Kyoto Sake Tasting & Brewery Tour That Changes How You Understand Sake
Your Japan Trip Gets Better Once You TrulyEnjoy Japanese Sake
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.
Our tours are led by International Sake Sommeliers and certified sake professionals who go beyond simply pouring sake. Through tasting and conversation, you’ll discover how sake really works—exploring flavors, brewing, and labels in a relaxed, approachable way.
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 learn directly from sake breweries. 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
Learned so much about sake!! – Momoko was incredibly knowledgeable and more importantly, such a great educator! We learned tons and this was our favorite experience in Japan so far.
Carmen J 2026-06-23
The staff were helpful & very pleasant. Enjoyed the pairings & options offered – Very informative & friendly sake tasting experience .
Danielle L 2026-06-23
Excellent sake tasting experience – Highly informative and fun. Would recommend to anyone who wants to understand the range of sake and a relaxed enjoyable environment.
Vanessa E 2026-06-20
Chika is an amazing Sake Sommelier Kikisake-shi! – Wow, what an incredible tour! I HIGHLY recommend my guide Chika, she is super fun, professional, knowledgeable and walked me through all the elements and history of sake! I got… read more to try sake that is NOT available outside of Japan! EVERYone please take this tour!
ladybugpv 2026-06-20
Sake insider – 10/10 would recommend kimiyo was very friendly and informative. Answered all our questions and made the experience so much fun
Adrian F 2026-06-19
Learn, Taste, and Enjoy: A Fantastic Sake Experience in Kyoto – I came with my brother and fiancé to this activity. We had a wonderful experience at Kyoto Insider’s sake (nihonshu) tasting in Kyoto. The session featured seven different sakes, each… read more thoughtfully paired with food, and what really set it apart was how educational it was without ever feeling overwhelming.
The food pairings were especially eye-opening. It was fascinating to see how dramatically both the sake and the flavors of the dishes changed when enjoyed together. At one point, the combination was so surprising and delicious that it genuinely left me speechless. I had to take a moment to process how completely the pairing transformed the taste of both the food and the sake.
We definitely came away with a much deeper appreciation of sake and a better understanding of how to choose what we like.
The instructor struck the perfect balance between informative and engaging, and the pacing was excellent throughout. As a lovely bonus, we were also given a special treat at the end.
Highly recommended for anyone visiting Kyoto, whether you’re completely new to sake or already a fan, you’ll leave with both great memories and valuable knowledge.
Will definitely come back for the 3-hour experience!
Sofi D 2026-06-16
Kanpei! – We met our tour guide, Chika, inside the entrance of the museum on a very warm day in Kyoto. Everyone was on time for the tour, so she started… read more right away, walking us through the historic museum, explaining the Gekkeikan family history and how the sake is made.
She explained the differences in types and quality of sakes, with the rice used, water, pasteurization and fermentation processes. Chika is very lively and funny, saying that Japan has a national mold called koji that’s used to make the sake, lol!
After the museum tour, she took us to a location where we sat at tables and sampled about 10 different sakes, with Chika explaining to us the properties of each sake. We also had a small food tasting with some of the sakes. She gave us sake info cards for our wallets, and emailed us a copy of her .pdf presentation for reference.
We learned so much about sake! I highly recommend this great tour. You will learn so much!
Lynda T 2026-05-30
Nihonshu ( sake) tasting. – What an excellent afternoon. So informative. Our guide, Kiyomi was wonderful and answered all our questions. I now have a way better understanding of how to choose my favourite… read more sake. Highly recommend
Andrew S 2026-05-30
Really fun insight into sake – Fabulous tour. Really helpful insight into the world of sake and all of its variety. Great to see around a beautiful sake museum and then taste so many different kinds… read more with a knowledgable guide to ensure we got the most out of the experience. Highly recommended
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.
Learned so much about sake!! – Momoko was incredibly knowledgeable and more importantly, such a great educator! We learned tons and this was our favorite experience in Japan so far. 
Carmen J
Danielle L
Vanessa E
