Kyoto Samurai Walking Tour at Samurai and Ninja Museum Kyoto

The history of samurai started and ended in Kyoto. Every stone on each corner in Kyoto for sure has many stories to tell. Now you can discover the fascinating history of Kyoto and Japan with this compact Samurai Kyoto Walking Tour.  The walking tour is headed by a friendly tour guide who knows a lot about Kyoto and Japanese history. It is conducted late in the afternoon so you don’t have to worry about missing the other famous spots in your itinerary.

We will meet at the historical Sanjo bridge where we will briefly talk about the Shinsengumi and view the blade traces remainder of the fierce fight between the Choshu clan members and the Shinsengumi members. We will then walk towards to Teramachi shopping arcade and pass by the Ikedaya Izakaya which showcases the Shinsengumi signs and artefacts. The most important part of the tour is the stop at the Honnouji Temple. This is the temple where Oda Nobunaga, the most famous samurai in history and the first uniter of Japan was assassinated by his close general Akechi Mitsuhide. We will then stop at the Samurai and Ninja Museum of Japan and get a tour of the samurai history and also watch a free samurai sword show and tameshigiri (tatami cutting show). This is about 2.5 hour long tour where you walk less than 1 km that is packed with many interesting locations and action. The tour includes

• friendly tour guide who is an expert in history and Kyoto
• Stop at the Sanjo Bridge
• Walking along the Ikedaya District
• Tour of the Honnoji Temple
• Tour of the Samurai and Ninja Museum (No charge)
• The samurai sword show and tatami cutting show

Please make sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring along a water of bottle in the summer. If there is heavy rain, some parts of the tour may be cancelled. After the tour you can ask other questions (history, culture, transportation, shopping, etc.) questions to the tour guide.

Review

SAMURAI & NINJA MUSEUM with EXPERIENCE

4.7

Jonathan Handke

10:31 17 Mar 20

It’s a must visit if you’re in Kyoto. The guides are absolutely amazing and speak good English. They even have a fully fledged samurai which gives you a brief show with his katana!read more

Edmund Rosewright

10:41 10 Mar 20

This was a great experience for my family and I. We got to wear armor, play with weapons, and learn alot about Japanese history. Everything was in English. Our tour guide Yuko was enthusiastic and awesome. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Kyoto as a tourist.read more

Adly Almanzo Adnan

06:48 02 Mar 20

An excellent experience I would recommend. Not just for those with interest in samurai and ninja but to learn about Japan's history with the samurai in general! Trying on the armour was an IG-worthy moment and I actually learnt a lot about ninja and samurai! 2 thumbs up!read more

Kelly Moore

02:22 11 Feb 20

Worth every penny!!! My partner and I did the value pack. First, we were dressed in traditional Japanese attire (kimono), then we attended a traditional tea ceremony. After that, we were dressed in samurai gear, learned about their history, and then learned about ninjas and threw ninja stars. At the end, we observed a professional swordsman. Everyone was extremely knowledgeable, entertaining and funny, and hospitable. Our favorite part was the tea ceremony. The hostess was absolutely incredible. Book your visit online ahead of time, and make sure you know if you need to go to the museum or the tea ceremony first. They're only about 5 min apart by walk. Be careful- the museum is mixed in with a large, lively market. We actually showed up a few minutes late because we didn't fully prepare to find the place in all the hustle. Both places have maps to help you get to the other location. Please don't pass this up!read more

Stephanie Hunt

05:51 16 Jan 20

Loved this experience! Great balance of information and history, dressing up as samurai was fun and trying to throw ninja stars and blow darts was awesome. Reasonably priced and we didn't have to wait at all. Took about an hour all up.read more

J C

21:24 14 Jan 20

Great place to learn about the history of the samurai & ninja. A great place to entertain the kids too as we got to dress up and practice throwing ninja stars and blow darts. We were also lucky to see a martial arts demonstration. Spent a couple of hours here.Glad we came here before visiting the palace.read more

Kianosh Keyvani

23:38 05 Jan 20

My husband and I had so much fun here. We chose the tatami mat cutting package. Sensei was patient and encouraging in teaching us how to use a katana and some basic techniques. The rest of the staff were really friendly and informative in samurai history as they walked us through the artifacts. It was just a great experience.read more

Isaac Petrie

05:24 03 Jan 20

The guide was fantastic and we had a great time. It was really informative. Throwing shuriken, blowing darts and dressing as a samurai was a blast. Would recommend.read more

Nikita Gohil

04:21 25 Dec 19

An incredible experience! Got to witness proper samurai fighting and even attempt to try on samurai gear ourselves! We got to throw ninja stars and try blow darts too! The history tour was also very educating and entertaining. Also the staff was very friendly!read more

Brett Vannier

13:55 07 Dec 19

Doesn't look like much from the outside, don't be fooled. This place is awesome and worth every penny. I paid extra to cut tatami mat with a real sword. It was a legit 300 year old samurai sword. They are also extremely English friendly.read more

Natalie Golding

18:47 07 Oct 19

A lighthearted introduction to Japan's alluring history of samurai and ninjas. As well as sorting the fact from the fiction using a combination of written and spoken guides. The lovely guide we had also introduced the group to some of the lesser known elements of Japanese feudal history before we were all treated to a display from a samurai and then hands on ninja lessons (including throwing stars and blowpipes!) A tongue-in-cheek experience, but genuinely interesting for kids and adults alike - a great rainy day experience.read more

Next Reviews