Kyoto Photo Tour: Capture Stunning Images with a Pro

Capture Kyoto’s beauty with a private photo workshop. Expert guidance, hidden gems, and personalized tips to enhance your photography skills.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni - Kyoto whispers tales of a time gone by. Photograph the soul of Japan among serene temples and timeless streets.
    Street. Wander the ancient streets of Kyoto, capturing its enduring beauty and the interplay between tradition and modernity. This private, three-hour photo tour takes you through Kyoto’s captivating scenes,…
What's Included
  • Licensed English-speaking in-person local guide
  • Local guide
  • Professional photographer guide
What's Not Included
  • Camera
  • Tripod available upon request
Additional Information

We offer expert guidance from a professional photographer with local knowledge who will lead you to the best locations, angles, and lighting for stunning photos. During the tour, you’ll receive personalised education on camera settings, composition, and other techniques to enhance your skills. As locals, we know the top spots and hidden gems in Kyoto,…

Location
Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni
We will meet you at the statue of Izumo-no-Okuni, located near the Gion-Shijo Station in the historic Gion district of Kyoto. This statue commemorates Izumo-no-Okuni, the originator of Kabuki theatre.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(7 Ratings)
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Z7870iterika
Jul 6, 2025
Outstanding Experience with lots of variety! - I've been on a lot of photo experiences around the world, and I have found that the best experiences tend to combine local places only a local would know (and have access to) with more well-known places but at the exact right time, which might not actually be when you'd expect. A good guide is indispensable for this. With this in mind, I have yet to find a guide as thorough and open to different experiences as Thomas. I opted for the full-day experience as I wanted to combine a nighttime session with some more customized, local places. A week or so before I even left, Thomas reached out and offered some places he knew of, a couple businesses and universities, for a more local, doc-style feel. We visited a priest who roasts exotic coffee, mother and daughter team custom perfume shop and got a private tour of Yoshida at Kyoto University. Shooting inside can be a challenge, but these places had nice big windows and loads of character. We finished the first session and met up later for sunset and evening at Kyoto Station, where going to the top floor gives some great architectural options, then headed to Gion for nighttime. Rather than chasing Maiko/Geisha, I wanted a darker, more dramatic feel and he took me down some little alleys and to the Yasaka shrine, which is lit well at night and looks toward a great street for light trails from traffic. I would probably have missed it but Thomas mentioned it specifically and it was indeed worth it. The beauty of an experience like this is that a good guide and company know not just the best places for what you are wanting to do, but Thomas was able to organize them in such a way that it maximizes the time you have. This is what you're really paying for, because it doesn't just ensure you get to great spots but that you can outsource the logistics, which frees up a lot more of your own time in a place. I would highly recommend Thomas and Aperture's Kyoto tour, you will have a great time and a reference point for how these things should be!
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Marliesla
Jun 28, 2025
Thomas is just amazing - I am really happy I booked this tour. From the communication before, till the tour itself, all went so good. I have mobility issues and when I informed them about this, Thomas my guide suggested already an alternative route so it would be easier for me. About Thomas…. What can I say. The guy is amazing. Not only a great photographer, but I had such a pleasant time walking and talking with him. He guided me through Kyoto, showing nice places but not forcing me to take any particular picture he wanted me to take. He let me see things for myself. I also brought a lens that I was not used to yet and he helped me so much with finally understanding how to use it. I had this tour early in my Japan trip and it helped me a lot with taking better pictures after I can only recommend. Especially Thomas!
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Rriosjr1
Jun 20, 2025
Photo Tour in Kyoto - Had a wonderful evening out with Thomas doing street and landscape photography. I really appreciated is patience, input and artistic side of showing me the beauty of street photography. Working with Thomas was an absolute blessing and would recommend him highly when in Kyoto.
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142lauried
Jun 19, 2025
Great morning tour in Kyoto - Thomas customized the tour to my preferences. It was a great morning in northern Kyoto and one of the favorite days from my trip. Thomas is a very personable and I highly recommend this tour.
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Louise
Jun 4, 2025
Kyoto stunning sites - A wonderful evening to photograph Kyotos amazing sites with Irwin! Such an awesome guide who provided many great tips and tricks to enhance my pictures! Would highly recommend
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Hbhjuengling
Feb 5, 2025
No better place to learn and explore than Kyoto with Thomas - I am a beginning/amateur photographer so, I’ll be honest, I need a lot of help. While Thomas is a professional photographer his guidance and tips were easy to digest and I had a wonderful time improving and got some photos I will cherish as souvenirs of my time in Kyoto. Without going into too great of detail, I am confident that Thomas could guide someone of any skill level and that his knowledge of Kyoto and photography is what made for such a great tour. We visited some iconic spots that were empty and he showed us some more local locations that perfectly captured the feeling of Kyoto in a photo all while learning about Japan and photography. He was also quick on his feet to take the tour in a direction that I would enjoy and we often would go on “side quests” to capture something I showed an interest in. Overall, it was a perfect night tour of Kyoto with a world class guide.
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Jillmariesmith59
Jan 17, 2025
Fantastic Night Photograhy Tour in Kyoto! - We went on a Night Photography Tour with Irven Lewis in Kyoto and it was fantastic! Irven is very friendly and so knowledgeable with not only photography but with Kyoto. He took us to amazing locations to get those perfect shots! I have a new camera I am not used to and he was so patient and very understanding!! Thank you so much you are amazing! 😊
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From $120
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).