13 Sake Tastings in Kyoto to Build a Day Around

1.3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 917 reviews · from $84Our pick

Learn how sake is brewed, taste 10 styles with Japanese snacks, and visit Kyoto's Gekkeikan Okura Museum in a practical 3-hour tour.

“We learned quite a bit about the history of sake, the families and businesses known for making it, and the process of making sake before diving into the delicious tasting! Both leaders of our group were engaging, informative, and witty. My group would have loved to try the advanced tasting option if we were around, we had a blast!”

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2.Arashiyama Bamboo, Temple, Monkeys, or Secret Sake Brewery

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 886 reviews · 5 hours - 330 minutes · from $87

Walk Kyoto’s bamboo grove, gardens, temple, river bridge, and monkey park, with a choice of shopping or local sake tasting.

“Our guide, Karim, has been perfect. Informative, friendly and fun! He kept a good pace during the tour and we never felt rushed, he gave us free time for pictures/eating/facilities. The tour covered some very famous sites but Karim has been also able to bring us “off the beaten path” letting us visit gardens and spots that we would have missed otherwise. The group was of just 5 people so we have been extremely lucky, usually it’s max 12 people but maybe off season helped! We highly recommend the tour and thank you again Karim!”

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3.Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 704 reviews · 3 hours · from $87

Explore Kyoto’s Fushimi sake district, tour a historic brewery, taste 10 or more sakes, and learn smart food-pairing and ordering tips.

“The guide was amazing! She is a gem. Had a great time. Thank you!”

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4.Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 623 reviews · from $98

Explore Kyoto’s Fushimi sake district, visit the Gekkeikan museum, and taste 18 Kyoto sakes with a small-group guide.

“Great guide & wonderful tour that gives you an understanding of how significant Sake is to this area in particular. Awesome tour for both the beginner & experienced Sake fan.”

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5.Private Tea Ceremony and Sake Tasting in Kyoto Samurai House

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 163 reviews · from $99

Review of Kyoto’s private tea ceremony, Uji matcha, sake or whisky tasting, kimono photos, and a 300-year-old samurai house near Kyoto Station.

“This was the best thing we did on our trip! The hosts were AMAZING, we could not recommend this more”

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6.Advanced Kyoto Insider Sake Tasting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · from $74

Taste 10 unusual sakes in Kyoto, compare ancient and modern brewing methods, read real labels, and learn from a certified sake expert.

“Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, a great way to understand more about Sake, its history, brewing methods and tastes etc. guided through presentations and tastings.”

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7.Fushimi Sake Brewery Tour – 18 Tastings in 2.5 Hours

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 36 reviews · 2h 30m · from $93

Taste 18 sakes in Kyoto’s Fushimi district, visit Gekkeikan and Kizakura, and learn how Japan’s favorite drink is made.

“Together with my partner we selected private sake tasting for a little extra charge and I must say it was worth it! Mr Yoshi our guide was punctual, very professional, knowledgable about the process of making sake, as well as history of Japan - adding few historical facts made this tour very immersive, allowing us to appreciate Japanese culture even more. This tour was entertaining and educational - taught us about differences between sake types which allowed us to choose the perfect gifts for our friends and family. Mr Yoshi's professionalism is truly outstanding, his approach was very respectful, always making sure our needs are accomodated and our questions answered.…”

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8.Private Sake Tasting in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $85

Taste Japan’s sake with sommelier Kenji in central Kyoto, sampling hand-picked pours, learning brewing basics, and enjoying snacks at a standing bar.

“Kenji was AMAZING!!!! He is so knowledgable! We had 8 sakes to taste and he explained every one perfectly- he gleaned our levels and went from there. The sake were like nothing I have ever tasted- super refined, mainly unpasteurized and anffordable- only found in Japan. Fabulous sake tasting! Choose Kenji!!!!!”

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9.Beyond the Insider Sake Tasting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $66Best value

Taste 10 rare sake varieties in Kyoto with a certified sommelier, from ancient brewing methods to local wood-aged flavors.

“Excellent presentation and description of the types of sake and their production process. Highly recommended!”

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10.Private Food & Sake Tour in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $230

Explore Kyoto’s sake and izakaya culture with sommelier Kenji on a private evening tour of bars, food, craft beer, and local flavor.

“The first half of the evening was a lesson on history and production of Sake/Nihon Shu. This included several tasting at a Sake bar. The second half of the evening was spent eating local cuisine and socializing. Kenji is a wonderful guide and I highly recommend this tour for those looking for something more personalized.”

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11.KYOTO Sake Tasting Tour at Local Breweries(tasting fee included)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $104

Taste more than 30 sakes in Kyoto’s Fushimi district, visit breweries, and learn how soft water shapes the area’s sweet sake.

“What a great time. Our guides TaM and Aya were very friendly and made the experience so much fun. Definitely would recommend them.”

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12.Private Sake Tasting in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 2 hours · from $83

Taste eight Japanese sakes with sommelier Kenji at a standing bar in central Kyoto, with snacks, clear guidance, and a private group of up to four.

“Kenjii was amazing! Professional, knowledgeable, kind and attentive. Speaks very good English and tailored our tasting experience to our individual preferences. Highly recommend! Thanks so much again Kenjii!”

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13.Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · from $227

Tour Kyoto’s Fushimi sake district, visit small and large breweries, taste local sake, tour Gekkeikan Museum, and enjoy yakitori lunch.

“Tour guide was nice, and the food and sake were good. However, the tour guide seemed to rely to heavily on her laminated sheets to convey the brewing process and history. Some of the concepts did not seem to translate well for heRead more”

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