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Food and drink Kyoto, Japan

3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings

5.0 (1,043 reviews) 3 hours

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1,043 reviews

5.0

3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This is not just a sake tasting — it’s a 3-hour experience that will completely change how you understand and choose sake in Japan.

Led by a sake specialist, you’ll go beyond “sweet or dry” and learn how sake is actually made, why flavors differ, and how to identify your own preferences with confidence.

Visit the historic Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, then enjoy a guided tasting of multiple styles of sake paired with traditional snacks — with clear, practical explanations you can use anywhere in Japan.

By the end of the tour, you will know which type of sake you truly like and how to select it without hesitation - enjoy sake not just during your travels, but as part of your life.

Date full? Visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum on your own, then join our 1.5-hour session to learn how to choose sake you’ll love.

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At a glance

Duration: 3 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 12 people
People per booking: 1–6
Guide: English
Operated by: Add Stories Co.,Ltd.

Ages: Children (0–17 years) · Adults (18–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Traditional otsumami food pairings that show how Japanese people naturally enjoy sake with food
Included: A sake cheat sheet and tasting notes to help you confidently choose and enjoy sake after the tour
Included: 10 carefully selected sake, chosen by a certified Sake Sommelier to help you discover your own taste
Included: A private sake tasting room where you can relax, focus, ask questions, and taste at your own pace
Included: Guided by a certified Sake Sommelier with clear, friendly explanations for all experience levels
Included: Admission and guided visit to the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, adding cultural context to tasting

Not included

Not included: Transportation to/from attractions
Not included: Hotel pickup and drop-off

Itinerary

1
Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum

1 h 30 min Admission included
- Explore the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum with a certified Sake Sommelier, gaining insider insight into one of Japan’s most influential breweries
- Understand how Gekkeikan shaped modern sake culture, from ingredients and brewing techniques to the philosophy behind each bottle
- Taste selected Gekkeikan sakes with cultural context, learning how professionals evaluate flavor, balance, and aroma
Stop 2

1 h 30 min Admission included

・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.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Meeting point : Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum (Meet the guide inside the museum)

25 min from JR Kyoto Station : Take a train on Kintetsu Line to Momoyamagoryo-Mae Station then walk about 10 min.

20 min from Gion-Shijo Station : Take a train on Keihan Line to Chushojima Station then walk for 5 min.

End point

Using your ticket

Thank you for booking!

*Please come to the meeting point 10 min before the starting time as we will leave for the brewery on time. To provide the best tour to all, we must start on time. You will not be able to join the tour, get refund or rescheduled if you are late for the tour and missed the group. Taking public transportation may take longer than you expect so give yourself extra time. Your respect for the group is much appreciated.

Meeting point : outside of [Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum] (月桂冠大倉記念館)

Find a guide with a sign 'Kyoto Insider Sake Experience'

Google Map

https://goo.gl/maps/CGDiy3rHkCHkev969

*Search by the museum name 'Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum' on the map APP, not by the address as it will lead you to the wrong location.

Access

From JR Kyoto Station : About 25 min

From Gion-Shijo Station : About 20 min

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Here is a time schedule for the experience;

Greet and introduce each other (5 min)

[In the Brewery] (75 min)

Learn process of making sake / what makes the differences of sake
Know history of largest sake producing company in Kyoto
Get a chance to have quick sake tasting
Buy souvenir at the museum sake shop (optional)
Take a short walk to venue for sake tasting session (10 min)
Stop on the way a little and enjoy the local feel of less touristy side of Kyoto (5 min)

[Sake Tasting Session] (85 min)

Taste the differences of various flavors
Deepen knowledge of different categories
Get to know your favorite type of sake
Enjoy otsumami, snacks that we eat when drinking
Feel free to order more sake and buy your favorite bottle at your cost.

*******

Please note..

The venue for sake tasting session may be varies due to its availabilities
Let the guide know at the site if you have any food preference
Recommended to have your lunch or breakfast prior to the experience

This is our original map of neighborhood for your reference :)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vfr3yBVOSjSWYyNuT1iFfGH8dPdJmY1z&usp=sharing

Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

If you cancel	You get back
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.

Good to know

Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
A small amount of walking is involved; comfortable walking shoes are recommended
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.
Sake breweries generally do not allow visitors to enter the production area for health and safety reasons. We will explain the production process during our tour of the brewery museum
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.
Our 3-hour sake tour has limited availability and often fills up weeks in advance. We recommend booking early to ensure your preferred date.
If your date is full, visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum on your own, then join our 1.5-hour Sake Tasting & Food Pairing session, just a 5-minute walk away.

Options

10AM - 1PM Sake Experience

10am - 1pm Sake Experience: Insider Sake Brewery Tour & Expert Sake Tasting + Food Pairing
11AM-2PM 3H Sake Experience

2PM-5PM 3H Sake Experience: Insider Sake Brewery Tour & Expert Sake Tasting + Food Pairing
3PM - 6PM Sake Experience

3pm - 6pm Sake Experience: Insider Sake Brewery Tour & Expert Sake Tasting + Food Pairing
1PM-4PM 3H Sake Experience

Insider Sake Brewery Tour & Expert Sake Tasting + Food Pairing