Japan · DRINKING TOURS
This is the shortlist to send a friend: 15 drinking tours worth the yen, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Shinjuku’s hidden izakaya alleys, three classic stops, all-you-can-drink style plus snacks. Small group, local guidance, and photos.
“Great way to see Shinjuku at night! Icchan was knowledgeable, funny, and gave a lot of context about the neighborhood.”
Neon Shinjuku izakaya crawl with 14+ tastings, 3 drinks, and a small group. Walk Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho.
“What a fabulous experience! Hawaii Joe was a great guide and the food at all the establishments we visited was amazing. The walking tour was fascinating and seeing all the bars was incredible. There were 11 other guests and by the end of the evening we all were friends! Highly recommended this tour!”
Walk Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho and Golden Gai on a 3-hour izakaya tour with an English guide and karaoke.
“Great guide, great company food and drink what more could anyone as for. Special night. Thanks to all. Especially Nao”
Kyoto night foodie tour in Gion with 9+ dishes and 6 sake tastings. Small group backstreet strolls through Pontocho.
“Hide was an excellent guide. He is very good with conversation and showing and recommending us spots for the rest of our trip in Kyoto”
Shibuya nightlife bar hopping with local guide, all-you-can-drink, izakaya dishes, and photo stops at Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko.
“Food at the first bar… Guide was good and knowledgeable and made a real effort to engage the group and bring it together😁 could’ve done with some snacks in the Karaoke bar. It’s not our thing but was a laugh”
Zenko-ji, guided sake tasting, and Jigokudani snow monkeys in one full day in Nagano, with lunch and transport included.
“We had an amazing day on this tour! The itinerary was well balanced which included a good amount of time to experience the snow monkeys. In addition, the sake tasting and the visit to the temple was also very good. The lunch was amazing and comforting. Thank you to our guide Dylan who did a great job!”
Namba izakaya bar hopping in Osaka with 3 bars, 6 tastes, and local guide help for menus, walking, and Hozenji Yokocho.
“We took the tour on 5/7 and had a wonderful time! Shuta was a knowledgeable and fun tour guide and one of the best we have ever encountered! We appreciate his recommendations and great taste. We highly recommend you to do this tour with Shuta.”
A 5-hour Roppongi crawl with big-group energy, free shots, 50% drink discounts, games, photos, and a final club at SEL OCTAGON.
“It's definitely one of the best Pub Crawls I've been to in any of the countries I've visited. The games are super fun, absolute ice breakers and gets you mingling with the lot right off the bat. The hosts are energetic and hilarious. And conducted the crawl efficiently and brilliantly.”
Learn sake like a pro in Kyoto, with a Gekkeikan museum visit, 10 tastings, otsumami pairings, and label tips in 3 hours.
“We had a great time learning about Sake at the brewery and in the tasting room. Our instructors were very informative and their English was excellent. We learn a lot about a different types of Sake and the processes involved. The group size was small which made it easy to ask questions. Would recommend this experience to others”
A 3-hour Shinjuku izakaya crawl with an English guide, lantern-lit Omoide Yokocho, a Kabukicho stroll, and Golden Gai bars.
“Fun and good networking, met mostly tourists but made cool friends. Went to places the locals go to.”
A 5-hour Kyoto walking loop in Arashiyama, with bamboo, Zen temples, Okochi Sanso Garden, and a monkey-park hike plus local choices.
“Karim was a wonderful guide with deep knowledge about and respect for Kyoto’s natural and historic treasures. He helped me satisfy my curiosity by answering endless questions with ease. The route and pace he took to introduce me to the beauty of Arashiayama were perfect. It was a very memorable and pleasurable experience with Karim! I have no doubt others would feel the same :)”
Zenko-ji Temple, Nagano lunch, sake tasting, then the Snow Monkey Park for hot-spring monkey viewing with an English-speaking guide.
“Definitely recommend this tour! The whole experience was amazing and a must do if you are coming to Japan! Thank you to Dylan and Luca for making our experience enjoyable and sharing with us your knowledge.”
Kyoto izakaya bar-hopping walking tour: Kawaramachi to Kiyamachi with an English guide, local sake tasting, and a late-night finish.
“Moto was an amazing tour guide! Took us to a really good izakaya and sake tasting bar. Ending the night in a karaoke. 100% would recommend”
Kyoto Fushimi brewery tour with expert sake tasting, otsumami pairings, and a cheat sheet to order like a pro.
“The guide knew a lot about the subject and his explanation was very attentive and detailed.”
Kyoto’s Fushimi sake walk mixes museum learning and multiple tastings, with a small group size and guided brewery-district stroll.
“Absolutely an amazing experience! Would highly recommend to anyone. Rika was wonderful and a great guide. We really enjoyed spending time with her. She made us feel very welcomed.”
Every kind of day out, and the best of each.
