Kyoto Izakaya Hopping: Pontocho & Gion Local Food Tour

This was a lovely evening with a very small group, visiting a couple of restaurants and trying a variety of dishes. I especially appreciated that our guide ordered some more unusual menu items that I might not have thought to try myself. The pricing was a little different: in addition to the tour fee, we were expected to cover the guide’s food and drinks. I didn’t mind, as I valued his recommendations and having him introduce us to the food. What made the evening especially enjoyable was the conversation. He was curious about American culture, and we had a thoughtful exchange about the differences between his culture and mine. It felt like a cultural exchange over dinner and made for a very pleasant night in Kyoto.

We had a fantastic evening with Shumpei. It was great being taken around to the best food and drink spots by a local guide, who also adjusted the itinerary based on our preferences. We visited 2 izakayas and a whiskey bar, all of which we really enjoyed. We also loved chatting to Shumpei and learning more about various aspects of Japanese culture. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kyoto looking for an evening filled with tasty food and great conversation.

It was a bit disheveled/rushed and underwhelming but they were very kind and nice. Overall, happy to have tried it, but would not recommend or do again.

This was a good experience. It was just two people this time but that allowed for each of us to really get to know the tour guide and ask detailed questions. He took us to two locations and each place was soo good that we didn't have time for any other place. The guide was very curious about our lives and provided insightful perspectives to the Kyoto life style. Highly recommend booking this tour!

A fun and laidback night out with a younger crowd. I really love how we went to places unique to our tastes and preferences. We had delicious food at two restaurants and then ended with a simple and tasty dessert. I loved the vibe of this tour! I would highly recommend it.

I had an incredible experience on this tour! My guide, Mune, was awesome — super friendly, personable, and very informative. He made the whole day feel fun and relaxed while sharing great insights about the area. The food was delicious, and the overall atmosphere was so refreshing. I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Japan! It was such a wonderful experience that I already can’t wait to come back and visit Japan again.

We had a wonderful time with another couple, and our knowledgeable guide, Niki, took us to two fantastic restaurants and a Sake bar.

Riku was an amazing tour guide. He showed us places that we wouldn’t have found ourselves. We did this tour our first night in Kyoto and felt like we got a crash course on the local atmosphere.

Brilliant time with Mune, our guide. He showed us around to his favorite Izakayas (3) and ended with a dessert. We would not have discovered them ourselves . He was informative and funny too. We highly recommend Mune!!!

Amazing experience - highly recommend! We went to places we would not have known of otherwise and our guide was exceptional. What drew us to this booking was the fun-looking photos and younger guide, and our decision paid off! This isn’t a “formal” tour and you should expect great company from a younger host who is extremely familiar with the area, and he was very easy to spend the time with! My wife and I really enjoyed this.

Mune was a great Izakaya guide. He was informative, personable and fun. He suggested the perfect food and sake for our evening. He took us to places that we would not have known about just by reading guides. We definitely got our money's worth and would highly recommend.

The places our guide took us to where amazing. Tucked away in small side lanes I would never have found such authentic place myself. The dishes and drinks were were delicious surprises, our guide Emis was super nice, everybody in that group was super fun and made this event in Kyoto an unforgettable memory.

This was a lot of fun. We probably could have done our own pub crawl, but going with Shumpei made it easy and there was always room for us (not always easy with 6 people). We went to three places and the first one was the best food and sake. All three were good, but the 2nd and 3rd had more limited selections.

Shumpei was knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic about Kyoto's food scene. I strongly recommend one of his tours to help familiarize yourself with what Kyoto has to offer!

so far this expirience has been the highlight of our trip to japan. the guide took us to a number of bars and restaurants which were all impeccable and not too pricey at all! we had some of the best drinks we’ve had in japan! our guide made great conversation in fact we couldn’t stop talking til 30 minutes past the tour end time! i would recommend this to any couple or group of friends just looking to have a fun time in kyoto!

I had a great time. We visited 3 different places and all of them had its own charme :) thanks for the night!

We had a wonderful time on the bar hopping tour with Shumpei. He was a fantastic host. If you ever come to Kyoto, please consider booking with him; he is friendly and lively. We visited three different bars, and it was interesting trying new foods and drinking sake. Highly recommend!

There are not many bar tours at all in Kyoto who take tourists around town to explore the nightlife. As a solo traveler specially I highly recommend booking this tour. Shumpei was a great guide and he is a local. The restaurants had great food and drinks.