SAKE BREWERY VISITS · Japan
Junmai, ginjo, the cloudy stuff nobody exports — a tasting sorts it out in an hour. These 15 cover cellar tours in Nada and Nagano and standing bars in Tokyo, with prices, pour counts and how much walking is involved.
Kyoto night food tour in Gion and Pontocho with 9+ dishes and 6 sake tastings, guided walking and a full meal plan.
“Value for money and fun Kyoto experience with our guide Yuma. Highly recommend this food and drink experience - something for everyone.”
Spend a full day in Nagano: Zenko-ji Temple, guided sake tasting, and Jigokudani snow monkeys with lunch and practical winter tips.
“Was an amazing tour. Shawn and Yama, our guides, were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and patient with the large group. The only suggestion I would offer is maybe including a pin drop for the pick up location for those of us who don't know the area but otherwise an incredible experience.”
3 hours in Kyoto’s Gekkeikan Okura museum and tasting room, with 10 sake pours, food pairings, and a guide cheat sheet.
“This was such an amazing experience! Our guide was very informative, we learned so much about Sake!! We would highly recommend this tour💕”
A 5-hour Kyoto walking tour of Arashiyama bamboo, Tenryuji temple, Okochi Sanso garden, monkeys at Iwatayama, plus lunch or sake tasting.
“Kevin was my guide and he was absolutely fantastic! Really friendly and took the time to chat to everyone - he was also happy to suggest other things to do in Kyoto and how to avoid the crowds. This is really a full morning with lots of things to see but also opportunities to sit and relax. Would really recommend!! Thanks Kevin”
Zenko-ji Temple, sake tasting and a real wild encounter with snow monkeys bathing in hot springs, plus a mountain-style lunch.
“Definitely recommend this tour! The whole experience was amazing and a must do if you are coming to Japan! Thank you to Dylan and Luca for making our experience enjoyable and sharing with us your knowledge.”
Learn Kyoto sake in Fushimi, tour Gekkeikan, taste 10+ styles with food pairings, and leave with a bottle-reading cheat sheet.
“Kyoko was an excellent tour guide. Not only was she extremely knowledgeable about all things sake, she was a very kind and funny tour guide. Learned so much about sake, its history, and what kind exactly that I would like. Definitely would recommend this tour if you’re interested in sake and its history.”
Kyoto’s Fushimi sake walk blends the Gekkeikan Okura museum with a guided tasting of many local styles in a small group.
“Our afternoon spent during the sake tour was rich in history who would know that the Gekkeinan brewery existed since the 1600’s. Our guide was knowledgeable regarding the brewing process and stepped us through the tasting process. We had a wonderful time being sociable and tasting 17 types of sake. Our tour finished with our guide giving us advice on how to get to other areas more efficiently and hailing a taxi for us. I would thoroughly recommend our guide and the sake tour. It was a wonderful experience!”
A 90-minute Kyoto sake workshop in Fushimi with a sommelier, 7 tastings, and otsumami pairings, plus a cheat sheet to order confidently.
“This was a great experience. Our host, Mayo, was amazing and explained the process of making sake and how changes to process create different flavors in the same. Super cool and gave me a whole new appreciation for it. I am vegan and was a bit worried about the snack parings, but there were able to easily accommodate me when I arrived and sub out the non-vegan snacks for other options.”
Small-group ramen and sushi cooking class in Tokyo with sake pairing, guided by English-speaking hosts for $79.59, about 3 hours.
“This was an exceptional experience. Alex and Sato will make you feel very much at home and comfortable. We had a lots of laughs while learning to make sushi and ramen. They choose high quality ingredients to mirror the quality of their class. Highly recommend.”
Sake masterclass in Shinjuku with a pro, 6+ pours and snack pairings, plus labels and ordering tips. Small group, mobile ticket.
“Fun, educational and lots of yummy sake to taste. Andrea was knowledgeable and very welcoming. If you like sake or are curious about it, you should do this!”
Learn sake in Kyoto with 7 tastings, otsumami snacks, and a cheat sheet to read labels and order with confidence.
“We loved the sake tasting and food pairing experience. Our sake sommelier Kotaro was very knowledgeable and a great teacher. We now know which type of sake we prefer, how to order it, and what to pair it with. I definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Kyoto!”
Tokyo sake omakase: 7 Japan-only sakes, unlimited refills, 4 themed courses with snacks, led by multilingual sommeliers in a design room.
“Very informative and enjoyable :) I had a good time thank you so much very happy!!!!!!! Loved all the sake choices”
Kabukicho one-hour sake tasting with eight pours, Japanese snacks, and an amazake finish near Shinjuku Ale for $39.64.
“We had so much fun getting to trying different Sakes paired with some finger foods. We even did karaoke. So much fun! Great for couples, friends or groups.”
Osaka Namba sake tasting with a former brewer, then cook your own takoyaki. Small group, English, many sake styles in 2 hours.
“Momo, this was one of the best experiences we had during our trip to Japan, thank you so much. A wonderful experience in a friendly atmosphere, Momo's knowledge of sake was very high, and the cooking together was unforgettable. I definitely recommend it to everyone. A fantastic experience. Dorota”
Kobe’s Nada Gogo sake walk visits historic breweries, includes a ¥2,000 tasting fee, plus tofu and cooling breaks in 3.5 hours.
“It’s a good way to learn how sake is made and the history behind the processes. There’s plenty of good sakes to sample and Hiro does a great job answering questions. Good day!”
Pick the kind of day first. The tour comes second.
