Kyoto Gion Tour and Rare Fugu Banquet with Michelin Chef

Nowhere else in Kyoto quite encapsulates the city’s traditional charm quite like Gion. The historic geisha district plays host to some of the city’s most famous sights, like the neat rows of teahouses on Hanami-koji Street, or the Shirakawa Canal, lined with willow trees gently swaying in the breeze. Traditional geisha entertainers and their maiko apprentices are impossible to miss as they elegantly sweep down the streets in their beautifully-patterned kimono.

And of course, there’s the magnificent turret of the Minamiza Theater, the most iconic kabuki theater in the city, which also happens to be where you’ll meet your host, Nadja. For an hour, she’ll show you around the labyrinthine streets of Gion, regaling you with tales of maiko and geisha so vivid that you’ll feel like you’ve been taken back in time to the Edo period.

After walking, you’re sure to have worked up an appetite, and there’s no better way to sate your hunger than with a legendary Japanese delicacy: fugu, or Japanese pufferfish. The fugu can be so deadly poisonous, that chefs are legally required to train for two years before they can receive a license to prepare and serve it safely.

Fugu chefs are already few in number, but Gion is home to famously exclusive fugu restaurants — some so secretive that reservations aren’t even open to the public.

It’s under the careful knife of a knowledgeable chef and certified fugu specialist that guests on this tour will be presented with a full fugu spread of six to seven courses, ranging from “tessa” sashimi, to grilled and even deep-fried. Your guide, a holder of a fugu pufferfish license with deep knowledge in the field, will explain the intricacies of this exquisite meal. If you’re lucky, tecchiri hotpot will be on the menu too, arguably the most famous way to eat this potentially deadly delicacy.