A correction first
The word most foreign visitors know — geisha — is actually less commonly used in Kyoto, where practitioners are called geiko (arts person) and their apprentices maiko (dancing child). This distinction matters: Kyoto's traditions predate and differ from those in Tokyo and other cities.
A training system of extreme rigor
A maiko typically begins at 15–16, moving into an okiya (lodging house) and starting a multi-year apprenticeship. She studies tea ceremony, calligraphy, flower arranging, traditional dance (nihon buyo), and multiple instruments including shamisen and fue flute. She is evaluated constantly. Full geiko status takes years.
The five hanamachi
Kyoto has five remaining geiko districts (hanamachi): Gion Kobu, Gion Higashi, Pontocho, Kamishichiken, and Miyagawacho. Each has distinct character and traditions. Gion Kobu is the most prestigious, home to the annual Miyako Odori dance performance each April.