Top Kyoto Wine, Beer & Spirits

Get a deeper experience of Kyoto food culture than would be possible on your own by joining this guided tour. Stroll through the districts of Gion and Pontocho, stopping in to small bars and restaurants to sample traditional drinks and food, as you explore.

Sake—traditional rice wine—is Japan’s most famous drink and Kyoto’s Fushimi District is renowned for its sake production, home to over 30 breweries. On this tour, find out how sake is made, discover the many varieties, and learn which sake suits each occasion. Sample seven different sakes, accompanied by tasty Japanese snacks, and leave with a cheat sheet to help you order your favorite sakes while in Japan.

-Visit Kyoto's major sake brewery district and the Kyoto Sake Museum- you'll learn the rich history of Gekkeikan and the brewery process of sake by observing sake exhibits. Three kinds of sake tasting are offered. After deepening your knowledge of sake, feel free to stroll around the area and visit the cultural and historical spots, such as liquor stores and Teradaya. - Enjoy Kyoto's local sake samplings!- Deepen your knowledge of sake and appreciate the different aromas and flavors between the 18 of them brewed in Fushimi, Kyoto. -Be a little tipsy- Stop by one of Kyoto's shrines, and get refreshed by drinking exquisite Japanese groundwater at the end of the tour Magical Trip is a local tour operator with the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence that offers various types of small-group tours throughout Japan! Check out our Trip Advisor Page for more tours and our reviews!

Gain a better understanding of sake during this tour that explores the Fushimi Sake District of Kyoto. Visit Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, one of the largest sake breweries in Fushimi, and end your visit with a sake-tasting session. Not only will your guide be able to explain the basics of sake and introduce you to new kinds you may have never tried, but your tastings will also be paired with Japanese snacks that enhance the tasting experience. 

Sip sake near the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto during this afternoon tasting tour. You’ll learn about the different grades of sake, visit breweries and liquor stores, and discover why the area around the shrine is known for its production of high quality, sweet-tasting sake. More more than 30 types of sake are available for you to try, so you’ll be sure to leave the tour with a favorite in mind.

Enjoy an action-packed evening in Kyoto learning about Japanese food and drink. You won’t have to worry about navigating or getting lost as a guide will lead the way. By traveling in a small group, you’ll have better access to your guide for questions. Explore Nishiki Market together, visit a secret bar, restaurants, and learn about Kyoto’s Geisha culture in Pontocho. You’ll enjoy food and drink tastings along the way, making it a fun and interactive experience.

For those new to the Japanese rice wine, sake can be something of a mystery. Unravel those mysteries on this tour to Kyoto's Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, which has been making sake since 1637. See how producers have made sake throughout the past few hundred years, and understand the techniques they use. Enjoy sampling some of the sake and then have lunch (included) in the restaurant.

Come enjoy an evening of local food and drink pairings with us! As dusk falls we will explore the alleys and back streets and make our way to a hidden-gem, cocktail bar that has been awarded for their amazing bartenders and gold star original drink creations. We will try local snacks paired with a delicious cocktail of your choice. As evening deepens we will lend our way around the small side streets and see some of the best views of Japan’s ancient capital. Our next stop will be a restaurant in a family home that dates from over 100 years ago. The host will be sure to entertain us with stories, specialty food and Kyoto Sake. We will try his famous “appetizer surprise box” and two small plate dishes featuring mochi used in surprising ways. Our final stop is whisky tasting in the Pontocho district (other beverages are also available). We will pair it with your choice of sweets or bar snacks and finish up the tour with an atmospheric stroll through this lively nightlife district.

We will experience the sake breweries where the tourist destination "Fushimi Inari Taisha" representing Kyoto and the culture and history of Japanese sake continue. Fushimi belongs to Kyoto City, but since ancient times, unique tradition, history, and culture different from Kyoto City still continue. You will experience the charm of Fushimi.

This tour combines walking tour to one of the most popular shrines, Fushimi Inari, and sake brewery hopping. A local food guide will explain how to brew sake and you can taste different types of sake at a local sake bar.

Kyoto has been the Japanese capital for over 1,000 years. Until today, the traditional townscape, rows of old houses, and traditional culture unique to Japan have been well preserved. In this tour, you can enjoy walking around the traditional district including one of Kyoto's leading photo spots and Gion, which is the biggest Geisha district. You can also experience 2 Japanese Izakayas(restaurant bars) which are loved by and busy with locals.

■Exclusive private tour with English speaking guide ■Exclusive historical small authentic Sake brewery visit & tasting ■Geisha lunch at beautiful Ryotei restaurant ■Private lunch with garden views ■Photo with Geisha in the gareden 9:30 meet your guide at your hotel going to Fushimi-inari shrine with your guide by subway or taxi 12:00 Geisha lunch at beautiful Ryotei restaurant 14:30 Sake brewery visit & tasting 16:30 Finish at your hotel

A relaxed bike ride (12km) and introduction to many aspects of Japan's history and culture, led by a former Zen monk with MA degree in Japanese Studies. Avoid the tourist crowds and immerse yourself in culture and history. Optional trekking or e-bikes in different sizes. Before the start you will get a lunch in our restaurant. After a short drive we visit the Imperial Palace, residence of the Japanese Tenno until 1868. It continues to the Nishijin Kimono Center, where kimonos have been produced for centuries. You will see a kimono show there. In Daitokuji Zen Temple you get an insight into Buddhism. Finally, drive to Shimogamo Shinto Shrine, World Heritage Site and Kyoto's oldest shrine. For the 1500 Yen surcharge, you can optionally visit a sake brewery and sample 5 sake varieties. After the tour there is the possibility to have a Japanese dinner in our restaurant. Japanese guests welcome.

we will take you to local hidden places. you could try some local food that very common for local Japanese or Local Kyoto people but not well known for tourists. We won't try Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Tempura, Sushi, Ramen things but more interesting food at local store.  

Experience the highlights of eastern Kyoto by train and on short walks, and let an expert with M.A. introduce studies in the history and culture of Kyoto in Japan. This type of transport gives you the opportunity to experience the most famous sights of Kyoto while feeling the pulse of local life. After a short train ride we reach the Fushimi Inari Shrine with its hundreds of scarlet shrine gates. Then we come to Manpuku-ji Temple, the main temple of the Obaku Zen School, which has retained a distinctive Chinese appearance; Uji is associated with green tea in Japan, and Fushimi is a traditional center for sake brewing . We visit the Sake Museum with sake wine tasting. The area of traditional sake breweries and has often served as a backdrop in films. The final walk through the geisha district of Gion and the old town of Kyoto rounds off this tour.

Explore this fascinating district and get to know more about the sake culture on a private tour with your favorite local. On this private tour, you'll get the perfect introduction to sake, a traditional Japanese drink made by fermenting rice. Check out a display of 20 sake casks at Chushojima Station as well as Hiro Samurai display for the perfect combination of history and culture. What a better way to know more about sake than at the Gekkeikan sake museum! Visit the museum to get the answers to all your sake questions. See the process and the tools used to make the famous drink and get a tasting of 3 different types of sake. For a bit more of history, go to Teradaya, the inn of choice for those that had to cross from Osaka and Kyoto. This place is full of political insights and history you need to hear. Visit Aburacho for a Fushimi sake tasting paired with a bite and hear more about the Japanese drinking culture and traditions.

Kyoto has been the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years. To the present, you can get in touch with many traditional cultures even outskirts of Kyoto city. In this tour, you will visit Fushimi Inari Taisha, one of the most popular tourist spots in Japan, and the Uji Byodo-in, whose figure is so beautiful and widely known as it is depicted in Japanese money. Uji is also famous for producing good Japanese tea. Finally, you will visit the major sake producing district and enjoy tasting some of the different types of Japanese sake.

Indulge in not one, but two of Japan's liquid delicacies, tea and sake. On this all inclusive, private 7 hour tour explore Kyoto's tea and sake making capitals of Uji and Fushimi. Learn all about the way tea and sake are produced, sample some for yourself, and delve into the rich history and scenic views of both areas. Only slightly off the beaten path, avoid the crowds at the main tourist spots while you have your own expert, native English speaking guide show you around. Some highlights include multiple UNESCO world heritage sites, a unique tea experience where you will learn the proper way to prepare Kyoto's finest of all green teas, including eating said tea leaves with ponzu sauce! In Fushimi sample sake, see some of a sake brewery, and enjoy the old sake facilities. Everything from temples, lunch, and sake are 100% included so no need to stress about hidden fees. For half day tours focusing on only one area check out the 4 hour "Only Tea" and "Only Sake" options.

Fushimi, Kyoto has one of the best water in Japan, which makes it famous for high-quality sake since the quality of water is essential to sake. People in Fushimi has been making sake for a few hundreds of years and it has several famous brands. If you like sake, it is definitely Fushimi that you have to visit! You will first drink pure water, the essential ingredient for sake, on this tour and then visit a sake brewery where you can watch and learn about the process of sake making. There is also a café renovated from a sake brewery where you can compare the taste of several sakes! Since Fushimi is also famous for its history, you will also visit spots to learn about it. Cant miss it!

Learn to make artistic sushi rolls during your own private ‘kazarimaki’ class in Kyoto. Kazarimaki is the art of making designs within a sushi roll, using edible pigments extracted from plants to create colorful patterns in the sushi. Your instructor also provides a kimono (for women) or other traditional garments (for men and children) to wear during the experience.

Did you know that Kyoto is the place where Nintendo was founded? There are more than temples and shrines to see in this city! Your otomo guide will efficiently take you to several amusement facilities on this tour! You will first visit a shop specializing in Pokemon! Find your favorite goods unique to this spot! You will next visit a café with the latest VR games! The attraction of this tour is one of the biggest amusement arcades in Japan! Make sure to try “Prikura”, a machine where you can take pictures of yourself with many effects. It is like the original version of the “snow” application. At the end of this tour, you will visit a bar where you can play retro games!

You'll discover Japanese style bars in hidden alleys of Kyoto where usually only locals enjoy food and drinks. Expert guide will have a brief consulting before you start the program. Then, the guide will lead you to appropriate bars according to your taste. Discover small streets flooded with small bars and shops like Japanese confectionery stand, small bars and local food-markets in Kawaramachi area, Kyoto. For those who are interested, there are chances to try local food while walking. At the bar, guide is willing to help you to find out good paring of Sake and local-side-dishes. There're several types of bars and each bar has unique home-made Kyoto-style food. We also offer opportunities to taste local Kyoto food which are not normally on tourist menu. You also get a chance to visit a small shrine in a hidden area, you'll hear interesting history behind it. Walking around Kyoto alone is joyful, but we assure you'll see different sides of Kyoto.

Kyoto is not only for temples & shrines. The nightlife is also very attractive. We'll show you around most scenic night area of Gion and Pontocho, including 3 flower districts("Geisha" Culture Area). It's a very photogenic and authentic Kyoto. We'll also explain the hidden culture and system of Gion and Geisha (Maiko & Geiko) and take you to the photogenic street. If you are lucky, you may see beautiful Geisha “professional Japanese art entertainer”, they are "living art". This can be the hi-light of this area. Next,​ We'll go to my favorite Japanese whiskey bar which providing a ​variety kind of Japanese whiskey including vintage one. You will definitely find your favorite. Sake, Shochu, Beer, and Softdrink and some snacks are also available. Let's have a drink and share a fantastic Kyoto nightlife. This is one of the best way to enjoy Kyoto night and wrap up your day.

This is highlight of Premiere Japanese Whiskey. Special tasting of "Hibiki 17years", "Yamazaki 12years", "Taketsuru" on the Japanese whiskey bar. You can also try to make "high-ball (Whiskey with soda)" with "Suntory Kaku" Some of them are become very difficult to get, but quality is extremely special and this is simble of Sweet, Mellow, Deep flavor of Japanese whiskey. You can also enjoy talking with local there