The Way of Tea: Kyoto Crafts, Hidden Temples & Wabi-Sabi Walk
Description
Discover the beauty of Japanese tea culture beyond a simple matcha tasting on this immersive cultural walking tour in Kyoto. Visit historic temples, artisan shops, and hidden Zen spots while learning the philosophy, history, and aesthetics behind the tea ceremony. Begin at Kennin-ji Temple, the birthplace of matcha culture in Japan, where you’ll explore how tea influenced Zen Buddhism and Kyoto’s traditions. Then stop by a specialty shop for tea ceremony tools such as bamboo whisks and raku teacups. Next, step into a quiet hidden Zen temple to experience Kyoto’s peaceful side, with moss gardens, stone paths, and the timeless beauty of Wabi-Sabi aesthetics. The tour concludes with an authentic tea ceremony, enjoying a carefully prepared bowl of matcha guided by the philosophy of ichi-go ichi-e—“one chance, one encounter.” Located near Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine, this experience fits perfectly into your Kyoto sightseeing plans.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In front of the Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni, right outside Exit 5 of Gion Shijo Station (Keihan Line) A guide will be holding a orange signboard saying "Magical Trip Tour"
The first attraction allows you to learn the history of Japanese tea and how it is made. We will stroll through the historical district of Gion, visiting a famous matcha shop
Kenninji Temple awaits you. Have a look at the historical Temple that has been standing for centuries
Visit some craft shops
Visit a hidden temple & garden Next, discover the beauty of ceramics at a tea bowl shop where the raku teacup takes center stage. Your guide will share how each cup has its own character, history, and meaning. From there, you’ll avoid Kyoto’s crowded tourist trails and step into a peaceful hidden temple where time feels slower. In this quiet space, you’ll connect with simplicity, textures, natural materials, and thoughtful design—letting your senses absorb the stillness, air, and subtle beauty that define Japanese tea philosophy.
End the tour with a tea-making experience in a real tea house! Enjoy tea ceremony with tea master's instruction! Based on the knowledge of Wabi-Sabi learned through the city walk, you will experience tea ceremony under a tea master at last. Choose a tea bowl according to season and taste, enjoy Japanese sweets, and immerse yourself in the deep culture of matcha green tea and the tea ceremony.
End of the tour at tea experience places
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Out of respect for our other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, we must start the tour on time. You will not be able to join the tour, get a refund or reschedule if you are late for the tour and miss the group.
- The tour might be cancelled in case of unsuitable weather for safety reasons.
- You do not need to pay for the guide's food and drinks.
- Please note that there might be other participants
- Japan's climate has become more extreme, with summer highs of 40°C (110°F) and winter lows of -5°C (20°F). Please prepare accordingly for the tour.
- Free cancellation and free reschedule is available until 24h prior to the tour starting time.
- Tea ceremony experience can only accommodate those who are and older than 6 years old. You can bring children younger than that but one adult needs to be accompanying them outside the facility during the experience.
Reviews(60)
We had a great guide telling us about history, religion, art and tea ceremony. We walked aroud in Gion and visited many temples. Our guide was Hide. We had a great time.
We had an excellent time taking the tour through Kyotos Buddhist temples guided by our wonderful guide Hide! Not only was Hide a wealth of knowledge but was a genuine joy to have guide us through religious sites and tourism districts. Even at his age Hide was sharp, witty, and quite up to date on modern cultures and opinions held by locals and tourists. His presence through the temple was especially welcomed as he supplied us a seemingly exclusive view and walk through the various buildings and garden paths. Overall if one is looking for an English friendly guide that is a long time local and practitioner Hide is your best bet. 10/10 would book again
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such an excellent time with Hide. It’s great to know his knowledge, humor, and local insights made your experience so special, and that you enjoyed the unique perspective he shared throughout the temples and gardens. We truly appreciate your kind recommendation and hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future!
Great tour with Hide, he was very informative and really made us feel welcome. I would highly recommend the tour, we got to see parts of the Gion area we may have missed if we were on our own. We also had a wonderful experience at the tea ceremony, our host was so gracious, it finished our tour beautifully.
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the Gion area with Hide and that he helped make you feel so welcome. It’s wonderful that the tea ceremony was a highlight and a perfect way to conclude your tour. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future!
Hide was an excellent guide. We saw a lot in our time with him. He kept things moving, answered all our questions and was a delightful host. Thoroughly recommend this tour.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Hide and were able to see so much during your time together. It’s great to know he helped make the experience smooth, informative, and enjoyable. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him. Thank you again for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again in Japan!
Our guide Hide is a very enthusiastic and inspired man who has fascinated us very much with his stories. Arigatou gozaimasu
It was amazing trip! The guide Kana very educated and interesting! Wonderful
The tour with Hide Nakanishi, a very friendly guide, was really interesting. On the other hand, the matcha tea ceremony, hosted by the tea master, was a little disappointing. Very solemn, of course, it did not correspond to the presentation images of the tour, the description on TripAdvisor, or the description provided by the travel agency.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re really glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Hide and appreciated his friendly guidance throughout the experience. However, we’re sorry to learn that the matcha tea ceremony did not meet your expectations and felt different from what was described in the tour materials and listing. Your comments are very important, and we take them seriously. We will review the description and coordination of the experience to ensure it is more accurate and aligned with what guests actually experience. Thank you again for your honest and constructive feedback.
Our tour guide was very informative and spoke good English
Lovely experience walking through the streets of Gion with our knowledgeable tour guide Hide Nakanishi. He married the history behind the experience so well. We also met and really enjoyed the Belgium couple we toured with.
Masa was very friendly and easy going. A very relaxing tour with visits to less crowded temples that we wouldn’t have found on our own and we were very lucky to have Masa all to ourselves! Our tea ceremony with our graceful host was a perfect finish to our tour. We left with a greater appreciation for “wabi sabi”.
