For first timers to Kyoto, this 2 hour private walking tour is a great introduction to the city.

We start by exploring Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto’s kitchen, which has been supplying the city with fresh local produce for centuries. Always a hive of activity, here we’ll discover shops specialising in Kyoto delicacies such as traditional wagashi sweets, soy milk black bean ice cream, dried seafood and delicious local pickles alongside the city’s top chopstick and knife makers. There are ample opportunities to sample some of the city’s unique cuisine while meeting the friendly store owners.

From there we cross the Kamogawa River, passing by some of the city’s oldest buildings, before exploring the fascinating district of Gion. Prettiest at dusk as the lanterns come alive, we’ll learn about the intricate world of geiko, maiko (apprentice geisha) and tea houses while admiring some of Kyoto’s best preserved wooden machiya. Down every tiny alleyway, there’s a story to tell!

We finish with a visit to beautiful Yasaka Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most famous places of worship which has played an important spiritual role in the lives of the city’s citizens for over 1,200 years.

** Note – this tour can be extended into a 3 hour private ‘Food & Drink’ tour which includes visits to the area’s tiny standing bars and izakaya (Japanese style pubs) for a true Kyoto by Night local experience. If interested, please enquire! **