Tea Ceremony with Maiko and Geiko

Have you ever dreamed of attending a tea ceremony and being served tea by maiko and geiko? Well your dreams may come true very soon and, surprisingly, for a small price!

Kitano Tenmangu is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. It is dedicated to the scholar Michizane who loved plum trees therefore it is filled with plum trees. There are 2000 trees in Kitano Tenmangu that bloom at the end of February and beginning of March.

During this period the shrine is covered in pink and on February 25th a special Tea Ceremony takes place. The event is called Baikasai, Plum Blossom Festival and it is attended by maiko and geiko from the Kamishichiken geiko district. Geiko and maiko offer green tea and japanese sweets to the visitors of the shrine.

The event takes place from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm and it is very popular. Entrance ticket is 700 yen for adults and half the price for children. It is recommended to get there early because there is a limited amount of tickets and they might sell out very quickly.

To get to the shrine take the Karasuma Line train and get off at Imadegawa, from there you can walk for 30 minutes or take the bus 102 or 203 and get off at Kitano Tenmangumae.