Kyoto · KYOTO NIGHTLIFE & BAR TOURS
14 reviewed
The 14 kyoto nightlife & bar tours below are the ones worth a place on a Kyoto itinerary. Each entry gives the price, the running time and who it is right for, so the choice takes a minute, not an evening.
Kyoto izakaya bars walking tour from Kawaramachi to Kiyamachi. Small group, sake tasting, local-only spots, ends at a late-night bar.
“Really good food and drinks and an excellent atmosphere on the night out!”
Walk Kyoto’s Pontocho backstreets with a certified guide, sampling 3 bars, drinks, and dishes. Small group, big local vibe.
“Had a wonderful time with our guide walking along some of the small streets in the Gion area. The bars weren’t touristy, which is a plus in my mind, and there were plenty of options of food and drinks to select from.”
A guided Kyoto bar crawl through Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi with izakaya bites, sake vibes, and alley bars you’d miss alone.
“Very much enjoyed the tour, we had a large group but Tiga did great job taking us around and sharing information on the local food and drinks.”
Kyoto afternoon izakaya cooking class at Cooking Sun. Cook home dishes, eat what you make, and take recipes home.
“A completely brilliant afternoon of making local Japanese food which we could easily make again at home. Wonderful instruction, friendly staff and we loved the food we made. A really great experience. Thank you for helping to make Japanese food accessible. Delicious.”
Hands-on izakaya cooking in Kyoto: learn dashi and seasoning, make 5–6 dishes, eat your dinner, and take home recipes with an English chef.
“I had a wonderful time learning how to cook various Japanese dishes. The food was delicious. The hosts were kind and delightful. However, they offered us a glass of sake with our meal and I assumed it was already included with what we paid for, but at the end she unexpectedly said we owed 600 yen per glass. I don’t mind paying for it but I feel like they should have said the cost when offering it.”
Kyoto local gourmet night with guided izakaya stops in Gion, Pontocho, and by the Kamogawa River, plus dinner course, desserts, and drinks.
“We had a wonderful time with Ayane! The food from all three locations was great and each provided a unique experience. The small group setting made it feel more personalized.”
Kyoto’s Pontocho at night: a small-group English bar-hopping tour with 3–4 izakaya stops, dinner-scale food, and drinks.
“The tour was great and Miku, our guide was lovely. She took us to unique spots and had everything reserved/pre-arranged. It was a good way to get to learn the area on our first night in Kyoto and it included a lot of drinks and food, definitely worth the money.”
Kyoto bar hopping with a local guide to taste sushi, tempura, yakitori, gyoza, and more, while learning Japanese food culture. Drinks extra.
“Shiyo was a great guide. She was very eager to share her stories of Kyoto. She took us to great places to try regional specialties and a local cocktail bar. Would definitely book again to try different local spots”
Hands-on Kyoto izakaya cooking class: make yakitori, onigiri, and dashi-maki tamago, then eat together. Small group, dietary options.
“My husband and I had such a wonderful time! We were the only ones there which was a pleasant experience as we had more one on one time! This experience will definitely be a highlight for us and we are excited to recreate these recipes at home!”
Kyoto private bar hopping at 7:00 pm with a local guide, 3 stops (tachinomi, izakaya, whisky) near transit, mobile ticket, drinks extra.
“We loved exploring the small bars while we would never consider to enter on our own. Our host was very friendly and clearly enjoyed sharing his city with us. For a sense of how locals eat and drink we highly recommend this tour!”
Spend 3 lively hours in Kyoto with Hiro, hopping izakayas near Gion and Kiyamachi—no ordering stress, great bites and drinks included.
“We highly recommend the tour! Hiro is a wonderful guide, who explained us so many details we would never have explored. We saw many beautiful places and enjoyed the lovely athmosphere at night. We had many questions about Japanes everyday life and Hiro answered them all. He speaks english fluently and good german as well (and may be other languages as well) and is a very interessting host. Plus: he took a lot of great pictures and send it to us next morning! We had a fun night!”
A private Kyoto izakaya food tour with a local guide: sake tastings, small plates, and tachinomiya standing bars, all tailored to you.
“Gepersonaliseerde trip gemaakt met Masaya. Verschillende restaurants en bars bezocht en een wandeling door de stad gemaakt. Masaya heeft veel nuttige tips gegeven voor allerlei activiteiten en bezienswaardigheden in Kyoto. Was een leuke trip en zeker de moeite waard.”
Kyoto night food and izakaya hopping in Pontocho, with river views at Shijo Bridge, 7-8 dishes, and 4-5 drinks.
“While the guides were very nice and hospitable, the communication was difficult due to the fact that their command of the English language was not very strong. We ate at one izakaya and had drinks at a different bar. That is all. The cost of the tour was extremely high for what we experienced.”
A small-group Kyoto private tour mixing a calm bamboo path, river cormorant fishing, and a hard-to-book izakaya dinner with Nori.
“Our guide was extremely kind and knowledgeable! The experience was amazing. We highly recommend making the trip to the river to see the cormorant fishing take place.”
