15 Japan Drinks Tours to Build an Afternoon Around

Tokyo Bar Hopping Tour in Shinjuku (All-You-Can-Drink + Dinner) - Stop one: Omoide Yokocho and the old alley atmosphere

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,587 reviews · from $106Our pick

Spend about three hours with a guide such as Yusuke, Yohei, or Mao, visiting three Shinjuku drinking spots in Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and possibly Golden Gai. Food, several drinks, local stories, and tour photos are included.

“This is a great your. Our guide Youka was so knowledgeable, friendly, entertaining, and helpful. She took pics for us without us asking and it was a great way to see parts of the city while trying different foods and drinks”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Tokyo Drinks Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Shibuya Meltdown Nightlife Tour: All-You-Can-Drink Bar Hopping

2.Shibuya Meltdown Nightlife Tour: All-You-Can-Drink Bar Hopping

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,058 reviews · from $106

Spend about three and a half hours moving through Shibuya’s tiny izakayas with a local guide such as Naoki, Mayu, Daichi, or Lisa. You’ll visit a yokocho specializing in wagyu, sample several dishes and drinks, and may finish with karaoke. Groups are capped at eight.

“Naoki was awesome! He took us to amazing local bars in Shibuya with great food and drinks. Super fun night with lots of variety. Highly recommend this tour for a true local experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Sake Tastings, Tour Reviews, Winter Activities

1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano

3.1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,020 reviews · from $151

Spend eight hours in Nagano with an English-speaking guide such as Tom, Kieran, or Nadine, visiting Zenko-ji Temple, tasting local sake, enjoying lunch, and walking the forest trail to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Transport, lunch, tasting, and monkey park entry are included.

“This excursion surpassed our expectations and added cultural experiences to our day. We were leaving Japan the next day so it really enhanced our trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Evening Experiences, Japan Drinks Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Osaka Bar Hopping Night Walking Tour in Namba (3 bars, 6 tastes)

4.Osaka Bar Hopping Night Walking Tour in Namba (3 bars, 6 tastes)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 958 reviews · from $98

Walk through Namba and Dotonbori with a local guide, stopping at three izakaya-style venues for Japanese food and drinks. You’ll see the Glico sign, Hozenji Temple, Hozenji Yokocho, and Shinsaibashi-suji. Groups are capped at seven, with guides such as Mari, Taku, Mina, and Yuko leading different departures.

“Marin was our guide on this drinking and eating through Namba district and it was an absolute pleasure! Beyond the usuals of taking us to the appropriate places and explaining all the relevant details — I mentioned that there was a specifRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Tokyo Drinks Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Tokyo: Pub Crawl and Bar Tour

5.Pub Crawl and Bar Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 951 reviews · 5 hours · from $27

Meet guides such as KT, Leah, and Crystal at Bar Propaganda, then walk through Roppongi for three bars and a club. Expect icebreaker games, welcome shots, discounted drinks, an international crowd, and a final dance stop at SEL OCTAGON TOKYO. Bring valid photo ID and dress for club entry.

“This was the best bar crawl I've ever been on in any foreign country! There were 60+ attendees. People from all over the world. Good selection of starting bar/pub with a good atmosphere to be able to talk get to know people before stepping it up to more club-like environments to follow. Made friends whom I went out with the next night. Hosts were energetic and there was surprisingly a good amount of shots included. Great value for cheap price!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3-Hour Experiences, Brewery & Beer Tastings, Brewery Tours in Japan, Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Kyoto Drinks Tours, Sake Tastings, Tour Reviews, Tours

3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings

6.3-Hour Kyoto Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Tastings & Pairings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 917 reviews · from $84

Meet a certified Sake Sommelier in Fushimi for a museum visit, a private tasting of 10 carefully chosen sakes, and traditional otsumami pairings. Guides such as Kyoko, Miyuki, Momo, and Shojo explain brewing, labels, flavor styles, and how to order with confidence.

“We learned quite a bit about the history of sake, the families and businesses known for making it, and the process of making sake before diving into the delicious tasting! Both leaders of our group were engaging, informative, and witty. My group would have loved to try the advanced tasting option if we were around, we had a blast!”

Check availability →Read our full review

1-Day Tours, Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Sake Tastings, Tour Reviews, Winter Activities

Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

7.Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 833 reviews · 8 - 12 hours · from $135

Meet your English-speaking guide in Nagano or join the winter shuttle from Hakuba. Visit Zenkoji Temple, explore a local sake tasting, enjoy a generous regional lunch, then walk 1.6 km through the forest to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Guides such as Tom, Dylan, Brent, and Hiroshi add local stories and practical help.

“It was the highlight of our trip. Our guide Endo was amazing. Each of the stops was engaging and interesting and even the meal turned out to be a delicious multi-course surprise. High marks.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Brewery & Beer Tastings, Brewery Tours in Japan, Drinks Tours, Food, Food & Wine Pairing Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Kyoto Drinks Tours, Sake Tastings, Tour Reviews, Tours

Kyoto: Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

8.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 in Fushimi. You’ll learn how sake is brewed, compare 10 or more styles, read Japanese bottle labels, and taste sake with otsumami in a dedicated room. Guides such as Kyoko, Miyuki, Momo, and Chika make the three-hour lesson lively and practical.

“I had a lot of fun, learned so much about sake, how it’s made, how to understand different types of sake and how great it is when paired with food. Our guide was amazing, friendly and knowledgeable”

Check availability →Read our full review

Brewery & Beer Tastings, Brewery Tours in Japan, Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Kyoto Drinks Tours, Sake Tastings, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour

9.Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 623 reviews · from $98

Walk through Fushimi with a certified MagicalTrip guide, visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum and Kappa Gallery, then taste 18 Kyoto sakes at a local restaurant. Guides such as Matt, Rika, Kumi, and Yukari add history, tasting advice, and local tips.

“Had a great time with Kumi. She was very knowledgeable about the history and methods of providing sake and of the differences. She also answered a lot of questions about Japanese culture and areas of Kyoto. There was an hour wait for Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Evening Experiences, Japan Drinks Tours, Kyoto Drinks Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Tour Reviews, Tours

Kyoto Bar Hopping Night Tour

10.Kyoto Bar Hopping Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 613 reviews · from $105

Spend three hours walking Kyoto’s Pontocho and Kiyamachi backstreets with a MagicalTrip guide such as Yumi, Nami, Noriko, or Josh. Visit three local izakayas and bars, taste 3 to 4 dishes, enjoy 3 to 4 drinks, and learn about Japanese food, customs, and nightlife. Vegan choices are available.

“Fun tour and environments. The food was a bit disappointing at the second location (first time they said the tour had stopped there) but the atmosphere and company was great. It was nice to get a grasp of the neighborhood.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Tokyo Drinks Tours, Tour Reviews

Tokyo: Shinjuku Bar Hopping with All-You-Can-Drink & Dinner

11.Shinjuku Bar Hopping with All-You-Can-Drink & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 440 reviews · 3 hours · from $108

Join a local guide such as Yosh, Yuki, or Naoki for three hours of Shinjuku nightlife. Eat yakitori, gyoza, tofu, vegetables, and other Japanese dishes while visiting Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai. Two drinks, dinner, all-you-can-drink at the second bar, and photos are included.

“Our Shinjuku Bar Hopping was an amazing experience! Our guide, Jun was truly fun and phenomenal. Highly recommend this tour! We had such a great time!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Tokyo Drinks Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Tokyo: Ramen Tasting Tour with 6 Mini Bowls of Ramen

12.Ramen Tasting Tour with 6 Mini Bowls of Ramen

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 432 reviews · 3 hours · from $122

Spend three hours visiting three Tokyo ramen shops with a small group of up to eight. Choose six quarter-size bowls from 11 or 12 options, compare styles from Hokkaido, Kyushu, Tokyo, and beyond, and learn how ramen developed through clear slides and handouts. Guides such as Sahori and Bunga add local food tips.

“Everything was Perfect Thank you so much for that tour”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Guided, Japan Drinks Tours, Tour Reviews

Osaka: Namba Pub Bar Crawl with a Local Guide

13.Osaka: Namba Pub Bar Crawl with a Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 424 reviews · 3h 30m · from $30

Spend 210 minutes walking from Namba through Shinsaibashi and American Village with an English-speaking guide. You’ll eat at the first izakaya, sample sake, beer, whisky, cocktails, and local snacks, then share the evening with an international group. Food and drinks cost extra, with about ¥8,000 in cash recommended.

“Nice group, nice guide, we had a lot of fun. Anytime again.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Guided, Japan Drinks Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Tour Reviews

Osaka: Guided Pub Crawl

14.Osaka: Guided Pub Crawl

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 331 reviews · 5 hours · from $23Best value

Join English- and Japanese-speaking guides such as B, Ryan, Tony, Brandon, or Lily for a five-hour Osaka night out. Start at Voyager Lounge, visit three or four bars, enjoy welcome shots and drink discounts, then finish at a club. Bring photo ID and wear proper shoes and clothing.

“we had our tour with Tommy on a Saturday night and it was great. we got into some fun spots and met lots of new people. Highly recommend for a good time!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Drinks Tours, Japan Drinks Tours, Kyoto Drinks Tours, Sake Tastings, Tour Reviews

Kyoto: Insider Sake Experience with 7 Tastings and Snacks

15.Insider Sake Experience with 7 Tastings and Snacks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 266 reviews · 1h 30m · from $66

Spend 90 minutes in a dedicated Kyoto tasting room with an English-speaking sake expert such as Mayo, Kotaro, Kiyomi, or Greg. Compare seven generous pours, learn how brewing and rice polishing affect flavor, pair sake with otsumami, and leave with a practical cheat sheet.

“Kiyomi was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable! We learned so much about the intricacies of sake and how the differences in brewing can be tasted. Highly recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review