Hidden Local Bars Hopping tour in Kobe: 3 bars with a guide

Drink where locals do, in bars tourists don't find alone

A three-hour bar hopping tour in central Kobe takes you to three hidden venues known mainly to local business people: Tachinomiya (a standing drinking bar), Izakaya (a traditional Japanese bar and restaurant), and Koryoriya (run by a sake sommelier). Your guide orders favorite dishes of the day, and the tour includes four drinks and a full dinner across the three stops, all within a five-minute walk of each other. English-speaking guide. Minimum age 20.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hidden local bars hopping in Kobe

• Visit Tachinomiya standing bar
• Walk to Izakaya bar
• Enjoy drinks and dishes at Izakaya
• Walk to Koryoriya with Sake Sommelier
• Taste special Japanese sake and cuisine

The experience

Kobe doesn't draw the tourist crowds of Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka, which means the bars here stay local. Your guide takes you to three places that have almost no English menus and few foreign visitors: the kind of spots you wouldn't find by wandering. Tachinomiya is a standing bar where you drink and eat without seats, a style unique to Japan. Izakaya is the most popular bar format in the country, with rare beers, shochu, and awamori (Japanese distilled spirits). Koryoriya is run by a sake sommelier who recommends the day's best sake and serves homemade Japanese dishes.

The three bars sit within five minutes' walk of each other in central Kobe Sannomiya, so you move between them on foot. Your guide orders their favorite dishes, though you can request something different if you prefer: any extra charges are settled at the time. The basic plan covers four drinks (beer, sake, shochu, awamori, or chuhai, a popular Japanese cocktail) and enough food for a full dinner across all three stops. Wear clothes suited to the weather, since you'll be walking between venues.

What’s included

• Four drinks (beer, sake, shochu, awamori, chuhai or similar).
• enough food for a full dinner across three bars.
• hopping three local bars (Tachinomiya, Izakaya, and Koryoriya).
• an English-speaking local guide.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 17:30Last departure this season: 30 Nov

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (20 to 90 years) · Under 20: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Japan Super Local Tours

Is this one for you?This tour is built for anyone who wants to drink where locals do rather than in tourist-filled venues, and the guide's presence means you'll get inside bars you couldn't navigate alone. You need to be at least 20 years old, and you'll be on your feet walking between venues, so wear weather-appropriate clothes.

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Top questions

What makes these bars different from the ones I'd find in a guidebook?

All three are known mainly to local business people and have few foreign visitors because they don't have English menus. Koryoriya in particular is almost unknown to tourists, and your guide has chosen them as personal favorites specifically because they stay off the usual tourist circuit.

Do I have to eat and drink what the guide orders, or can I choose?

Your guide orders their favorite dishes of the day, but you can request something different if you prefer. Any additional charges beyond the included four drinks and dinner are paid at the bar.

How much walking is involved between the three bars?

The bars are all within five minutes' walk of each other in central Kobe Sannomiya, so the walking is minimal. Wear clothes suited to the weather and temperature for comfort.

What's the difference between Tachinomiya and Izakaya?

Tachinomiya is a standing drinking bar where you eat and drink without seats. A style you'll only find in Japan. Izakaya is the most popular bar style in the country, with a different atmosphere and a wider selection of rare spirits and beers.

Is there a guide who speaks English?

Yes, your guide speaks English throughout the tour and will explain the bars and help you order.