Matcha Grinding Experience and Walking Tour in Uji Kyoto
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Step into the Matcha capital, Uji, and experience the heart of Japan's finest green tea. Walking through the famous Byodo-in temple, known for its appearance on the 10-yen coin, you will grind tea leaves into matcha powder and drink your fresh matcha tea. A must-try experience for matcha lovers!
⚠️ Prior to the tour, please ensure that WhatsApp is available for easy communication. Our tour guide will use these platforms to contact you.
⚠️ Please wear a mask during the Matcha making workshop.
✅ English Guided Tour – Explore Uji City with our friendly and knowledgeable guide.
✅ Hands-on Matcha Experience – Grind your own matcha powder using a traditional stone mill, then enjoy your freshly made tea with your choice of Japanese sweets or matcha ice cream.
✅ Visit Byodo-in Temple – A UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its stunning architecture featured on the 10-yen coin.
✅ Learn the History of Uji Tea – Discover why Uji is known as Japan’s top region for high-quality green tea.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Experience the capital of Matcha, Uji Kyoto! Immerse yourself into the heart of Uji’s tea culture with a stone grinding matcha-making workshop. Step into history as we explore the iconic Byodo-in Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dive into the heart of Uji’s tea culture with a stone grinding matcha-making workshop.
What‘s Included
Matcha Making Class
Admission Fee: Byodo-in Temple
Japanese Snacks or Ice Cream
Hotel Pick-Up
Options
Matcha Grinding Experience and Walking Tour in Uji Kyoto
Reviews
23 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
History, Tea, and a Wonderful Guide!
Daydream01199028943,,Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a wonderful day I had in Uji with Eri!! She had so much history of Uji to share, and as a "semi"-Japan history buff, I found it all intriguing!! Her knowledge about the different types of tea and how they are processed was also amazing!! Matcha grinding session was just icing on the cake. . ending one of my best days in Japan.
Such wonderful memories...
kwongkathy,,Nov 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We went on the Matcha Grinding Experience & Walking Tour in Uji with Vincent and couldn’t have asked for a better time. Vincent was very friendly and we enjoyed spending time with him. He explained everything that we saw, even better than the guides at the matcha grinding experience, and it helped us so much in understanding what we were seeing. It was so interesting hearing Vincent’s stories about day to day life in Japan and comparing it with our daily lives in America. I feel like we learned a lot about Japan from him. Lastly, I walk with a cane and Vincent was so accommodating to my needs, slowing down the pace when i needed it, finding elevators for me rather than climbing stairs and even offering to carry my bag for me. All of this was so appreciated! Thank you, Vincent, for showing us such a wonderful day in Japan!
Perfect way to experience Uji
Cody C,,Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My brother and I had a great time exploring Uji with our guide Vincent. He showed us the most beautiful and historic spots around Uji, and also shared so much fascinating background about the history of Japan, matcha, and tea culture. You can tell he really knows his stuff and he explained everything in such an engaging and easy to understand way. The highlight of the tour was the hands-on experience of grinding our own matcha powder. Learning how it’s made really made me appreciate matcha on a whole new level. Vincent made the whole day feel personal and relaxed, taking time to answer our questions and giving us time to explore some of the areas around Uji. If you happen to be in the area and love tea, Japanese culture, or just want a meaningful experience outside the usual tourist hot-spots, I can’t recommend this tour enough. Thank you, Vincent, for an unforgettable day in Uji!
Uji Tour & Matcha Workshop
I2529BPclareb,,Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We absolutely loved our tour of Uji with Vincent and Eri. We were the only couple on the tour, which gave us a beautifully personal experience. As well as teaching us about the history of the Uji area and visiting historical landmarks, we got to do the matcha making workshop which was so fun and informative (and tasty!) We asked many questions about Japanese history and life in Japan, and Vincent and Eri answered our questions knowledgeably and really catered to our interests. It was such a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone who likes matcha and Japanese history!
Uji Tour & Matcha Grinding Experience
O1980ZVchristinah,,Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Vincent and Eri were very knowledgeable and sweet! It was just me and my other friend for the tour, so it was essentially a private tour! They met us very promptly at 9:15am and took us around Uji and all the best spots to buy matcha until 2pm. We were able to try the different matcha delicacies (matcha soba, matcha ice cream, etc). They brought us to several shrines/temples and translated the Japanese fortunes and conversations with the locals for us. Eri and Vincent also brought us into the matcha grinding experience and Eri stayed with us to translate the entire time. There is a lot of walking overall to be prepared to climb stairs and walk over 10k steps. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I highly recommend this tour!
Fun walking tour of Uji
melanys207,,Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My tour guides were Vincent and Eri, they were amazing guides around Uji. They showed us the best spots to eat matcha ice cream, matcha soba, etc. Vincent explained how to enter shrines and even helped translate our fortune papers for us. Eri was with us for matcha grinding experience, she gave us an explanation of how different tea is produced and helped translate what the matcha grinder workers were saying. Highly recommend both of them as tour guides around Uji :)
Great Uji Experience!
zhilas2016,,Oct 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great experience with Vincent! The tour ended up being a private tour which allowed us to go with the flow a bit more. He was great in showing us several temples and shrines, and talked us through the matcha making experience. We would definitely recommend it!
Great Uji experience
Zhila S,,Oct 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great experience with Vincent! The tour ended up being a private tour which allowed us to go with the flow a bit more. He was great in showing us several temples and shrines, and talked us through the matcha making experience. We would definitely recommend it!
Uji will undoubtably be very popular in the coming years, so I suggest if you have the opportunity to visit, go now!
Dale C,,Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I got lucky because I was the only person to tour of Uji that day. This meant that my tour guide, Vincent, was able to give me a more personal tour of Uji. I had the opportunity to really pick his brain about the history of not just Matcha but of Uji itself and how it came to be so famous for its Matcha. He was more than happy to share his knowledge. Getting to learn the process of making matcha and the history behind it was a real treat. I would say this tour was definitely a highlight of my Japan trip! 10/10 highly recommend.
Highly recommend!
ericbH9858JT,,Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Vincent was an amazing tour guide! His English was absolutely amazing and it was awesome to learn a lot about Japanese culture, Buddhism, Uji, and matcha. I highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to the Kyoto area.
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Operated by Tomodachi Tours