Tours and Tickets to Experience Pontocho Alley
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Pontocho Alley
*Some restaurants in Pontocho Alley are strictly for residents; those that do welcome travelers typically have English menus.
*Photography of geiko and maiko is not permitted without explicit permission.
*Advance dinner reservations are recommended on Fridays and Saturdays.
People Also Ask
There are plenty of ways to experience Pontocho Alley. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:
While it’s free to visit Pontocho Alley independently, there are lots of affordable tours that help you to discover the highlights of this beautiful area of Kyoto and beyond. Shared night food tours are upwards of ¥5,800 , while half-day private walking tours can be ¥13,500 and above.
That depends. Sometimes you might see maiko (apprentice geisha from Kyoto), walking through Pontocho Alley, but it’s not guaranteed. To increase your chances of seeing geisha, book a cultural performance at a local teahouse, some of which include performances by geishas.
Yes, Pontocho Alley is a great place for nightlife. There are cocktail bars, izakayas (Japanese pubs), and lots of great eateries, too. St. James Club Bar is fun for cocktails, Gin Bar C&D Ponto is the spot to discover new gins, and Bar Pontostand offers Latin music, snacks, and sake flights.
To get to Pontocho Alley from Kyoto station, you can get a taxi for the 15-minute journey. Alternatively, take a bus directly from Kyoto station; the 205 City Bus and the 105 City Bus both stop at Kawaramachi Sanjo, around a 5-minute walk from Pontocho Alley.
The type of restaurants available at Pontocho Alley include yakitori restaurants—such as Torihara Kyoto—which serve grilled skewers. There’s also international cuisine, including Pontocho Misoguigawa for French specialties, Osteria Colon for Italian cuisine, and Shibata for delicious Wagyu beef served as sukiyaki and shabu shabu (hot pot dishes).