Downtown Kyoto Local Food Tour
Explore the downtown area of Kyoto City, munching on some delicious food samples. You'll visit a number of famous shops, restaurants, and local foodie stops along the way!
Highlights
Explore the downtown area of Kyoto with a local guide, and learn about Kyoto local food and establishments that have long served the city delicious delights
Discover about the cultural history of food shops and restaurants that you might have otherwise just walked past
Learn about Japanese culture and food, tasting samples along the way!
Taste a variety of different Japanese foods such as takoyaki, taiyaki, croquette, rolled omelet, local pickles, local seafood, Japanese spices, and more!
10 meals
+Experience Details
The Downtown Kyoto area is buzzing with local shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars, each boasting their own unique flavors from the beautiful city of Kyoto and its surrounds. The careful craftsmanship embedded in Kyoto’s culture extends to the local food, which is made from regional produce and high-quality ingredients. Kyoto’s downtown is full of shops and food stops which are frequented by locals, although these culinary delights are often overlooked by tourists. This Downtown Kyoto Local Food Tour is the perfect opportunity to find out exactly what’s behind the food culture of Kyoto, tasting local food and meeting the makers of local products.
Experience “true” Kyoto local food during this food tour, where you’ll visit various stores in the central downtown area. Your friendly guide will introduce artisanal shops and unique local restaurants selling specialty dishes and ingredients, explaining about the history of Kyoto local food in-depth at different stops. You’ll find yourself exploring the unique underground food halls attached to decadent department stores called “depachika,” bursting with delicious food samples. You’ll visit a unique Japanese chocolate shop with over 15 years of history, and the flagship cafe established in the 1940s that’s famous for its milk. You’ll visit artisanal confectionary shops and old-style traditional cafes, a local pickle shop, a grocery store, a Japanese kitchen tool shop, and even a soba noodle restaurant that was once visited by Steve Jobs.
Exploring a selection of local shopfronts, you’ll learn about the history of these stores and the cooking methods used to make the delicious specialty foods. Along the way, you’ll taste all kinds of street food and Japanese cuisine, such taiyaki (fish-shaped waffles), takoyaki (octopus balls), dashimaki-tamago (rolled Japanese omelet), and many more delicious surprises!
Inclusions
A 3-hour food tour of the downtown Kyoto area
In-depth knowledge from an English-speaking local guide
Some Japanese food samples
Exclusions
Any additional food or drink purchases
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
The meeting point is in front of Karasuma Oike Station, Exit 5. The tour starts at 10am.
Remarks
For vegetarian customers, fish and meat can be replaced with vegetables and other ingredients.
Other dietary requirements can be accommodated for, please let us know.
Children under 5 are free of charge.
Upon booking, you can expect a confirmation within 24 hours. Once confirmed, present your booking information at the experience.
Please wear comfortable shoes because there will be a lot of walking.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 2 days before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
The bustling Downtown area of Kyoto is the heart of the city, loaded with hotels, artisanal shopfronts, specialty restaurants, and hidden bars. With pleasant surprises around every corner and alleyway, before the Kamo-gawa River to the east lies the beautiful old town architecture of Pontocho, nestled in alongside the local izakaya and lively club scene. The enormous Teramachi and Shinkyogoku shopping arcades run north to south, intersected by the famous Nishiki Markets (“Kyoto’s Kitchen”), while delicious department store basements bubble below with tasty regional samples.
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10 meals
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