What‘s Included

What To Expect

Reviews

• Wonderful world of Sake

  B4430KNfranciscod,

  Nov 5, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Without a doubt, one of the best experiences of my trip to Japan. Momo and Kiyomi were excellent and charming hosts who, with profound knowledge, introduced us to the vast world of sake. It was a truly enriching experience to taste and pair various sakes with food, all with very detailed technical explanations – a perfect combination of flavor and specialized knowledge.

• Understanding the basics of Sake

  markluering,

  Oct 22, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I am a passionate Sake drinker. As I mentioned in my introduction at the tour, I say I drink a lot of Sake compared to friends and family around me. I even have a consistent stock of Sake at home with my wines, usually based on sake I have tasted in a restaurant or elsewhere and then purchased off the internet. I never really understood what gives the various sake their respective flavours, what to look out for when buying sake or what makes the price difference. Lastly which sake pairs best with which foods. After this tour under the guidance of very knowledgeable Kotaro, our guide, I feel totally enlightened and have a good idea what to look and go for when buying sake in future. You get taken through some sake history at the museum, where one gets an introduction into the basics of sake production, including rice polishing, the essential koji mould, yeast etc, which is brilliant to get an understanding of what makes the difference in taste and in price. Then you come to the "fun" part: the tasting and food pairing 😃 We tried a total of 11 different Sake giving you a full circle of the sake varitied and ranges. We even tasted a 12 year aged sake. These were also paired with various foods and flavours including sweets/desserts. The tour took about 3 hours and our group consisted of 12 guests and one guide. Our guide Kotaro was brilliant. If I have an opportunity I will be doing the "advanced tour". Definitely recommend doing this tour, not only for sake fans, but also those who enjoy having the occasional glass of wine!

• Excellent, knowledgeable tour followed by a very enjoyable tasting.

  Jordan H,

  Oct 21, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had a wonderful time, guided expertly around Gekkeikan Sake Brewery by Kyoko. We received a detailed history of the brewery, as well as a very knowledgeable explanation of the sake brewing process and it's unique Japanese quirks. Following the tour we enjoyed a preliminary tasting in the brewery itself, where we were able to try 日本酒 (Nihonshu) that is only available to taste or purchase directly on site. After the tour, we were then treated to a very professional tasting session where the different types of 日本酒 we're explained to us as we tasted, and eventually each was also paired with a variety of Japanese おつまみ, or drinking snacks. All in all, a phenomenal experience. きょうこさん、教えてくれてありがとうございました！

• Great way to spend an afternoon

  nichola n,

  Oct 21, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  The experience was excellent Momo our guide was so professional and insightful with her knowledge. She had a great personality and helped us get to understand Japanese Sake and how to identify the ones we liked. Great afternoon spent and learnt so much without it being formal. A fun and informative afternoon with lots of tasting

• A great afternoon and insight into sake

  jwroblewsk,

  Oct 21, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  What a great afternoon, the tour of the brewery with information about how sake is made through to a wonderful, tasting session. The tasting was incredibly well done, crossing referencing across types and then also comparing with food. This was incredibly professional and well done. Do I understand sake, no, but I certainly know a lot more now than I did before and am prepared to order on my own. The two guides we had were excellent.

• A wonderful journey learning about Sake in Kyoto

  294mitchn,

  Oct 21, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  It was amazing!!! The whole experience was enjoyable, very educational and Miyuki was so well prepared everything was Perfect!!! I highly recommend this and I am looking forward to her advanced Sake experience.

• So much fun! Thanks, Kyoko!

  Daniel T,

  Oct 21, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  I’m so glad that I joined this tour, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is visiting Kyoto with time to spare. Kyoko was an incredible guide, and she made the experience such a joy. We began with a tour of the Gekkeikan Okura Sake museum where we learned about the brewery’s history, sakes role in Japanese culture, and the general process of sake production from rice grain selection all the way to bottling. We then sampled a dozen types of sake (Nihonshu) with and without food pairings to identify personal preferences. I can now identify a few important kanji on sake bottles for better selection, and I also have an improved understanding of sake in general. I look forward to showing off to my friends back home with a sake charcuterie night! Thanks, Kyoko!

• very interesting.

  cloverato,

  Oct 19, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Very interesting. I have had a fair amount of sake, but really never understood what I was drinking. Interesting to see its history and how it is made. It is a lot like wine as we learned about pairings of different types of sake with different types of food. Very interesting. Mo Mo our guide was excellent.

• This was a family trip

  Dawn K,

  Oct 18, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Kyoko was an excellent guide. She is so knowledgeable about sake and did a wonderful job in pairing sake with food. We even bought a sake we really did not like on its own, but pairs really well with food. I highly recommend!

• Thoroughly enjoyable and informative experience for Sake lovers or those who are curious to try it

  adrianlR3694BF,

  Oct 17, 2025

  - Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We thoroughly enjoyed this experience - Kyoko was extremely knowledgeable and made learning about the different varieties of Sake fun and informative. Importantly, we came away with the learning we need to make informed choices from a Sake menu based on what our taste preferences are. The food pairing experience showed just how much the foods paired with Sake can change the flavour profile. This was a memorable part of our Japan itinerary and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys or wants to try Sake.