13 Walking Tours in Japan Worth Booking

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

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

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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2.Kyoto: Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 815 reviews · 3 hours · from $25

Spend three hours walking Kyoto’s Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi districts with an English-speaking local guide such as Moto, Taiga, Mia, or Lyou. Expect several izakaya and bar stops, sake tasting, local food, cultural tips, and an international small-group atmosphere. Food and drinks cost extra.

“Moto was an amazing tour guide! Took us to a really good izakaya and sake tasting bar. Ending the night in a karaoke. 100% would recommend”

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3.Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 623 reviews · from $98Top rated

Spend three hours in Fushimi, Kyoto’s sake district, learning how sake is made at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum before tasting up to 18 local varieties at a sake restaurant. Guides such as Matt, Rika, Kumi, and Yukari add history, tasting tips, and personal recommendations.

“Mat was very knowledgeable and super friendly. We appreciated how he explained the history and gave us recommendations of his favorites!”

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4.Osaka: Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 385 reviews · 3 hours · from $19Best value

Spend three hours walking from Dotonbori to Uranamba with an English-speaking local guide such as Taiga, Seina, Kosuke, or Naoko. Visit small izakayas and bars, try sake and local drinks, meet a group of about 5 to 10 people, and learn how Osaka’s nightlife works. Food and drinks cost extra.

“Had a wonderfull time touring the local Izakayas sampling some metcha oishi food and sake. Seina our guide for the tour was kind, informative and made the night a truely fun time. Thanks for the impromptu karaoke session to finish off the night! Okini!”

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5.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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6.Tsukiji: Outer Market Walking Tour & Sake Tasting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 81 reviews · 3 hours · from $70

Meet guides such as Kumi, Kyoko, Sarah, or Yuki at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple for prayer guidance and a food walk through the Outer Market. Then taste 50 to 60 sakes with a sommelier, plus snacks. Market food costs extra, and children receive tea, soft drinks, and snacks.

“What an awesome experience! Perfect blend of seeing the market and the temple and a local sake experience! Would recommend to any first time japan visitors”

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7.Kyoto: Gion Evening Walk with Hidden Gems, Geisha & Sake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · 1h 30m · from $32

Walk through lantern-lit Gion with an English-speaking local guide, stopping at Hanamikoji Street, Yasui Kompira-gū, Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka, and Yasaka Shrine. The small group is capped at 10, and local sake, photo help, and plain-English stories about Geiko and Maiko are included.

“he was a great guide and very friendly! we had a great tour and the sake was a nice touch”

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8.Kyoto: Gion Geisha District & Sake-in-Hand Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $27

Explore Gion and Higashiyama at night with a guide such as Shumpei or Mune. Walk narrow lanes, visit Yasaka Shrine, Yasaka Pagoda, and historic streets, and taste local sake along the way. The tour lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours and is limited to 10 people.

“Mune was a great tour guide who was very friendly and very informative about the area. The sake was also very good!”

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9.Nagano Sake Tasting Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $64

Walk from Nagano Station to Zenkoji Temple with an English-speaking guide such as Masa, Masashi, or Kazumi. Taste more than five local sakes, plum wine, three amazake drinks, miso soup, and Japanese snacks, then visit a 120-year-old former sake factory.

“We had a fantastic time. Our tour guide Kazumi was great. She was very knowledgable about sake. During the walking tour we also visited a pepper shop and a temple.”

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10.Private Tour: Tokyo’s Oldest Sake Brewery and Riverside Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $229

Meet Simon at Shinjuku and ride about 80 minutes to the Tama Valley. Walk beside the river, visit Ozawa Sake Brewery, sample several sakes with snacks, eat a traditional Japanese lunch, and stop at Kanzanji Temple. This private tour is for adults 20 and older.

“10/10 highly recommended. i came to this tour with my friends, had a lot of fun. The short treck to the brewery was particularly memorable. the sake was great as well as the company i was with while drinking.”

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11.Nagano Sake Tasting Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 2 hours · from $63

Meet your English-speaking guide at Starbucks in MIDORI Nagano for a two-hour walk to Zenkoji Temple, a 300-year-old brewery, and an unused 120-year-old sake factory. Taste at least five sakes, three amazake drinks, miso soup, soy sauce beans, and pickles. Guides may include Masa or Marcel.

“Our guide was very nice and told us a lot about Nagano and sake production. We really appreciated the time we spent with her and her expertise.”

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12.Nara – Craft Beer, Sake, and Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · 3h 30m · from $96

Walk Naramachi with an English or French-speaking guide, watching mochi pounding, tasting persimmon-leaf sushi, sampling up to five sakes, drinking local craft beer, and finishing with ramen and traditional sushi. Guides such as Melody and Remy have led this 3.5-hour food tour.

“Really good tour with great food, sake & beer, very friendly guide”

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13.1-Day Walking Tour around Kobe : Mountains, Sea and Sake

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 6 reviews · 1 day · from $136

Start at Shin-Kobe Station with a ropeway ride to Nunobiki Herb Gardens, then walk through Kitano, Ikuta Shrine, Chinatown, and Kobe Harborland. Finish in Nada-Gogo with a sake tasting. English-speaking guides such as Winki add local help, but expect a long day on foot.

“The description of the Tour was very misleading. It should be clearly started that it is an extensivecwalking Tour. The Guide was ok but not really 100% familiär with what he was doing. However also very hrlpful in calling a Taxi for my husband who was really not fit for a 20000 dies tour”

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