Neighbourhood · Kyoto

Gion: what to see and do

祇園

The geisha district on the east bank of the Kamo river, between the river and Yasaka Shrine, including Hanamikoji and the Shirakawa canal. It suits travellers who want traditional streets on the doorstep and can pay higher room rates.

16 places Gion-Shijo, 5 min walkKyoto-Kawaramachi, 10 min walk 25 min to Kyoto Station

The lantern-hung dance stage of Yasaka Shrine with cherry blossom beside it
Yasaka Shrine · Photo: underutilized / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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Sights

  1. Street

    Hanamikoji-dori 花見小路通

    The main street of the Gion geisha district, running south from Shijo-dori to Kennin-ji.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 30 min

  2. Shrine

    Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社

    Founded more than 1350 years ago at the east end of Shijo-dori, between Gion and the Higashiyama district.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 7 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

  3. Street

    Gion Shirakawa 祇園白川

    A stretch of the Shirakawa canal north of Shijo-dori, lined with willows, restaurants and ochaya, around the small Tatsumi bridge.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

  4. Temple

    Kodai-ji 高台寺

    A Rinzai Zen temple founded in the early 1600s by Nene in memory of her husband Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 15 min walk · Paid entry · 45 min

  5. Nature

    Maruyama Park 円山公園

    A public park directly behind Yasaka Shrine.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 12 min walk · Free entry · 30 min

  6. Temple

    Kennin-ji 建仁寺

    A Zen temple at the southern end of Hanamikoji, founded by Eisai, the monk who brought Zen and tea cultivation to Japan.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 7 min walk · Paid entry · 45 min

  7. Temple

    Chion-in 知恩院

    Head temple of the Jodo sect, entered through a Sanmon gate 24 m tall and 50 m wide from the early 1600s.

    Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk · Paid entry · 45 min

  8. Landmark

    Minamiza Theatre 南座

    A kabuki theatre at the east end of Shijo bridge, founded in the early Edo period on the same site.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 1 min walk · Paid entry · 30 min

  9. Street

    Ishibe-koji Lane 石塀小路

    A pedestrian-only stone-paved lane of about 200 m near Kodai-ji, lined with wooden townhouses, ryokan and restaurants.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 12 min walk · Free entry · 15 min

  10. Landmark

    Gion Corner ギオンコーナー

    A theatre in the annex of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo on Hanamikoji that stages a short evening show of seven traditional arts, including kyomai dance by maiko, tea ceremony, ikebana, koto music, gagaku, kyogen and bunraku puppetry.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Paid entry · 1 h

  11. Shrine

    Yasui Konpira-gu 安井金比羅宮

    A shrine south-east of Kennin-ji known for its enkiri stone, a large rock covered in paper charms with a hole at its base.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 9 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

Food, drink and markets

  1. Cafe

    Kagizen Yoshifusa (Shijo main store) 鍵善良房 四条本店

    A wagashi maker on Shijo-dori in Gion that has been part of the district since the mid Edo period.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 40 min

  2. Food

    Gion Izuju 祇園 いづ重

    A Kyoto-style sushi shop founded in the Meiji era at the corner facing the stone steps of Yasaka Shrine.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 8 min walk · Free entry · 40 min

  3. Cafe

    Gion Tsujiri (Gion main store) 祇園辻利 祇園本店

    The Gion store of an Uji tea merchant founded in 1860, on Shijo-dori east of the Kamo river.

    Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 45 min

Shopping

  1. Shopping

    Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu 一澤信三郎帆布

    A maker of canvas bags on Higashioji-dori south of Sanjo, in a line of business dating from 1905.

    Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 5 min walk · Free entry · 30 min

  2. Shopping

    Furukawacho Shopping Street 古川町商店街

    A covered neighbourhood shopping street about 220 m long with around 40 shops, between Sanjo-dori and the Shirakawa canal near Higashiyama Station.

    Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 3 min walk · Free entry · 20 min

Getting there

  • Gion-Shijo (Keihan Main Line), 5 min walk
  • Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk
  • Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 12 min walk
Kyoto Station
25 min
Shijo-Kawaramachi crossing
10 min
Yasaka Shrine (Gion)
5 min

Travel time (public transport)

For visitors

  • Hanamikoji, Shirakawa, Yasaka Shrine and Kennin-ji within a few minutes' walk
  • Walking distance to downtown shopping and to the Higashiyama temples
  • Keihan trains to Fushimi Inari and to Osaka from Gion-Shijo
  • Budget options are few and room rates are generally high
  • Some lanes are closed to visitors and crowds are heavy by day
  • No direct rail link to Kyoto Station

Nearby areas

Staying here

Hotels in Gion had a median rate of US$541 per night in the latest weekly sample. Ryokan, machiya rentals and small boutique hotels in the lanes, several upscale hotels, and relatively few budget options.

Where to stay in Gion: stations, pros and cons, hotel types

Prices and availability come from the booking sites and can change.

Sources · Verified 24 September 2026