Kyoto Tastings

Our guide, Laiana, was absolutely superb. She was personable, knowledgeable and warm. By the end of the tour, we had forgotten that she was a tour guide. It felt like we were exploring the city with a friend who wanted to show us her favorite spots.

Marie was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The tea and the fermented food tastings were excellent. She was a pleasure and we had a wonderful time.

Very friendly and helpful staff at the Office that helped us when we went to the wrong meetingplace. Thank you! Our guide was very helpful and shared both his sake and deep Kyoto-knowledge with many smiles. We learned a lot about sake and enjoyed the tour very much

From the moment we stepped into the private tea tasting, it felt like entering a completely different world—one defined by calm, care, and an almost reverent appreciation for tea. What truly elevated the entire experience, however, was our teacher. Their depth of knowledge was nothing short of astonishing. Every detail—from the origin of the leaves to the subtle differences in processing methods—was explained with such clarity and passion that it transformed each sip into a story. You could tell this wasn’t just expertise; it was a genuine love for the craft. The tea itself was absolutely exquisite. Each variety we sampled was more nuanced and flavorful than the last, with layers of aroma and taste I had never noticed before. The experience was paired with a thoughtfully prepared selection of food that complemented the teas beautifully. Every bite felt intentional, enhancing the tasting experience and making the whole session feel indulgent without being overwhelming. What surprised me most was just how fun it all was. This wasn’t a stiff or overly formal class—it was engaging, interactive, and filled with moments of delight and discovery. We laughed, asked questions, compared favorites, and left feeling not only more knowledgeable but genuinely inspired. All in all, this private tea tasting was an unforgettable experience and such a unique, enjoyable way to explore the world of tea. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone—even those who think they already know tea.

It was great and a lot of explanation was given. We learned a lot about the history and culture of the historical Kyoto neighbourhood. We have tasted very nice sake, beer and yakkitori food and the hosts/guides did a great job! Kind regards, Bruno, Flo and Vincent

Anya was a great guide and showed my group some amazing Sake distilleries in Fushimi. We all enjoyed the tour along with the yakitori at the end. We bought multiple bottles of sake that we tried along the way. Would defiantly recommend this tour for anyone interested in sake or would like to visit some local locations.

This was a very unique tour. At first we were a little confused because we started visiting the factories where they made the ponzu and miso and soy which was really cool but then at the end we took ingredients from each place to a nice bar where this really fun bartender made cocktails! It was fun and different -gave us a cool perspective in a part of town we would have never visited! Definitely recommend!

It was a great experience and the guide was full of knowledge. His depth on the subject was very deep. 1) The tea tour, was very interesting and the small of drying/roasting tea was ever present in the air. The dango tasting was very interesting too! 2) The temple –The beauty and gateway to a better place being created was very interesting. And we noted the temple is also the same one on the 10 yen coin too! One could spend all day at this temple. 3) The sake tour was amazing. The shop we went to had an excellent range of sake and the staff were very helpful too.

This was one of our favorite things we did in all of Japan!!! I can not recommend this tour enough. It was so unique, personal, thoughtful, interesting, delicious, and fun. Ayumi was one of the best tour guides I have ever met. She was so generous with her time, experience, and knowledge. We got to make our own ponzu sauce, taste the oldest and original miso shop in Kyoto, and try traditional soy sauce from one of the oldest soy sauce makers in Kyoto. Then we went to a bar where one of the most awarded bartenders in Kyoto made us some of the best cocktails I have EVER had highlighting each of these ingredients. Ayumi made this experience so amazing, she is so kind, funny, and created such a thoughtful tour. It was such a unique experience that was also so fun and educational. Seriously I can not recommend this tour enough!!!!

The guides were very pleasant and answered questions. I felt I knew somewhat more about saki and brewing methods at the end of the tour.

Booked a sake tour on our first day in Japan as a way to become immersed in Japan and Seigo totally delivered. He is a total gentleman, with the knowledge of a scholar and skills and experience of a professional. We were very impressed by his in depth facts and historical context of every street, shop, and brewer. He is a certified sake sommelier and possibly the nicest, kindest person. We spent a great deal of time together talking about topics outside his wheelhouse too with great comfort. I would recommend this tour, and Seigo in particular, for anyone seeking an authentic, memorable experience.

We had such a lovely time with Thomas! He was very knowledgeable, engaging and funny! We gained great insight into Japanese whiskey culture and discovered new favorites.