Top Kyoto Food & Drink

Gain a better understanding of sake during this tour that explores the Fushimi Sake District of Kyoto. Visit Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, one of the largest sake breweries in Fushimi, and end your visit with a sake-tasting session. Not only will your guide be able to explain the basics of sake and introduce you to new kinds you may have never tried, but your tastings will also be paired with Japanese snacks that enhance the tasting experience. 

Make a food-lover’s journey through Kyoto, stopping at its best food shops, famous Nishiki Food Market and a sake brewery before finishing with a cooking class during this small-group, 3.5-hour excursion limited to 7 participants. Learn about Japanese ingredients at Kyoto’s top market, check out the city’s lesser known food shops and stop by a sake brewery for a tasting. End your food experience with a 1.5-hour cooking class making sushi, soup and salad. This small-group excursion also includes admission and tasting at the sake brewery.

Ramen is one of the world’s most popular meals, but few people have mastered the art of home-cooked noodles. During this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to prepare the perfect bowl of soupy ramen, from blending ingredients to cutting the noodles using hand-forged Japanese knives. After you’ve mastered the basics, sample your freshly prepared meal, along with ginger chicken and salad. Workshops include a complimentary craft cocktail.

Discover the culture behind ‘Izakaya’ Japanese dining which is similar to pub food in the other countries during a 3 to 3.5-hour cooking class with dinner in Kyoto. Learn five or six of the popular home dishes during a session with a master chef before preparing and eating your own izakaya-style creations. It’s the perfect chance to explore the country’s cuisine beyond the typical sushi and teriyaki offerings. Your izakaya cooking session also includes all ingredients, an instructor and an apron.

Experience the traditions of Japan at a tea ceremony in Kyoto and learn the origins of this ancient practice. Choose from one of two different tea ceremony options—one is hosted in a machiya (typical wooden house) and the other ceremony is complete with kimono dress. Your ceremony includes a guide, who provides translation.

Ramen is one of Japan’s most popular dishes—a noodle and broth soup, topped with various meat or vegetable combinations. On this tour, learn how to make ramen from scratch at a local ramen factory, including making the noodles, mixing the soup, and adding the toppings. Finish by enjoying your delicious bowl of home-cooked ramen. The factory is also Halal-certified and vegetarian and vegan options are available on request.

Sake—traditional rice wine—is Japan’s most famous drink and Kyoto’s Fushimi District is renowned for its sake production, home to over 30 breweries. On this tour, find out how sake is made, discover the many varieties, and learn which sake suits each occasion. Sample seven different sakes, accompanied by tasty Japanese snacks, and leave with a cheat sheet to help you order your favorite sakes while in Japan.

Immerse yourself in the Japanese culinary tradition of Kaiseki Ryouri during this evening food tour in Kyoto. Follow your guide through the Kamogawa and Gion areas, eating your way through a 10-course meal with included beverages and dessert.

Learn to create your own bento box, the iconic (and tasty) convenience meal enjoyed daily by millions of Japanese, during this 3- to 3.5-hour cooking class in Kyoto. Uncover the origins of this uniquely-Japanese foodstuff, and watch master chefs as they demonstrate key cooking techniques, before learning to make your own. Finish your course by enjoying your handmade bento box which may includes items like an egg roll, pickled vegetables, rice, breaded chicken and miso soup. Your course also includes use of an apron, an instructor and all ingredients.

The Nishiki Food Market, known to locals as the “Kitchen of Kyoto,” is a huge 400-year-old market sprawling with food vendors. Navigate what can be an overwhelming space with the help of your guide, whose insight into the local food scene will give you a taste of Japanese culture—and plenty of food. All food tastings are included as per itinerary.

Get a deeper experience of Kyoto food culture than would be possible on your own by joining this guided tour. Stroll through the districts of Gion and Pontocho, stopping in to small bars and restaurants to sample traditional drinks and food, as you explore.

Get an excellent introduction to the cuisine of Kyoto on this small-group guided tour of the city's best food spots. Start at the deliciously vast 400-year-old Nishiki Market, nicknamed 'Kyoto's Kitchen,' where over 130 food shops and stalls beckon your taste buds. Stroll through the market with the guide, learning about the history of food in the city and taste many dishes unique to Kyoto, including pickled vegetables, fried fish cakes, Japanese pike conger eel, mochi and Japanese omelet. After the market, visit a shrine dedicated to the god of education.

-Visit Kyoto's major sake brewery district and the Kyoto Sake Museum- you'll learn the rich history of Gekkeikan and the brewery process of sake by observing sake exhibits. Three kinds of sake tasting are offered. After deepening your knowledge of sake, feel free to stroll around the area and visit the cultural and historical spots, such as liquor stores and Teradaya. - Enjoy Kyoto's local sake samplings!- Deepen your knowledge of sake and appreciate the different aromas and flavors between the 18 of them brewed in Fushimi, Kyoto. -Be a little tipsy- Stop by one of Kyoto's shrines, and get refreshed by drinking exquisite Japanese groundwater at the end of the tour Magical Trip is a local tour operator with the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence that offers various types of small-group tours throughout Japan! Check out our Trip Advisor Page for more tours and our reviews!

Immerse yourself in quintessential Japanese culture during a private tour and dining experience with a geisha. In Kyoto, considered the birthplace of geisha culture, you’ll explore the historic Gion area and dine on a multi-course meal at either a Japanese restaurant or tea house, accompanied by a ‘maiko’ (apprentice geisha) or ‘geiko’ (fully-trained geisha).

Discover two sides to Kyoto as you visit one of its most famous shrines, then learn about sake production and tasting, during this 3.5-hour excursion in Kyoto. Begin with a visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine, an iconic religious site with striking red torii (gates). Then visit Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, to learn how the drink is made and try some samples. Finish with another tasting at a Kyoto sake store. This 3.5-hour visit includes a guide, train transport and all sake tastings and entrance fees.

Enjoy a private Japanese tea ceremony with a maiko, an apprentice geisha, in Osaka for an immersion into Japanese culture. The ceremonial tea ritual is believed to promote a state of general well-being and mindfulness and involves the preparation and drinking of matcha, a powdered green tea that is loved in Japan. From your maiko, you'll learn about the history of tea in Japan as you sip, and hear tales of the samurai and priests who spread its popularity. Then, embark on a free walking tour of the city.

Sip sake near the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto during this afternoon tasting tour. You’ll learn about the different grades of sake, visit breweries and liquor stores, and discover why the area around the shrine is known for its production of high quality, sweet-tasting sake. More more than 30 types of sake are available for you to try, so you’ll be sure to leave the tour with a favorite in mind.

Get a taste for the diverse world of Japanese sake, spanning both ancient traditions and modern innovations, during this 45-minute, small-group tour and tasting. Learn about more modern methods at the Matsui Shuzo sake brewery, and then sample a few brews of your own as your guide explains the flavor notes, ingredients, and nuances of your selection. This small-group experience, limited to just 10 participants, also includes a taxi to the brewery and all entrance fees.

Spend some time getting acquainted with the food and culture of two historically important and beautiful districts of Kyoto on this guided walking tour. Stroll over the ninth-century Togetsukyo bridge and make stops to sample local snacks. After a visit to the 14th-century Tenryu-ji temple, head to a beautiful bamboo garden and indulge in some traditional Japanese sweets. This tour of Arashiyama and Sagano is a great way to get to know Kyoto.

- 7+ mouth-watering Kyoto-style Japanese food tastings, enough for a full dinner meal, served from locally-owned restaurants (Menu may vary every time based on the fresh ingredients at the market). - Two drinks as we taste local style dinner. You may also choose your drinks (Beer, sake & other drinks). Non-alcoholic beverages are also available. - Explore Kyoto, visiting popular spots as well as hidden gems. Enjoy the unique scenes of Nishiki Market, Pontocho, and Kiyamachi.

Go beyond the typical Kyoto tourist experiences and see the city from a local's perspective on this walking tour of Pontocho and Gion Shirakawa. Stroll ancient streets and pop into tea houses and restaurants to sample traditional dishes while learning about the culture and history of the area.

Ramen Factory is the only restaurant in the world where you are able to make original ramen by your hand and enjoy its deliciousness. You will do... -Making Noodles -Draining Noodles -Mixing the Soup -Roasting Chicken Vegetarian, Vegan courses are also available. We are Halal-certified as well; therefore, all Muslims are welcomed!

If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, receive a cultural introduction to the country during a tea ceremony in traditional kimonos. During the ceremony, learn about Japanese history and sample matcha green tea, a local specialty. Plus, wearing a traditional kimono means you leave the experience with fantastic photographs to commemorate your time in Kyoto.

Combine Kyoto cuisine with Imperial history during this 1.5-hour cooking class. Led by a food-loving local, the class is set in one of Kyoto’s age-old wooden houses and includes the meal — after you’ve cooked it, of course. Choose to create an ‘obanzai’ vegetarian meal or a teriyaki chicken dish with soup and salad. This experience runs with just six people for an intimate and authentic experience.