Geisha Walking Tours in Kyoto

Peter Macintosh and his wife at the Hanagumo

Peter Macintosh is one of the few Westerners ensconced in the geisha world; with a private bar in the heart of the geisha districts of Kyoto and family ties to the hanamachi he has a unique insight into the world of geisha today. Peter offers a number of services through his Kyoto Sights and Nights business; for a small fee Peter will take you on a personalized tour of the Gion area and give facts and stories on the geisha world tailored to your interests and level of information.

For those able to spend a little more money ($700 – $1500 dollars) he offers a unique experience of either a short audience with a Maiko or a full Geisha banquet including a dance performance. Being able to book such a private audience as an outsider is a very rare luxury and having done this myself I highly endorse the experience; the additional money is worth the once in a lifetime experience.

http://hanagumo.com/
http://www.kyotosightsandnights.com/index.html

The Australia TV show The Great Outdoors went to Kyoto and took Peter Macintosh’s walking tour, you can see the segment from the show below.