The 10 Best Sake Brewery Visits in Kyoto

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

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

Spend three hours in Fushimi learning sake basics at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, then tasting ten styles with traditional otsumami in a private room. Certified sommeliers, including guides such as Kyoko, Miyuki, Mai and Shogo, explain brewing, flavor, pairings and how to read labels. Your guide may vary.

“Greg and Mai were very knowledgeable about both the sake making process (at the museum) as well as the tasting. They were particularly good at talking and explaining what we were enjoying in a sake, and in teaching how to identify sake for ourselves.”

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

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

Spend about five hours on foot in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, with a guide such as Karim, Tom, Francis or Toru. Visit the bamboo grove, Nonomiya Shrine, Okochi Sanso Garden and Tenryuji Temple, then choose between the monkey park route and a sake brewery option. Expect cultural context, scenic stops and a steady walk.

“We had a fantastic time Tom is an excellent guide. He was so knowledgeable and took everything at a nice easy pace. We had the benefit of a small group, so it was able to answer all our questions . The tour covered some lovely areas and we saw things that we definitely would have missed. I would definitely recommend it to anybody visiting Kyoto .”

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3.Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

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

Meet an English-speaking sake expert at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi. Learn how brewing and rice polishing shape flavor, then compare 10 or more sakes with otsumami in a dedicated tasting room. Guides have included Kyoko, Miyuki, Momo, and Chika. You’ll leave with a pocket-size sake guide and a clearer idea of what to order.

“Kyoko, our guide, was so lovely and sweet. We learned so much about Sake and actually got to love it!! It was an amazing experience into the sake world, big thank you to Kyoko for that. We had a fun time and left with so much more knowledge for the "daily life" when it comes to Sake.”

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4.Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour

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

Walk through Fushimi with a certified guide, visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, pass historic Teradaya, and stop at the Kappa Gallery before a tasting of 18 sakes. Guides have included Matt, Rika, and Ayu, but assignments vary. The three-hour tour starts at Chushojima Station and ends near Fushimi-Momoyama Station.

“Amazing tour! We had so much fun and learned a lot from Ayu. You also get so much sake on this tour - 21 tasters!”

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

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

Spend 2.5 hours with an English- or Japanese-speaking guide at Gekkeikan’s sake museum, Kizakura’s Kappa Museum, and Fushimizu Sake Brewery Alley, where 18 sakes are available to taste. Guides such as Yoshi, Masa, Akino, and Kaito have led lively tours that mix brewing basics with local history. Sake tastings and admission are included; food is not.

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

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

Spend three hours with a local sake guide near Fushimi Inari, visiting breweries, a sake museum, and other tasting spots. Learn how Kyoto’s soft water shapes sake, compare styles and grades, and sample from more than 30 varieties. Groups are capped at six, and guides have included Seigo, TaM, Aya, and Shinobu.

“We had a wonderful guide who was very informative and passionate. It started to pour rain and she very quickly changed things around to accommodate an inside venue rather than outdoor one. We also had our 3 year old with us anRead more”

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7.Japanese Sake Breweries Tour in Kyoto Fushimi

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 13 reviews · 3 hours · from $80Best value

Spend three hours on foot in Kyoto’s Fushimi sake district with a local guide. Visit the Gekkeikan museum, Kizakura, Fushimi Saka Gura Kouji, Yume Hyakushu Cafe, and Aburacho, with sake tastings, Kyoto beer, and sake ice cream included. Some guides, including Musaki, also go by Bob.

“despite rain, spent a great afternoon sampling sake in se eral breweries in Fushimi. enjoyed our guide who previously worked brewing Sake and even went to Kaiser High school in east Oahu close to our home in Hawaii”

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8.Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour with Lunch

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

Spend three hours in Kyoto’s Fushimi district, comparing a small and large sake brewery, sampling several sakes, and visiting the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum. An English-speaking local guide leads the walk, which includes a seasonal restaurant lunch with yakitori and ends near Fushimi-Momoyama Station. Brewing floors are not open to visitors.

“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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9.Japanese Sake Breweries Tour in Fushimi Kyoto

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $109

Walk Fushimi with a local guide, visit the Gekkeikan museum and Kizakura’s Kappa Gallery, and taste Kyoto sake at several stops. Past guides include Bob, Marin, and Nakai, but guide assignment is not guaranteed. The tour starts at 1 pm and ends in Fushimi Otesuji Shopping Street.

“My husband and I had a great time on the sake tour with our guide Bob. He was very knowledgeable about sake and made it an excellent experience. He brought us to a little gem of a brewery. And we even brought home a bottle of sake from there. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience.”

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10.Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 5 reviews · 3 hours · from $177

Spend three hours in Fushimi with an English-speaking local guide, visiting sake spots, tasting several styles, and sitting down to a local lunch with pairings. You’ll hear about brewing traditions and seasonal sake, but won’t enter working production areas. Groups are limited to six, and the minimum booking is two people.

“My son Chris and I had a great time touring Kizakura Kappa Country Sake Brewery and learning about the history of Sake. The lunch was great and then my son and I sampled 18 sakes. Hiroe was a great guide and I would strongly recommend her.”

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