Kyoto Sake Tasting & Brewery Tour That Changes How You Understand Sake
Your Japan Trip Gets Better Once You Truly Enjoy Japanese Sake
The Only Sake Tour Specialist Based in Kyoto’s Fushimi Sake District
Based in Fushimi—Kyoto’s historic sake-brewing district—we work closely with local breweries and industry insiders to offer an experience you won’t find elsewhere.
Led by local sake experts, our tours go beyond tasting. Through guided tastings and food pairing, you’ll learn how to identify flavors, understand labels, and confidently choose sake that suits your palate—in ways that stay with you long after the experience.
Sake is way deeper than most people ever discover — the rice, polished down a lot or hardly polished at all, the water, and how it’s brewed. Understanding it takes more than a quick explanation. It takes real depth.
That’s why our guides don’t just lead a sake tour now and then. Sake is what they focus on, study, and pursue — International Sake Sommeliers and certified sake professionals. A guide who visits a brewery once in a while can share facts. Ours can help you understand.
A Fun, Insider Sake Experience in Kyoto
This experience is both enjoyable and insightful. You’ll taste, compare, and explore different styles of sake—guided step by step—so by the end, you naturally know what you enjoy and how to choose sake with confidence.
A Quiet, Private Space to Explore Sake
Our tastings take place in quiet, private rooms designed for conversation and discovery, where you can slow down, ask questions, and truly enjoy the experience.
Meet Our Certified Sake Experts
Certification is just the starting line. All of our guides are certified. But we don’t stop there. We train together every month through tastings. Every year, we travel across Japan to meet the kuramoto and toji who make the sake, and learn directly from them. Some of our guides have even brewed sake themselves. Because sake is far deeper than any textbook. This is what makes a KISE guide different.
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
Informative and delicious! – Highly recommend this tour if you’re even remotely interested in sake (or wine in general). I learned so much about how the process of making sake highly influences the final… read more taste, which is VERY different from wine-making! I didn’t expect sake to be able to taste strongly of different fruits just from changes in the processing (no fruit additives)! The tasting/food pairing was a great way to experience those differences firsthand. Honestly after this tour I’m convinced more people wordwide need to get on board with sake, especially if you’re a wine person, because it’s such a versatile drink. Our sake sommelier Kotaro-san was an incredible host and extremely knowledgeable. If I’m ever back in Kyoto I’ll definitely be going back here for the advanced tasting tour!
Lauren L 2026-09-05
Great experience – A great tour/experience. Our guide, Kyoko was fantastic. Her English is fluent so she was able to fully explain all the nuances of the many different options with sake.… read more I highly recommend doing this tour.
John B 2026-09-04
A Fantastic and Informative Sake Experience in Kyoto! 🍶 – A fantastic sake experience in Kyoto!
I really enjoyed this experience. The guide was excellent and created a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Everything was explained through interesting stories in… read more a very clear and easy-to-understand way. We also had a very nice group, which made the sake tasting even more enjoyable. I learned much more than I expected about sake—its history, how it is made, the different types, how to taste and appreciate it, and especially how different sakes pair with different foods. I can now share a lot of interesting information about sake with my friends. Highly recommended!
Emeliane K 2026-09-04
Sake Tasting Beginners – Loved it!!! Kiyomi explained everything clearely & passionately was a perfect experience!
Matthias F 2026-08-31
Great attraction in Kyoto – I went with my husband and adult daughter and we had the best time. The guide, Mayo, was so nice and funny and explained the Sake process so well. I… read more would highly recommend this attraction. One of the highlights of our trip.
Seaside314848 2026-08-30
Sake wonderful tour – Very educational and informative, learn so much about sake
Erika T 2026-08-25
I have become more knowledgable about sake! – I had such a great time attending the sake class. Before the class, I only knew what sake taste like. After the class, I now have a much better appreciation… read more of how sake is made and the many different kinds of sake I can get in the store and how they will taste. I gain so much knowledge by this class. Next time I am in Kyoto, I will definitely attend the advanced class to continue the learning.
HohoSummit_NJ_USA 2026-08-20
A must for anyone who wants to learn about and try sakes! – My husband and I absolutely LOVED this experience! Kotaro, our sake tasting guide (who was assisted by Mitch), was so knowledgeable. He led us through a tasting of more than… read more 10 sakes, and along the way taught us so much about sake’s history; how variations in the production process and ingredients impact the taste; how to read sake bottles so we can choose ones we most enjoy; and ideas for how to pair different sakes with different foods. We have so much insight to take with us to purchase sake or order it at restaurants, or to purchase bottles for ourselves or others. This was far better than many wine tastings we have done (and we have done a lot!). Thanks, Kotaro!
Anne F 2026-08-12
Excellent sake tasting class! – I loved this class! Such wonderful information, the sake and food together were delicious, and the whole experience was very personal. I have an even greater appreciation for… read more sake now, and know a lot more about it. One of my trip highlights!
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!
A sake tasting and brewery tour that changes how you understand sake. In Kyoto’s Fushimi Sake District, learn directly from certified sake experts, compare different styles, and discover how to choose sake with confidence.
What makes this experience unique?
Unlike simple tastings, this is a guided educational journey. You’ll learn from local sake professionals who explain brewing techniques, regional differences, and pairing secrets — all in a friendly, hands-on way. Many guests say they leave feeling confident about ordering sake anywhere in Japan.
Where does the Kyoto Insider Sake Experience take place?
All experiences are held in Kyoto’s Fushimi Sake District, an area famous for its water and historic breweries. The district is about 15–20 minutes by train from central Kyoto.
Do you offer corporate or team-building experiences?
Yes! We provide private sake experiences for corporate groups, incentive trips, and team-building events.
Informative and delicious! – Highly recommend this tour if you’re even remotely interested in sake (or wine in general). I learned so much about how the process of making sake highly influences the final… read more taste, which is VERY different from wine-making! I didn’t expect sake to be able to taste strongly of different fruits just from changes in the processing (no fruit additives)! The tasting/food pairing was a great way to experience those differences firsthand. Honestly after this tour I’m convinced more people wordwide need to get on board with sake, especially if you’re a wine person, because it’s such a versatile drink. Our sake sommelier Kotaro-san was an incredible host and extremely knowledgeable. If I’m ever back in Kyoto I’ll definitely be going back here for the advanced tasting tour! 
Lauren L
John B
Emeliane K
Matthias F
Seaside314848
Erika T
HohoSummit_NJ_USA
Anne F
Lori S
