1.5-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Experience with Tastings & Pairings
Description
This is not just a sake tasting. In just 90 minutes, this experience will teach you how to understand and choose sake with confidence in Japan. Led by a certified Sake Sommelier, you will learn how to identify your personal sake preferences — even when labels and restaurant menus are written only in Japanese. You will enjoy a guided tasting of different sake styles paired with food, with personalized attention in a small-group setting. By the end of the session, you’ll know which type of sake you truly like and how to order it anywhere in Japan.
Tour Options
Itinerary
・Sake Tasting with an Expert Through our expert-led tasting session, you'll get the chance to learn the unique characteristics of different varieties of sake, discovering which type you most prefer and how to identify your favourites on menus and bottle labels. ・Food Pairing You’ll also be served various otsumami – Japanese snacks which traditionally accompany alcohol – so you can see which types of food and flavour best accompany the different sake types. This is a fun and educational sake tasting in Kyoto, designed to give you the confidence to enjoy sake throughout your journey in Japan.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Legal drinking age in Japan is 20; customers under 20 years of age will only be served non-alcoholic drinks
- For safety and legal reasons, alcohol will not be served to guests who arrive by car or bicycle (non-alcoholic drinks available). No refunds if unable to participate in the sake tasting.
- Guests without a reservation (including children and non-drinkers) will not be allowed to join the tour
- Vegetarian option for snacks is available, please tell your guide on site
- Recommended to have your lunch or brunch prior to the tour.
- Indoor air-conditioned venue — perfect for rainy days, hot summer days, or any weather
Reviews(356)
If you like Sake - this is an absolute must must must do! We thoroughly loved this experience, one of our favorite on our trip to Japan.
We spent our day in Uji before taking the train and walking over to the location for this event (which is conveniently located on Google Maps). While we were expecting something that was heavily manufactured for tourists, we realized this is just a small kitchen/room in the middle of this small town with 2-3 people running the facility. We were also expecting to be attending this tasting with a number of other people, but we were surprised to learn we were the only couple for this timed tasting, which made everything feel like a personalized and private event — perfect for our honeymoon. Kiyomi was our sake sommelier and she made our experience one to remember. She took care to build out the 1.5 hours with an excellent presentation on learning how to read sake labels and understanding exactly what goes into the process of making sake — all before even taking a taste of the 7 curated sake bottles. What was nice, too, was that each sake was paired with food to help you differentiate and try on new tastes, which Kiyomi provided note cards so that we can take home and rediscover what worked for us personally. We truly had a wonderful learning and tasting experience and we would not hesitate doing this again with a different variation of the excursion, as they offer multiple versions. Highly, highly recommended!
Very informative & friendly sake tasting experience .
Highly informative and fun. Would recommend to anyone who wants to understand the range of sake and a relaxed enjoyable environment.
10/10 would recommend kimiyo was very friendly and informative. Answered all our questions and made the experience so much fun
I came with my brother and fiancé to this activity. We had a wonderful experience at Kyoto Insider’s sake (nihonshu) tasting in Kyoto. The session featured seven different sakes, each thoughtfully paired with food, and what really set it apart was how educational it was without ever feeling overwhelming. The food pairings were especially eye-opening. It was fascinating to see how dramatically both the sake and the flavors of the dishes changed when enjoyed together. At one point, the combination was so surprising and delicious that it genuinely left me speechless. I had to take a moment to process how completely the pairing transformed the taste of both the food and the sake. We definitely came away with a much deeper appreciation of sake and a better understanding of how to choose what we like. The instructor struck the perfect balance between informative and engaging, and the pacing was excellent throughout. As a lovely bonus, we were also given a special treat at the end. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Kyoto, whether you’re completely new to sake or already a fan, you’ll leave with both great memories and valuable knowledge. Will definitely come back for the 3-hour experience!
Kiyomi is a gem, she was a wonderful guide and I feel much more comfortable ordering sake now. I thought i didn't like sake, but I learned that I was ordering all the wrong ones! I like a more umami flavor profile. Highly recommend this fun and informative tour. Able to accommodate gluten free for pairings.
Had a great time! Kiyomi was an excellent somellier
Very informative and interesting sake tasting experience. Chika was very knowledgeable and was a great guide through tasting the various sake samples. We walked away knowing so much more about all things sake and can’t wait to apply that knowledge when choosing which to drink at our next meal. Thanks Chika!
Excellent lesson on Saki. What your taste buds like and what foods go well with various Saki. Love it. The guide was very knowledgeable and energetic. Great fun
