Japan Sake Tours: the 15 Best Brewery Visits & Tastings

1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano - Zenko-ji Temple, Nagano’s spiritual heart

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,020 reviews · from $151Our pick

Review of Nagano’s Zenko-ji, sake tasting, lunch, and Jigokudani snow monkeys, with practical tips on timing, winter conditions, and value.

“Was an amazing tour. Shawn and Yama, our guides, were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and patient with the large group. The only suggestion I would offer is maybe including a pin drop for the pick up location for those of us who don't know the area but otherwise an incredible experience.”

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3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings

2.3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 917 reviews · from $84

Learn how sake is made, taste 10 styles with food pairings, and visit Kyoto’s Gekkeikan museum on this practical 3-hour tour.

“Great experience! You’re taught about the brewing process and even taught how to read the labels. After this, you are able to try over 10 different types of sake. I really feel like I will be able to order the type of sake I prefer now! Thank you so much Miyuki!”

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Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

3.Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 833 reviews · 8 - 12 hours · from $135

See Nagano’s Zenkoji Temple, taste local sake, enjoy lunch, and walk to the famous snow monkeys on this full-day guided trip.

“Fantastic day! Very informative and a wonderful way to see different parts of Nagano!”

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Kyoto: Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

4.Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 704 reviews · 3 hours · from $87

Learn sake brewing, compare 10-plus styles, and pair them with Japanese snacks on a practical three-hour Kyoto tasting tour.

“Wonderful tour. Maybe a third of the tour is about sake making process, the rest is about tasting. I had very little experience with sake/nihonshou and it was wonderful to get to taste such a wide sample and learn what kind of sake I like and why. I highly recommend the tour.”

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1.5-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Experience with 7 Tastings & Pairings

5.1.5-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Experience with 7 Tastings & Pairings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 297 reviews · from $68

Taste seven Kyoto sakes with a certified sommelier, Japanese snack pairings, and practical tips for choosing sake in Japan.

“Mayo was a wonderful guide to all things sake. The food pairings were a fun way to expand your pallet and give life to the sake. It's a great way to learn more about the art of making sake. The goal was to understand your taste preferences and how to buy sake was achieved. Mayo made this a personal experience that kept the guests engaged and at ease as guests from different groups mixed.”

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Ramen and Sushi Cooking Class with Sake Pairing Set in Tokyo

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

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

Learn sushi, ramen, and sake in a small Tokyo class with personal instruction, quality ingredients, river views, and a relaxed three-hour format.

“This was such an amazing experience! I loved every minute of it & Kaori was such a great host! Thank to her and the rest of the team for a memorable experience.”

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

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

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

Learn sake brewing, labels, flavors, and food pairings while tasting 6-plus varieties with a sommelier in Shinjuku.

“Max from Ninja Food Tours was INCREDIBLE! He is so passionate and knowledgeable about sake and also incredibly personable and entertaining. My husband and I had the best time learning about the history of sake and tasting a few of Max’s favorites. If you book this tour, youMUST request Max for a truly incredible and memorable experience.”

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Kyoto: Insider Sake Experience with 7 Tastings and Snacks

8.Insider Sake Experience with 7 Tastings and Snacks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 266 reviews · 1h 30m · from $66

Learn how sake is made, taste seven styles with Japanese snacks, and gain the confidence to read labels and order sake in Kyoto.

“I loved this Sake experience in Kyoto! Our host, Kotaro, was so knowledgable and friendly - I learned so much. We had 7 generous sized Sake tastings and some food pairings, and we got a cheat sheet with info to help select a Sake from a menu. It's a really nice warm intimate space. I highly recommend this super fun experience!”

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Sake Omakase in Tokyo: Guided Tasting by Certified Sommeliers

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

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

Explore seven Japan-only sakes, four food pairings, and expert guidance in a small Tokyo tasting room for $79.52.

“It was an intimate experience with an opportunity to try 7 plus different sakes and learn more about sake in general.”

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Private Tea Ceremony and Sake Tasting in Kyoto Samurai House

10.Private Tea Ceremony and Sake Tasting in Kyoto Samurai House

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 163 reviews · from $99

Review of Kyoto’s private tea ceremony in a 300-year-old samurai house, with Uji matcha, kimono photos, sake or whisky tasting.

“Wonderful, very personalized tea ceremony in a historic family home. We also had a sake and whiskey tasting. I cannot say enough good things about this experience. Highlight of Kyoto. They also gave us beautiful gifts that we will treasure forever.”

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Casual Japanese SAKE tasting and snack experience in Kabukicho

11.Casual Japanese SAKE tasting and snack experience in Kabukicho

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 159 reviews · from $39Best value

Taste eight Japanese sakes with snacks in a small Kabukicho bar, learning about flavors, temperatures, pairings, and amazake.

“We came to hope to learn more about sake. Indeed, we had 8 sakes and our host (not a Japanese) was nice, but we didn’t learn as much as we were expecting and wishing for. Very little sake-related information came out of each degustation. In addition, we didn’t enjoy the place and the snacks at all.”

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Osaka Sake Tasting with Takoyaki Cooking

12.Osaka Sake Tasting with Takoyaki Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 156 reviews · 2 hours · from $70

Make takoyaki, taste 10-plus sakes, and learn Japanese brewing from sommelier Momo near Osaka Namba.

“This was one of the best activities my partner I did in Japan. Momo was such a great guide and taught us so much not only about sake and cooking but also answered all the questions we had about life in Japan. It was great to have a guide and cooking class to ourselves and it was worth every penny! We were given so much sake and food we couldn’t even finish it all. She then suggested bars close bar that we could head to after that only the locals know about.”

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KOBE Sake Tasting Tour at Breweries (tasting fee included)

13.KOBE Sake Tasting Tour at Breweries (tasting fee included)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 154 reviews · from $109

Explore Kobe’s Nada sake district on a small-group walking tour with brewery visits, premium tastings, tofu, and expert English-speaking guides.

“We wanted to experience Sake off the beaten tourist track and our tour guide Aki delivered all that and more! We visited famous breweries, local breweries and sake museums. Aki was very knowledgeable and educated us on the different types of sake and how it was made. Wear your hiking shoes and bring an empty backpack because you are going to want to buy souvenirs.”

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Tasting All Types of Sake with Sommelier

14.Tasting All Types of Sake with Sommelier

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

Taste six to seven Japanese sakes with sommelier Aki in Shinjuku, learn labels and pairings, and try bottles rarely found outside Japan.

“Aki is a great host and definitely an expert on Sake. I learned a lot about all the different types of Sake and how it is brewed. I recommend this tour if you want to learn about sake and have a good time while doing it.”

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Osaka Sake Tasting & Takoyaki Cooking Experience

15.Osaka Sake Tasting & Takoyaki Cooking Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 149 reviews · from $72

Learn sake basics, taste seasonal varieties, and cook Osaka-style takoyaki with wagyu and cheese in a friendly two-hour class.

“Our takoyaki and sake experience was an absolute highlight of our trip to Osaka. Momo went out of her way to provide gluten-free takoyaki ingredients (we let her know in advance), and it was delicious. Momo was incredibly knowledgeable about sake, too. Thanks for a fantastic experience, Momo!”

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