Explore more curated experiences in Kyoto

View all Kyoto tours

Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience in Heritage Machiya in Kyoto

Top rated
4.3
Activity provider: Tondaya, Co., Ltd.
Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience in Heritage Machiya in Kyoto
Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience in Heritage Machiya in Kyoto 2
Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience in Heritage Machiya in Kyoto 3
+2
more

Tour in Kyoto, taking in Kyoto. Run by Tondaya, Co., Ltd., booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Kyoto
  • Runs 1.5 hours
  • Entrance fee
  • Tea ceremony
  • Kimono dressing

Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience in Heritage Machiya in Kyoto: Key Facts

PriceFrom $225.5 per person
Duration1.5 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 1.5-hour experience in Kyoto, built around Kyoto. It is run by Tondaya, Co., Ltd., 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 Entrance fee, Tea ceremony and Kimono dressing. It does not cover Socks and Hair styling and makeup, 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.

Tondaya -Nishijin Japanese Cultural Experience Museum. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Tondaya, Co., Ltd. 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

Tondaya -Nishijin Japanese Cultural Experience Museum

Kyoto

Tea, Dessert, Local snacks, Tea ceremony (1.5 hours)

Includes

  • Entrance fee
  • Tea ceremony
  • Kimono dressing

Excludes

  • Socks (please bring your own socks)
  • Hair styling and makeup

Important information

Meeting point

Tondaya -Nishijin Japanese Cultural Experience Museum

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 1.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

You might also like...

Share
Main Tour Price
Starting from $225.5
$225.5
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

4.3/5
based on 319 reviews
Guide
4.4/5
Value for money
3.8/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
A
Amy
May 9, 2025

We enjoyed wearing the kimonos. I would've liked more education about the garments we were wearing, origins, significance, etc. Also, my friend and I are both tall, so got the larger kimonos which were only solid colors and not the lovely prints that the shorter people got. It was a lovely spot for photos and I appreciated having plenty of time to take our own. I enjoyed the tea ceremony, it was educational and interesting.

Review photo 1Review photo 2
5
A
Austin
April 29, 2025

Had a great time and learned a lot of fascinating points in a Japanese tea ceremony! Would recommend doing this activity!

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
S
Sarah
April 18, 2025

Such a wonderful experience! Getting dressed was amazing plus the tea ceremony with class and finally a house tour.

5
R
Razvan
April 15, 2025

it was a bit crowded, but the experience is well worth it. I hope that your group will be less noisy than ours :)

5
B
Brittany
April 9, 2025

Fabulous! The ladies were very nice and welcoming to us all. They allowed lots of time for us to take pictures and were very helpful. The tea ceremony was very informative and the guide was very clear in her explanations (in English). Would recommend. I would have liked to have an opportunity to mix the tea.

5
J
Jason
April 7, 2025

Our guides/hosts were amazing, friendly and fun. We were able to get dressed up in Kimonos. The house and inside gardens were an amazing backdrop for pictures. We toured the house and enjoyed a truely special tea ceremony.

5
D
David
March 30, 2025

Very friendly welcome and very attentive staff. Very informative about the traditions and the tea ceremony. Good fun dressing up in the kimonos!

5
J
Janine
March 29, 2025

It was so fun to be dressed in kimonos and experience a beautiful tea ceremony. We loved it.

5
M
Maria
January 4, 2025

John was a great guide! Very acknowledgeable about Hiroshima-Japan history!

5
M
Michael
December 10, 2024

an amazing property, steeped in history. the guide was perfect, she explained the history of the property and of the kimono. and her tour of the property was excellent. the guide then performed the tea ceremony which was beautiful and so traditional. the guide was super helpful and took photos for us. so enjoyable for my wife and I.

5
R
Razvan
December 7, 2024

We had an amazing time. It was only the 2 of us! Everything was explained in great detail and we had good conversation. Not sure what s the thing other people are saying about being too many people and etc. Maybe that was because of the timing. Anyway, it was a great experience, a little bit expensive, but we had fun!

5
J
Jonathan
November 27, 2024

Good fun and informative. Really enjoyed the ceremony and the tour of the building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tondaya -Nishijin Japanese Cultural Experience Museum
The price does not cover socks (please bring your own socks) and hair styling and makeup. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Not in the private lanes of Gion, where Kyoto has banned photography, and not close up anywhere: a maiko on the street is on her way to work. Your guide will say where a photograph is acceptable. Tea ceremony and kimono sessions include photographs as part of the session.
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.
Entrance fee, Tea ceremony, Kimono dressing
The duration of the Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience in Heritage Machiya in Kyoto is typically 1.5 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$225.5