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Gion and Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes in Kyoto

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: Travel Japan Together
Gion and Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes
Gion and Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes 2
Gion and Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes 3
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3-hour tour in Kyoto, taking in Yasaka Shrine, Shirakawa Lane and Gion. Run by Travel Japan Together, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Yasaka Shrine
  • Shirakawa Lane
  • Gion
  • Pontocho Alley
  • Runs 3 hours
  • Food at 1 restaurant and 1 izakaya (up to 13 dishes)

Gion and Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes: Key Facts

PriceFrom $133.5 per person
Duration3 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 3-hour experience from Kyoto, built around Yasaka Shrine, Shirakawa Lane and Gion. It is run by Travel Japan Together, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Gion is Kyoto's historic entertainment district, the streets of wooden machiya houses around Hanamikoji where the geiko and maiko of the Gion Kobu district still work. They are working professionals on their way to engagements, not performers for the street, and Kyoto has banned photography in the private lanes; an evening walk with a guide who explains the ochaya system is the respectful way to see it. Tea ceremony sessions in Gion teach the basic form of matcha preparation in an hour. Kimono rental for a day, with dressing and hair, is an established business around the district and is welcomed rather than resented.

The price covers Food at 1 restaurant and 1 izakaya, Two drinks and Walking tour with local guide. It does not cover Extra drinks, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

FamilyMart; Kyoto Gion. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Travel Japan Together before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Starting location

FamilyMart; Kyoto Gion

Yasaka Shrine

Visit

Shirakawa Lane

Visit

Gion

Food tasting, Regional food (1 hour)

Pontocho Alley

Guided tour (15 minutes)

Pontocho

Dinner, Food tasting, Regional food (1 hour)

Finish at

ファミリーマート 京都祇園店

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: FamilyMart; Kyoto Gion

Yasaka Shrine: Visit

Shirakawa Lane: Visit

Gion: Food tasting, Regional food (1 hour)

Pontocho Alley: Guided tour (15 minutes)

Pontocho: Dinner, Food tasting, Regional food (1 hour)

Finish at: ファミリーマート 京都祇園店

Includes

  • Food at 1 restaurant and 1 izakaya (up to 13 dishes)
  • Two drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
  • Walking tour with local guide

Excludes

  • Extra drinks (for big drinkers)

Important information

Meeting point

FamilyMart; Kyoto Gion

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $133.5
$133.5
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 525 reviews
Guide
4.9/5
Value for money
4.8/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
S
Sahil
September 9, 2026

I had Sara as a guide and she was awesome! very friendly and took me to great authentic Japanese places. highly recommend her !

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
J
John
September 7, 2026

brilliant guide Kanta, very friendly, very informative

Review photo 1
5
J
Jean-Sébastien
September 15, 2026

Super tour, delicious food and our guide Akina was great, paying attention to everyone and making sure everything runs smoothly! Highly recommend !

5
B
Bjorn
September 15, 2026

Really enjoy the tour! Was nice and have a great night!

5
G
Giovanni
September 15, 2026

It’s was a great time and nice to get a better understanding of the culture

5
J
Jordan
September 14, 2026

Kanta was a fantastic and friendly guide, he had so much information to share and really connected with the group. the food was really good as well and we tried lots of things we wouldn't have on our own

5
P
Patricia
September 13, 2026

Taiga was a magnific tour guide. So kind, so nice, He knows every thing of bars and drinks in Kyoto. I’m so happy.

5
M
Marie
September 11, 2026

Went to 2 different restaurants and had variety of good food and drinks. Visited a shrine as well and the river view.

5
M
Mat
September 8, 2026

Excellent tour - great insight into the sites and great food. Our guide Kanga San was excellent

5
D
Debora
September 8, 2026

Our tour was amazing. Our guide Kanta was the best, gave us a ton of history about Japan and the background of the foods we enjoyed. Wonderful experience. 10/10 recommend.

5
S
Shari
September 7, 2026

Our guide Kanta (hope I’m spelling right) was very warm and friendly. He provided the right amount of information on Kyoto and culture mixed with lovely experiences at izakaya and sake bar. Foods were very interesting. Most in our group got to try new items and really enjoyed. I’m a vegetarian, so it’s a little harder, but overall great experience!

5
L
Lauren
September 5, 2026

Takuma was amazing! I tried so many new and delicious foods and enjoyed a lovely night with new friends! While I anticipated a simple food tour - I was pleasantly surprised with Takuma’s knowledge of the architecture, geisha history, and Shinto temple knowledge. He also helped us prioritize our Japanese snacks for our souvenirs!

Frequently Asked Questions

FamilyMart; Kyoto Gion
The price does not cover extra drinks (for big drinkers). Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Yes, if you tell us when you book rather than on the day. Dashi, the fish stock, is in almost everything, so vegetarian and vegan need to be named specifically and the host will plan a kombu-based version. Halal-certified restaurants exist in the big cities but are fewer, so say so early.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Food at 1 restaurant and 1 izakaya (up to 13 dishes), Two drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), Walking tour with local guide
The duration of the Gion and Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes is typically 3 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or mid-to-late November for peak autumn foliage. Kyoto sits in a basin and runs hotter in summer and colder in winter than Tokyo, even at a similar latitude. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Kyoto guide.
Kyoto never built an extensive subway — just two lines (Karasuma and Tozai) — so the city bus network does most of the work, especially for Higashiyama, Kinkaku-ji and Ginkakuji. Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are best reached by JR rail instead. See getting around Kyoto.
Three days covers the essentials well: a day for Higashiyama and Gion, a day for Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji, and a day for Fushimi Inari plus a Nara or Uji day trip. Our 3-day Kyoto itinerary has the full route with timing.
Arrive by 6:30-7am — the shrine is open 24/7 and free, and most visitors only walk the first 20-30 minutes anyway. Past that point the crowds thin out fast. Full hike details in our Fushimi Inari guide.
Yes — it's a public path with no entrance fee and no set hours. The trade-off is that it gets shoulder-to-shoulder by mid-morning; arrive before 8am for a nearly empty walk. See the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest guide.
Kyoto restricts photography on certain private alleys in Gion after complaints about tourists chasing and blocking geiko and maiko, with fines for violators. Public streets like Hanamikoji-dori remain open, but never chase, touch or block a real geiko/maiko anywhere. Full etiquette in our Gion geisha district guide.
Yudofu (simmered tofu, best near Nanzen-ji or Arashiyama), kaiseki and shojin ryori temple cuisine, and Nishiki Market's stalls of tako tamago and fresh yuba. Uji, just south of the city, is one of Japan's top matcha-growing regions. See the Kyoto food guide.
Starting from$133.5