Japan · SAKE TASTING
The 15 sake tastings below are the ones that survive a close look at the price, the timing and what you actually get to see. Start at the top and work down.
Explore Gion and Pontocho through nine-plus Kyoto dishes, six sake tastings, local stories, and small-group evening dining.
“This was a great tour to experience some amazing food and learn about Kyoto. My tour guide Kumi Yamazaki was incredible!”
See Zenko-ji Temple, taste Nagano sake, enjoy a Japanese lunch, and meet wild snow monkeys on this full-day tour from Nagano.
“This excursion surpassed our expectations and added cultural experiences to our day. We were leaving Japan the next day so it really enhanced our trip.”
Learn how sake is brewed, taste 10 styles with food pairings, and gain confidence choosing sake on this three-hour Kyoto tour.
“We came into this as sake-newbies but with some experience with wine and beer production and tasting. Kyoko and Kotaro were our guides and first walked us through the Gekkeikan brewery museum. Here they explained the sake making process and what choices in the process lead to what flavor profiles. This was very interesting and was great background for when we afterward got to taste different kinds of sake. We had a very fun and engaging afternoon, learning a lot, and equipping us to know what kinds of sake we enjoy and what to look for when ordering it out in the wild.”
Review of Kyoto’s Arashiyama walking tour, with bamboo, temples, gardens, monkeys, shopping, or a local sake brewery lunch.
“Tom was a fantastic guide and knew so much about Kyoto. My husband and I had a great time. We loved the gardens and the temple. Even though the tour is 5 hours, there are plenty of breaks for matcha and snacks. He even made a stop for us to try make a I said I wanted to buy some for a friend. Highly recommend this tour!”
See Nagano’s Zenkoji Temple, taste local sake, enjoy lunch, and walk to Japan’s famous snow monkeys on a guided day trip.
“Very friendly and helpful guides. Great trip and very worthwhile experience”
Explore Kyoto’s Fushimi Sake District, visit a historic brewery, taste 10+ sakes, and learn pairing, labels, serving styles, and ordering tips.
“Kyoko & Miyuki were great guides. We learned so much about sake including how to read labels, what kind of styles are there, what affects the taste, how sake is made, how it’s paired with food… Definitely recommend this course.”
Explore Kyoto’s Fushimi sake district, visit the Gekkeikan museum, and taste 18 local sakes on this intimate three-hour walking tour.
“We had a great time with Karen (Karie) on our sake tasting tour. She was great to hang out and talk with and the sake and food (food purchased separately at sake tasting restaurant) was very good. It ended up only being myself, my wife, and another adventure loving tourist along with Karie but that made it nice and quant and simple. Definitely recommend. Oh, and we drank “all the sake” and had a strong “buzz” but by no means was “drunk”, so it was a good balance and we learned a lot at the museum as well as during our sake tasting/meal.”
Taste seven Kyoto sakes with a certified sommelier, pair them with Japanese snacks, and learn how to order your favorites in Japan.
“Great experience. We were taught all the basics of sake and it really helped our understanding and we even received a little card which we used throughout our trip to pick our sake. I would really recommend this experience!”
Learn sushi, ramen, and sake in a friendly Tokyo class of eight, with hands-on instruction, quality ingredients, and a scenic Tsukishima setting.
“An excellent experience. We’ve never done anything like this before but our hosts made us feel immediately at ease. Informative and laid back - they took us from being sous-chefs to sushi masters within a couple of hours. The ramen was less hands on though more customisable - both tasted great. Some good sake choices too.”
Taste 8 or more sakes in Shinjuku with a sommelier, learn brewing and pairing basics, and leave ready to order sake in Japan.
“Our instructor was great! Very knowledgeable and made the experience fun and informative. I didn’t know anything about sake beforehand!”
Learn to choose sake in Kyoto with seven tastings, Japanese snacks, bottle-reading tips, and friendly guidance in a 90-minute class.
“Yui was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about sake. We had a really good time and the food pairing made the experience a lot better. We are vegetarian and the vegetarian replacement for food pairing was very good.”
Taste seven Japan-only sakes with certified sommeliers in a six-person Tokyo session pairing four themed courses with gourmet bites.
“It was an intimate experience with an opportunity to try 7 plus different sakes and learn more about sake in general.”
Step into a 300-year-old Kyoto samurai house for a private Uji matcha ceremony, kimono photos, and sake or Japanese whisky tasting.
“Excellent experience! The hosts and tea master were very warm and welcoming. They spoke fluent English and were wonderful teachers. They made us feel as if we were part of their family.”
Make Osaka-style takoyaki, taste seasonal sake, and learn from former brewer Momo in a friendly small-group class near Namba.
“Awesome experience, learned a lot about sake and the different kinds and the takoyaki you cook is amazing. Definitely something to try while visiting Osaka.”
Explore Kobe’s Nada sake district on a small-group walking tour with brewery visits, tastings, tofu, local stories, and English-speaking guides.
“We wanted to experience Sake off the beaten tourist track and our tour guide Aki delivered all that and more! We visited famous breweries, local breweries and sake museums. Aki was very knowledgeable and educated us on the different types of sake and how it was made. Wear your hiking shoes and bring an empty backpack because you are going to want to buy souvenirs.”
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