Top Kyoto Wine Tasting Tours

•Explore hidden alleys in Kyoto at night •13 dishes & 3 drinks including sake •Led by a former chef (not just a guide) •Small group experience •Learn food culture, not just eat About your guide Your guide is not just a local — she is a former chef who worked in Europe. With deep knowledge of flavors, ingredients, and Japanese food culture, she brings each dish to life through storytelling and explanation.

Get a deeper experience of Kyoto food culture than would be possible on your own by joining this guided food tour. Stroll through the districts of Gion and Pontocho, stopping into small bars and restaurants to sample traditional drinks and food that have been carefully chosen to make up a full meal. The experience also includes the opportunity to try three different types of local sake too.

See the heart of downtown Kyoto and experience the city’s nightlife in a bar hopping adventure through the Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi areas. Visit hidden bars and izakaya where you can try different food and drinks and connect with local people. See a different side of Kyoto in the evening as you explore authentic spots that would be difficult to find on your own.

Get an insiders' eye perspective on Kyoto on this walking tour that combines a food tour with anthropological insight. Wander through the city's streets and understand the nighttime entertainment scene, from geiko (geisha) to hostesses. Afterward, sample regional specialties accompanied by included drinks at standing bars/restaurants.

This is not just a sake tasting — it’s a 3-hour experience that will completely change how you understand and choose sake in Japan. Led by a sake specialist, you’ll go beyond “sweet or dry” and learn how sake is actually made, why flavors differ, and how to identify your own preferences with confidence. Visit the historic Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, then enjoy a guided tasting of multiple styles of sake paired with traditional snacks — with clear, practical explanations you can use anywhere in Japan. By the end of the tour, you will know which type of sake you truly like and how to select it without hesitation - enjoy sake not just during your travels, but as part of your life.

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. During this small-group experience, discover the wide varieties of sake and learn how to identify your preferences, led by a sake sommelier. Sample several different sakes, accompanied by tasty Japanese snacks, and leave with a cheat sheet to help you order your favorite sakes while in Japan.

Start your day right on a fun small-group breakfast walking tour of Kyoto’s Nishiki Market. This is a great opportunity to learn more about local Japanese food while seeing some sights that you might otherwise miss. Start with a stroll through historic Gion before tucking into the delicacies on offer in the 400-year-old market that’s known as the “kitchen of Kyoto."

Immerse yourself in the lively nightlife of Kyoto with the ultimate pub crawl experience. Begin your adventure at the first bar with unlimited free drinks, making it easy to mingle with fellow travelers and locals. Explore 2 of Kyoto's top bars, taking advantage of exclusive discounts on drinks while enjoying karaoke and dancing. Conclude your night with free entry to one of the city's best nightclubs, where you can party until the early hours. This pub crawl is perfect for solo travelers and groups alike, offering a fun and social atmosphere to make unforgettable memories. - Unlimited free drinks at the first bar to kick off the night - Visit 2 of Kyoto's popular bars with exclusive discounts - Free entry to a top nightclub, including a complimentary drink - Ideal for solo travelers and those looking to connect with others

This experience combines two sides of umeshu that are rarely explored together: crafting and nightlife. Rather than simply tasting “Japanese plum wine,” you begin by creating your own personalized umeshu at CHOYA UME STUDIO Kyoto Sanjo, guided by one of Japan’s most established umeshu producers. You’ll explore the differences between ume and Western plums, sample various ingredients, and design a blend that will mature at home. Then, instead of ending at the workshop, you step into Kyoto’s evening culture. In the lively Kiyamachi area, you’ll experience how umeshu is actually enjoyed by locals—served in different styles, paired with savory dishes, and shared in the relaxed atmosphere of an izakaya. This tour is not just a tasting session or a bar crawl. It connects tradition with modern enjoyment, offering both a handcrafted bottle for the future and a flavorful night out in Kyoto’s vibrant dining scene.

Guided Japanese whisky tasting in Kyoto run by an English-speaking certified whisky expert. The tasting: Enjoy a curated selection of 5 Japanese single malts in this friendly, interactive experience. Each tasting is limited to 4 participants, giving you plenty of opportunity to ask anything you want to know about Japanese whisky. Tastings last for approximately 90 minutes and are held at a small bar north of Nijo Station. It’s an area slightly off the normal tourist trail, but is easily accessible by public transport. A good opportunity to see a part of Kyoto you might not visit otherwise! Tastings are only held when the bar is closed, so there will be no random bar customers wandering through. About me: I’m half-Japanese, born and raised in Australia, but have called Kyoto home since 2012. I have a Whisky Expert qualification from the Japan Whisky Research Centre, and am just a general all-round whisky obsessive. Be warned, I can happily talk about whisky all day!

Trade Kyoto's crowded streets for a relaxed, private sake tasting in one of Japan's most important brewing regions. Learn about the different grades of sake, visit a 400-year-old historic brewery as well as a more modern one, to see how the drink has evolved over the centuries. Learn about aromas, flavors, and brewing techniques as you sample a variety of sake with insights from an expert.

As a passionate foodie fluent in Japanese, I love dining out and can guide you around the most local bars in downtown Kyoto, as well as explain the cultural background of the drinks. Japanese food can be intimidating. As a chef, I love talking about food and making it easy to understand for visitors. Note, reservations cannot be made at standing bars, so venues may change depending on availability.