Kyoto Private Maiko Entertainment with Tea Ceremony & Photo Op reviews, Kyoto tours & activities, fun things to do in Kyoto | VELTRA

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Kyoto Private Maiko Entertainment with Tea Ceremony & Photo Op

Overall Rating

4.86 4.86 / 5

Reviews

84 reviews
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Fabulous experience

Reviewed by: Michelle, 2020/03/28

We had a wonderful time as a family watching the tea ceremony. It was very interesting and lovely to be able to ask loads of questions. My only criticism is we couldn’t find the venue without the help of locals but that too added to the experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2020/03/05
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Mesmerizing experience with our Maiko

Reviewed by: Michael T, 2020/01/27

Our tea ceremony with the Maiko was truly one of our favorite things that we did in Japan. She was truly mesmerizing, fascinating, welcoming and so very kind. She was engaging us in really wonderful conversation and gave us such a wonderful glimpse into her life and the hard work it takes to become a Maiko and Geiko. I highly recommend this service and would definitely go back next time I’m in Kyoto. Thank you so much for such a wonderful and memorable experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2020/01/18
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A charming afternoon with a Maiko

Reviewed by: Chris, 2019/12/09

This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Japan. The host was very charming. We were invited into and treated to tea and snacks as the Maiko performed a beautiful dance. Initially I was afraid the language barrier would have sullied the experience but her English was quite good! We shared tid bits about our lives as did she. We played games and laughed and in what seemed like no time at all our time was up. Most definitely an experience every person traveling to Japan should live.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/10/24
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New Experience

Reviewed by: Puteri, 2019/12/04

It was my husband and I’s first time in Japan. We absolutely loved the experience. The host was very friendly and spoke English well.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/10/13
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Very appreciate

Reviewed by: Mono, 2019/11/24

I book for 9 people and got 2 Maiko. 1 maiko name Tomie is very good in English she teach us play a game and answer our questions very clear. The owner is good in English too. We got a warm welcome and best experience everyone love it. Tea is quite bitter but they have a Japanese sweet that you can share with your friends. And you have permission to take a picture all times. After tea ceremony they come to send you and take a picture in front of a restaurant.

You can follow google map from VELTRA website and please save a picture of the restaurant because they don’t have a name in English and cannot search in google map apps

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/11/22
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Magical!

Reviewed by: Darlene, 2019/10/27

It was better than I had hoped! We were entertained and witnessed a tea ceremony by a geiko. We had a lovely conversation with her and were able to take photos too. Highly recommend.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/10/25
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Great experience!

Reviewed by: Roxana, 2019/08/11

It was a great experience for me and my family! We realy enjoyed the time with mayko-san: the dance, the tea ceremony, the conversation or the pictures.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2019/08/09
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Memorable Experience in Kyoto

Reviewed by: Deb, 2019/07/21

Our multi-generational family (from age 12 to 79) thoroughly enjoyed this experience. The kids were warmly welcomed and included. The Maiko (I think her name was Tomichie) was magnificent and extraordinary, and the mother of the house did a wonderful job explaining everything we experienced. Taking photos was welcomed and encouraged. Conversation time with the Maiko was pleasant and easy (her English was excellent). The length of time was perfect for our group; we were able to enjoy the experiences and the kids didn't get restless. I highly recommends this experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/07/16
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Welcome to Kyoto~

Reviewed by: lisa k, 2019/07/06

We booked this on our first day in Kyoto as our way of immersing in the culture. Not one thing about it disappointed. It was long enough to feel we got the experience but short enough to keep our attention which was not easy since we were all jet lagged from the east coast of the US. We enjoyed our time with our hostesses and appreciated the candor in answering all of our questions and being willing to have pictures taken with us. We also were fascinated by the traditional tea ceremony performed. Very nice way to start the week!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/06/11
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Highlight of our Trip to Japan

Reviewed by: Belinda, 2019/07/01

We absolutely loved the hour we spent with the Maiko in Kyoto. We cannot recommend the Tea Ceremony highly enough, we are still talking about it. It was such a privilege to get an insight in to the Maiko and Geiko way of life. Thank you so much for allowing us to share this once in a lifetime experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/06/27
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Amazing experience-highlight of our trip

Reviewed by: EmilyJ, 2019/07/01

I am so thankful to have found this experience online. I have been fascinated by Geisha culture and history for a long time and to be able to have this chance was amazing. The tea house owner spoke wonderful English and gave us a very quick, but thorough history of Geikos and Maikos. She also took some photos for us during the tea, and outside the teahouse before we began, which was nice.

Tomichie, the Maiko, was a complete delight. She also spoke wonderful English and really was breathtaking during the dance. You can tell how much practice goes into the work that she does. During the Q&A session she gave thoughtful answers and was interested in ours too. I think we could've chatted with her much longer, but sadly our time went by so quickly. Watching her with my son, 6, was heartwarming. He said that this experience was the highlight of our trip in Kyoto (and I don't disagree with him)!

  • He was so excited

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/06/26
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Wonderful experience

Reviewed by: AL R, 2019/06/06

We weren’t sure what to expect as I did this online before our trip. However, all the reviews are accurate - this was a great experience. The tea house is outside the main Geiko areas in Gion but it’s very easy to find. We ended up having a private event with our family of five and it could not have been better. Our Maiko was very sweet, spoke very good English, and performed a beautiful a dance and tea ceremony. Very happy we booked this event instead of others we saw elsewhere that had larger groups, unnecessary inclusions, or were much more expensive. Note this performance and tea ceremony were with an apprentice Geiko (Maiko) but it was perfect for our family to observe and learn more about such a fascinating and elegant element of Japanese culture.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/06/05
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Lovely activity!

Reviewed by: Anon , 2019/04/30

Had a lot of time for questions
The maiko was very sweet and lovely
Dance was nice
Enjoyed ourselves

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Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/04/26
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Wonderful Japanese experience!

Reviewed by: Caterina , 2019/04/23

It was a deep dive into Japanese culture. A Gheisha (but they call theirself “Geiko”) danced for us and then made matcha tea for us (it was very good, and they also served us some Japanese sweets). After the tea, the geiko has talked with us about many things (where we came from, what we’ve visited in japan and so on). The whole cerimony lasts 40/50 minute.
I suggest to arrive a few minutes before, because the tea House is non so simple to find. I absolutely recommend this experience because it takes you into the real Japanese world, and you have the opportunity to talk to a real gheisha and know her lifestyle, her education, etc.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/04/20
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Awesome experience

Reviewed by: Laura, 2019/04/22

This was a really great experience and one we all will remember! I recommend to anyone visiting Kyoto.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/04/12
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Meeting with Geiko

Reviewed by: Hudson Family, 2019/04/12

We had quite low expectations after reading in guide books that tourist tea ceremonies usually aren’t held with real Geiko, however this experience was fantastic. The tea room is rather unassuming but our party of 3 adults had the pleasure of a Spring Dance, tea ceremony and 30 minutes chatting to the Geiko (who spoke excellent English). We would highly recommend

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/04/10
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A MUST DO.

Reviewed by: Silpa, 2019/04/09

We got a real taste of the geisha culture. We got to meet a geisha and a maiko.
We got to talk to them about their culture and lifestyle and also got pictures.
The dance performance was lovely, and the tea ceremony was fascinating. The house mother was very accommodating. Although she always seemed in a rush, a hurry.. she was very sweet and even translated conversations between us and the geisha and gave us a brief insight into their lives.
Overall, it was a memorable experience, we thoroughly enjoyed it even though it seemed a bit rushed.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/03/31
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Excellent experience!

Reviewed by: Huang, 2019/03/29

Our family really enjoyed the entire experience and was fortunate to be able to talk to Tomichie directly and exchange experiences about each other's lives. I highly recommend this - they are also very accommodating to my children (age 1 and 4).

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2019/03/11
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Once in a lifetime experience exceeded expectations

Reviewed by: Meghan, 2019/03/05

It was wonderful to have this authentic experience. Great environment both the teahouse mother and the geiko-san were gracious and accommodating. They're truly dedicated to the geisha art and educating people about.

We learned so much and enjoyed our time at the Tomikiku tea house.

I would highly recommend. This is one of the highlights of our trip!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/02/27
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Enchanting afternoon.Highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Alessandra, 2019/01/04

We were not quite sure what to expect from this. It is really hard to meet Maiko in private but thanks to Veltra we were able to meet a real Maiko (actually a Geiko), talk with her and have our photos taken with her.
We had all the time the we wanted to be with her, we never felt like we were rushed. The Maiko spoke English and she was an absolute delight to be seen. We will never forget this time. Thank you so much Veltra!.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/12/25
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Unforgettable experience

Reviewed by: Sue Shepherd , 2018/11/17

This was a truly special experience with a charming maiko who spoke good English (as did the owner). We were expecting to be in a group but found there was just the two of us. What a treat. She danced for us, made matcha tea and then chatted to us. She was very generous in letting us ask anything and take as many photos as we wanted. Highly recommend.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/11/14
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Amazing

Reviewed by: Michelle, 2018/11/04

Once in a lifetime experience, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/10/23
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Amazing!

Reviewed by: A Hall, 2018/09/25

Such a wonderful experience with such an amazing Maiko and host. They both spoke great English, explained what was happening and were extremely accommodating. Was one of the best experiences I have ever had and would definitely recommend.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/09/23
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Amazing experience

Reviewed by: Gavlick, 2018/09/12

I loved everything about this experience. the lady who owned the house was s knowledgable and the Maiko we met was lovely. it was a private event so we felt very specials

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/09/05
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A rare and magic experience

Reviewed by: Jade, 2018/09/07

I have worked as a tour guide in Japan in the past and have done many tea ceremony's but none compare to this experience!
The artistry of a geisha is one of the oldest and mysterious jobs in the world. This experience breaks down that mystery to make it even more respected and beautiful.
I was so happy to be holidaying and sharing this experience with my friends this time and will definitely be back in the future again.

Thank you!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/08/27
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Tea ceremony with a Maiko

Reviewed by: AKCH, 2018/07/27

It was a very nice experience with a young Maiko. If you are interested and you know already the life and their habits, it is a no-brainer (go for it). If you don’t know anything you may be a bit tense during the discussion with the Maiko. In the past, this was impossible (still 10 years ago). Today some Okia (place where the Maiko and Geiko are living) has open to foreigners as they will likely not continue in 30 years. This culture will end slowly unfortunately.

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Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/07/25
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Very special experience

Reviewed by: RTO Group, 2018/06/04

If you want to meet and see a Maiko up close, this is the experience for you. My family and I were seated in an intimate setting and served tea and sweets while we witnessed a traditional tea ceremony as well as dancing and game playing with the Maiko. After the traditions were presented to us we were permitted to ask questions and take photos. It was a wonderful experience and definitely a highlight of our trip to Kyoto.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/05/30
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Wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: hqd, 2018/04/15

It has been my wish for a while now to meet a maiko/geiko in person, and I finally got a chance to meet Tomichie-san. My family of eight really enjoyed watching Tomichie-san performed the traditional tea ceremony, and we really appreciate our host explaining the different aspects of the ceremony to us. After the ceremony, Tomichie-san performed a dance, then Q&A, and we had some time to play a little game with her. Tomichie-san graciously showed us her beautiful kimono and hairstyle, and was so patience with all of the photos that we were taking. If/when we come back to Kyoto again, we will definitely do this again.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/03/18
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Awesome!!

Reviewed by: Canadian Family, 2018/04/09

This was something the entire family enjoyed: kids: 1 yr., 3 yrs, 5 yrs, 7 yrs! I would strongly suggest you make this a priority when planning your trip. Make sure you leave yourself extra time to find it or use an image from google maps to ask a taxi driver to take you there.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2018/03/11
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Warm-hearted Japanese people

Reviewed by: Joe, 2018/03/25

The address is not easy to find out but the warm-hearted Japanese old man guided us to the shop. Tidy and clean. Unforgettable experience to meet Maiko and tea ceremony for the our all family.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/03/06
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