Private Food & Sake Tour in Kyoto with Sommelier

Taste your way through Kyoto's bar culture with someone who knows a thousand sakes

A private three-hour food and sake tasting tour in central Kyoto for groups of 2–4, led by Kenji, a certified international sake sommelier who spent years at a brewery in Hyogo. You visit two to three neighborhood bars and standing bars, sampling high-quality sake and Japanese craft beer alongside Kyoto's pub cuisine. Venues are chosen based on your taste preferences. Minimum age is 20. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice.

Step-by-step itinerary

Evening food and sake tour in Kyoto

• Meet your sake sommelier guide
• Visit 2-3 selected bars
• Enjoy Japanese food and drinks
• Experience local bar-hopping culture

The experience

Three hours, two to three bars, and a guide who has tasted over 1,000 sakes. Kenji leads small groups through Kyoto's nomi aruki: the Japanese pub-crawl culture that most visitors never find. You start at a machiya izakaya, a traditional Kyoto townhouse converted into a bar restaurant, where you'll sit alongside locals ordering their usual drinks and small dishes. The venues shift based on what you want: if you're after rare craft beers, he knows where to go. If you prefer a specific sake profile, the stops change to match it.

Each bar brings a different angle on Kyoto's food and drink scene. You might find yourself at a standing bar packed with neighborhood regulars, or at a sake specialist pouring bottles most tourists never see. Kenji talks through what you're tasting (the region it comes from, the brewing method, why this sake pairs with this dish), but the point is not a lecture. It's the rhythm of the evening: a drink, some food, a conversation with the guide and whoever else is at the bar, then moving to the next place. Non-drinkers are welcome. You'll eat the same food and experience the same bars, just with soft drinks or tea instead.

The group stays small (2–4 people maximum), which means the bars don't feel like a tour group just passed through. You move at a pace that lets you actually talk to Kenji and linger if a place clicks. Public transportation is nearby if you need it, and you can tell him about dietary restrictions when you book so the food works for you.

What’s included

• An assortment of adult beverages and a representative sampling of Kyoto's pub cuisine.
• a certified sake sommelier guide who speaks English and Japanese.
• two to three hand-picked bars and standing bars chosen to match your taste preferences.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 18:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (20 and older) · Under 20: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Japanese

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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Kenji from Kyoto, a certified international sake sommelier

Is this one for you?Book this if you're a small group (2–4 people) who want to experience how locals actually spend an evening in Kyoto, not a structured sightseeing tour. The private format and sommelier's knowledge mean the bars and drinks shift to what you actually want, rather than a fixed itinerary everyone follows.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

What kinds of sake will I taste on this tour?

Kenji selects sake based on your preferences. He has tasted over 1,000 sakes from Japan and around the world during his years at a brewery in Hyogo, so the choices shift depending on whether you want something light and floral, bold and dry, or anything in between. You'll also taste Japanese craft beer at venues that specialize in it.

Can I go if I don't drink alcohol?

Yes. Non-drinkers are welcome to enjoy Kyoto's cuisine and experience the bar culture with soft drinks or tea instead. You'll visit the same venues and eat the same food as everyone else in the group.

How are the bars chosen for each tour?

Kenji picks two to three venues based on your tastes and preferences. You might visit a machiya izakaya set in a traditional Kyoto townhouse, a standing bar where locals gather, or a sake specialist. The stops are tailored to what you want to experience.

What is included in the price?

An assortment of adult beverages and a representative sampling of Kyoto's pub cuisine are included. The specific drinks and dishes depend on which bars you visit and what you order.

Is there a minimum age requirement?

Yes, all guests must be at least 20 years old, which is Japan's legal drinking age. Even if you're not drinking, this age requirement applies.

How small is the group?

Groups are 2–4 people maximum, so the experience stays intimate and you're not moving through the bars as a large tour group.