15 Green Tea Tours in Japan Worth the Airfare

1.Experience all of Japanese culture and Japanese food experience classes “origami, udon, Japanese food, green tea, calligraphy” in 4 hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $92Our pick

Meet Taka at JR Omori Station, then walk eight minutes to his home for a hands-on Japanese culture and food class. You’ll fold an origami crane, make udon from scratch, prepare sushi and gyoza, enjoy tempura and small dishes, drink matcha with Japanese sweets, and take home a calligraphy souvenir. Private groups, vegetarian, and vegan options are available.

“Taka and Keiko are wonderful hosts. They are friendly, inquisitive, welcoming and full of information. Our noodle making experience was delightful and a little unexpected with a fun surprise. All food was delicious. I learned a lot and can’t wait to make the recipes at home. Thank you for such a great experience”

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2.Uji: Green Tea Tour with Byodoin and Koshoji Temple Visits

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 72 reviews · from $111

Join an English or Spanish-speaking guide such as Bryan, David, Ferdinand, or Damien for a four-hour Uji tour. Taste prized Gyokuro, visit the oldest operating teahouse, learn tea-brewing techniques, and explore Byodoin, Ujigami Shrine, and mountain-side Koshoji Temple. Expect stairs, walking, and a rain-or-shine outing.

“Brian was our tour guide. He knew a lot about Uji history and took us to see many shrines / temples. He taught us how to do a blessing at a shrine / temple and we repeated it all throughout our trip whenever we visited a temple / shrine. The tea making lesson was fun also. We tried a tea we’ve never had before. We would book a tour with Pinpoint again. We did two tours with them. We were very happy with the quality.”

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3.Scenic Green Tea Fields of Hidden Kyoto & Local Tea Exp (Private)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews

Travel from Kyoto into Wazuka and Ujitawara with Daiki, a lively local guide who combines tea culture, temples, countryside roads, and photo stops. You’ll visit Byodo-in, taste local tea and matcha, walk among working tea fields, and see Shoju-in’s famous heart-shaped window. Pickup and drop-off are private and flexible.

“Amazing tour would highly recommend. Daiki went out of his way for us much appreciated. Big thanks to Daiki’s Dad as well!”

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4.Osaka; Japanese Tea ceremony experience, Macha and Sencha

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 29 reviews · 1 hour · from $25

In a traditional tatami room near Osaka’s Midosuji Line, tea master Yuko guides you through matcha preparation, Japanese tea etiquette, and the spiritual meaning of the ceremony. You also prepare sencha, taste two kinds of sweets, and may add a yukata rental for photographs. The one-hour session is offered in English or Japanese.

“Yuko è una maestra della cerimonia del tè esperta che sa guidarti nella storia di questa tradizione centenaria con garbo e simpatia. Bella esperienza!”

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5.Kyoto Matcha Green Tea Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 28 reviews · 3 hours · from $173

Meet your English-speaking guide at Keihan Uji Station for a three-hour walk through Uji, matcha’s home district. Visit Byodoin Temple and a historic shrine, sample local dishes, grind tea, make matcha, enjoy wagashi and matcha ice cream, then shop at your own pace. Guides have included Karim, Miki, Jamelah, and Sanae.

“Very nice visit, even better than expected ! It’s a mix with history, religion explanations, gastronomy and Matcha tea taste. Thomas our guide was really good. Knowing a part of Japan through this activity is really amazing and maybe one of my best experience in Kyoto! I really recommend this activity.”

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6.Slow Cycling Tour at Uji’s Matcha Green Tea Fields and Heritage

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $130

Spend about four and a half hours exploring Uji by Brompton bicycle with a local English-speaking navigator, including tea culture at Chazuna, Uji and Ujigami shrines, Koshoji Temple, the Uji River, and Amagase Dam. The pace is gentle, the group is capped at six, and the route can be adjusted to your interests.

“We had an amazing tour with Takashi. He was a great guide!”

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7.Kyoto Matcha Green Tea Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · from $221

Spend about three hours in Uji, Kyoto’s tea center, with a guide who helps you find local tea shops, explains matcha-making, and translates along the way. You’ll taste matcha and hojicha, enjoy wagashi sweets, matcha ice cream, and a set lunch, then visit Uji Shrine, the Uji River area, and UNESCO-listed Byodoin Temple. The group is capped at 10 people.

“Warm welcome and gracious hospitality on our recent green tea and Japanese food tour in Uji (Kyoto).”

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8.Sencha-do the Japanese Tea Ceremony Workshop in Kyoto

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $107

At Higashi Abe School’s Gaisuian studio near Kitano Tenmangu, master instructor Kyo demonstrates senchado, the Japanese tea ceremony built around brewed sencha rather than matcha. You then handle the utensils, prepare and serve your own tea, and enjoy it with wagashi sweets. The 90-minute class welcomes photos and has a maximum of four participants.

“Overall, this was a great activity for our family, We were lucky enough to have the grandmaster of the school teach us the ceremony. We did learn a fair amount of the history of the school and history of the ceremony including the fact that this was a different type of ceremeRead more”

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9.Uji Tea Ceremony and UNESCO Heritage Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $70

Walk through Uji with an English-speaking guide, visiting Byodoin Temple, Uji Shrine, Ujigami Shrine, and scenic bridges before a traditional tea ceremony at Taihoan. Guides such as Naoki, Maru, and Katsuhiko are praised for clear local insight. The three-hour tour starts at Uji Station and ends near Uji Bridge.

“The tea ceremony party was very short. The rest of it was seeing the area, including temple and museum, and the guide was great!”

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10.Authentic Japanese tea tasting: sencha, matcha and gyokuro

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 1h 30m · from $87

In downtown Tokyo, an English-speaking tea expert guides you through 12 teas from family farms: seven sencha, four matcha powders, and one premium gyokuro. Compare daily and hand-picked grades, learn how Japanese tea developed, and pair matcha with a small traditional sweet in a small group of up to four.

“This was such a special and unique experience, our guide was wonderful, so welcoming and super knowledgable. We had the best time and tried so many delicious teas. We would recommend this to anyone and have friends and family visiting this year who will definitely include this in their trip! Nothing bad to say at all - great from start to finish.”

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11.Authentic Japanese tea tasting session: sencha, matcha, gyokuro

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $90

At ShiZen Tea in Tokyo, Yosuke leads a 90-minute tasting of 12 Japanese teas, including sencha, matcha, and gyokuro. You compare everyday and premium teas while learning how farming, processing, water temperature, regions, and history shape each cup. This is a tasting class, not a formal tea ceremony, with a maximum of four people.

“Yosuke provided an in depth detailed overview about the types of green tea in Japan and provided a guided sampling of a wide variety. It is clear from his methodical actions in his tea preparation that his knowledge comes from many years of Read more”

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12.Cycling Tour at Uji’s Matcha Green Tea Fields and Heritage

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 4h 30m · from $160

Spend 270 minutes exploring Uji by Brompton bicycle with a local English-speaking guide, identified as Takashi. Visit Chazuna, ancient shrines, Kosho-ji Temple, quiet stretches of the Uji River, Tō-no-shima Island, and Byodoin Temple. Finish with local matcha treats. The group is limited to six, and the route can be adjusted to your wishes.

“It was an amazing experience. Biking around the Uji river was my favorite part. Uji is so beautiful and peaceful. Our guide was very patient since I was a slow biker and knowledgeable guiding us with different places. I highly recommend the tour!”

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13.Ginza Tokyo: Easy Matcha (Green Tea) Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $13Best value

At Japan Premium Lounge Cafe in Ginza, Aki guides you through the basics of Japanese tea ceremony and matcha grinding. You make your own powdered green tea, drink it with a wagashi sweet, and learn in a relaxed 30-minute session designed for one or two people. It is a simple cultural pause between Tokyo sights.

“Our host was so kind and gracious. It was an amazing experience!”

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14.Small Group Japanese Green Tea Tasting in Shizuoka

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $273

Start at Shizuoka Station for a private seven-hour day with an English-speaking guide. Visit Moriuchi Tea Farm, run by a ninth-generation family, taste seasonal sencha, enjoy lunch near a major tuna port, and finish with Mt. Fuji views from Nihondaira Yume Terrace and Nippondaira Hotel. Guides such as Atsuko and Miyuki add local insight.

“This tour was absolutely one of the highlights of our trip to Japan. Without a doubt we would recommend this to anyone going to Japan. Lovely people and experience!”

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15.Ceramics and Green Tea Tour of Nagasaki and Saga Prefecture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews

Join Shannon Lefebvre for a private 10 to 11 hour tour from Fukuoka through Saga and nearby Nagasaki sites. Visit pottery villages, quarries, shrines, museums, porcelain shops, and Ureshino tea producers. Your group of up to three gets lunch, snacks, water, WiFi, and flexible time for ceramics or tea.

“Fun tour around ceramic locations near Fukuoka with a stop at a couple of specialty green tea locations.”

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