Kyoto Tea Ceremony: Explore Gion and Wabi-Sabi Art

Explore Kyoto’s Gion, savor matcha, and experience a traditional tea ceremony. Discover wabi-sabi through art, pottery, and serene Zen gardens.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Gion - Begin your journey by exploring the history and art of Japanese tea-making.
    Wander through the historic district of Gion and visit a renowned matcha shop.
  • Kennin-ji Temple - Discover the ancient Kennin-ji Temple, a historical marvel that has stood for centuries.
  • 24 Tsukimichō - Explore the tools and vessels used by tea masters…
What's Included
  • Entrance fee of 2 temples included
  • Photos during a tour
  • An English-speaking guide
  • Tea Ceremony Experience
What's Not Included
  • Additional Food and Drinks
Additional Information

In Japan, the tea ceremony transcends the act of drinking tea—it’s about embracing the essence of beauty. While beauty is often linked to external appearances, the tea ceremony encourages appreciation for the inner beauty of nature, introducing the concept of “Wabi-sabi.”
Wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic that celebrates beauty in…

Location
Gion-Shijō Station
Right outside of Exit 5, in front of Izumo no Okuni Statue
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(13 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Matthewz356
Mar 26, 2025
Arigato - Hide was excellent as a tour guide and was super helpful. He answered all questions we had and was very helpful in translating. He was very knowledgeable about every place we visited and made our experience wonderful. We highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andis922
Mar 24, 2025
Beautiful Kyoto - This was a very nice tour around the Gion district in Kyoto. Hide & Josh were very welcoming and provided us with lots of information, especially taking the time to answer our questions about Japanese culture and history. Walking around, appreciating wabi sabi as we experienced the shrines, and tea shops was a unique experience, and one I'd definitely recommend. We ended the tour with a magical tea ceremony experience with tea master Yukio-san at Chayu in the Kiyomizu area. Yukio-san was so warm and her tea ceremony was beautiful. She explained the purpose of tea ceremonys, and how they are conducted. We took it in turns to grind out matcha, whisk our tea, and taste Wagashi (sweets). Thank you very much, I can't wait to come back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Domingoa957
Mar 18, 2025
Top wabi Sabi experience. - Hide was a great guide, very friendly and kind; he conveyed all the beauty of the city through his explanations. Patata! :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary
Mar 5, 2025
We met our guide bang on 1.15. Hecwaa more than helpful and extremely knowledgeable on Japanese history. - Japanese Tea Ceremony was magical. The girl who hosted us has spent years studying this "art". It is a family tradition and she still attends study under a Master. The whole Ceremony was captivating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C0nn0rw34
Mar 2, 2025
Kyoto Tea Ceremony - Yuna was a very knowledgeable guide I had a great time on tour with her. It was a unique experience and I learned a lot on the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yevgenyt2016
Feb 23, 2025
A very interesting tour in two temples followed by a tea ceremony - The tour was very interesting and insightful. Naru was very pleasant, explained everything and gave us good tips and suggestions. The tea ceremony was also great, with a very pleasant hostess.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexandrasd7366ps
Jan 6, 2025
An amazing tour through Gion - This was the highlight of my Kyoto stay. We walked through an area I thought I had seen, but Shiori showed me new things and taught me so much. The tour went by too quickly. I will definitely be doing this again when I get the chance.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U2929btjamesl
Dec 22, 2024
A beautiful afternoon! - We had wonderful guides! Shiori and Yuna spoke with great sensitivity and insight and gave us a beautiful sense of wabi sabi aesthetics and zen principles. It was a truly lovely afternoon with such delightful people. The time flew by; at the end of the afternoon we were enriched with our experiences and the appreciation of those experiences, including a very special tea ceremony. Thank you so much, Shiori and Yuna!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomaswuensche
Nov 29, 2024
Great experience in Kyoto - Wonderful experience with Akiko. We learned so much about tea ceremony in general before we enjoyed the traditional tea house
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lovz28
Nov 14, 2024
Unique experience in otherwise busy Kyoto - It was just two of us and Louis was fantastic. We were not just interested in the sights but also so many cultural aspects of Japan and historical significance of Kyoto and all that we saw. We stayed away from crowds and I would wholeheartedly recommend Magical Tours and Louis if you are looking for a unique experience. The tea ceremony was with a bigger group but was still awesome,
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 7 guests
1 Adult
April 2025
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today