseki meal, with some of Kyoto’s freshest food. We want this moment of your life to be a memory you will never forget!

Starting in Kamogawa, you will stroll with your guide along the local streets as you head toward the Kamogawa River with some possible seasonal food stops along the way.  Along the river, you will see the many Japanese locals sitting on Kamogawa yuka noryo (terraces along the water) enjoying their evening.

From Kamogawa, you will venture into the Pontocho area, an area which has been home to Geisha since the 1500s. You may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them scampering between teahouses in their zori sandals and illuminating kimonos. Pontocho is known for its many bars, restaurants and machiya (teahouses) in the area.

Not long after your time in Pontocho, you will be in historical Gion, the most prominent entertainment district and Kyoto’s center of traditional arts. Gion is clad with old wooden buildings, teahouses and very exclusive Japanese restaurants, mostly by invitation only. Your guide will tell you stories about this very exquisite part of Kyoto along the way.

At the end of your short journey, you will sit down to enjoy a 10-course Kaiseki meal, where you will be able to try some of Kyoto's freshest food.  Kaiseki generally means a meal incorporating a combination of seasonal ingredients, meticulously prepared so all the flavors blend harmoniously. A visit in Kyoto is never complete without trying a Kaiseki meal. 

Enjoy this three hour tour and end it with a meal that you will never forget. To give you an idea, one of the courses will be a platter with living fish from which you can enjoy sashimi straight from the bone. In this 10-course Kaiseki dinner, just this course alone will provide you with the freshest sashimi you will ever taste in your life.

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

Things to know

Covid Policy

  • Face masks required for travelers in public areas
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
  • Face masks provided for travelers
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Gear/equipment sanitized between use
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Regular temperature checks for staff
  • Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
  • Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

Showing your voucher on your phone will be enough, and it is not necessary to print anything. 

Cancellation Policy

    7+ days before tour’s date: full refund of tour fees minus any processing fees. 4 to 6 days before original tour date: 50% refund of tour fees minus any processing fees. 72 hours or less prior to tour: non-refundable Arigato Japan is not responsible for cancellation conditions or fees imposed by third party tour agency or any other company through which a service was booked.

Redemption information

    • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
    • Minimum drinking age is 21 years
    • Please be there 10-15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. We have a strict policy about starting our tours on the scheduled time. If you are not able to arrive at the meeting point by the departure time, the tour will start regardless and no refund will be provided. We are also unable to accommodate meeting up in any of the food stops once you've missed the start of the tour.


About operator:

We are Arigato Japan Food Tours and our goal is to help you make delicious memories of Japan during your travels to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima! On our tours you’ll taste local and regional specialties like okonomiyaki, yakitori, sashimi, taiyaki, gyoza, nabe, yakisoba and so much more. We will show you places locals cherish for an off-the-beaten-path, foodie experience of daily life in Japan that you won’t soon forget.

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