Uji Matcha Tea Picking Experience in Kyoto
Pick exceptionally high-quality tea leaves in Wazuka, Kyoto, where its Uji matcha is renowned worldwide.
Highlights
Explore a fresh green tea plantation
Pick high-quality tea leaves
10 meals
Experience Details
This experience takes place in Wazuka-cho, which is a town nestled in the southeastern countryside in the tea capital of Kyoto. This town only has a population of 5,000, but produces a whopping nearly 40% of the annual Uji matcha production. The pristine, rolling tea fields explain its important presence in the local culture.
Visitors can get a glimpse into the world of matcha with this tea-picking experience right in the heart of the industry. You will be guided by the director, a Wazuka local passionate about matcha and the area. Participants will be equipped with appropriate gear and get to pick green tea leaves straight from the source in the pristine Japanese countryside.
Participants can get a hands-on experience with the first step that takes the tea leaf from the soil to the table.
Because no visit to Wazuka is complete without a taste of its local brews, this experience includes a refreshing cup of matcha tea prepared by your host along with two pieces of chadango, traditional sweet tea-flavored skewered dumplings.
You can also choose an optional chasoba, tea leaf tempura, cooking class. Make kakinohazushi and kuzumochi, using tea leaves you just picked!
Inclusions
Appropriate gear to pick matcha
Wazuka matcha tea and sweet chadango skewered dumplings
Exclusions
Additional food, such as green tea soba
Transportations to the venue
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
Hatsuohira-21 Ishitera, Wazuka, Soraku District, Kyoto 619-1221 Please note that the location is about 1 hour from Kyoto Station by train and bus.
Remarks
Bring comfortable shoes that can get dirty.
This experience is available only during the harvest season, which is from mid-April to October.
Experience may be canceled if it's raining or may become unavailable depending on tea garden conditions.
Please notify your host if you are late. Guests who are more than 15 minutes late will not be able to participate.
Please note that this host's English proficiency is limited, so they might use a translation machine to communicate with guests if needed.
Please note that the location is about 1 hour from Kyoto Station by train and bus.
Dates outside of the regular calendar may be available for groups of 10 guests or more. Please inquire.
Guests with buckwheat allergies can participate in tea leaf picking, but may not be able to take part in the cooking experiences included in option packages.
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
Wazuka's tea fields are registered as Kyoto Prefecture's No. 1 Scenic Property. With its idyllic scenery of rolling hills of green tea leaves, the town has been recognized as a beautiful Japanese village. Known for the Ishitera tea fields, recognized as a Japanese cultural heritage site, Wazuka is a wonderful location for nature and tea lovers alike.
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
10 meals
Visit the town of Wazuka-cho, recognized as a Scenic Property of Kyoto Prefecture. Producing nearly half Kyoto’s tea, at Wazuka-cho, you can tour the farm and factory, have a tasty lunch featuring tea soba, and join a tasting with 9 types of tea.
Come to Uji, Kyoto – the birthplace of tea in Japan – for a hands-on tea experience. Grind tea leaves, whisk your own bowl of matcha, attend an authentic tea ceremony at a beautiful tea house, and indulge in a meal of tea soba and matcha rice cakes.
Travel to the tea fields of Wazuka in Southern Kyoto for an ultimate tea experience that includes leaf picking, traditional cooking, and matcha making, as you learn about the area’s fascinating tea history, heritage and culture from the locals.
Stroll through lush green fields, experience tea leaf picking, enjoy a Japanese tea tasting, visit a tea factory, and more!