Gion & Southern Higashiyama

Gion and Southern Higashiyama have the most traditional atmosphere - geisha sightings, temple walks, historic streets. Very safe and tourist-friendly with good English support, but expect premium prices and crowds during peak seasons.

This is Kyoto's traditional geisha district with narrow cobblestone streets lined with wooden machiya houses and teahouses. In early evening around 6 PM you might see geiko or maiko rushing to appointments in full dress and makeup. The area gets packed with tourists during the day, quieter at night. Some narrow streets now restrict tourist access to protect geisha privacy. Southern Higashiyama extends toward Kiyomizu-dera Temple, with the lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka full of craft shops and tea houses. Streets are well-lit and filled with other visitors. Tourist police patrol the area and often speak basic English. Everything here caters to international visitors - English menus, signs - but you'll pay higher prices than in residential areas. Kaiseki restaurants, matcha cafes in renovated machiya, souvenir shops. Temple walking routes get extremely crowded during cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons, though you can duck into quieter side streets. This is where you come for traditional Kyoto, but you'll be sharing it with crowds.