Where to go out · KYOTO BAR CRAWLS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 11 kyoto bar crawls worth the ticket, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before the door.
Meet your English-speaking guide at Kyoto’s Disney Store in Shijo-Kawaramachi for a three-hour walk through temples, alleys, izakayas, and local bars. Guides such as Moto, Taiga, Mia, Leo, and Lyou lead small groups to places you may not find alone. Food and drinks cost extra, so bring cash. Guests must be 20 or older.
“The tour guide is so kind and cute. We've enjoyed the last night in Kyoto.”
Join MagicalTrip for a three-hour evening walk through Pontocho and Kiyamachi. A Certified Guide such as Nami, Yumi, Noriko, or Yaya leads you to three local izakayas and bars, with 3 to 4 drinks, a full dinner of 3 to 4 dishes, and plenty of Kyoto culture along the way. Vegan options are available, though dietary requests cannot be guaranteed.
“This was a great tour! Our tour guide was personable, insightful, and the group had such great conversation with him. The food and drink was fair for the price we paid. It was very interesting to see the different spots and try a variety of food and drink. I would highly recommend this tour!”
Spend about three hours with a local guide in Kyoto’s Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi districts. Stop at an izakaya, a sake-focused bar, and another local bar while trying dishes such as yakitori and karaage. Guides including Taiga, Mia, Moto, and Kazuma have led lively evenings, but food and drinks cost extra and bill-splitting requires care.
“Mei was a great guide and the tour was a lot of fun. Mei engaged the whole group, taught us a lot, and made sure everyone had a great time!”
Spend three private hours in central Kyoto with Kenji, a certified international sake sommelier who worked at a Hyogo brewery. Visit two or three bars, including possible machiya izakaya and standing bars, while tasting sake, craft beer, and local dishes matched to your preferences. The tour is for groups of 2 to 4, with non-alcoholic options available.
“We had a wonderful night drinking sake and enjoying delicious food with Kenji. He is an exceptional guide with a lot of knowledge about sake and Kyoto. This tour was the highlight of our visit to Kyoto. I highly recommend to anyone that wants an authentic experience with sake and food.”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Gion Shijo Station, then spend 3.5 hours in Pontocho and Kiyamachi, visiting three local bars. Your $120 includes 3 to 4 drinks, 3 to 4 dinner dishes, and tour photos. Guides such as Miku, J, and Hide have led recent outings, with stops ranging from sake bars to karaoke venues.
“The tour, Hide, was the defining feature of the night. Warm, confident and knowledgeable, easy to speak with Hide genuinely made the night enjoyable with his conversation and engaging manner. Each stop was interesting and each venue visited had amazing food and good drink, each being charming in their own way and the staff of each establishment gracious with their hospitality. The tour selected well, the night enhanced by the guide, meaning it fell much like a friendly get together than anything else. Would recommend my friends to this night, confident their experience would be as amazing as mine.”
Spend a late night at KITSUNE Kyoto, a two-floor club with SEA and LAND themes, strong sound and lighting, DJ performances, and a drink included with admission. The special foreign visitor plan costs from JPY 500 for women and JPY 800 for men, depending on the night. Bring your original passport, arrive after 10 PM, and remember that entry is single-use.
Join a local English- or Japanese-speaking guide in Kyoto for a flexible night of food and drinks. You may visit several contrasting restaurants and bars for sushi, tempura, yakitori, gyoza, tofu, regional dishes, or cocktails. Guides such as Maki, Mark, and Shiyo tailor the evening to your tastes, while you pay separately for all food and drinks, including the guide’s share.
“Very civilised, relaxed trip through food district of Kyoto with the lovely Maki who took us to 3 very different and interesting restaurants ranging from tempura to yakitori to tofu/raddish - Maki even threw in a quick calligraphy lesson ahead of our next plsnned activity! Very good”
Join an English-speaking local guide, identified in guest feedback as Hiro, for three hours of Kyoto nightlife. Start near Minami-za Kabuki Theatre, taste food and drinks at one or two izakayas, then walk through Gion and nearby streets. The guide orders for you, explains local customs, and takes photos to send afterward.
“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!”
Join Takeshi for a private three-hour evening through Kyoto’s WAKUWAKU area. Visit three local drinking spots, usually a tachinomi standing bar, an izakaya, and a Japanese whisky bar. The $52.03 guide fee covers the tour, while food and drinks cost extra, with spending capped at about 6,000 yen.
“Great host who does know places we had never found ourselves. His english is very good and he is informative about everything you ask about.”
From a 5:00 pm meeting near Kyoto Kawaramachi Garden, your English-speaking guide leads you through Gion and nearby streets for sake, whisky, cocktails, and four local food stops. Expect specialty dishes, seasonal snacks, an award-winning bar, and atmospheric streets around Yasaka Shrine and Gion Shirakawa. Guides have included Thomás and Gabriela.
Spend 3 to 4 hours with an English- or Japanese-speaking local guide, visiting 3 or 4 Osaka bars and izakayas. You choose what to eat and drink, while paying your own costs and the guide’s share, usually ¥4,000 to ¥6,000 per person. Short walks connect the stops.
Pick a kind of night, or a bar that floats.
