Suntory Kyoto Brewery サントリー Jīng Dōu ビール Gōng Chǎng - Feedback

Must visit spot for Kyoto! Tours are FREE, and you get FREE BEER. I 'm not sure how much else this review needs! Some information: sign up for your tour via the... read more Must visit spot for Kyoto! Tours are FREE, and you get FREE BEER. I 'm not sure how much else this review needs! Some information: sign up for your tour via their website. It 's tricky to navigate because it doesn 't translate well into English. Also, enter your Japanese name or it won 't recognize your regular name. There is a shuttle that 'll take you to and from the bus station. They also offer non-alcoholic beverages for those acting as designated drivers, and small individually wrapped snacks for everyone. They allow children, as well, in case that was a question. Overall, cool tour and good beer!

If you can figure out how to reserve a tour online, do it! (Have a Japanese friend help you! We had so much fun. The shuttle picks up at either of the stations... read more If you can figure out how to reserve a tour online, do it! (Have a Japanese friend help you! We had so much fun. The shuttle picks up at either of the stations nearby. They have English audio guides and told us which buttons to push as we toured. Then the free beer three full glasses! There was juice and tea for non beer drinkers. A fun outing!

We booked a free tour through our hotel staff because hubby and our friends loves beer and thought this would be fun. I am not a fan of beer in general but went... read more We booked a free tour through our hotel staff because hubby and our friends loves beer and thought this would be fun. I am not a fan of beer in general but went along with them. There is a free shuttle from the train station which we took. We arrived 15 min early and got a chance to briefly look around the gift shop and take pictures with the photo booth props (cardboard versions of their beer cans). We were given English guides and the tour guide told us which number to push throughout the tour. The brewing process was explained by our tour guide in Japanese, the pre-recorded guide in English and recorded videos while moving around to different parts of the factory. At the end they send you to a tasting room where each person gets to sample three full beers and have a snack (kids and designated drivers get juice or nonalcoholic drinks). Just beware that there is a time limit for the tasting portion since the tour is planned to be one hour long. My friends and hubby enjoyed this a lot! I was surprised to find this very educational and despite not liking beer I enjoyed it too. We did stop at the gift shop and got some beer, a glass, and I got the snacks they served during the tour (I loved the snacks). The tour guide was very friendly and had a conversation with my friend about our travels. I recommend booking a tour ahead of time. If language is a barrier, maybe try having your hotel staff assist like we did.