Kyoto’s rich culinary tradition dates back to the city’s one thousand years as Japan’s capital. Enjoying a food tour in Kyoto, with its unique cuisine and experiences, is a must for gourmet lovers visiting Japan.
And if you think Kyoto is only shrines and temples, think again! Ranked second in the world for the most Michelin-star restaurants, Kyoto’s culinary credentials speak for themselves.
I’ve hand-selected the highest-rated (4.5+ out of 5) Kyoto food and drink experiences to save you time.
Here are Kyoto’s 9 best food tours!
Disclosure: This page contains commercial links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend experiences I’ve done myself or genuinely believe are worth your time.
Best Kyoto Food Tours by Type: Quick Links
- Kyoto Night Food Tours: Restaurants, izakaya and bars in Kyoto’s geisha districts, Gion and Pontocho
- Nishiki Market Kyoto Tours: ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’ market with lunch, food tasting and cooking classes
- Kyoto Day Food and Walking Tour: Combine food and sightseeing on this culinary walking tour
How about trying out some different Kyoto food and drink experiences:
- Geisha and Maiko Dinner Shows in Kyoto: Choose from private, popular and best-value experiences
- Sake Tasting and Brewery Tours: Visit Kyoto’s historic Fushimi sake district and taste the finest sake
- Kyoto Cooking Classes: Learn how to make local, regional and Japanese food
Kyoto Night Food Tours
‘Kyoto is beautiful after dark, with colourful lanterns lighting up its wooden teahouses and ancient lanes. Old Kyoto provides the perfect ambience for dining and relaxing with a drink.
There’s a good chance you’ll see a geisha or an apprentice maiko as all these tours are in Kyoto’s famous geisha districts, Gion and Pontocho.
Discover Kyoto’s evening entertainment scene on tour 1, a night food walking tour with an optional Kobe beef upgrade.
Tour 2 offers excellent value, with a full dinner of food tastings and drinks at restaurants, plus a Japanese-style standing bar.
Or treat yourself to an exceptional dining experience on tour 3 with Kyoto’s lavish kaiseki dinner.
Fun-seekers will love tour 4, a bar-hopping experience around Pontocho and beyond. ‘
Price per person based on two people attending a tour: $ = up to $99; $$ = between $100 & $129; $$$ = over $130. Some tours offer discounted rates for larger groups.
1. All-Inclusive Food and Culture Tour in Gion, Kyoto
Get a deep insight into Kyoto’s nighttime scene on this combined food, culture and walking tour. Discover local cuisine, the entertainment district, and the narrow streets of Gion and Pontocho in old Kyoto.
Food and drink, meet people and history on this fascinating tour.
- Sample a variety of delicious food at izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) and tachinomiya (standing bars)
- Be adventurous as you want with Kyoto’s local and Japanese cuisine
- Discover old Kyoto’s historic geisha districts of Gion and Pontocho
- Learn about Japan’s nightlife entertainment scene, from geisha to hostess bars
- Optional upgrade: Kobe beef
- Includes: Dinner (sampling various foods), two alcoholic or soft drinks, and a cultural walking tour
- Price: $
- Location: Gion, Kamogawa, Kawaramachidori, Kiyamachi and Pontocho
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 6.30pm
2. Kyoto Night Foodie Tour
Dive into Kyoto’s food culture in Gion with a local guide on this night food tour. Soak up the atmosphere of the city’s restaurants, pubs, bars, and narrow streets with wooden houses.
Enjoy a perfect night of food and drink in Kyoto’s geisha district.
- Experience authentic Kyoto food and learn about the city’s food culture
- Try local and seasonal seafood, beef and vegetable dishes
- Visit an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and a tachinomiya (standing bar)
- Stroll through Gion (you may see a geisha or maiko!) and feel the magic of Kyoto at night
- Family-friendly tour
- Includes: 4-5 food tastings (full dinner), 3 alcoholic or soft drinks (including Kyoto sake), photos and a walking tour
- Price: $$$
- Location: Gion
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 6pm
3. Kyoto Evening Gion Food Tour
Celebrate Japan’s traditional culture and excellent cuisine on this unforgettable evening in Kyoto.
Walk through Gion – Kyoto’s famous geisha district – along with its narrow alleyways and maze of teahouses and wooden buildings.
Followed by the most delicious kaiseki (traditional multi-course dinner) with the freshest local and seasonal dishes.
- Guided walking tour through Kyoto’s charming geisha areas, Pontocho and Gion
- Learn about the life and work of geisha and maiko
- Savour 10 courses of Kyoto’s finest kaiseki ryori
- Taste the freshest sashimi you’ve ever experienced
- Discover kaiseki’s delicate and harmonious flavours
- Includes: Kaiseki 10-course dinner, one drink, green tea, and a walking tour
- Price: $$$
- Location: Kamogawa, Pontocho and Gion
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 5pm
4. Kyoto Bar Hopping Tour
Explore Japan’s izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and bar culture on this fun bar-hopping tour in Kyoto. Visit the lantern-lit narrow streets of Pontocho and Kiyimachi’s one-kilometre nightlife strip.
Enjoy Kyoto’s food and drink culture at night with a local guide.
- Drink with locals and travellers and meet new friends
- Walk through Pontocho; if you’re lucky, you may spot a geisha or maiko!
- Try at least three izakayas and bars
- Relax and enjoy yourself while your guide orders for you
- Includes: 3-4 food dishes (dinner), 3-4 drinks and a walking tour
- Price: $$
- Location: Kiyimachi and Pontocho
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 7pm
Compare Kyoto night food tours: At a glance guide
To help you decide which evening food tour is best for you, I’ve created a comparison table:
| Tour | All-inclusive Food |
Location | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour 1 | ✔ | Gion Kamogawa Kawaramachidori Kiyamachi Pontocho |
$ |
| Tour 2 | ✔ | Gion | $$$ |
| Tour 3 | ✔ | Gion Kamogawa Pontocho |
$$$ |
| Tour 4 | ✔ | Kiyamachi Pontocho |
$$ |
Price per person based on two people attending a tour: $ = up to $99; $$ = between $100 & $129; $$$ = over $130. Some tours offer discounted rates for larger groups.
Kyoto’s rich food and drink culture makes it the perfect place to learn how to make Japanese food. From sushi to ramen and more, you’ll find many top-quality local and Japanese cooking classes in Kyoto. Get hands-on with culinary adventures from professional chefs and home-cooking teachers.
Nishiki Market Kyoto Tours
‘Kyoto’s 400-year-old Nishiki Market is a must-visit for food lovers. Known as ‘Kyoto’s kitchen’, it’s a pleasant and lively market where you’ll find all kinds of food and culinary items.
With over 100 shops and restaurants, you’ll find fresh seafood, local and seasonal Kyoto speciality foods, and high-quality Japanese cooking knives and utensils.
Tantalise your taste buds on tour 5 with a whole gourmet experience of Nishiki Market food tastings, followed by a 7-course lunch.
Tour 6 combines culture and cuisine and is an excellent choice for savouring Nishiki Market’s tasty food and learning about Kyoto’s geishas.
Avoid the crowds and start your day with a budget-friendly Gion and Nishiki Market tour with breakfast on the budget-friendly tour 7.
For a more hands-on and complete Kyoto culinary experience, tour 8 combines a visit to Nishiki Market with a cooking class and an optional sake tasting.’
Price per person based on two people attending a tour: $ = up to $99; $$ = between $100 & $129; $$$ = over $130. Some tours offer discounted rates for larger groups.
5. Kyoto Nishiki Market Tour with 7-Course Lunch
Enjoy a deep-dive food walking tour of Nishiki Market, followed by a traditional Kyoto-style 7-course lunch. Sample tasty local and seasonal treats as you visit family-owned shops and food stalls.
Discover Kyoto’s gourmet culture on this food connoisseur’s tour of Nishiki Market.
- Try local specialities like yuba (tofu), tsukemono (pickled vegetables) and matcha warabi mochi (jelly-like confectionery)
- Enjoy a 7-course lunch featuring beautifully prepared local dishes
- Learn about Kyoto’s cuisine and the history of the market
- Discover the food’s journey from harvest to market
- Explore family-owned shops and food stalls, and listen to their owners’ stories
- Includes: 7-course lunch, 10-12 market food tastings, Japanese tea and walking tour
- Price: $$$
- Location: Nishiki Market
- Duration: 3 hours, 10 am
6. Nishiki Market and Gion Cultural Food and Drinks Tour
Combine food and drink with culture on this walking tour of Nishiki Market and Kyoto’s geisha districts. Sample tasty Kyoto and local cuisine as you stroll through the market’s endless array of food stalls.
Visit some of Kyoto’s popular districts on this food walking tour.
- Savour classic Kyoto cuisines, like hamo (pike conger eel), tsukemono (pickled vegetables), fried fish cakes and mochi (rice cakes)
- Wander through the historical Nishiki Market and learn about food in the city
- Taste sake and a fresh honey drink
- Visit a shrine and find your fortune
- Discover Kyoto’s geisha and maiko culture as you walk around Gion and Pontocho
- Includes: 6 dishes (including dessert), sake tasting and a walking tour
- Price: $
- Location: Gion, Kamogawa, Nishiki Market and Pontocho
- Duration and start time: 3 hours, 11am
Discover how to make Japanese food with my recommended cooking lessons in Kyoto.
7. Gion and Nishiki Market Breakfast Walking Food Tour
Enjoy breakfast as you’ve never had before on a tour of Kyoto’s Nishiki Market. Stroll around the market, tasting food as you go with a local guide.
Get your day off to the best start by combining Gion with a late breakfast and a food tour in Kyoto.
- Beat the crowds and enjoy Gion and Nishiki Market at a quiet time
- Savour Japanese and local Kyoto cuisine for a one-of-a-kind breakfast
- Learn about Nishiki Market’s food, culture and history from a local
- Wander around the market and the hidden backstreets around
- Includes: 4-5 food samples (a complete brunch), photos and a walking tour
- Price: $$
- Location: Nishiki Market
- Duration and start time: 2.5 hours, 9.30am
8. Nishiki Market Food Tour with Cooking Class and Sake Tasting
Enjoy three food and drink experiences in one on this Nishiki Market tour, cooking class and sake tasting tour. Get hands-on as you choose your ingredients before making your dishes.
A perfect food-lovers’ excursion in Kyoto.
- Visit Nishiki Market and learn about its local and Japanese cuisine
- Take some backstreets to visit shops and admire the local architecture
- Make donburi (Japanese rice bowl dish) with food sourced from the market
- Savour the tasty meal you’ve prepared
- Optional: Try 3 different sake
- Includes: Nishiki Market, sake tasting, walking tour, cooking class and dinner
- Price: $$
- Location: Nishiki Market
- Duration and start time: 2.5 hours, 11.15am
Compare Nishiki Market Tours: At a glance guide
To help you decide which Nishiki Market tour is best for you, I’ve created a comparison table:
| Tour | Cooking Class | Location | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour 5 | Nishiki Market | $$$ | |
| Tour 6 | Gion Kamogawa Nishiki Market Pontocho |
$ | |
| Tour 7 | Gion Nishiki Market |
$ | |
| Tour 8 | ✔ | Nishiki Market | $$ |
Price per person based on two people attending a tour: $ = up to $99; $$ = between $100 & $129; $$$ = over $130. Some tours offer discounted rates for larger groups.
Kyoto Day Food and Walking Tour
‘Kyoto has endless amazing places to see and is home to one of Japan’s most influential gourmet cultures. Arashiyama and Sagano are arguably the city’s most scenic areas and a must-see when visiting Kyoto.
This tour visits one of my favourite places in Kyoto: the beautiful, less-visited Okochi Sanso Villa. With stunning views across the city, a wonderful Japanese garden and a traditional tea house, it’s a hidden gem.
Eat your way through the day with delicious local and Japanese cuisine, including Kyoto’s traditional matcha tea and sweets.’
Price per person based on two people attending a tour: $ = up to $75; $$ = between $76 & $124; $$$ = over $125. Some tours offer discounted rates for larger groups.
9. Kyoto Food and Drink Tour in Arashiyama and Sagano
Enjoy the best places to visit in Arashiyama and local Kyoto cuisine on a daytime food and walking tour. Savour tasty snacks and treats as you stroll around one of Kyoto’s most picturesque districts.
A highly acclaimed tour that combines food and sightseeing.
- Try Kyoto and Japanese cuisine, like korokke (Japanese-style croquette), yuba (tofu), negiyaki (leek pancake) and more
- Cross the Togetsukyo bridge and see Arashiyama’s famous bamboo grove
- Visit Tenryu-ji temple with its beautiful landscaped Zen garden
- Walk around Okochi Sanso Villa, with its magnificent views of the area
- Enjoy matcha tea and wagashi (sweets)
- Includes: 5 food tastings, matcha tea, bottled water, and a sightseeing walking tour
- Price: $$
- Location: Arashiyama and Sagano
- Duration and start time: 3.5 hours, 11am
Why not try more gourmet travel adventures that you’ll only find in Kyoto?
Geisha and Maiko Dinner Shows in Kyoto
Kyoto’s geisha and maiko dinner shows are magical and unforgettable experiences. Seeing Japan’s most elegant and mythical entertainers is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not to be missed.
Make a night of it and savour multi-course kaiseki – Kyoto-style haute cuisine.
- Enjoy a geisha (known as geiko in Kyoto) and a maiko dance performance
- Experiences to suit all budgets: Best value to premium
- Traditional Kyoto food: Dinner and lunch, tea ceremony and unlimited drinks
- Exclusive tea houses, restaurants or theatre shows
- Photo opportunities with Kyoto’s geiko and maiko
Check out the best hand-picked geisha and maiko dinner shows in Kyoto.
A Kyoto food tour is the best way for travellers to discover the city’s unique culinary culture. And with its rich and distinguished history, it makes the perfect place to learn about Japanese cuisine.
Images:
– geiko and maiko by David Offf is licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED / Edited from original
– Suivre les lumières… Nightlife in Pontocho, Kyoto by L’Ubuesque Boîte à Savon is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED / Edited from original
– Nishiki Market by Aussie Assault is licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED / Edited from original
– Soft Cream by jpellgen (@1179_jp) is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
– Maiko_20170521_22_2 by 舞妓さん 撮影会 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED / Edited from original
Discovering washoku through travel in Japan. Sharing the best Japanese food and drink experiences. Living in Osaka. Join me on my journey!
