Sake in Tokyo: The 15 Best Tastings, Bars and Brewery Days

Best of Shinjuku: Izakaya Food Tour (4 Stops, 14+ Tastings) - Kabukicho adds street life and another local stop

★★★★★★★★★★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.”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

2.Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,794 reviews · 3 hours · from $34

Join an English-speaking local guide such as Nao, Naoya, or Toshi for three hours through Shinjuku’s drinking districts. Visit Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai, pay venue fees upfront, then buy your own food and drinks with cash. Karaoke closes the evening.

“Had a blast! great fun for my 1at night in Tokyo and. As a solo traveller I felt welcomed and included. The group size was not too big so I could really get to know everyone. Our guide was fun and informative.”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour

3.Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 890 reviews · from $39

Join an English-speaking guide such as Rika, Nao, Ken, or Yoshi for a three-hour walk through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai. You will visit small izakaya and bars, order with local help, meet other visitors, and may finish with sake tasting or karaoke. Food and drinks cost extra.

“It was very difficult to find the starting point and the guide. He had no sign. The group was too large to hear what he was telling us. We lost some of the group because too large. Also we didn’t realize we would be sitting down at each spot. We expected a quick stock try a local drink then move on.”

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Shibuya: Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl

4.Shibuya: Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 354 reviews · 3 hours · from $29Best value

Meet your English-speaking guide at Mizuho Bank in Shibuya, then walk to three local bars and izakayas. Expect Japanese food, sake tasting, conversation, and often karaoke. Guides such as Tomomi, Kento, Shota, Miyabi, and Yuna shape the evening around the group.

“booked this tour super last minute due to a change in plans. So glad I did! Shogo was an amazing guide and spoke perfect English. We started off with food and drink in one izakaya and then moved onto a sake bar before ending at karaoke. Our group gelled so well and we had so much fun together that a few of us even went to a club together after! Hghly highly recommend this tour - ask for Shogo you won't regret it”

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Ramen and Sushi Cooking Class with Sake Pairing Set in Tokyo

5.Ramen and Sushi Cooking Class with Sake Pairing Set in Tokyo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 291 reviews · from $79

At Sushi Making Tokyo in Tsukishima, Sato, Alex, Kaori, Taka, or another class leader guides you through sushi, ramen broth, and sake pairing. The three-hour class includes ingredients, drinks, and your meal, with a maximum of eight people and a river-facing setting.

“An excellent experience. We’ve never done anything like this before but our hosts made us feel immediately at ease. Informative and laid back - they took us from being sous-chefs to sushi masters within a couple of hours. The ramen was less hands on though more customisable - both tasted great. Some good sake choices too.”

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Sake Tasting Masterclass in Shinjuku (8+ Varieties with a Pro)

6.Sake Tasting Masterclass in Shinjuku (8+ Varieties with a Pro)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 271 reviews · from $72

Meet a sake sommelier in Shinjuku for a two-hour tasting of at least six varieties, often closer to nine or ten, with snacks and food-pairing tips. Guides such as Max, Joe, Tadashi, Andrea, and Megan explain brewing, labels, and ordering in a group capped at eight.

“This is a very fun way to learn about sake and make new friends. The host told us all you could ever want to know about sake . Very highly recommended!!”

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Tokyo Washoku 4-hour Cooking Class: From Market to Table

7.Tokyo Washoku 4-hour Cooking Class: From Market to Table

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 253 reviews · from $79

Start near Iriya Station with a supermarket visit led by a local guide such as April, Yuri, or Alice. Choose Japanese ingredients, then cook makisushi, miso soup, dashimaki tamago, and nasu dengaku in a small-group studio. Recipes go home with you, and sake or beer may join the meal.

“Nigiri was a very good teacher. She was happy to share her knowledge of cooking ingredients. I got to do a lot of hands on cooking and the recipes were tasty and not complicated. I am looking forward to trying them at home.”

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Sake Omakase in Tokyo: Guided Tasting by Certified Sommeliers

8.Sake Omakase in Tokyo: Guided Tasting by Certified Sommeliers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · from $79

At Sake Studio in central Tokyo, certified sommeliers such as Eric, Aaron, Frank, and Phillip guide you through seven Japan-exclusive sakes across four themed courses. Compare rice styles, temperatures, infusions, and glassware while enjoying pickles, cheese, cured meats, and dessert in a group of six.

“Wonderful - highly recommended. I wanted to understand more about saki and objective definitely achieved!”

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

9.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!”

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Tokyo: Shibuya Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour

10.Tokyo: Shibuya Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 218 reviews · from $39

Meet your English-speaking guide at 8 p.m. near Shibuya Station for a three-hour walk through Shibuya Crossing, Miyashita Park, and Center-gai. Expect local bars, izakaya dishes, sake, and possibly karaoke. Guides such as Kota, Ken, Riku, Sora, and Momoko are often praised for energy and personal help.

“Kota was an incredible guide! He was really energetic and kept the mood of the tour high from minute one. He was definitely the best tour guide we've had in Tokyo. He was also really knowledgeable about everything we did and & gave some awesome travel tips for the area afterward. Definitely book this tour when you're in Tokyo!”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar Hopping Walking Tour

11.Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar Hopping Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · from $118

Join a local guide such as Haru or Yo for three hours of Shinjuku food and nightlife. Visit izakayas near Omoide Yokocho and Kabukicho, then finish with four sake tastings in Nishishinjuku. Dinner, drinks, and a small group are included.

“We really enjoyed this tour - Haru took us to some great pubs we wouldn’t have otherwise found, in a neighborhood that we found to be confusing to navigate on our own.”

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Tasting All Types of Sake with Sommelier

12.Tasting All Types of Sake with Sommelier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · from $62

Meet Aki near Shinjuku San-chome at 4 pm for a 90-minute introduction to Japanese sake. You will taste six to seven styles, including sparkling, sweet, dry, hot, pasteurized, and unpasteurized sake, then learn how to read labels, choose bottles, and pair sake with food. The tasting takes place near Louis Vuitton Shinjuku.

“This was so fun and I learned a lot about sake! Aki was very friendly and knowledgeable throughout the whole experience. He was able to make conversation while easily explaining the sake process and types. He introduced us to sparkling sake, pasteurized, unpasteurized, and much more! Overall, I would highly recommend booking when you start your trip (if you’re over the jet lag) so you can know what to order in restaurants or buy in store. The experience is in the heart of Shinjuku, so you can shop before or afterwards! Highly recommend this experience!”

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[1 Group Only] Tokyo Shinjuku Food Tour for Family

13.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!!”

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Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Bar Hopping Tour

14.Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Bar Hopping Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 147 reviews · from $99

Spend about two hours eating and drinking through Shinjuku with a small group of up to eight. Expect yakitori, sake, whisky, fish, vegetables, three alcoholic drinks, and 6 to 8 food items, with guides such as Hiro, Ryota, Tak, and Tetsu leading the way. Golden Gai may be customized.

“I had an amazing time with my tour guide ChiChi, she showed me many parts of Shinjuku and made sure we were all comfortable the whole time. I'd highly recommend to tour guide and tour.”

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Tokyo The Izakaya tour

15.Tokyo The Izakaya tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 131 reviews · from $198

Meet your guide at Shake Shack Ebisu for a three-hour evening of yakitori, fish dishes, alleyway izakaya food, drinks, and Japanese dessert. Your guide, possibly Fuyu, translates menus and conversations while leading you through three local-style pubs. Food is generous, but vegans and people with serious allergies should choose carefully.