Kyoto Nishiki Kimono Tea Ceremony: Learn Matcha & Wear Kimono
Step into Kyoto’s heritage with sweets from a century-old confectionery and styled hair
A 90-minute tea ceremony experience in Kyoto's Nishiki district where you dress in a kimono, receive complimentary hair styling, and learn to prepare matcha from an English-speaking guide. The activity includes matcha paired with wagashi from a century-old confectionery, and you can add a calligraphy session to create a souvenir. Groups stay under ten people for personalized attention.
Options for this experience
2 optionsWhat’s included
- Kimono costume and selection from over 200 designs.
- complimentary hair styling for women.
- matcha preparation instruction and your own bowl of matcha.
- wagashi from KOUFUKUDO confectionery.
- all utensils and fees.
- English-speaking guide.
- optional calligraphy session with a souvenir piece you create.
- Every day 09:30 10:15 11:00 12:45 13:30 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:30
Information
Dress in a kimono and learn matcha preparation with a bamboo whisk while tasting sweets from a 156-year-old Kyoto confectionery.
Compare the 10 alternatives
Traveler reviews
The experience
The experience starts in Kyoto's Nishiki district at Oritzuruya, where you'll choose from over 200 kimono designs and have staff help you dress. Women receive complimentary hair styling to complete the look. Once you're in your kimono, you step into a serene tea room where an English-speaking instructor guides you through the tea ceremony: the deliberate movements, the respect for each gesture, the way preparation becomes ritual. You'll learn to whisk matcha using a traditional bamboo whisk and make your own bowl to taste.
The matcha pairs with wagashi from KOUFUKUDO, a confectionery that opened in Kyoto during Japan's Meiji era and has operated for 156 years. That pairing (the bitter tea and the delicate sweet) is the core of the ceremony, and tasting them together is how you understand why the ritual matters. The whole activity runs 90 minutes, which keeps the pace unhurried without stretching into a half-day commitment.
If you want to deepen the cultural layer, you can add a calligraphy session where you learn the basics of this ancient art form and create a piece to take home. The choice is yours at checkout: the tea ceremony alone, or tea ceremony plus calligraphy. Either way, you'll need to bring your smartphone with internet access to present your voucher to the staff when you arrive. Screenshots and printed tickets won't work. Public transportation reaches the location, and you cover your own travel to and from the meeting point.
Top questions
What happens during the tea ceremony part of this experience?
An English-speaking instructor guides you through the rituals in a serene tea room, teaching you the graceful techniques of preparing matcha with a traditional bamboo whisk. You'll make your own bowl of matcha and taste it paired with wagashi from KOUFUKUDO, the century-old confectionery.
How many kimonos are there to choose from, and do I get help putting it on?
You'll select from over 200 kimono designs, and staff assist you in dressing. Women also receive complimentary hair styling to complete the traditional look.
Can I add calligraphy to this experience, and what would I make?
Yes, calligraphy is optional and you can choose it at checkout. You'll learn the basics of this ancient art form and create your own calligraphy piece as a personal souvenir to take home.
How many people are in the group, and will there be a guide?
Groups are limited to ten people for personalized attention, and an English-speaking guide leads the entire experience.
What do I need to bring or know before I arrive?
Bring a smartphone with internet access. You'll need to open the voucher website from your phone and present it to staff. Screenshots and printed tickets aren't accepted. You're responsible for your own transportation to and from the meeting point in Nishiki.
Operated by LINKTIVITY Inc.. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Kyoto Nishiki Kimono Tea Ceremony: Learn Matcha & Wear Kimono
1h 30m · EN
from JP¥ 7,700 per person
≈ US$ 49 in your currency
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.