Things to do in Kyoto, Kinki: The Best Food Tours

Explore Kyoto's Nishiki Market with a local guide. Your shared small-group tour (maximum of 10 people) will begin at a cooking studio near the market, where your guide will give a short talk about the tour and what it entails. Afterwards you'll exploring Nishiki market with the guide. While walking through the market, you'll learn about Japanese traditional foods in great detail, with many being mostly unknown outside of Japan. Your guides will help facilitate communication between you and the shopkeepers to provide a rare and genuine experience. After touring the market, you will return to the cooking studio and try cooking donburi (rice bowl dish with seafood, tempura or chicken & egg) with fresh ingredients you bought at Nishiki. If you bought something for yourself in the market, the friendly guide will gladly help you cut or warm up the food for you.

Inclusions: Ingredients for donburi cooking, Water and green tea at restaurant, Local guide, Lunch

Exclusions: Extra food that you may want to buy on your own, Sake tasting at cooking studio (500 yen), Hotel pickup and drop-off

Enjoy a walking tour of Pontocho and Gion Shirakawa, two of Kyoto’s most charming and historic areas. Travel back in time to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes in this rustic neighborhood. You will experience 5 food and drink stops, with something for everyone. Start off in a retro “Showa-era” restaurant to try seasonal and regional, tasty dishes. Next try several types of yakitori in a classic Pontocho eatery. Then, head on to a traditional Noodle shop with decades of history, for handmade noodle dishes. Have fun beyond the temples and Kyoto tourist experiences. Ask your guide about the history and culture surrounding the food of Kyoto! This fun and friendly tour is the perfect way to spend your evening. There are too many great restaurant choices, and a few that are certainly too touristy, so let us help you make the best choices. Create delicious memories with us!

Inclusions: 5 food stops, 2 drinks, Local English speaking guide, Historic area sightseeing

Exclusions: Hotel pick up not included (can be arranged for an additional charge), Gratuity, Transportation costs, Additional drinks or food (not included but possible to purchase at guest expense)

Eat your way through Kyoto's culinary scene on a private food tour. Go on a delicious journey as you try 10 of the best food items beloved by the locals: from savory to sweet and local drinks; this tour will leave every foodie satisfied! Enjoy tastings typical of the local cuisine and hand-picked by a local guide passionate about food like Gyozas and Japanese pepper ice cream. But that's not it! This tour is more than just food; it's a cultural experience! In between food stops, you'll also find city highlights making this experience a well-rounded tour that will satisfy every foodie. Withlocals The 10 Tastings Private Food Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local produce and prevent over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon-neutral and away from the standard

Inclusions: Private Tour, Small group tour option available, Local Guide, 10 Food & Drinks Tastings

Exclusions: Hotel pick-up and drop off, Food and drink not mentioned as inclusion

This tour is a celebration of Japanese traditional culture and Kaiseki cuisine: a multi-course, multi-flavored Japanese dinner that flawlessly mixes global and local flavors to produce some of the most delicious dishes on the planet. Kyoto is a magical place. You will stroll with your guide along the local streets, amongst the many passersby to fully appreciate the life of the city. Gion is a prominent, traditional entertainment district and Kyoto’s center of Japanese arts. Your guide will tell you stories about this very exquisite part of Kyoto along the way. You will also explore the gorgeous Shirakawa neighborhood, and have the chance to whet your appetite with a special Kyoto treat as you wander. Learn about the life of Kyoto’s famous Geisha and then sit down to enjoy a 10-course Kaiseki meal, with some of Kyoto’s freshest food. We want this moment of your life to be a memory you will never forget!

Inclusions: Local Guide, 10 Course Dinner plus Green Tea and Dessert, One drink included

Exclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Gratuities, Transportation costs., Additional drinks or food

Maybe you have seen a picture of a Bamboo grove in Japan once in your life. This is the highlight of Arashiyama, an area where ancient aristocrats had their villas more than 1,000 years ago. On this tour, mainly you will visit a beautiful bridge called the Togetsukyo and the Tenryu-ji temple with beautiful traditional gardens, Bamboo grove, Sagano area, Jojakko-ji Temple with breathtakingly green mos. On the way, you also visit some secret spots where tourists don't know. While enjoying the walk and delicious food, you also learn some Japanese culture and history.  Let's explore Arashiyama and Sagano local area with the local guide & delicious food!! 

Inclusions: Professional and friendly local guide, (Lunch) Croquette, Soy milk donut, Negiyaki, Deep fried fish cake, Maccha tea & Japanese Sweets, Entrance fee for Tenryu-ji Temple & Jojakko-ji Temple

Exclusions: Hotel pick-up and drop-off, Extra food and drink, Other personal expenses, Transportation fee to meeting point

Gain a riveting introduction to Kyoto’s food culture with this small-group guided tour. Begin with the 400m long Nishiki Market, nicknamed 'Kyoto's Kitchen,' where over 130 food shops and stalls will beckon your taste buds. Learn about its food culture, history and taste the unique dishes including: Tofu Skin, sesame cracker, Japanese pike conger eel, omelet, Croquette and Japanese Sake. Rest your appetite by a nearby shrine dedicated to the God of Education (Nishiki Shrine). Follow this up by sauntering through the famous Pontocho Geisha Alley- a narrow street. It’s lined with enduring shops and traditional restaurants waiting to be explored, and the complete dismal of cars and modern buildings invites you further to be engrossed by the mesmeric surroundings. Here, alongside our final destination, Gion district is renowned for Geisha living area. Not only will you be educated about this classical tradition, you may have the chance to even meet one but if you are lucky!

Inclusions: Local and Professional guide, Food tasting, Lunch (Tofu skin, Sesame Cracker, Daggertooth pike conger eel, Omelet, Croquette, Sake, Sweets)

Exclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Transportation fee to meeting point, Other personal expenses, Extra foods

- 7+ mouth-watering Kyoto-style Japanese food tastings, enough for a full dinner meal, served from locally-owned restaurants (Menu may vary every time based on the fresh ingredients at the market). - Two drinks as we taste local style dinner. You may also choose your drinks (Beer, sake & other drinks). Non-alcoholic beverages are also available. - Explore Kyoto, visiting popular spots as well as hidden gems. Enjoy the unique scenes of Nishiki Market, Pontocho, and Kiyamachi.

Inclusions: 10+ Kyoto style course meal, Sake, beer, whiskey, and soft drinks of your choice

Exclusions:

-Drink like a local! Bar hopping in the backstreets of Pontocho- To start this All-in-one bar hopping walking tour that Drinks & Foods are all included, our local guide will take you to an izakaya bar (a local tavern) on Pontocho street, one of the most well known night streets, full of local izakayas. We will be taking you to places only the locals know and recommend, making for a one and only experience! -Various drink and izakaya food tastings- We'll continue bar hopping walking around in the backstreets of Kyoto. You can try some authentic izakayas that serve yakitori or sashimi with crisp, cold draft beer. If you're a sake-lover, we will help you navigate through a sake standing bar that serves Kyoto-made sake. You can enjoy the night like a local! Magical Trip is a local tour operator with the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence that offers various types of small-group tours throughout Japan! Check out our Trip Advisor Page for more tours and our reviews!

Inclusions: 3 Drinks & 1 Food Plate (You can select from our special menu) (Vegan menu available), Hopping 3 local izakaya bars with a local guide, Alcoholic Beverages

Exclusions:

-Try Kyoto's traditional, seasoned dishes at a hidden restaurant in Gion- We'll walk around the Gion where many old Kyoto-style buildings can be seen. Our local guide will provide insight into how locals enjoy their nights. We will enjoy simple, seasoned Kyoto appetizers in a traditional atmosphere! -Enjoy more Kyoto food- We'll walk to the second spot famous for its Sake where you can enjoy mouth-watering platters of the local delicacy "Obanzai" and perfect food pairings with a Kikizake (a selection of 3 types of Japanese sake) set! -Finish the tour with Kyoto's local liquor or matcha dessert- After trying many traditional dishes, we'll round things up with the tour to the Kyoto's bar, where you can taste Kyoto's local liquor or Matcha dessert. Magical Trip is a local tour operator with the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence that offers various types of small-group tours throughout Japan! Check out our Trip Advisor Page for more tours and our reviews!

Inclusions: 4-5 Food tastings (Full dinner), 3 drinks (Alcohol available)

Exclusions: Additional drinks and food fee (available for purchase)

This is small-group guided tour of the city's best food spots Nishiki Market and exploring the Gion geisha district and Famous Fushimi Inari Shrine. Start at the deliciously 400-year-old Nishiki Market, nicknamed 'Kyoto's Kitchen,' where over 130 food shops and stalls beckon your taste buds. Stroll through the market with the local guide, learning about the history of food in the city and taste many dishes unique to Kyoto, including tofu skin, pickled vegetables, Sesame Cracker, Croquette, Japanese pike conger eel, Japanese omelet and Sake. After the market, visit a shrine dedicated to the god of education to learn about our religion. Then, you will walk around Pontocho and Gion district. If you are lucky, you can see real Geisha on the tour. Then we will rest our foot with traditional Japanese sweet in Gion. Then head to Famous Fushimi Inari shrine (Thousand of red Torii gate). You can talk and discuss about your trip with your local guide.

Inclusions: Local and Professional guide, Lunch (Tofu skin, Sesami Cracker, Daggertooth pike conger eel, Omelet, Croquette, Sake, Sweets), Pick up sample food, Train ticket fee from Gion to Fushimi Inari

Exclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Transportation fee from your hotel to meetup place, Other personal expenses, Extra foods