Kyoto · KYOTO NINJA EXPERIENCES
Good kyoto ninja experiences fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 13 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Kyoto’s Samurai Ninja Museum offers a lively one-hour tour with armor, swords, shuriken throwing, and clear cultural context.
“The tour was way overbooked. It was so crowded you couldn't even get all the people on the tour in the room. Too many people made this experience horrible”
Train in a Kyoto ninja dojo with an English-speaking master, trying swords, shuriken, kunai, blowguns, meditation, and stealth skills.
“My sister and I thought this experience was one of the highlights of our trip to Kyoto!! The host was funny and knew a lot about ninjas! We learned so much and it felt like a private experience! He even accommodated us because we were a little late due to traffic.”
Forge a real-steel shuriken or kunai in Kyoto, learn ninja lore, add kanji engraving, and take home a custom keepsake.
“Fantastic experience. Taka was energetic and knowledgeable, Mits was a great host, Ako was very helpful and gave me guidance and Yok was amazing at the engraving :)”
Train in Kyoto with a Japanese ninja master, learning meditation, sword work, shuriken, blow darts, and more in a six-person class.
“Very interactive and our instructors are awesome and funny. My son and I had a great time, thank you so much! Regards, Flora.C”
Dress as a samurai, learn basic iaido, throw ninja stars, and tour Kyoto’s Samurai Ninja Museum in this hands-on two-hour experience.
“Riku provided the best experience I’ve encountered thus far on my Japan Visit. I feel like I went through actual training to become a Samurai. I am grateful for the knowledge this museum had to offer. Thank you also to Riu for taking us on a guided tour and allowing us to interact with the history through artifacts.”
Review of Kyoto’s one-hour Samurai Ninja Museum tour, with English guidance, armor dress-up, sword handling, and ninja star throwing.
“Fantastic tour with Taka - he was very informative and lots of fun”
Kyoto’s family-friendly ninja experience includes shuriken, blowguns, costumes, sword skills, and a Samurai Ninja Museum visit.
“This was a fun experience! Our kids had a blast! Who doesn’t love throwing stars and blow darts. It was fun to learn more about ninjas and Samurai’s.”
Cast your own tin shuriken, kunai, or oni mask in Kyoto with expert guidance, hands-on metalwork, and a take-home souvenir.
“This experience was absolute worth every penny, Daiki and his colleague were lovely and extremely helpful. It has been a lot of fun and you get to take an awesome souvenier home ☺️”
Forge a real ninja weapon in Kyoto with skilled craftsmen, from heating steel to kanji engraving, then take home your finished shuriken or kunai.
“Amazing experience working with Taka to create our own Kunai's! The whole time, it was kept fun and engaging and the guys running it are super enthusiastic. Would recommend to anyone wanting a unique experience and a cool souvenir to take home 😁”
Train as a ninja in Kyoto Gion with costumes, shuriken, blowguns, and katana practice in a friendly indoor session.
“Yui and Wei were so great and really made our visit special. They welcomed our whole family even though it was only my husband and daughter participating. They were especially encouraging to our daughter during the activities and gave her a big confidence boost. We are travelling around Japan for an extended vacation and have enjoyed a lot of activities, but this was one of our favorites. Yui and Wei were so kind, funny and engaging the whole time. We would happily visit again because of how great they were!”
Dress as a samurai in Kyoto, learn katana movements, try ninja weapons, and pose in armor during this family-friendly two-hour lesson.
“The teacher was really good and in a small class it was really fun. I can recomend Raito as an experienced teacher”
Learn ninja breathing, movement, and mountain skills on a private 7.5-kilometer trek from Keage to Mt. Daimonji and Ginkakuji.
“my visit to the ninja dojo left me with an indescribable good heart energetically but also mystically. not only training in the dojo, but also an amazing performance, a trek to Mount DAIMONJI in Kyoto. As a long-term practitioner of martial artRead more”
Spend eight hours in Iga with a private guide, ninja training, secret houses, castle views, local food, and a walk through old Japan.
“This was such an amazing trip! I would do this again. Mouloud was very knowledgeable and we truly just had good conversations. He had a very warm demeanor, and took us to some amazing places. I left here feeling like I had not only done an awesome tour but that I had made a friend and I love that so very much!”
