Top 15 Nightlife Experiences in Japan

1.Tokyo Bar Hopping Tour in Shinjuku (All-You-Can-Drink + Dinner)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,587 reviews · from $106Our pick

Spend about three hours with a small group of up to seven, visiting three Shinjuku drinking spots. Your guide handles ordering and etiquette while you enjoy Japanese dishes, drinks, and backstreet areas including Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai.

“Shohei was very knowledgeable about the area. He gave us plenty of stories about celebrities who've been to the area and interactions he's had with them.”

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2.Shibuya Meltdown Nightlife Tour: All-You-Can-Drink Bar Hopping

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,058 reviews · from $106

Spend 3.5 hours eating and drinking through Shibuya with guides such as Naoki, Mayu, Daichi, or Sara. Visit an indoor meat alley, local izakayas, and possibly a karaoke bar. The small-group format, capped at eight people, helps first-time visitors handle Tokyo’s bar scene with ease.

“It was a lot of fun, great section of Tokyo to visit and the itinerary was perfect because KC took us to three places we never would have found on our own”

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3.Osaka Bar Hopping Night Walking Tour in Namba (3 bars, 6 tastes)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 958 reviews · from $98

Join a local guide such as Mina, Taku, Mari, or Yuko for a three-hour walk through Namba’s food alleys and nightlife. Visit three Japanese bars or izakaya-style venues, try several foods and drinks, see Hozenji Temple and Hozenji Yokocho, and finish near the meeting point. Groups are capped at seven.

“Yuko was a fantastic guide who took us on a full stroll through Dotonburi (including showing us great spots for pictures and pointing out restaurants known for various types of foods like ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, etc.) and to three spots in total, including a terrific Japanese whiskey bar to cap the night off. Highly recommend.”

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4.Pub Crawl and Bar Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 951 reviews · 5 hours · from $27

Start at Bar Propaganda in Roppongi, meet guides such as KT, Leah, Crystal, or Andrew, then visit two local bars before ending at SEL OCTAGON TOKYO. Expect games, welcome shots, discounted drinks, photos, and a large international group. Bring valid photo ID and dress for club entry.

“They know how to entertain! It was good life from the first bar and it continued throughout the evening. Both the "staff" and other "guests" made the evening absolutely wonderful and unforgettable. Strongly recommend if you are looking for a real party atmosphere and want to meet new people. I traveled alone and immediately felt included.”

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5.Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 815 reviews · 3 hours · from $25

Meet your English-speaking guide at Kyoto’s Disney Store and spend three hours walking through Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi. Expect small-group bar hopping, local food, sake tasting, cultural notes, and a final stop at a tucked-away bar. Guides include Moto, Taiga, Mia, Leo, Lyou, and others.

“Taiga was our guide and he did such an amazing job showing us around the izakayas while giving us a nice background about the drinks and Kyoto!! So much fun!!!”

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6.Kyoto Bar Hopping Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 613 reviews · from $105

Spend three hours with a MagicalTrip guide such as Nami, Yumi, Noriko, or Josh, walking from Gion Shijo Station through Pontocho and Kiyamachi. Visit three local izakayas and bars, enjoy three to four drinks and dinner-sized dishes, and learn about Kyoto life along the way.

“Fun tour and environments. The food was a bit disappointing at the second location (first time they said the tour had stopped there) but the atmosphere and company was great. It was nice to get a grasp of the neighborhood.”

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7.Shinjuku Bar Hopping with All-You-Can-Drink & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 440 reviews · 3 hours · from $108

Spend three evening hours with an English-speaking guide such as Yuki, Yosh, or Naoki, visiting three small Shinjuku izakaya bars. Eat yakitori, gyoza, tofu, seafood, and other local dishes, with two drinks, all-you-can-drink at the second bar, and one final drink included.

“Great tour of three bar experiences. Good food and great drinks. Really enjoyed meeting with the other people on the tour and ‘resolving’ the problems of the world. Our guide was helpful and enabled a great tour.”

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8.Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 385 reviews · 3 hours · from $19

Spend three hours with an English-speaking guide such as Taiga, Seina, Kosuke, or Naoko, walking from Dotonbori to Uranamba and stopping at local izakayas and bars. Expect sake, beer, spirits, food tastings, takoyaki making, and perhaps karaoke. Food and drinks cost extra.

“I really enjoyed it!! We went to 3 different places, the food was great. I liked the sake tasting”

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9.Guided Pub Crawl

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 331 reviews · 5 hours · from $23

Meet your guide at Voyager Lounge for five hours of Osaka nightlife. Visit three or four bars, enjoy welcome shots and drink discounts, play social games, then finish at a dance club. Guides such as B, Ryan, Lily, and Tommy help solo visitors mix with the group.

“Brandon and Tony are the best tour guides you will ever have. Best night I’ve had in Osaka, they are amazing. The guides are amazing, the tourists are awesome, we loved every second of the night”

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10.Osaka Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 293 reviews · from $23

Start at Voyager Lounge Shinsaibashi at 7 p.m. with guides such as Tony, B, Andy, Tommy, Ryan, Lena, or Brandon. Visit at least three bars, enjoy welcome shots and drink discounts, then enter a nightclub. Expect a social group, party games, and a late-night finish.

“By far one of the most fun pub crawls i’ve done. Osaka > Tokyo. Loved our guide he was so fun and even took us to an extra club!”

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11.Sapporo Bar Hopping Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 232 reviews · from $108

Spend three hours with a local guide such as Kay, Midori, Aika, or Ayumi, visiting three Sapporo izakayas. You’ll receive three drinks, three to four dishes, translation help, local food advice, and tour photos. The small group, capped at seven people, keeps the evening personal.

“An amazing bar hopping experience. Wide variety of delicious food and drinks. Got to experience Sapporo like a local. Midori and Kaname were fantastic guides - chill and friendly and taught us a ton about local culture. Would def recommend.”

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12.Shinjuku Nightlife & Secret Backstreets Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 229 reviews · 1h 30m · from $22

Follow a local English or Japanese-speaking guide through Shinjuku’s neon streets, Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Golden Gai, and Hanazono Shrine. Guides such as Sota, Rinna, Akira, and Mao explain the district’s past, point out hard-to-find restaurants, and recommend a vending-machine drink along the way.

“Having already walked through Shinjuku, the tour took me on different streets along with explainer on areas. Rinna and Sota were great guides sharing their knowledge about the culture, sights and this small part of Tokyo. A great thing to do when its dark to see the lights of Tokyo.”

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13.2-Hour Nightlife District Walking & Local Food Culture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 199 reviews · from $31

Join an English-speaking guide such as Kaz, Nako, or Sayaka for a two-hour walk through Namba’s food streets, Hozenji Temple, Doguyasuji, and Kuromon Market. You choose what to taste, but food and drinks cost extra.

“I highly recommend this tour as your first experience in Namba area and Osaka. Sayaka was an amazing tour guide and we had so much fun together trying different food, seeing different sites and taking in the history, and even making a deRead more”

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14.Shibuya Meltdown Night Tour: All-You-Can-Drink Bar Hopping

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 183 reviews · 3 hours · from $103

Meet near Shibuya Crossing and follow an English-speaking guide such as Lam, Masa, Yuki, or Hide to three small izakaya bars. You get dinner, selected drinks, all-you-can-drink service at the second stop, and a choice of karaoke or a local bar at the end.

“Max was very nice and showed us lots of nice spots in shibuya with great food!”

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15.Naha Bar Hopping Tour in Okinawa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 3h 30m · from $120

Join a small group of up to seven for 210 minutes of food, drinks, and Okinawan culture around Kokusai-dori. Guides such as Hiro, Mido, Hic, and Hikaru lead you to three local bars, serve 5 to 7 dishes, explain awamori and Habu-shu, and finish with live Sanshin music.

“Had the best experience of Okinawa, the tour was amazing, insightful and the food was delicious. Hikaru gave us the best way to experience Okinawa would highly recommend.”

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