How to choose a sake tour in Japan

Sake experiences in Japan range from a 30-minute tasting flight to a full day with a former master brewer. Here is how to choose the one that suits your trip.

Start with what you want

To see where sake is made, choose a brewery tour. Kyoto (Fushimi), Kobe and Nishinomiya (Nada) have the most, and they are best in brewing season, roughly late autumn to early spring.

To taste lots of styles, choose a tasting or class. They run in city centres all year and suit an evening. Tokyo has the widest choice.

To eat well, choose a food pairing: sushi or wagyu dinners, izakaya walks, or a cooking class.

For a special occasion or a group, look at private and sommelier-led tours. To get out of the city, see day trips.

Group or private?

Group tours are cheaper per person and sociable; they often have fixed routes and times. Private tours cost more and are usually priced per group, but they can be adapted to your interests, visit smaller breweries and suit families with non-drinkers. For two people, a group tour is usually better value; for four or more, a private tour may cost similar per person.

Reading a listing

Check how many breweries are visited and whether you go inside the brewing area or only the shop. Check how many sakes are poured and whether food is included. Look at the meeting point and finishing point, the group size, the language, and the age policy (drinkers must be 20 or older). Finally, read the cancellation policy: most booking sites offer free cancellation up to a day or more before, but not all do.

Where to book

We list experiences from the operators’ own websites and from Arigato Travel, GetYourGuide, Viator and Klook. The same tour is sometimes sold on several sites, and when we know that, we show one row with several “Book on” buttons. Prices and conditions can differ between sites, so it is worth comparing. Booking directly with the operator can mean more flexibility; big booking sites can offer familiar payment and customer service.

Prices on this site are what the booking page showed on the date we checked. They change, so always check the final price before paying.

Do it yourself

If you prefer to explore alone, several brewery districts welcome walk-in visitors: see our guide to free and walk-in brewery visits. A good plan for many travellers is one guided experience early in the trip to learn the basics, followed by self-guided brewery visits later.