- Time: 2 hours
- Fee (regular/low-season): ¥28,000/¥25,000
- Expenses: about ¥1,000 per person
Gion is Kyoto’s traditional entertainment district. It is the realm of geisha and hostesses. Gion is loveliest in the early evening, and a visit to Gion at this time offers the best chance of spotting a geisha on the way to or from an appointment.
Our Gion evening walk starts at Yasaka-jinja Shrine, the patron shrine of the district, and plunges into the magical backstreets of the district. Along the way, we pass along what I consider to be the loveliest single street in all of Asia, before taking a pass through the Pontocho entertainment district on the far side of the Kamo-gawa River. This romantic route is truly the best way to experience the magic of Gion.
This walk takes two hours and can be done by anyone comfortable with a short walk. It’s mostly flat or downhill. The walk can be done Monday to Saturday (we do not offer this walk on Sundays, when there’s little chance of spotting a geisha). We don’t recommend doing the walk in the mid-August Obon holiday period or from December 29 to January 3. In order to maximize your chances of spotting geisha, we recommend starting the walk at 5 PM between October and April and at 5:30 PM from May to September. Note that geisha sightings are not guaranteed.
The walk costs ¥28,000/¥25,000 (low-season/high-season) per group (NOT per person) plus expenses that average about ¥1,000 per person (entry fees, snacks etc).
To book a walk, contact us.
