Kyoto Night Bar Crawl: Kawaramachi & Kiyamachi Hidden Alleys

Summary

Kyoto izakaya tour with locals in lively kawaramachi streets

You’ll slip behind Kyoto’s busy streets into real izakayas with a local guide, taste yakitori and karaage fresh off the grill, share laughs with new friends over sake in hidden bars around Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi, and feel the city’s warmth long after you leave those smoky doorways behind.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the first bar to be so tucked away — honestly, I’d walked past that alley twice earlier in the week and never noticed it. Our guide, Yuki, just grinned and ducked under a faded noren curtain like he’d done it a thousand times. Inside, the air was thick with grilled chicken smoke (yakitori, Yuki said), and there was this low buzz of laughter from a group of salarymen at the counter. I tried saying “kanpai” properly — Li laughed when I butchered it, but the bartender just poured another round of sake anyway. It felt easy to belong for a minute.

Walking between bars in Kawaramachi was its own kind of fun. The street outside was all neon reflections on wet stone, scooters zipping by, and that faint river smell you get near Kamo-gawa at night. We stopped at a tiny place in Kiyamachi where the owner greeted Yuki by name — no menu in English here, but somehow we ended up with plates of karaage and pickles that disappeared fast. I still think about that first bite: hot, salty, just greasy enough to make you reach for your drink again. Someone put on old City Pop tunes in the background and it turned into a singalong for a minute.

I guess what surprised me most was how open everyone felt after two drinks — locals asking where we were from, teaching us how to eat tsukemono without looking clueless (I failed). The night blurred together after that; more bars down alleys barely wider than my shoulders, more stories traded over clinking glasses. We wandered out sometime after midnight with new friends’ LINE contacts and that weirdly comforting scent of fried food stuck to our jackets. Not sure I could find any of those places again without Yuki leading the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Bar hopping in Kyoto Kawaramachi area

• Visit local izakaya at Shijo Kawaramachi
• Try yakitori, karaage, and Japanese sake
• Walk vibrant street with bars and nightclubs
• Explore local bar in Kiyamachi alleys

Top questions

How long does the Kyoto bar crawl last?

The tour lasts about 3 hours total.

Is this Kyoto bar crawl wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all areas and transportation options are wheelchair accessible.

Are drinks included on this Kyoto izakaya tour?

No, drinks are not included; costs are split among participants.

Can children join the bar hopping tour?

No alcoholic drinks are served to anyone under 20 years old.

What areas does the Kyoto bar crawl visit?

The tour visits bars in both Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi districts.

Is there an English-speaking guide on this tour?

Yes, your local guide speaks English and leads the group throughout.

What kind of food can I try during the tour?

You can try yakitori (grilled chicken), karaage (fried chicken), pickles, and other Japanese snacks.

How do we pay for food & drinks during the crawl?

The total is split among participants; amounts under 99 yen are rounded up for convenience.

What’s included

Your evening includes three hours exploring Kyoto’s Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi neighborhoods with an English-speaking local guide who leads you into real izakayas and hidden bars—admission is free at every stop—and you’ll pay for whatever food or drinks you order as you go along before heading home late at night.