The 12 Best Food Tours in Kyoto

1.Kyoto Night Foodie Tour in Gion (9+ dishes + 6 Sake tastings)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,762 reviews · from $163Our pick

Join a guide such as Jimmy, Emma, Rika, or Yuki for a 3.5-hour evening walk through Gion and Pontocho. You’ll eat enough local food for dinner, taste Japanese sake, visit three venues, and learn about Kyoto’s food culture in a group capped at seven.

“This was the best part of our trip! Jimmy was amazing! We got to try places we wouldn’t never have found without him. The tour was so interesting and I learned so much about Kyoto. The food was yummy and the sake tasting was so fun. CRead more”

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2.Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Tour (7 Tastings + Brunch)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,355 reviews · from $68

Spend about three hours walking from Shijo Bridge through Pontocho and Nishiki Tenmangu to Nishiki Market. A certified MagicalTrip guide leads up to six people through seven tastings and brunch, with tour photos provided. Guides such as Yuki, Yusuke, Chie, and Aki have been especially praised.

“It was a great food experience, lots of stops for samplings of food in Nishiki Market. The lunch was delicious and we had several to chose from. Reiki, our tour guide was knowledgeable and thorough. She spoke excellent English. It was a really worthwhile tour, it exceeded my expectations!”

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3.Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

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

Meet an English-speaking sake expert at Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum and spend three hours learning how Nihonshu is made, reading labels, and tasting 10-plus styles. Compare dry, fruity, and rich sake with otsumami, then leave with a practical cheat sheet for ordering in Japan.

“This is a great tour, totally worth your time especially if you want to learn more about Japanese culture and be less afraid when ordering drinks at a restaurant in Japan (or elsewhere that serves Sake!). Kyōko is the perfect tour guide, super professional, friendly, patient and is very passionate about teaching people about the history and culture behind Sake (Nihonshu 😉). She is very approachable and is an awesome teacher, her approach to teaching you how to find what flavours you enjoy was refreshing and made me very motivated to get into the world of Nihonshu You learn many methods along with how to read the labels and what…”

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4.Kyoto Night All-Inclusive Eats and Streets, Gion and Beyond

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 576 reviews · from $101

Walk from Minamiza Theatre through Yasaka Shrine, Gion, the Kamo River, and Pontocho, then eat across two local restaurants. Your guide explains geisha traditions, local customs, and the dishes on the table. Groups hold no more than six people, with English, Spanish, or French guides.

“Our tour was fantastic! The guide Andres was brilliant, so funny and knowledgeable. He got the group talking and put us at ease. The historical tour was great and super interesting. We got to go to two different eateries and had a range of food that was all yummy and tried Japanese drinks too. It was so great to go to izakayas that we otherwise wouldn’t have gone to as tourists and experience the authentic Japanese evening. 10/10!”

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5.Gion & Pontocho Food Tour with 13 Dishes

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 235 reviews · 3 hours · from $82

Spend three evening hours walking from Yasaka Shrine through Gion Shirakawa and Pontocho, with stops for up to 13 Japanese dishes and two drinks. Guides such as Tomoko, Takuma, Kosuke, and Mia explain food, sake, etiquette, and geiko culture in clear English. Groups are capped at eight.

“Our tour guide Takuma and his colleague, who was training, were extremely knowledgeable and helpful, making our experience all the more enjoyable. The food was excellent, allowing us to try new and different dishes, all the while answering our numerous questions about Japan with patience. Great fun.”

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6.Local Food Tasting Tour at the Nishiki Market

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 135 reviews · 3 hours - 270 minutes · from $78

Explore Nishiki Market with an English-speaking local guide and a group of no more than six. Sample yuba, obanzai, hamo tempura, wagyu steak skewers, and other Kyoto treats, then visit nearby shrines and shopping arcades. A tea ceremony with kimono dressing is available as an add-on.

“Toshi our guard was lovely, very knowledgeable and friendly. He took his time to explain everything to us and took us to some good food venues in Nishi market. Overall an excellent experience and would recommend.”

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7.Nishiki Market and Depachika Food Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 76 reviews · 2 hours · from $42

Join a small English-speaking group of up to nine for a two-hour food walk from Apple Kyoto to Kawaramachi Station. Your guide introduces Daimaru’s depachika, Nishiki Market, and Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, with tastings of yuba sashimi, soy milk donut, Nishiki gyoza, and hamo tempura.

“Kats was a super guide. Born and bred in Kyoto and spent a year at uni in the states … his English was great. Answered all our foodie questions and we tasted bits and pieces as we wandered round. Took us down a few little alleys and off to a shrine. Gave us hints and tips where to go after the tour had finished. Thanks Jats!”

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8.Replica food making experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 70 reviews · 1 hour · from $22Best value

In a small Kyoto workshop near Kani Douraku, you’ll shape melted wax into shrimp and pumpkin tempura, with lettuce available as an option. English and Japanese instruction, patient hands-on guidance, and a supermarket-style package make this a fun one-hour cultural activity for ages six and up.

“The studio is easily accessed and very neat and clean. they offer a variety of workshops that appeal to a variety of participants. the instructor was extremely friendly and explained all of the process. clearly. the activity was fun and we were able to take home our tempura replica in a to go box. they look good enough to eat!”

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9.Nishiki Market Tour with a Local Foodie & Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 67 reviews · 1h 30m · from $67

Start at Nishiki Tenmangu with guides such as Kaito, Akino, or Nabet, then walk Teramachi Street before tasting Kyoto foods at Nishiki Market. Your guide explains ingredients, customs, and local history in English or Japanese. The $67 tour runs 90 minutes and suits private or small groups.

“Nabet was great, very nice tour with cultural experience, food background and recommendation to buy high quality sake. We enjoyed it very much!”

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10.Kyoto Evening Gion Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 35 reviews · 3 hours · from $216

Walk Gion and Shirakawa with an English-speaking guide, hear how Maiko and Geiko culture works today, sample small Kyoto treats, then sit down to a 10-course kaiseki dinner with dessert and one drink. Small groups are limited to 10 people.

“It was a great experience as we walked in the beautiful areas of Kyoto where we loved the Sakura and the Geishas district. Our guide Mickey was excellent and full of energy, always willing to provide a lot of info. And lastly but not least the food was amazing : a ten course dinner with fresh ingredients was the perfect end of a wonderful evening.”

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11.Casual Pontocho Evening Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 31 reviews · 3 hours · from $173

Join an English-speaking guide for a three-hour evening walk through Pontocho and Gion Shirakawa. Taste dishes at several local eateries, enjoy two drinks, hear Kyoto stories, and explore atmospheric lanes with a group capped at 8 to 10 people.

“Friendly enthusiastic guide with excellent local knowledge. They were also engaging and accommodating with us travelling with children. Enjoyed the food, the stories and company. Thoroughly enjoyable evening. Highly recommend the program and our guide.”

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12.Foodie Night Tour in Gion with 9 dishes + 6 Sake

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 26 reviews · 3h 30m · from $361

Meet an English-speaking MagicalTrip guide at Gion Shijo Station, then eat through Gion and Pontocho. You will try nine dishes, six Kyoto sake samples, two additional drinks, and dessert in traditional restaurants and cafes. Dietary requests must be made by the day before.

“Probably the best and the worse food I ever had on a GYG tour: first stop had an amazing dinner and second stop was quite bad”

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