The 15 Best Market Food Tours in Japan

1.Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,184 reviews · from $99Our pick

Start at Tsukiji Honganji Temple, then follow a local guide through Tsukiji’s outer market for dashi, tea, fish cakes, omelette, seafood, Wagyu, fruit, and sushi or a seafood bowl. Guides such as Kiyo, Naz, Shoko, and Masa add food and cultural context. Expect crowds, walking, and a fish-focused menu.

“Our tour guide, Take, was full of history and knowledge of the food and culture. Take communicated well and gave a nice variety of different types of food. The food we sampled was really good! My favorite was the squid! I never ate sushi but wanted to be open minded! It was really good, especially the eel. There is a bit of walking, but it was worth it!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Tour (7 Tastings + Brunch)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,355 reviews · from $68

Spend about three hours walking from Shijo Bridge through Pontocho and Nishiki Tenmangu to Kyoto’s Nishiki Market. A guide such as Yuki, Yusuke, Chie, or Hikaru leads up to six people through seven tastings and a sit-down brunch, with tour photos provided. Expect local food, cultural context, and a crowded market.

“It was disappointing😞. While the tour guide Aina was helpful, pleasant and spoke clearly, the food selections were poor. Tasting tours on other countries go to different restaurants and we get a drink with the food. Meat stick shown in the picture was not even an option. Just a large bazaar food court and we didn’t do that many tasting unless you count rice and a sip of black bean tea. Only two tastings were of a reasonable size. I couldn’t tell you if we got any more than two. The only other tasting were tiny samples given out to everyone stopping by. The brunch was one of three small…”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Tour and Sushi Making with Pro Chef

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 775 reviews · from $104

Begin at Tsukiji Honganji Temple with a Japan Wonder Travel guide such as Monami, Ko, Mari, or Yuki. Walk through the outer market and small wholesale area, then learn five nigiri styles and one roll from a sushi chef. Your class includes dashi soup, green tea, wasabi, and lunch made from your own sushi.

“The market tour was fine. Our guide was very nice and very knowledgeable.. But, in retrospect we should have booked a tour that included tastings, although we were able to purchase food from any of the stalls. The timeframe was too long aRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 757 reviews · 3 hours · from $96

Meet your English-speaking guide at Tsukiji Honganji Temple for a three-hour walk through Tokyo’s famous outer market. You’ll sample wagyu skewers, fish cakes, Japanese omelet, seasonal fruit, and either sushi or a seafood bowl. Guides such as Shun, Nazu, Miki, and Robert add market lore, shrine etiquette, and practical help choosing what to eat.

“Naomi was very nice and really knew her staff, had lots of information. She took us to lots of tasting stalls and little shops. We really enjoyed the tour and definitely were not hungry after it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Tsukiji Fish Market: Street Food & Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 669 reviews · from $33

Spend two hours around Tsukiji with a local guide, tasting market food, watching a traditional fish-cutting demonstration, and visiting Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple. Guides such as George and Tomo have led engaging walks, but crowds can make the pace hectic. Food costs extra, and groups may reach 30 people.

“It was just alright. There was a lot of stopping and waiting around and honestly not that much history explained. Mostly it was visiting different food stands and encouraging people to try food. What kind of irked me is I was talking to other peoRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Tsukiji Fish Market Small-Group Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 621 reviews · from $87

Walk Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market with a guide such as Kazu, Yuki, or Hitomi, sampling seafood and Japanese snacks before a fresh seafood lunch. Visit a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine, learn how the market changed after the wholesale move to Toyosu, and finish near Shiodome. Groups are capped at seven.

“I really enjoyed the tour and had the opportunity to learn more about the history of the market. We also were able to try tamagoyaki (Japanese sweet omelette), tuna nigiri sushi, unagi (eel) bbq and a finish our tour with a lunch in one of the loRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Kuromon Market Food Walking Tour in Osaka (6 stops, 6 tastes)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 550 reviews · from $50

Spend two hours tasting Osaka specialties such as takoyaki, sushi, yakitori, dumplings, and sweets while a local guide leads you through Kuromon Market. You also visit Doguyasuji’s kitchenware shops and pass Namba, Dotonbori, and Namba Grand Kagetsu. Guides have included Nina, Yuto, Rie, and Megumi.

“Amazing experience, our guide Yuto was knowledgeable and friendly and made sure we had a great time even with some dietary restrictions. Great time and great group overall!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market Sushi Making Class with Pro Chef

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 506 reviews · 90 minutes - 4 hours · from $63

In Tsukiji’s outer market, an English-speaking host such as Satoko or Yuko guides you to a traditional classroom, where a professional chef teaches fish preparation, four nigiri styles, and one maki roll. You’ll use fresh market ingredients, eat your own sushi, and watch the chef prepare an extra serving with fresh wasabi.

“We went on a trip through the Tsujiki fish market with a very friendly guide who explained the different food types very well. The sushi course afterwards was very good, the chef and staff was very nice and helpful. Would recommend for any size group from 1-4 people.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Kyoto Nishiki Market Food and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 412 reviews · from $80

Spend about three hours with a guide such as Keiko, Takuma, Annie, or Toshi around Nishiki Market and central Kyoto. Taste local foods, learn shrine customs, browse Teramachi and Shinkyogoku, and see how everyday shopping, religion, and cuisine fit together. The group is capped at six, but dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated.

“I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was so disappointing—and frankly exploitative—that I feel obligated to warn others before they waste their time and money. This so-called "food tour" of Nishiki Market was nothing more than Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Osaka: Kuromon Market Food Walking Tour (6 stops, 6 tastes)

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 272 reviews · 2 hours · from $49

Spend two hours tasting Osaka favorites such as takoyaki, scallops and yakitori while your English-speaking MagicalTrip guide leads you through Kuromon Market, kitchenware shops, Hozenji Yokocho and Dotonbori. Guides including Nina, Niko and Aiko have been praised for friendly explanations, flexible food choices and taking photos along the way.

“The tour was awesome!! Rhi was an amazing guide - very kind, sweet and knowledgeable. We were able to try new foods that we would have never tried and we learned a lot too. It’s also a nice small group, highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Tsukiji Fish Market: Street Food & Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 259 reviews · 2 hours · from $22Best value

Spend two hours with a local English-speaking guide such as Kawa, George, Mao, or Tomo at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple and the outer market. Taste tuna, wagyu, grilled seafood, eel, dumplings, and other Japanese specialties, with fresh-grated wasabi adding a sharp finishing touch. Bring cash and avoid Wednesdays, Sundays, and national holidays if you want the widest choice of open shops.

“Loved the experience. Slight confusion on the meeting place but the guide called to ensure a meet up. Kawa did an excellent job. He was very attentive to our preferences and explained things in detail along the way and answered all our questions. Great "bites" of food. Totally stuffed by the end. We were encouraged to try new foods and thoroughly enjoyed them all!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Tokyo: Toyosu Tuna Auction &Tsukiji Market Gourmet Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 187 reviews · 3h 30m · from $122

Start before sunrise at Toyosu Market, where your guide explains bluefin grading and auction hand signals from the public viewing deck. Eat a fresh seafood breakfast, tour the wholesale market, then transfer to Tsukiji for small stalls, kitchenware, and tuna tips. English and Chinese guides include Tim, Lin, Eon, and Ethan.

“THAT WAS AMAZING. So much fun and Tim was so helpful and knowledgeable”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Kyoto: Local Food Tasting Tour at the Nishiki Market

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 135 reviews · 3 hours - 270 minutes · from $78

Walk Kyoto’s 400-year-old Nishiki Market with an English-speaking local guide and sample five specialties, including yuba, obanzai, hamo tempura, and wagyu steak skewers. The small group is limited to six, with stops at nearby shrines and shopping arcades. You can also add a 90-minute tea ceremony with kimono dressing.

“We have Toshi, our guide, to thank for a fun time. His positive and enthusiastic personality made this tour fun. He added a nice balance of food, culture and history to his tour. Thank you.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Kyoto: Nishiki Market and Depachika Food Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 76 reviews · 2 hours · from $42

Meet your English-speaking guide at Apple Kyoto for a compact food walk through Daimaru’s basement hall, Nishiki Market, and Nishiki-Tenmangu Shrine. Expect yuba sashimi, a soy milk donut, Nishiki gyoza, and hamo tempura, with guides such as Mao, Ai, Boris, and Kats bringing local food knowledge. The group is limited to nine people.

“Brook was a great guide. She has provided great amount of details about food, traditions, different ingredients of the Japanese cuisine. We could taste a lot of food and found the best sake in Kyoto 😉”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Kyoto: Nishiki Market Tour with a Local Foodie & Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 67 reviews · 1h 30m · from $67

Meet your English or Japanese speaking guide at Nishiki Tenmangu and walk through the shrine, Teramachi Street, and Nishiki Market. Expect guided tastings, local food stories, and practical help choosing unfamiliar treats. Guides such as Kaito, Akino, and Hiro are praised for warm conversation and strong food knowledge. Drinks cost extra, and allergies cannot be accommodated.

“The organisation ease and meeting point were great. I had booked for a similar tour to have it cancelled. All worked out fabulously. Kaito was a great source of information and a great guide thr the market & through my marvelous Japaneese food fusion experience. I highly recommend this tour with Kaito - I learnt so much on the cultural level, gastronomically and gained a new respect & insight into the Japaneese way. A wonderful experience I am grateful for his guidance”

Check availability →Read our full review