About The Tour

Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, MacIntosh embarked on an artistic journey at 22, influenced by his folk artist mother. He landed in Kyoto in 1993, captivated by its rich cultural heritage. Initially, photography was his medium to capture the city's essence. However, his true passion unfolded when he delved into the world of the geisha, immersing himself in Kyoto's traditional culture..

MacIntosh's dedication led him to study arts such as shodo (calligraphy),  haiku (poetry), sumi-e (Indian ink painting), and ikebana (flower arrangement). Nihon buyoh (Japanese dance and kouta (Japanese ballads sung by the geisha.) As of 1999, he became a cultural liaison, offering exclusive access to Kyoto's hidden world for Western media. Notably, he played a key role in "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005) location scouting and directed, wrote and produced the documentary, "Real Geisha Real Women" (2009).

He also created and taught the course "Geisha-Past, Present, Future" at Kansai University and established a leisure and entertainment enterprise in 2002, offering unique Kyoto experiences. MacIntosh is a versatile artist, excelling in photography, writing, and painting, with his works gracing collections worldwide.  To see his works, visit his atelier, Gallery Kohfu, nestled in Kyoto since 2016.

After the global success of the best-selling novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" and the unique access I gained to Kyoto's geisha community, I was inundated with requests from abroad. People were eager to have me work as a liaison, an interviewee, or sometimes both for various media outlets. During this time, I realized the depth of interest the West had regarding geisha culture and the privileged position my access afforded me.

As this interest grew, I started contemplating how to share my knowledge and perhaps even make a living. This led me to create something entirely novel – the first-ever Geisha Walking Tour conducted in English. Since no other foreign residents or Japanese tour guides had ventured into this territory, I took the initiative to promote my innovative service. I began reaching out to travel companies, advertising my unique tour, and gradually building a reputation.

In 2002, I took a leap of faith and left my secure, full-time job as a high school English teacher, marking the start of a new chapter in my life. This new endeavour has spanned over two decades, and I continue to be passionately immersed in it.

I look forward to taking you on a magical journey through the historic streets of Kyoto's floating world while explaining the history and sharing fun facts and stories about the mysterious world of the geisha.

-Peter MacIntosh 2023 -

Small, intimate group sizes 

(2 -12 participants).

No flags or megaphones 

A set of original souvenir postcards.

Our tours are meticulously designed for small, closely-knit groups, with a maximum limit of 12 participants, guaranteeing an intimate and immersive experience.

We take great care to ensure that proper etiquette is observed by both ourselves and our guests as we walk through the neighbourhoods.

Moreover, we enrich our tours with captivating facts and entertaining anecdotes, drawing from Peter's extensive research and his more than three decades of personal involvement within the enchanting realm of the geisha districts. 

·  Finally, we are the original Kyoto Geisha Walking Tours and actively engage with the geisha communities. We support them by attending their recitals and public events, and we hire geisha and maiko from each of the five districts for private and other business-related activities throughout the year, even during slower times in recent years.