We offer expert guidance from a professional photographer with local knowledge who will lead you to the best locations, angles, and lighting for stunning photos. During the tour, you’ll receive personalised education on camera settings, composition, and other techniques to enhance your skills. As locals, we know the top spots and hidden gems in Kyoto, ensuring you capture magical images. Our private tours allow you to go at your own pace, tailored to your skill level. Maximise your time and photographic opportunities, improve your skills, and explore new locations with expert guidance, making this activity unique and enriching.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $240.
Larger groups pay less per person.
Out at sunset: the 2:30 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 5:06 PM in the coming weeks.
In demand: 312 of the next 450 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 16.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 1,628 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Kyoto Photography Masterclass - Private Photography Lesson lasts about 3 hours.
Prices start at $170 per person for this Kyoto experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $240. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 15 departures a day between 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM.
It can: 312 of the next 450 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is We will meet you at the statue of Izumo-no-Okuni, located near the Gion-Shijo Station in the historic Gion district of Kyoto. This statue commemorates Izumo-no-Okuni, the originator of Kabuki theatre. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 4 travellers can book together.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 17 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Aperture Tours.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Thomas is an outstanding guide! His personal knowledge of Kyoto, shrines and temples provided an excellent introduction to Japan. He took us to locations that provided many photo opportunities. The tour with Thomas significantly exceeded our expectations.
Thank you for the outstanding review! We are thrilled to hear that our team's local knowledge of Kyoto exceeded your expectations. Welcome to Japan!
Not just a photo session, but a truly immersive walk through some of Kyoto’s hidden spots. It felt more like exploring the city with a local than posing for pictures. Thomas was very professional, friendly, and made me feel completely at ease, even in front of the camera. He had a great eye for locations and light, and took the time to guide me while still keeping things natural and spontaneous. The whole experience was relaxed, enjoyable, and never rushed. In the end, I didn’t just get beautiful photos — I also got to experience Kyoto in a more intimate and authentic way. Highly recommended!
Thank you for this beautiful review! We are thrilled that our team could make you feel completely at ease while guiding you through Kyoto's hidden spots. It is wonderful to know the experience felt natural, relaxed, and gave you a more intimate connection to the city. We highly appreciate the recommendation!
Had a fantastic photo tour with Thomas in Kyoto. He showed us hidden gems of Kyoto - we had a blast!
Thank you for the fantastic review! We are so glad our team could show you Kyoto's hidden gems.
Tour in Osaka was great ! If you like to take Photos this is a must ! Nice and professional, Irvin will guide you and help you taking probably the best photos … Thank You for this great experience…
Thank you for the great review! We are thrilled our team could provide such a professional experience and help you take the best photos of Osaka.
I am relatively new to photography and largely self taught. This was my second one to one tour with an Aperture photographer, aimed at building my ability and confidence using manual settings. My guide in Kyoto was Thomas K, and what a pleasure it was. His patience and thoughtful guidance helped me further develop better settings, composition, muscle memory to adjust settings on the fly and more. Thomas has in depth knowledge of the region, as well as Japanese history, culture, and Buddhism, which added real depth to the experience and beauty of Japan. Whilst my photographs aren’t exceptional, I’ve been given sound, memorable advice and practical guidance that will help me continue improving my use of manual settings. Thank you, Thomas. I’ll continue these early steps on my journey to develop my photography.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are so pleased our team could help build your confidence with manual settings and add such depth to your time in Kyoto. It is fantastic to be part of your photography journey!
Review is for Thomas Kimmerlin who took me on a photo tour of Kyoto. Best part of the tour was that he knew where to find Geishas to photograph and real Geishas are notoriously difficult to find and photograph.
We’re glad you were able to experience something so unique. Knowing where to be and when is a big part of it, and we’re pleased it made the tour memorable for you.
Had an amazing time learning from Thomas photography but more importantly explored Kyoto and learned its culture, background behind shrines and temples and related rituals. He took me through alleys perfect to photograph, that I would have no way found on my own. Thomas was great providing background on everything we saw, while injecting photography techniques throughout. Was a great learning experience and I would do it again during my next visit. Thank you, Thomas.
So pleased to hear you had such a rich experience in Kyoto. It is great that the mix of cultural insight, hidden locations and practical photography guidance made the session memorable. Thanks for joining us and we would be delighted to welcome you back on your next visit.
Informative but casual walk through the Gion area of Kyoto with a local photographer who manged to inspire us to use our phone cameras most effectively.
Really glad you enjoyed your walk through Gion. Great to hear the session helped you get more out of your phone camera while exploring the area at a relaxed pace. Thanks for joining us.
I wanted to learn more about nighttime photography. Irven took me to great spots, and he brought a tripod for me to use. He was very patient. I liked reviewing the shots during class and resetting for better and better shots. He was very generous with his time.
Really glad the night session worked well for you. Great to hear the locations, tripod support and step by step reviewing helped you refine your shots. Thanks for joining us and we hope to photograph with you again.
Another fabulous Aperture experience. Irven took us to spots that we never would have found even at the most popular tourist sites. With his patient instruction, we left with shots that will be the highlights of our albums. And learned plenty that we'll use in future trips. You can visit any of these places on your own. But you won't find the locations, angles, lighting and so on that Irven helped us find. !
So pleased the experience delivered again. Great to hear the guidance helped you find new spots and create standout shots. Thanks for joining us and we hope to see you on another tour soon.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto Photography Masterclass - Private Photography Lesson | 3 hours | 5.0 (17) | $170 | |
 Kyoto Summer UMAMI Masterclass Dashi and Japanese Food | 1h 15min | 4.9 (11) | $50 | View |
 Your Private Vacation Photography Session In Kyoto | 1h–1h 30min | 4.9 (113) | $291 | View |
 Private Koto Lesson in Kyoto with a Professional Koto Performer | 1h 20min | 5.0 (24) | $60 | View |
 Private Kyoto Photography and Dress up Adventure （ALL PLAN) | 1h 30min | 5.0 (53) | $125 | View |
 4 Styles Kyoto Sushi Masterclass near Nishiki Market | 2h 30min | — | $91 | View |
 Koto lesson & private concert | 1 hour | 5.0 (2) | $43 | View |