Kyoto Private Maiko Entertainment with Tea Ceremony & Photo Op
Overall Rating
4.86
Meeting Tomikiku
Reviewed by: Anna, 2016/08/31We thoroughly recommend meeting Tomikiku. Amazingly gracious, beautiful and entertaining. The children were made welcome and our little girl taken care of when she felt poorly. The house is in a lovely neighbourhood with very kind neighbours who helped us find our way. This was a lovely experience, very memorable and definately a must. The tea is also the best you will taste.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2016/08/12 |
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Up close and personal
Reviewed by: Taylor , 2016/08/26Never imagined to be sitting next to and speaking to a real geisha. Tomitei (hope I spelled that correctly) is truly beautiful and graceful. Its hard to believe the sacrifice and training these young girls go through. My kids really enjoyed this experience. Short and sweet.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2016/08/22 |
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Experience of a lifetime
Reviewed by: Angela, 2016/08/22I'd waited a long time to do this! The Maiko was charming, interesting and put us at ease immediately. Fascinating experience with memories to last a lifetime.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/07/27 |
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Tea ceremony
Reviewed by: Susan, 2016/07/16Great experience. Very personal and intimate. Learned a lot. Would highly recommend to anyone!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/20 |
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Incredible Experience!
Reviewed by: Ana, 2016/07/05This was such an amazing experience as we had a private audience with our lovely maiko and hostess. We began with a small tea ceremony where our maiko prepared the matcha tea in one of the traditional ways. We were then given a sweet to enjoy with our tea and left in private. During this time we were able to talk with our hostess and owner of the Ochaya. She explained many things about the process of becoming a geisha and told us a little about her life. The maiko then returned and performed a summer dance for us, which was lovely and very elegant. Finally, we were given time in private to speak with her and ask any questions we had. We spent about 20 minutes talking to her as she explained why she decided to pursue this path and answered all our questions in perfect english. When we were finished they both gave us a very fond and kind farewell and walked us out. In true Japanese hospitality as we were leaving they even gave us an umbrella since it was drizzling outside and we had left ours in a cab earlier that day. I cannot say enough about this experience. Everything about it was top notch and above expectation. I highly recommend it to anyone that's interested in geishas, Japanese culture or just wants to try something different.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/21 |
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Amazing
Reviewed by: Neeuqia, 2016/05/16It was simply amazing. The maiko-san prepared a tea ceremony with grace and poise followed by a fan dance.
The best part for me was when we got to speak to her and take photos.
She shared a lot about the maiko and geiko culture and traditions.
I still cant believe we managed to take photos with a real geisha.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/18 |
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Great experience
Reviewed by: Valentina and Marina, 2016/04/18We had a great time with Maiko! Watching tea ceremony and Maiko dance was very interesting and having a conversation with Tomitsuyo-san helped us to better understand the art of Geiko and Maiko! Thank you so much!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/28 |
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Memorable Experience in Gion, Kyoto
Reviewed by: Luchi Villarica, 2016/04/06Among all our cultural activities in Japan, the tea time with Maiko is the most memorable. Although they only serve the guest one type of tea and traditional Japanese sweets per guest, the experience was still memorable. Guests first witness how tea is produced from scratch by the Maiko and this is followed by any traditional dance number. The Maiko's elegance and grace is perfectly showcased. Her business mother is also very adept at explaining basic facts about the Maiko and the Geisha's way of life. The last part of the tea time is an interview with the Maiko wherein guests can ask questions.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/23 |
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Thank You Veltra
Reviewed by: David , 2016/04/04We want to thank Veltra for their efforts to find a Maiko available to meet with us for the making of tea, dance, chat and photo opportunity. This was done at short notice and in peak season when other agencies were not able to help. The event itself was very memorable. It would have helped if the person who oversaw activities at the tea house explained what was going to happen and when we would know it would conclude.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/31 |
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Tea Ceremony with Maiko in Gion
Reviewed by: Rob Lowe, 2016/02/15It has been one of my life ambitions to have a Tea Ceremony with a Geiko/Maiko in Kyoto and it exceeded my expectations in every way.
The booking system with Veltra was simple and easy although it took a few days to get confirmation of the booking from the venue itself.
The directions to the Tea House were perfect (especially required with the nature of the Gion area of Kyoto with so many small back streets) and the greeting by the Okasan of the Gion Tomikiku Ochaya (Tea House) was pleasant and informative and she gave us lots of information all through the time of the visit, in good English.
The Tea Ceremony and Dance by the Maiko (Tomitsuyu) was beautiful and exquisite and we had the chance to speak to her for some time after the formalities were over. Tomitsuyu spoke perfect English and was very patient and honest with all the 'obvious' questions we asked of her, which I am sure she has been asked many times before.
There were plenty of opportunities for pictures and videos during the entire visit, which were in fact encouraged by the Okasan and the whole experience was designed to ensure the customer was happy with the event.
The dedication that Tomitsuyu has and the training required to perform so perfectly is a credit to such a young girl and we were in slight awe of the commitment is takes to take such a path in life.
The whole experience will live with me for the rest of my life and was definitely worth the wait and I would recommend anyone who is interested in this to make it a priority during your visit to Kyoto. You will not regret it.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/02/12 |
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Authentic and memorable experience
Reviewed by: Ozfamily, 2016/02/07Our family of three had a wonderful experience with the Maiko - green tea and sweets were served in a traditional tea ceremony, our Maiko performed a beautiful dance, talked with us at our table about her life as a Maiko in Kyoto, and then allowed us to have photographs taken with her both inside and outside the venue. Our 13 y.o. son was fascinated and very impressed with the experience, as were we. Highly recommended!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/01/13 |
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Lovely event~
Reviewed by: HHHH, 2015/12/07We have small children and wanted to introduce them to both tea time and Maiko traditions. This was perfect. They could try things, or not, participate or not. they were engaged. Everyone loved this. It was worth the splurge.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/13 |
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Incredible service from VELTRA and a wonderful experience I'll never forget
Reviewed by: Mark Anderson, 2015/11/03I used VELTRA so that my partner and I could experience teatime with a Maiko (trainee Geiko) when we visited Gion, Kyoto. Finding Tomikiku, the actual teahouse, on the street was a little hard (a few pictures of the teahouse itself on the VELTRA site would be helpful), since all the signage is in Japanese, naturally, but once there the actual experience was incredible. The owner of the teahouse was a lovely lady who talked us through the ceremony and explained the history of the Geisha. The Maiko herself, by the name of Tomitsuyu, was elegant and refined, and, once she had come out of formal Maiko deportment, was a delight to talk with. My partner and I left the teahouse feeling we had experienced a bit of old Japan, something few others ever have.
The only thing that marred the experience was that, perhaps through no fault of her own, the owner of the teahouse had double-booked the experience through another operator. She was very sorry and asked if we would mind sharing the experience with the English family who arrived shortly after us. Since it was an experience of a lifetime we didn't feel we could turn them away, so they joined us.
My point in explaining that occurrence is that when I explained this to VELTRA they were incredibly understanding and sorry, refunding us half of the cost of the experience. I've rarely had customer service so good, anywhere, so if you are thinking of using VELTRA, perhaps for the first time, and you're not sure, don't be: this is a company that looks after its customers well. I know, having looked at their other experiences, that I will be using VELTRA again.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/10/19 |
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Giving Support
Reviewed by: KuangYueh , 2015/09/16It is like
If you have an icon
You will do just like me
Being supportive
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/14 |
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Extraordinary experience
Reviewed by: Enchanted, 2015/08/31Once in a lifetime experience in old Gion, Kyoto. The simple setting was perfect. The Maiko prepared tea for us, danced, and played a drinking game. Enchanting. We talked with her afterwards......just a lovely experience
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/05 |
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富津愈 Hope you fine and the best
Reviewed by: KuangYueh , 2015/08/31My sister
Hope You Could
Stay longer and better
No matter
Where you stand
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/29 |
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Absolutely spectacular!!
Reviewed by: Meera , 2015/08/16Not only were we the only two people at the tea house, but we had the maiko and tea house owner all to ourselves to chat with!!!
The maiko herself was so friendly. She performed a tea ceremony with such grace, with an accompanying explanation from the tea house owner. She then performed a small dance (again, an interpretation for the dance was offered by the tea house owner).
We then had time to just talk to the maiko. She was not only obliging to take pictures, but she made a genuine attempt to speak as much English to us. She seemed to enjoy talking about her favorite music, books and activities - she even taught us a few traditional dance moves!
Everyone was very welcoming, and the tea and sweets were delicious! I would recommend this to anyone who is fascinated with maiko and geiko culture, as it's sure to impress every time!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/14 |
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An out-of-this-world experience
Reviewed by: Hns, 2015/04/13We weren't expecting anything other than a tea session so we were totally caught by surprise when we reached Gion Kaikan and were asked if we would mind being part of a documentary on maikos for Tokyo's TV Asahi! The house mother was incredibly warm and hospitable and the maiko was very beautiful and entertaining. She also indulged our questions and played a little game with each of us at the end. The whole experience was amazing from start to finish. It's a privilege to be able to book such experiences given the exclusivity of maikos and geikos. Well worth every cent spent!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Good but need an English interpreter
Reviewed by: nashi, 2014/12/08I (Japanese) and two of my non-Japanese friends participated in the plan.
A house mother explained a tea ceremony in English, but other than that, she expected me to interpret.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2014/11/28 |
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Best cultural experience in Kyoto
Reviewed by: M3IS, 2014/10/01This was our 1st trip to Kyoto and we were eagerly seeking cultural experience with the famous Geiko (Geisha) and tea ceremony. It was definitely a right choice as we could have the tea ceremony in a traditional tea house, with a Maiko making tea and danced for us, and played traditional dinner games with us. We also have plenty of time to take photos with the Maiko, individually and in group. We were also given plenty of time to ask the Maiko and the tea house lady, "the way of Maiko/ Geiko", which is very insightful to Japanese culture. The Maiko that we had was very pretty and danced very well, and as formal as they might look, she was actually very friendly indeed. The kids loved it too, especially the game part. Worth every dollar and would rate it as a must do activity in Kyoto.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2014/09/29 |
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Very good!!
Reviewed by: Renata, 2014/09/20The tour was really good! we enjoyed it very much. The only thing I'd say is that for a moment there, the English translator stepped out of the room leaving us to talk to the maiko in Japanese. I think she did that because she saw I could speak a little Japanese, but my mother, who didn't, was kind of lost - I had to try to make conversation with the maiko and translate it myself for my mother. But it was only for a few minutes and I'm sure you can ask for the translator to stay with you the whole time. The explanations were very thorough and interesting and they answered every question we had. They were really kind and nice. we enjoyed it very much! I recommend!!!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2014/08/28 |
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Fantastic experience, to be recommended
Reviewed by: London Visitor, 2014/05/04A great experience that I would recommend to others. An opportunity to learn more about this historic way of life.
The time was well managed and gave us time to watch the Maiko perform and talk to us.
The Maiko we met had excellent English.
My advise would be, take photos but also give yourself time to enjoy the experience. It is unusual to be able to visit in a traditional tea house. Other friends who have been to Kyoto are quite envious of this opportunity.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2014/04/08 |
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Kyoto Experience
Reviewed by: Andrew, 2014/02/23Very insightful into the history and lifestyle.
Would definitely go again :-)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2014/01/31 |
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Interesting insights into geisha culture
Reviewed by: Gwyneth, 2013/12/15We learnt a lot fascinating information about maiko / Geisha life. We felt welcomed and really enjoyed the dance and activities. Highly recommended.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2013/12/13 |
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