Izakaya & Bar Tours in Japan: The 15 Best Nights Out

Tokyo Bar Hopping Tour in Shinjuku (All-You-Can-Drink + Dinner)

1.Tokyo Bar Hopping Tour in Shinjuku (All-You-Can-Drink + Dinner)

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

Spend about three hours with a small group visiting three Shinjuku izakayas and bars. Guides such as Yusuke, Yohei, Mao, and Momo lead you through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and possibly Golden Gai, explaining local customs while serving Japanese food, drinks, and plenty of neighborhood color.

“Shohei was very knowledgeable about the area. He gave us plenty of stories about celebrities who've been to the area and interactions he's had with them.”

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Best of Shinjuku: Izakaya Food Tour (4 Stops, 14+ Tastings)

2.Best of Shinjuku: Izakaya Food Tour (4 Stops, 14+ Tastings)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,863 reviews · from $92

Spend 3.5 hours eating through Shinjuku with a bilingual local guide such as Taiga, Yusuke, Nobu, or Chi. Visit four izakayas for 14+ tastings, three drinks, and dishes ranging from sashimi and grilled skewers to Japanese comfort food. Walk through Kabukicho, Golden Gai, and Omoide Yokocho in a small group of up to 10.

“We had an amazing time on the food tour! Our guide, Taiga, was lovely to talk to and very accommodating to our dietary restrictions. The tour in general was a great way to see more of the city, and we had some really excellent food. I would hRead more”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

3.Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,794 reviews · 3 hours · from $34

Join an English-speaking local guide such as Nao, Naoya, Toshi, Kei, or Shota for three hours around Shinjuku. Walk through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai, visit local izakayas and bars, try sake and other drinks, and finish with karaoke. Admission is included, but food and drinks cost extra.

“A great experience to experiment going out like a local . Toshi is great your guide that went with us in 3 nice places . I totally recommend!”

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

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

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

Spend about three and a half hours walking through Gion, Pontocho, Kawaramachidori, and along the Kamo River while eating 9-plus Kyoto dishes and sampling sake. A guide such as Jimmy, Kumi, Emma, Rika, or Yuki leads the small group into local restaurants and bars. Expect a full evening meal, cultural stories, and up to six sake tastings.

“Value for money and fun Kyoto experience with our guide Yuma. Highly recommend this food and drink experience - something for everyone.”

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

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

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

Meet near Hachiko and Shibuya Crossing for a 3.5-hour evening of local bars, Japanese beer, sake, and izakaya food. Your guide may be Naoki, Mayu, Daichi, Lisa, or another local host. Expect a small group, an all-you-can-drink stop, three food venues or bars, and a final stop that may include karaoke.

“This tour was exactly as described. Our guide was interesting and professional. We ate and drank well. Thank you Megumi.”

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

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

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

Spend about eight hours with an English-speaking guide at Zenko-ji Temple, a Nagano sake brewery, and Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Guides such as Tom, Kieran, Nadine, and Endo have helped make the day informative and easy to follow. Lunch, transport, sake tasting, and park admission are included. Expect a forest walk and icy footing in winter.

“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.”

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

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

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

Spend about three hours walking Namba with a local guide and a group of no more than seven. Stop at three izakaya-style venues for six food and drink tastes, pass Dotonbori sights, visit Hozenji Temple, and finish in Hozenji Yokocho. Guides such as Mina, Taku, Mari, and Yuko have made this a lively introduction to Osaka nightlife.

“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.”

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Tokyo: Pub Crawl and Bar Tour

8.Pub Crawl and Bar Tour

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

Meet at Bar Propaganda in Roppongi for a five-hour night with hosts such as KT, Leah, Crystal, and Andrew. Start with games and welcome shots, move through two nearby bars, then finish at SEL OCTAGON TOKYO. Expect a social group of 40 to 149 people, 50 percent drink discounts, and free bottle shots between venues.

“It was a tour to def be remembered! I thought it was a small group setting but it turns out to be normally 40-70 people. Good place to meet people and have a great time going to different bars/club.”

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

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

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

Spend three hours in Kyoto’s Fushimi sake district with a certified sake sommelier. Visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, then taste 10 sake styles in a private room with traditional otsumami pairings. Guides such as Kyoko, Miyuki, Momo, Mai, and Shogo explain labels, brewing choices, and flavor differences in clear English.

“WOW! Our guide Kyoko was so friendly and cared so much about helping us learn about sake. The museum tour was very interesting and gave us a good base level of understanding before we tasted so much sake! The way the tasting waRead more”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour

10.Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 890 reviews · from $39

Spend about three hours walking through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai with an English-speaking guide. Expect local izakaya food, sake, bar-hopping, and often karaoke. Guides such as Rika, Nao, Ken, Yoshi, and Kota help with ordering and introductions, while food and drinks are paid separately.

“Great fun, especially with the Karaoke at the end! Who knew mr.brightside could be so fun! Great tour with lots of hidden spots”

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Arashiyama Bamboo, Temple, Monkeys, or Secret Sake Brewery

11.Arashiyama Bamboo, Temple, Monkeys, or Secret Sake Brewery

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 886 reviews · 5 hours - 330 minutes · from $87

Walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station through the bamboo grove, Nonomiya Shrine, Okochi Sanso Garden, Tenryuji Temple, and Arashiyama’s shopping streets. You’ll see koi ponds, Kimono Forest, Togetsukyo Bridge, and macaques at Iwatayama. Depending on the option, finish with monkey-park views or a local lunch and sake tasting at Tanzan Brewery.

“Amazing tour!!! Francis was such an awesome guide. I loved the monkeys and the zen garden. 😊🦧”

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Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

12.Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

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

Spend a full day exploring Nagano with guides such as Dylan, Brent, Tom, or Hiroshi, depending on your departure. Visit Zenkoji Temple, sample several sakes, enjoy a generous local lunch, then walk 1.6 km through a forest trail to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Transport, entry, lunch, and sake tasting are included.

“I had a brilliant time exploring Zenkoji Temple and seeing the snow monkeys! Hishiro and Shin were brilliant!”

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Kyoto: Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

13.Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 815 reviews · 3 hours · from $25

Join an English-speaking local guide such as Moto, Taiga, Mia, or Lyou for three hours around Kyoto’s Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi districts. You’ll walk narrow streets, visit local izakayas and bars, taste Japanese drinks and food at your own cost, and finish at a tucked-away bar. Groups usually number 5 to 10 people.

“Taiga was our guide and he did such an amazing job showing us around the izakayas while giving us a nice background about the drinks and Kyoto!! So much fun!!!”

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Kyoto: Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing

14.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 tour the brewery museum, compare 10 or more sake styles, learn to read labels, and taste sake with otsumami. Guides such as Kyoko, Miyuki, Momo, and Chika bring a friendly, clear teaching style to this three-hour experience.

“The best ever we had great tour thanks to miyomi 🙏🏿🙏🏿🤗”

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Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour

15.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, pass historic Teradaya, then compare up to 18 Kyoto sakes at a local sake restaurant. Guides such as Matt, Rika, Kumi, and Yukari add clear explanations and friendly local advice.

“Great guide & wonderful tour that gives you an understanding of how significant Sake is to this area in particular. Awesome tour for both the beginner & experienced Sake fan.”

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