15 Sake and Food Experiences in Japan to Build an Evening Around

1.Best of Shinjuku: Izakaya Food Tour (4 Stops, 14+ Tastings)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,863 reviews · from $92Our pick

Join a local guide such as Taiga, Yusuke, Nobu, or Chi for 3.5 hours of food and walking through Shinjuku. You’ll visit four izakaya stops, try 14 or more tastings, enjoy three drinks, and pass through Kabukicho, Golden Gai, and Omoide Yokocho.

“Tiaga was a great host. Great mix of food and a walk around Shinjuku. Food was really tasty and met a nice group of people. Was recommended to us by friends.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Kyoto: Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 704 reviews · 3 hours · from $87

Meet an English-speaking sake expert at Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi. Explore the brewing process, then taste 10 or more sake styles in a dedicated room with otsumami pairings. Guides such as Kyoko, Miyuki, Momo, and Chika explain labels, serving temperatures, flavor, and food matches.

“Kyoko was an excellent tour guide. Not only was she extremely knowledgeable about all things sake, she was a very kind and funny tour guide. Learned so much about sake, its history, and what kind exactly that I would like. Definitely would recommend this tour if you’re interested in sake and its history.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Tokyo: The Best of Izakaya in Shinjuku Food & Cultural Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 221 reviews · 3 hours · from $129

Spend an evening with an English-speaking guide such as Joe, Max, Chizuru, or Ayaka, walking through Shinjuku before eating 14 or more Japanese dishes at local izakayas. Expect sashimi, chicken skewers, croquettes, sake, and enough food for dinner in a group of no more than 10.

“Sabian was a great and hilarious guide! highly recommend tour to anyone interested!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Osaka Street Food Tour for Family

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 208 reviews · from $66

Spend three hours with a private guide such as Ben, Bao, Mizuki, or Taro, exploring Shinsekai and Namba by foot. You’ll visit local eateries, try takoyaki and kushikatsu, enjoy one drink, and use your guide’s English translations to order beyond the tourist menu.

“Ben was amazing! We definitely visited places we would never have seen or experienced on our own. One of a kind.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Tokyo Shinjuku Food Tour for Family

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 147 reviews · from $66

Spend three private hours in Shinjuku with a local guide such as Yosuke, Akari, Ken, or Atsu. Make okonomiyaki and monja-yaki, sample yakitori, visit Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai, play arcade games, take Purikura photos, and add sake tasting for adults.

“An awesome insight into local secrets of Shinjuku. Great food and company. Rimu our tour guide was the very best!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Osaka Authentic Local Izakaya Hopping Experience: Food & Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 99 reviews · from $39Best value

Join English-speaking guide Tetsu for a three-hour walk through Namba, Dotonbori, and Ura-Namba. In a group of no more than three, you’ll visit three or four small izakayas, bars, or food stalls, try local dishes and drinks, and learn the unwritten rules of Osaka nightlife.

“I was traveling solo and am so happy I decided on this tour! Tetsu was so friendly and helpful. I even got to explore some less touristy neighborhoods and try many new dishes. Everything I tried was absolutely delicious! I loved meeting the frieRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Wagyu Beef and Sake Pairing Foodie Tour in Tokyo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · from $218

Meet your certified MagicalTrip guide at Shimbashi at 5 p.m. Learn about Japanese sake, sample 20-plus varieties, then grill all-you-can-eat Wagyu with two drinks before dessert and a Ginza night walk. Guides such as Ken, Kazu, and Fuji have led this small-group experience.

“Ken Take took us around to a few places. He did a great job explaining the historical significance of the sake and how it was made as well has how beef became part of Japanese cuisine. The food and drinks were all very good.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Izakaya Food Tour in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $111

Spend three hours with an English-speaking guide such as Masa or Robin, visiting family-run izakaya, backstreet bars, and a noodle shop in Nagano. You’ll eat at least five dishes, enjoy two drinks, hear local stories, and receive photos from the evening.

“Very tasty and memorable selection of dining experiences - one of our favorite food tours. Thank you so much Masa! A pleasure to meet you and we'll certainly reach out on future trips to the area.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Tokyo: 7 Kinds of Sake Tasting with Japanese Food Pairings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 37 reviews · 1h 15m · from $106

Meet an English-speaking sake instructor near Tokyo Tower for 75 minutes of guided tasting. You will sample seven styles, from sparkling to dessert sake, with seven food pairings. Instructors such as Tanaka-san and Taka-san explain production, serving, and sake’s place in Japanese culture.

“fantastic food and wonderful saké. Very good and informative guidance through different kind of saké. Dont miss!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Tokyo Ginza Authentic Food Tour (Izakaya Hopping by local guide)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $175

Join local guide Ryo at 5 p.m. for a three to four-hour food walk through Yurakucho and Ginza. You’ll visit three izakayas, taste 8 to 10 Japanese dishes, sample four drinks, and finish near Ginza Station. The group is limited to six people.

“After doing 4 food tours in Japan and counties around the world, I can say that this experience with Ryo was one of my favorite. Especially comparing to the ones that I did in Osaka and Kyoto - the quality of food shared during this tour throuRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.EXCLUSIVE Tokyo Secret: Kichijoji Small-Group Food & Bar Hopping

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $105

Meet Hibi near Kichijoji Station at 6 p.m. for a three-hour small-group crawl through Harmonica Yokocho and nearby local bars. Expect four or five tiny izakayas, six to seven food plates, stories about Japanese drinking customs, and plenty of chances to mingle with locals. Drinks cost extra.

“What a fantastic experience! Hibi took us to places we'd never venture to ourselves as they are super local and very tiny. We had lots of opportunities to interact with the locals (including some impromptu singing). Hibi is an enthusiastic guide who knows her way around the area. Such a fun and memorable evening!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Sake & Food Pairing with Sake Professional

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · 2h 30m · from $69

Spend 150 minutes at Ushinobi Sake Bar in Shinjuku tasting five sakes from across Japan with an English-speaking sake professional. You will compare styles, build a personal tasting chart, pair drinks with Japanese snacks, and get Tokyo tips from hosts such as Tadashi, Joe, Max, or Andrea.

“Max was a great host and very knowledgeable about sake. As others have said, eat before you go! There was plenty to drink 😄”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Kyoto: Foodie Night Tour in Gion with 9 dishes + 6 Sake

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 26 reviews · 3h 30m · from $361

Spend 210 minutes tasting Kyoto food and sake in Gion and Pontocho. Your English-speaking guide leads you to tucked-away restaurants for obanzai, oden, yuba, dessert, six Kyoto sake samples, and two drinks. Expect local atmosphere, walking, and uneven food quality between stops.

“Probably the best and the worse food I ever had on a GYG tour: first stop had an amazing dinner and second stop was quite bad”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Food & Sake Tour in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $230

Spend three private hours in Kyoto with Kenji, a certified international sake sommelier who worked at a Hyogo brewery. Visit two or three bars chosen around your tastes, from a machiya izakaya to a local standing bar, with sake, craft beer, and Japanese small dishes.

“We had a wonderful night drinking sake and enjoying delicious food with Kenji. He is an exceptional guide with a lot of knowledge about sake and Kyoto. This tour was the highlight of our visit to Kyoto. I highly recommend to anyone that wants an authentic experience with sake and food.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Takayama Local Cuisine, Food & Sake Cultural Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $154

Spend about six hours walking Takayama with a government-licensed English-speaking guide such as Mitsu or Yoko. Choose three or four sights and focus on food, sake, crafts, or local history, with morning markets, Sanmachi Suji, miso, and brewery visits available.

“We had a good time with Yoko. She met us promptly at 9AM at our hotel and tailored an itinerary according to our interests which is in a mix of food, culture, and arts and crafts. As a native Japanese, her english was quite good and we Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review