Sake Tasting Tour: Six Takayama Breweries with Guide

Taste six unique sakes as your guide reveals the secrets behind their flavors in historic Takayama

A two-hour sake tasting tour of six Takayama breweries led by an experienced brewery worker who explains production methods and flavor profiles. You sample different styles at each stop, walk through the old-town district, and learn what to look for when buying sake. An optional behind-the-scenes factory tour is available at one brewery, subject to availability. Adults only (20 years old or older).

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour six Takayama sake breweries

• Walk through old-town Takayama
• Sample flagship sake at first brewery
• Sample sake and see production facilities
• Enjoy sake in scenic brewery courtyard
• Visit small-scale specialty brewery
• Purchase sampler set at unusual brewery

The experience

Six breweries in two hours means you're moving at a steady pace through Takayama's old-town streets, stopping to taste at each one. Your guide is someone who works in brewing and can walk you through what makes each sake distinct: the rice variety, the water, the fermentation process, how all of it shapes what ends up in your cup. You sample a range of styles, from the flagship sake locals favor to high-quality specialty products and unusual varieties you won't find everywhere. The point is not to drink heavily. It's to notice the differences and figure out what you actually like.

One brewery sits in a historic courtyard where you can linger with your sample. Another lets you see part of the production facilities. A third is small-scale and focused on specialty products. At the fifth stop, you can buy a sampler set of three popular products to take with you. By the end, you should know how to spot the sake you prefer when you're back home browsing a shelf. The guide fee and all samples are included in the price per person.

If you want to go deeper, the optional behind-the-scenes factory tour at one of the breweries gives you access to the production side, subject to availability. Public transportation options are nearby if you need them. The tour is adults only, and the pace is walkable for all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Sample selections from each of the six breweries.
• guide fee.
• optional factory tour admission if you choose that package at checkout.

Options for this experience

2 options

Sake Tasting TourGuide in English · Available from 12 Nov · 13:00Availability

Brewery tour with sake tastingGuide in English · Available from 16 Nov · 13:00Behind-the-scenes brewery tour: a visit to the production facilities at one of the breweries to see where the sake is made (subject to availability).

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except Friday and SaturdayDeparts at 13:00

Book up to2d before

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

GroupUp to 4

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Will's Hida Takayama Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to understand what you're tasting rather than just sample randomly. The guide's brewery background means you'll learn the production side of each sake, not just the flavor, so you'll know what to look for when you're shopping on your own later.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What exactly do I taste at each of the six breweries?

Each brewery offers a selection of their own products. The first brewery showcases their flagship sake, the most popular with locals. The second and third are historic breweries where you sample their sake. The second also shows part of the production facilities, and the third has a scenic courtyard. The fourth is a small-scale producer of high-quality specialty products. The fifth brewery makes an unusual sake and lets you purchase a sampler set of three of their most popular products to keep.

How long is the tour and what's the pace like?

The tour runs two hours total. You walk through old-town Takayama between the six stops, so it's a steady but manageable pace. The guide recommends taking it slow because you're sampling sake at each location. The point is to taste and learn, not to rush through.

Can I do the optional factory tour, and how does it work?

Yes, an optional behind-the-scenes tour of the production facilities is available at one of the breweries. It's subject to availability, so it's not guaranteed on every departure. You can choose this option at checkout, and the admission fee is included in that package.

What's included in the price, and what isn't?

The price per person includes a selection of samples from each brewery and the guide fee. The tour does not include any food. If you choose the optional factory tour package, the admission fee for that is also included.

Is there anything I should know before booking?

The tour is adults only. You must be 20 years old or older. It's not recommended for pregnant travelers. Service animals are allowed, and public transportation options are available nearby if you need them.