Fun and Educational – Most Popular Sake Tasting Tour in Kyoto!
Fun and Educational – Most Popular Sake Tasting Tour in Kyoto!
We Are the Only Sake Tour Company Based in Kyoto’s Fushimi Sake District
We have been sharing our passion for sake since 2018. Our strong relationship with local breweries and insiders allows us to provide you with a deeper sake experience. Meet our local sake experts on the tour – we invite you to dive deep into the world of sake!
Through our expert-led tasting session you’ll get the chance to learn the unique characteristics of different varieties of sake and what food to pair it with. After joining Kyoto Insider Sake Experience, you will discover which type you most prefer and how to identify your favourites on menus and bottle labels. Joining our sake tour is surely a great introduction to your sake experience.
What Makes Our Sake Tour Unique
Private Sake Tasting Rooms
We have two sake tasting rooms dedicated to sake. Our tasting rooms are exclusive and inaccessible to the general public, allowing for tastings that focus on the subtle aromas and flavours of sake.
Certified Sake Experts
Because our tours are led exclusively by certified sake experts, we are able to answer your questions, find your sake preferences, and guide you deeper into the world of sake.
Fun and Educational
The entire tour is designed to be both entertaining and educational, with visual information and actual sake-related materials used throughout the tour. After the experience, guests can purchase their favourite bottles on the spot.
Take a tour with us and you will: -Discover the history of sake and the Fushimi Sake District of Kyoto whilst touring a traditional brewery/museum
-Come to understand the differences in flavour and smell and how these are produced. You’ll focus on the secret methods of sake brewing which have been passed down for generations
-Get the chance to compare the differences between Western wine and beer production and sake brewing, to understand what makes the sake brewing process so unique
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. You will also discover which type you most prefer and how to identify your favourites on menus and bottle labels
Our expert will help you notice the difference in taste between ‘junmai’ sake (which has no added alcohol or sugar) and alcohol-added sake. We’ll also explain the effects of rice-polishing on the aroma and flavour
Pure rice sake, refined sake, cloudy sake, aged sake – we’ll help you discover the distinguishing characteristics of each type.
Food Pairing
Discover the way the taste of sake can completely change when paired with different dishes. We hope that the food pairing section of our tour will also allow you to find out a little about Japan’s food culture, as well as sake.
Reviews by Our Guests
Amazing experience - Our experience on this tour was amazing, we were assigned very knowledgeable tour guides, Mayo and Mai and they were exceptional! They made us feel welcome and answered any questions... read more we had. The sake tasting and food pairing was incredible and we now have a great understanding of sake and what our favourite types are. I recommend this experience to everyone, even if you don't love Japanese sake.
Molly S 2025-08-25
Sake museum - It was great, very informative, the right amount of sake was provided for tasting. I would definitely recommend. It. I learned a lot about sake.
Julian C 2025-08-25
Nihon Shu Love! - Absolutely fantastic! A worthwhile experience that connects you into the world of sake (Nihon shu) and it's role within Japanese culture. It was a highlight of our Japan trip and... read more really helped us know what to look for in restaurants. You're in for a real treat as you learn from a true local about the art of making Sake while drinking with new friends from around the world. 😁
Elijah H 2025-08-24
A great experience - A great, informative experience. We learned so much about sake and tasted 7 different types with delicious snacks! Feel very confident about buying the right sake going forward.
ciera m 2025-08-22
Fine sake, learning, and fub - Best experience ever. Kotaro and Kyoko were very knowledgeable. They answered all of our questions and more. The experience was well worth it. And I hope more people can share... read more this experience.
Daisha T 2025-08-22
Fun and educational! - This tour was incredibly informative and a lot of fun! We learned so much about sake that we are continually educating our friends and families about it because of this... read more tour. I recommend doing this early on in the trip so that you can enjoy sake more the rest of your time in Japan!
JGF415 2025-08-20
Great way to learn and get a buzz - It was long but very informative and delicious. Good way to know how to pair sakes and foood and to learn about all the different types
Ana Isabel D 2025-08-17
Sake tour did not disappoint. Fun with Momo & Miyuki - This was a fantastic tour. Momo & Miyuki were so knowledgeable, and we learned so much about sake, how it is made, the traditions, culture and food parings. ... read more We really enjoyed our time and these two ladies made the experience so enjoyable. You will not be disappointed!
Natalie M 2025-08-11
What a great time with Mayo at the Kyoto Insider Sake Experience! Amazing sake nihonshu education! - Mayo was an amazing host/educator! We learned so much about sake nihonshu. After a comprehensive tasting with and without food, we can now confidently choose a bottle of... read more the sake nihonshu we prefer. Don't leave Kyoto without visiting the Kyoto Insider Sake Experience!
Cre8tive 2025-08-10
Casie Wooten
2025-08-21
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We did a tour of the Sake Museum along with the sake tasting. The tour of the museum was very interesting and informative which guided the tasting experience especially as someone that knew virtually nothing about sake. The tasting was absolutely fantastic. The first round of tasting was with the sake alone and the second round of tasting was with the sake and food pairing. Super interesting and delicious! The sommeliers/guides were absolutely wonderful and so kind. Totally recommend this experience!
Alexander Lyne
2025-08-14
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
My wife and I knew very little about sake before this and came away feeling much more confident about ordering in restaurants or choosing bottles from stores. We learnt about the different types of sake, discovered which our preferred types were and learnt how to read bottles to know what to look for. The tasting also came with a few nibbles to try and it was interesting to understand how different sakes pair better with different foods.
Natalie Manning
2025-08-11
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
This was a fantastic tour. Momo & Miyuki were so knowledgeable, and we learned so much about sake, how it is made, the traditions, culture and food parings. We really enjoyed our time and these two ladies made the experience so enjoyable. You will not be disappointed!
Michael Menninger
2025-08-11
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
My tour guides/sake sommeliers were excellent. I learned a lot about sake and had the chance to try many varieties. Highly recommend!
Charlie
2025-08-11
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Fantastic sake experience. Learned a lot.
David Newell
2025-08-11
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
A packed 3 hours during which we enjoyed tasting about 12 different sakes and learned a huge amount not only about the production of sake but also the different characteristics of different sake and what to look out for on the label and which foods to pair with.
Both the sommelier and the guide were excellent and it was a thoroughly enjoyable and valuable experience.
Michael Ellenhorn
2025-08-11
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Amazing tasting/class with Mayo at the Kyoto
Insider Sake Experience! Don't leave Kyoto without a visit!
Callum Hunter
2025-08-10
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Mayo was amazing. We went along thinking it would just be a tasting, but it was so much more. We learned so much about sake and even lots about how to order it and find your favourite sake in Japan. Mayo was very engaging and funny, would recommend to anyone that likes alcohol or even just wants to learn and experience local culture.
Elia M. Carrillo-Batalla
2025-08-09
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Excellent experience. Perfect English speaking teacher.
Federico Micilotta
2025-08-08
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Esperienza fantastica, sommelier estremamente competente e chiara nelle spiegazioni.
Consigliatissimo !
Online Sake Classes are designed to meet the interests of all sake lovers, whether you are a sake beginner, a sake enthusiast or a wine, beer or whisky lover. We invite you to explore the deep world of sake through our online sake classes. We hope that sake fans all over the world will discover the way to enjoy great sake!
Amazing experience - Our experience on this tour was amazing, we were assigned very knowledgeable tour guides, Mayo and Mai and they were exceptional! They made us feel welcome and answered any questions... read more 
