Kyoto Nishiki Market Food & Culture Tour with Izakaya Lunch

Experience Kyoto’s family-friendly street food culture without the stress of restaurant reservations or language barriers on this small-group Nishiki Market tour. Explore Nishiki Market, known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” with an English-speaking local guide who helps you navigate the lively 400-year-old market and choose the best street food bites along the way. Sample a variety of authentic Kyoto specialties that many visitors wouldn’t know how—or where—to order on their own. The tour includes multiple tastings at carefully selected local shops, offering a well-rounded introduction to Kyoto’s culinary traditions. As you walk through the market and surrounding neighborhood, your guide shares insights into Kyoto’s food culture and everyday eating habits. Ideal for families, first-time visitors, or anyone who loves different food cultures, this small-group street food tour lets you explore confidently while discovering the flavors that define Kyoto.

1. 1

   Nishiki Market

   1.7 hours

   Soak up the sights, sounds, and smells, and learn about local food culture in this 400-year-old market with 130 shops all along a narrow five-block long street. This market still functions as an important place for both locals and professional chefs. Many chefs of Michelin-star restaurants and hotels/ryokans buy their ingredients from this market everyday. Locals come to the market when they want real atuhentic ingredients with best quality. While wandering through the market and sampling various kind of foods, you will learn about Japanese foods, local specialties, and food culture. Let's enjoy the market, not only foods but also all food related shops such as kitchen knives, tableware, and chopsticks.

2. 2

   Nishiki Tenmangu

   15 min

   Visiting a local Shinto shrine. You will learn about things you often find at a shrine and how to pray at a Japanese Shinto shrine. Also, you could know the basics about the worships among Japanese People. If you like, you can try a fortune paper.

3. 3

   Shinkyogoku Shopping District

   20 min

   This pedestrian-only shopping arcade street is a great spot for tourists as it blends traditional Kyoto culture with modern commercial trend. You will feel the life of the local people while walking through this local shopping street, where various shops from long-established shops to the latest shops line up.

4. 4

   Takoyakushido Eifukuji Temple

   10 min

   A small Buddhist temple located at the corner of the shopping street. There are temples everywhere in Kyoto, so this is something local experience that you can feel temples close to you in everyday life.

5. 5

   Teramachi-dori Street

   15 min

   You will feel the life of the local people while walking through this local shopping street, where various shops from long-established shops to the latest shops line up.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• We are unfortunately unable to accommodate dietary restrictions, including vegetarian, halal, kosher, gluten-free, or allergy-related requests.
• If you will come with a stroller, please let us know in advance. Nishiki market is very crowded sometimes.
• If you have severe dietary restrictions, it may not be possible to arrange food for you.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.