Pontocho Kyoto Bar Hopping Food Tour
Eat and drink at some of the best bars and restaurants in Pontocho, Kyoto.
Highlights
Discover the best of nightlife in Kyoto, exploring the downtown area of Shijo Street, Pontocho and Kiyamachi
Visit 3 different bars and restaurants downtown
Enjoy the stories of your local English-speaking guide, meeting other friendly travelers and locals too!
Drink and be merry, trying different foods at each venue
Finish the tour at Shijo Ohashi Bridge, overlooking the Kamogawa River
10 meals
Experience Details
Kyoto has thousands of temples and shrines to keep you busy throughout the day, not to forget stunning gardens, teahouses, artisan shops, and galleries. But come night time, the city morphs, with an exciting drinking and party culture just waiting to be explored! Join this Pontocho Kyoto Bar Hopping Food Tour to discover some of the best drinking spots in Kyoto, in and around the famous Pontocho Alley.
You’ll visit the downtown areas of Shijo Street, Pontocho, and Kiyamachi, eating and drinking as you go. Learn how to drink like a local, exploring three different bars and restaurants. Shijo bursts with shopping, restaurants, and bars, and has a lively, colorful atmosphere. Just west of the Kamogawa River, Pontocho runs in between the main streets of Shijo Dori and Sanjo Dori in the center of town, an iconic narrow laneway full of atmospheric bars and restaurants. With a range of dining options hidden inside well-preserved wooden buildings, some restaurants have built decks overlooking the Kamogawa River (gorgeous on a summer evening)!
During this tour, you’ll wander through Pontocho Alley and its neighboring streets that make up Kyoto’s resident drinking and party district. Here, you’ll find the area full of pubs and izakayas with every theme and style you could imagine! Locals and visitors alike mingle in the streets and inside secret bars. You’ll visit a nostalgic bar, eating some snacks as you drink and share stories. You’ll also visit a hidden bar that even locals don’t know about! To finish off the night, you’ll find yourself at Shijo Ohashi Bridge, watching the Kamogawa River flow by with lights twinkling in the gentle ripples. Make new friends and wonderful memories, raise your glasses and say kampai! Enjoy the best of Kyoto’s nightlife with food and drinks, discovering another side of the beautiful city during this Pontocho Kyoto Bar Hopping Food Tour!
Menu:
-Sake with tempura
-One drink and two Japanese dishes
-One drink and Kyoto original food
Inclusions
A 3-hour bar hopping and food tour in Pontocho Kyoto
An English-speaking guide to tell you all the ins and outs of Kyoto’s nightlife and the Pontocho area
3 stops at different restaurants and bars
One drink and one dish at each venue (see menu)
Exclusions
Additional food or drink purchases
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
The meeting point is in front of the Daimaru Karasuma Department Store on Shijo-dori Street, located in front of the Shijo Takakura Bus Stop. Please keep in mind that there are two Daimaru department stores, and that this meeting point is NOT at the Fuji Daimaru department store.
Remarks
This bar hopping and food tour starts strictly on time. Please be respectful of the other guests. If guests do not arrive at the meeting point by the departure time, the tour will begin regardless.
Please notify us in advance if there are any food restrictions, preferences, and allergies (e.g. gluten allergy, vegetarian, vegan, Halal).
Minimum drinking age is strictly 20 years and above in Japan, so participants must be 20 years or older to join this tour.
Please be reminded to wear comfortable shoes because there will be a lot of walking.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 48 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
The atmospheric glow of the lanterns at night make Pontocho a romantic spot for dinner or a serendipitous run-in with a geiko. A hanamachi district with numerous geiko (or geisha) houses, Pontocho bursts with tea houses, high-class restaurants, and cheap eateries. Pontocho is also home to Pontocho Kaburenjō Theater, a venue for geisha performances, as well as concerts and shows. It is a traditional entertainment district, like Gion, which is centered on the traditional arts. In Pontocho, you can appreciate the traditional wooden architecture as you breathe in Japan's history.
We did this tour on one of the last days of our 4 day trip visiting Kyoto but we regret not doing it as one of the first activities. Tatsuya and Ellie were our guides and we had a lovely time as th...read more
If you want to explore hidden gems in Kyoto this is by far the best way to experience it. Our guide Tatsuya was fantastic - He is genuine and has a fun-loving personality, needless to say we had a ...read more
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10 meals
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