Garden Teahouse: General Information

Garden Teahouse’s striking surroundings make ours one of the most beautiful locations to experience tea ceremony in Kyoto. The traditional Japanese house, which sits amongst stunning gardens, is now over 100 years old.

In 2016 we were asked by the city to act as caretakers for the property, promoting Japanese culture to a wider audience as a means to preserve the building.

We are located a minute’s walk from the main gate of Ryoan-ji, one of Kyoto’s most popular destinations. The zen temple is famed for its rock garden, possibly the most renowned of its kind in the world.

Regular Opening Hours / Guest Numbers

  • Each session is 50 minutes.

  • 4 regular sessions run each day:

11am ・ 13pm ・ 15pm ・ 17pm

  • Camellia Garden hosts private tea ceremonies only.

  • From March to November the teahouse opens on Sundays.

  • Our teahouse can accommodate up to 14 people comfortably, but we do have enough space for up to 20 people at one time. If you booking is for more than 10 people please get in touch so that we can help make the arrangements.

Price Guide

  • 12,000 yen per person for 2 or more people (off peak) / 16,000 yen per person (March, April, October, November and the New Year period).

  • Please note that a private tea ceremony for 1 person is 20,000 yen (off peak) / 24,000 yen (March, April, October, November and the New Year period).

  • Tea ceremonies are for 4 years old and up. Unfortunately we cannot host children 3 years old and under at the teahouse.

  • All prices include tax (prices may differ during peak seasons).

  • Kimono dressing is not available at Garden Teahouse. If you would like to rent kimono separately from your tea ceremony please get in touch, we have a kimono studio attached to Flower Teahouse (our east Kyoto location).

2026 Price Guide

  • From January 1st 2026 all non-peak tea ceremonies will be 15,000 yen per person (25,000 for a one person tea ceremony) and all peak time tea ceremonies will be 18,000 yen per person (30,000 yen for a one person tea ceremony).

  • Peak season covers March, April, October, November and the New Year period (December 28th - January 3rd).

Additional Sessions (March to November only)

  • To provide more availability we have opened 4 extra sessions each day at Garden Teahouse from March to November:

10am ・ 12pm ・ 2pm・ 4pm

Additional Session Price Guide

  • 14,000 yen per person for 2 or more people (off peak) / 18,000 yen per person (March, April, October, November and the New Year period).

  • Please note that a private tea ceremony for 1 person is 22,000 yen (off peak) / 26,000 yen (March, April, October, November and the New Year period).

  • All prices include tax.

  • Tea ceremonies are for 4 years old and up. Unfortunately we cannot host children 3 years old and under at the teahouse.

Accessibility / Mobility

  • Chairs and tables are available upon request.

  • Garden Teahouse is wheelchair accessible. Like most Japanese houses, the building is slightly raised from the ground, so we have an attachable wheelchair ramp. We also have smaller ramps to navigate the shallow steps from the road to the main gate.

  • Please get in touch to discuss your needs.

Dietary Requirements

  • All our sweets are vegan, gluten free and nut free.

  • If you have any allergy concerns please let us know in the ‘Notes’ section on the checkout page.

General Notes / Languages

  • The price of the experience includes the tea ceremony performance, a traditional tea sweet, and the opportunity to make your own bowl of matcha.

  • It is ok take photos throughout the experience.

  • Permission to take short videos must be made in advance, and permission is at the discretion of the tea instructor (who may wish to maintain their privacy).

  • Tea ceremonies at Camellia are performed in English.

  • If you have any language requests or concerns, do not hesitate to get in touch.

Notes for Guides at Garden Teahouse

  • Guides accompanying guests, whether or not translating for the guests, are free to join the tea ceremony free of charge.

  • If the guests would prefer to have privacy, or if the guides would prefer not to join guests then we can provide refreshments in the sofa room while they wait.

  • お客様が同席を希望される場合、ガイドさんは無料にて茶道体験にご参加いただけます。

  • 別室待機を希望される場合は、待合室にてお抹茶とお菓子をご提供いたします

Where can I book if I am traveling with children?

Flower Teahouse:

  • Shared tea ceremonies are for 6 years old and up.

  • Private tea ceremonies are for 4 years old and up.

  • We cannot host children 3 years old and under.

Garden Teahouse:

  • Tea ceremonies are for 4 years old and up.

  • We cannot host children 3 years old and under.

Kimono Rental:

  • We have kimono for all ages and all sizes. Please get in touch so we can discuss options for families.

Kimono Rental at Garden Teahouse

  • We do not provide kimono rental or kimono dressing at Garden Teahouse, but it is possible for guests to rent kimono from our studio beside Flower Teahouse for Garden Teahouse bookings.

  • It is also possible to rent kimono separately from your tea ceremony. Our kimono studio is on the east side of the city, and very close to the photogenic Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion area.

  • We recommend that guests dress 2 hours before their Garden Teahouse booking. Dressing takes about 40 minutes, which then leaves enough time for you to make your way across the city (it takes approximately 35-40 minutes by taxi between the teahouses).

  • As the kimono studio opens at 9am the earliest tea ceremony we can provide kimono for a Garden Teahouse tea ceremony is 11am.

  • The latest tea ceremony we can provide kimono for is 3pm. The studio asks that guests return no later than 5:30pm for undressing.

  • Please note that guests cannot undress at Garden Teahouse. After your tea ceremony you will need to return to the kimono studio.

  • Kimono rental is for the whole day. The studio opens at 9am.

  • Garden Teahouse is close to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Ryoan-ji, Kinkaku-ji ‘Golden Pavilion’, and Ninna-ji), which means there will be a lot of photographic opportunities around the teahouse before or after your tea ceremony.

  • Kimono rental can be paid for by cash or credit card at Garden Teahouse on the day of your tea ceremony.

  • If you wish to proceed with kimono rental you can email us (bookings@camelliakyoto.com). We do need to know how many male and female kimono are required, but we do not need to know your measurements. Please note that we cannot dress guests taller than 200cm (6.6 ft), or those with hips wider than 150cm (59 inches).

Guest Code of Conduct

At the heart of tea ceremony is a message about the importance of respect and equality, qualities that we are committed to here at Camellia.

In order to provide a safe, comfortable, inclusive and enjoyable experience, we ask that guests conduct themselves in a kind and respectful manner to one another and to our staff, in accordance with this code of conduct. We thank you for your understanding.

Unacceptable behavior includes (but is not limited to):

  • Harassment, including unwelcome or hostile behavior, physical contact or sexual attention

  • Verbal harassment, such as unwelcome comments, jokes, slurs, or negative stereotyping

  • Threatening or intimidating acts (directed at staff or other guests)

  • Any form of discrimination

  • Foul or abusive language, or obscene gestures

  • Physical abuse, fighting or making threatening remarks or gestures

  • Any actions which interfere with the experience of other guests or leads to disruption of the event (i.e. misuse of personal items, throwing of objects, trespassing in restricted areas)

  • Any behaviors not mentioned which make our staff feel uncomfortable

Violation of this Code of Conduct may result in removal from, or refusal of admission to, event premises, without a refund or other compensation.