Top Kyoto Arts & Design

Gion, Kyoto's famed geisha district, is packed full of tourists during the day making it difficult to get a sense of the area's culture. Avoid the biggest groups and immerse yourself in Japanese heritage on this small-group walking tour that leads you through the elegant streets after dark, while geisha and maiko make their way to their appointments.

Get more out of time in Kyoto with this exciting cultural experience in Kyoto’s Kagai district. Visit the Gion Kagai Art Museum—with admission included so you don’t have to wait in ticket lines—and enjoy the special opportunity to watch “geiko” and “maiko” sing and dance during a live performance in the atmospheric banquet room.

Take a tour of Kyoto's famous Gion district and learn all about the mysterious geisha traditions of the area. Get an insider’s perspective on facts about geisha culture that tourists usually miss, and pass by shops, shrines, and beautiful temples. To elevate your experience, the tour also includes a geisha show with an apprentice geisha, where you can watch a dance performance and ask questions.

Fushimi Inari Shrine Audio Guide is a convenient map app designed for self-guided sightseeing tours of the renowned sacred mountain. You won't lose your way and you'll gain a wealth of knowledge about traditional Japanese beliefs. You'll undoubtedly traverse 10 thousand vibrant vermilion torii gates, ascend the three peaks of Mount Inari, and explore the most captivating local shrines with audioguide on your smartphone. The audio guide will instruct you on how to seek fortune telling, make offerings, and request assistance from local spirits. It will also highlight the best spots for photography and where to purchase spring water coffee. With this audio guide, you can relish the walk at your own leisure, without the need to keep up with a tour group. The audio guide can always be heard distinctly through your headphones. Feel free to pause for a break at a café whenever you wish. You can always deviate down a scenic path and return to the route later.

Immerse yourself in the rich traditions of Japan's only Imperial Household temple, Sennyuji, with an exclusive incense ceremony led by a master of the Senzan Goryu school.

Steep yourself in the arts of kasamaki and nuishime shibori during this 60- to 90-minute cloth-wrapping class in Kyoto. Try your hand at this intriguing Japanese art, with the help of an expert local craftsman. Learn tricks to do these techniques at home and bring a memento home with you. You’ll also get to see many prime samples of classic kasamaki and nuishime shibori dyeing displayed and in the museum shop.

Fans of matcha will appreciate this hands-on workshop on Japanese tea, which combines instructive lessons in traditional matcha preparation with a bonafide tea ceremony experience. Listen to enriching background on the little-known history behind the sacred ritual, once favored by monks and samurais. Learn how to brew top-quality matcha from an organic farm, and enjoy your tea with cakes from a famous Kyoto confectionary—all in a traditional townhouse.

Explore the hidden gems of Kyoto on this engaging walking tour of the mystical Shimogamo Shrine and the iconic Kamogawa Delta, complete with a personalized Manga-style souvenir. Along the way, we’ll capture fun, cinematic photos of your journey. Using these shots, we provide a unique twist: a custom-made Manga page featuring you as the main character. It’s the perfect, one-of-a-kind memento to remember your Kyoto adventure—no drawing or artistic skills required from you! Highlights: World Heritage Discovery: A guided stroll through the lush grounds of Shimogamo Shrine and the historic Tadasu-no-Mori forest. Scenic & Iconic Locations: Visit the Kamogawa Delta, a picturesque spot famous for its appearance in numerous Japanese animations. Professional Direction: Enjoy a fun atmosphere as your guide helps you find the best photo spots and poses. A One-of-a-Kind Gift: Receive a physical Manga-style print of your tour highlights—the ultimate personalized Kyoto souvenir.

Experience Ikebana in Kyoto through the flowers, traditions and aesthetics that have shaped Japanese floral culture. Begin your experience at a traditional Kyoto flower shop with over 140 years of history, where the owner will introduce and explain each flower selected for the experience, offering insight into Japan’s rich floral heritage, seasonal traditions and appreciation of natural beauty. Following the shop visit, take part in an Ikebana workshop, learning the principles of Japanese flower arrangement and creating your own composition with individual guidance. The tour is guided by a certified Ikebana teacher and garden designer with a lifelong background in floral design. Raised in her mother’s flower and table-design school, she later pursued floral studies internationally. Along the way, explore Japanese floral heritage through the natural beauty and cultural significance of individual flowers, as well as the traditional art of arranging them.

Discover the best of Arashiyama in the perfect amount of time. Explore the famous Bamboo Forest, Nonomiya Shrine, scenic viewpoints, and fascinating local stories that many visitors miss, all while learning about the rich history and culture of this iconic Kyoto district from a knowledgeable guide. After the walk, relax at Chopstick Studio Kyoto and enjoy a hands-on traditional chopstick-making workshop. Craft your own pair of chopsticks from natural wood, learn about their cultural significance in Japan, and take home a unique handmade souvenir. This carefully designed experience combines Arashiyama’s must-see highlights with authentic Japanese craftsmanship, making it the perfect way to enjoy the area without feeling rushed. Ideal for school trips, team-building, corporate events, and incentive travel. Private group bookings welcome!

Sightsee through Kansai’s most scenic areas, seeing iconic landmarks in Nara and Kyoto in one day, without the hassle of changing trains or getting lost. With pickup times in either Osaka or Kyoto, board a convenient tour bus to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kinkaku-ji and Todaiji Temple as well as 1000 vermilion gates of Fushimi-Inari Shrine and scenic Nara Park.

Unlike typical Kyoto temple visits, this guided tour of Sanjūsangen-dō offers rare insight into one of Japan’s most mysterious and visually stunning sacred spaces. While photography is not allowed inside, our expert guide brings the hidden stories of the temple to life — from the purpose of its 1,001 golden Kannon statues to the meaning behind the number 33 and the origins of this awe-inspiring structure. This tour is designed for curious minds. You won’t just walk through the temple — you’ll understand it. With a compact 1.5-hour format, it’s the perfect addition to your Kyoto itinerary, whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler seeking something truly unique.

Experience the best of Japanese art and culture with a private tour from Kyoto to the MIHO MUSEUM and Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Centre. Explore stunning artworks, traditional ceramics, and breathtaking landscapes in one unforgettable journey. We will provide a private car with a driver, in addition to a nationally licensed guide. Enjoy the art and traditional crafts on this exceptional tour.

Cycle past a mix of Kyoto’s most famous sights and its lesser-known secrets during this half-day ‘Hidden Kyoto’ bike tour. Take a 4.9-mile (8-kilometer) ride that starts by winding past iconic Kyoto temples and shrines like Kinkakuji, Koto-in, and Kitano Tenmagu. Continue exploring off the beaten path, discovering intimate Zen gardens and charming backstreets known only to locals.

Traditional Japanese crafts are tricky for outsiders to try their hand at. This class at the Kyoto Shibori Museum guides you through the technique of how to dye a silk scarf using the kyo-arashi shibori method. You can customize your scarf to your own color preferences and leave with an elegant scarf to serve as a souvenir of your trip to Kyoto. While your fabric is drying, you are free to browse the museum displays and try on a shibori kimono.

This guided tour helps you discover Kyoto’s dispersed temples, shrines, and cultural attractions in one day. Save time researching and planning your trip, by having the itinerary organized for you. Travel in an air-conditioned coach for a hassle-free day. Highlights include Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Sagano Bamboo Forest, and Kinkaku-ji Temple—admission tickets are included for all.

Joining this tour will give you an insight into Japanese history and sake. SAKE Master will tell you the secret of excellent SAKE. You will know the difference with your tongue. Let's have fresh SAKE! You can also enjoy a set of 17 kinds of drinks compared with the top image that is famous on SNS. Why not embark on a journey to find the best sake while walking the streets of Kyoto with a local guide? Enjoy a very scenic view. Let's go together. ・Discover Fushimi's rich sake culture with a local guide. ・Visit three diverse sake breweries for tastings. ・Explore the historic Fushimi sake district, one of Japan's top regions. ・Uncover centuries-old sake-making secrets. ・Gain insights into sake production at the Gekkeikan Brewery, established in 1637.

Experience the rare opportunity to step inside a traditional Kyoto machiya, a wooden Japanese townhouse, and immerse yourself in the uniquely Japanese culture of the tea ceremony. In a small group of no more than six people, learn the basic concepts and ideas of tea ceremony, as well as the required etiquette. Watch a demonstration of the way of tea, then make your own. Your instructor guides you in how to drink it and also serve you a traditional Japanese cake.

On this self-guided tour, discover how Kyoto’s architecture reflects Japan’s transformation from a feudal society to a modern nation. Led by historian Gavin James Campbell, the tour explores the blend of traditional and contemporary design throughout Kyoto’s streets. You’ll learn about the city’s transition and see buildings influenced by Western styles like Queen Anne and Art Deco. As you explore Pontocho District, you'll gain insight into the architectural trends and cultural shifts that shaped modern Kyoto.

Fushimi Inari Taisha has welcomed worshippers since 711 AD, founded by the Hata clan after a poor rice harvest. It's now the head shrine of roughly 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan, dedicated to the god of rice, sake and business success. Join me on this self-guided audio tour to learn why merchants have donated its vermilion gates since the Edo period — each one a thank-you for a wish granted — and stroll at your own pace through the famed Senbon Torii ("thousand gates") corridor and beyond, into forest most day-trippers never reach. The landmarks include: • The fox statues guarding the shrine — Inari's messengers, not the god itself • The Senbon Torii, an unbroken corridor of vermilion gates donated by grateful businesses • The Omokaru ("Heavy-Light") Stone, where a wish's fate is judged by its weight Take the walk fewer visitors finish, and discover what 1,300 years of gratitude looks like. Beat crowded tour groups & enjoy the tour on your own at your own pace.

Experience the essential beauty of Arashiyama on this perfectly condensed walking tour. In just a few hours, your expert local guide will lead you to the district's three absolute must-see sights. Begin with the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge, capturing its stunning views against the backdrop of mountains. Then, find tranquility as you explore the magnificent World Heritage garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Finally, immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere of the world-famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Throughout the tour, your guide will share fascinating stories and historical context, bringing Kyoto's rich culture and natural wonders to life. This engaging itinerary is the perfect way to efficiently discover the unique charm and unforgettable scenery of Arashiyama.

Discover the historic and natural environs of Nara, without the stress of planning routes and navigating, on this afternoon excursion from Kyoto or Osaka. Visit Todaji Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan and home to the country’s largest Buddha statue, and Kasuga Shrine, which features over 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns. Then stop by Nara Park, home to more than 1,000 deer.

What sets this tour apart is its quiet depth and focus on meaning—an unhurried exploration of Kyoto’s Zen spirit through two remarkable temples. With a knowledgeable guide, you’ll visit Tofuku-ji’s bold modern gardens, cross the iconic Tsutenkyo Bridge, and then step into the hidden serenity of Komyo-in, a lesser-known subtemple with a meditative moss-and-stone garden. Along the way, you’ll learn how Zen design expresses stillness, impermanence, and harmony—not just through beauty, but through space, silence, and intention. This is more than sightseeing; it’s a mindful experience of Kyoto at its most contemplative.