A Taste of History: 10 Best Sake Experiences in Kyoto

Sake is Japan’s most notorious rice-based alcohol and is as unique and versatile as any other liquor. Enjoyed in many izakaya and restaurants, or bought from grocery stores, sake will be readily available during your trip to Japan. 

To enjoy its special qualities, a trip to one of the notorious sake production regions in the country is an unbeatable way to enter the delicious world of sake. You can learn everything there is to know about premium-crafted sake in Japan’s ancient capital city, Kyoto! It officially ranks second in sake production and is only a 2.5-hour shinkansen (bullet train) ride from Tokyo.

Want to know where to go for the best sake experiences Kyoto has to offer? Let’s explore Kyoto’s sake scene!

1. Kyoto sake brewery tour in the Fushimi Sake District
2. Kyoto whisky and sake tasting tour
3. Create a handcrafted sake cup and visit a Kyoto sake brewery
4. Refined sake brewery tour and shop in Nakagyo
5. Fushimi sake tour in Kyoto with sake tasting
6. Sake tasting at local breweries near Fushimi Inari
7. Sake museum tour and tasting in Fushimi
8. Taste 30 different sake at casual sake tasting bar
9. Evening in Kyoto Pontocho food tour
10. Wagyu beef yakiniku dining with a local guide in Kyoto

Known for its sake district, Kyoto’s breweries are some of the best of its class. Embark on an edutainment tour of Kyoto’s most beloved sake brewers to witness the sake crafting process up close and personal. 

If you have always wanted to see how nihonshu (Japanese alcohol) is made, your tour guide will walk you through the production process from rice steaming to fermentation, and onto the final sippable product.

Home to nearly 40 sake breweries, the Fushimi Sake District is renowned for its abundance of expertly brewed sake. Due to its proximity to the Horikawa River, the local water is exceptionally pure spring water, making it the best base for high-quality sake.

For sake enthusiasts and curious folks, join the Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour in Fushimi Sake District to learn more about the sake-making process and the nuances between different producers' brewing methods. 

Over a 3-hour tour, your guide will stroll with you through this charming area of traditional wooden buildings and shops. First visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, established in 1637, to learn about the rich history of the beloved drink. 

Afterwards, you’ll explore the district and partake in several sake tastings to enjoy the fruit of the master brewer's labor. The tour will end with lunch at a hand-picked local Japanese restaurant. 

Experience Fushimi Sake District on a guided Kyoto sake brewery tour!

Ready to experience a side of Kyoto that many tourists don’t get to see? This unique tour will give you an insider’s glimpse at the geisha district in Kyoto at night.

Go on a tailored whisky and sake tasting in Kyoto that will delight your eyes and taste buds. The 3-hour tour will walk you through Kagai, or “Flower Town,” where you’ll enter a hidden award-winning cocktail bar. Here, a professional mixologist will make a drink based on your mood. Don’t worry if you don’t want sake or whisky; alternative drinks are provided for those who request it.

The tour will continue through Gion, showing off a dazzling view of Kyoto at night that begs to be photographed. For a more exclusive sake-tasting experience, the group will head to a local restaurant inside a family’s home. As you listen to the owner’s stories you will savor Kyoto’s speciality dishes.

A Japanese whisky-tasting and chocolate pairing in the Pontocho District will be your nightcap. 

Join a tour of the best Kyoto sake and stories!

Kyoto is home to Japanese traditions and crafts, but one of our favorite experiences that blends a love of sake and craftsmanship is this 5-hour excursion to a Kyoto sake brewery and sake cup workshop.

Visit a local sake brewery and watch as an expert woodworker walks you through how to make your own sake cup from sugi (cedar), hinoki (cypress) or another wood depending on the season. There’s nothing better than creating something with your hands — this is the gift that keeps on giving.

Once you work up an appetite, your guide will take you to a local restaurant to enjoy a traditional teishoku set meal. Complete this sake brewery tour by sipping sake out of your new cup, fresh from the barrel. 

Make a one-of-a-kind sake cup and taste sake in Kyoto.

Like other fermented grain alcohol, sake is categorized into various grades and types. Sake can be pure and unmodified, have distinct tasting notes, and come in a sparkling or sweet rendition.

To discover your sipping preference, try Kyoto-brewed sake tastings throughout the ancient capital city. We have a feeling you’ll find a type you can’t part ways with.

The best way to find your new favorite sake is to sample a wide range of award-winning nihonshu including junmai sake, amazake (sweet sake) and sparkling sake from a 142-year-old brewery.

Found in a quaint family-owned pottery shop, Kidoairaku is located inside a market on Nishiki Street in Kyoto. Walking distance from Gion and the Kyoto Imperial Palace, this shop displays a husband and wife duo’s handmade pottery and doubles as a sake-tasting shop. The top sake producer in Kameoka City, Tanzan Sake Brewery crafts all the sake.

Enjoy an exclusive view of the couple creating new pottery in their workshop. Plus, if you find a bottle of sake you can’t return home without, you can request shipping for yourself or send the best Japanese omiyage (souvenir) to a loved one.

Fushimi is home to Kyoto’s sake district so there’s a ton to see and even more sake to try. Take a deep dive into sake culture on a sake-centric food tour in Kyoto!

Our super host can speak Japanese, English and Mandarin Chinese, providing insider knowledge about the area and sake’s history. The day promptly starts at Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum to discover the history of nihonshu and how it’s still a beloved drink worldwide. 

While soaking in all the new info, head to Otesuji Shopping Street and Gokogu Shrine to hunt for souvenirs and visit a stunning Shinto shrine.

Join Yoko on a guided tour for foodie and sake lovers.

Did you know there are sake sommeliers who travel from brewery to brewery in search of Japan’s best sake producers? If you always wanted to sample different sake, but didn’t know where to start, a sake tasting in Kyoto will be your gateway into Japan’s liquid gold.

Set in the Fushimi district famous for the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, your guide will take you through Kyoto’s sake district. Start your sake adventure at another local shrine to ask for your wishes to be granted. Then the real adventure begins as you taste over nine different varieties of sake with like-minded people from across the globe.  

Seigo, a passionate sake sommelier with an official certification from the renowned Sake Service Institution, will lead you through sake tastings in nearby breweries. Then stop by a chic liquor store before finally visiting a sake brewing museum. 

Tour guests are offered a sweet parting gift of a small bottle of sake from the museum and can continue eating to your heart’s delight at a local food court. Try local cuisine with sake samples to find your new favorite drink to sip on.

Book a guided sake breweries tour with Seigo!

For those who want to receive an extensive lesson in sake culture, our expert guide Hiroshi will answer your burning sake questions including why Kyoto’s climate is ideal for sake production and how rice goes from rice field to sake cup.

Museum buffs will love the walk through Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum. Explore the many treasures within its wooden walls, feeling its history as you walk the halls with over 400 years of sake artistry. 

Watching the process of how sake is made will develop a finer appreciation for the craft and ingredients that make the sample shots of sake more delightful. From one sip, you’ll put your knowledge to the ultimate sake-tasting test.

Meet your expert sake tour guide in Fushimi!

Hidden near Gion on a quiet street is Sake Bumpy, an LGBTQ+ friendly sake-tasting bar. Not only is its namesake unique, but so are the over 30 sake labels you can sample during an exclusive tasting course. 

The fun-loving owner makes guests feel at home and can help recommend great sake pairings based on your preferences. The intimate space is filled with bottles of sake from all over Japan which may be sampled during a 2-hour tasting session. 

For ¥3000, this is an “all-you-can-taste” experience and pairs best with the recommended daily special. Each night is different and the bottles of sake are on rotation, so it’s best to go in with an open mind and empty stomach! 

This is also the perfect casual bar for travelers who don’t drink or want to try sake-infused cocktails and other alcohol-based drinks. If you like what you taste, you can buy your favorite bottle off the shelf.

More of a drink-with-dinner sort of foodie? This selection of food-focused sake tastings will help you explore the nuances of note profiles and grades of sake that pair well with different dishes around Kyoto. 

Get ready to indulge in delicious Japanese cuisine such as sizzling sumi yakiniku (charcoal grilled meats), seafood skewers, and traditional noodles, while tasting local sake all night long.

Our evening in Kyoto Pontocho food tour will show you around the famous Pontocho and Gion Shirakawa districts in the evening while your tour guide will lead you through quiet alleys and restaurants to get a rare glimpse of Kyoto at night without the crowd. 

The four stops during the tour feature fresh and local Kyo-ryori (Kyoto cuisine) and pure sake tastings. We can’t think of a better way to travel through Kyoto.

See another side of Kyoto in this nighttime food and drink tour in Kyoto! 

Get your fill of Japan’s famous wagyu beef in Kyoto for a night of cuisine to remember.

Kyoto is revered for its traditional Japanese culture, such as shrines, matcha at tea ceremonies and geisha, but the fresh wagyu beef from the Kansai region shouldn’t be overlooked. Hiroshi, our expert guide in local restaurants around Kyoto, will take you to the best Wagyu beef yakiniku restaurants where you can grill meats and smother them off with various sauces and toppings. 

Hiroshi makes sure to take guests to all the best spots you wouldn’t otherwise know about, including his favorite yakiniku spot in the city. Each yakiniku excursion includes a glass of sake or other drink of preference. End a memorable night by strolling around the city under the romantic lights. 

Indulge in wagyu beef and sake in this Kyoto food and drink tour.

Ready to try the best sake Kyoto has to offer? Brush up on your sake knowledge with this extensive guide to Japanese sake, learn the differences in types of sake, and find the best sake breweries and sake tastings in Kyoto.

Sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. It is often referred to as rice wine, but the brewing process is more similar to beer.

Sake production involves polishing and washing rice, fermenting it with koji mold, yeast, and water, and then filtering and pasteurizing the resulting liquid. The process requires precision and expertise to achieve the desired flavor profile.

Sake can have a wide range of flavors, from light and floral to rich and robust. The taste can be affected by factors such as the type of rice used, the brewing process and the water source. Some sake are smooth and clean, while others are bold and complex.

Sake can be enjoyed hot or cold, depending on personal preference and the type of sake. High-quality sakes are often best served slightly chilled to bring out their delicate flavors, while lower-grade sakes may be heated to mask any off-flavors.

Absolutely! Sake is a versatile beverage that can complement a wide variety of dishes, from sushi and sashimi to grilled meats and cheese. The subtle umami notes in sake can enhance the flavors of food and create an even more harmonious dining experience.