CLICK TO VIEW: TRIP INTRO • SCHEDULE/ITINERARY • WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Highlights
🍶 Four exclusive sake brewery visits, where you’ll learn about how sake is made, talk with the brewers, and sample sake you won’t get anywhere else
🏯 Visit western Japan’s most scenic spots, including Miyajima’s floating shrine, the Seto Inland Sea, Himeji Castle, views from the Kobe Nunobiki Herb garden, and everything in between
🏮 Join Sake sommelier Greg Beck to explore Japan’s Izakayas, the Saijo Sake Festival, and other local specialty shops and bars
🥢 Join your guides for optional trips to local restaurants and hole-in-the-wall discoveries
🏙️ Includes stops in some of Japan’s most exciting cities, including Hiroshima, Osaka, Kobe, Okayama, and more!
Stops include: Hiroshima • Saijo • Okayama • Kurashiki • Himeji • Kobe • Osaka and points between
*Trip starts at noon on 10/8 Japan time in Tokyo. If flying in from another country, be sure to be in Japan by that time.
KANPAI!
The Sake experts at Sake Secret and the travel nerds at PacSet are teaming up again for another Sake trip at a price point for everyone!
This is an adventure that’s all about the joy that comes from enjoying good drinks in the company of friends. Sake Sommelier Greg Beck will be your guide on a journey that begins where he first fell in love with Sake – Hiroshima – for the massive Saijo Sake Festival. You’ll sample brews from around the prefecture (and the country!) among the locals, but that’s not all we’ll be doing; you’ll also get to see the iconic floating shrine on Miyajima, the Peace Museum, and the countless local watering holes only the locals know. From there, we’ll head east towards Okayama, visiting two breweries as we make our way to the home of Doppo-kan brewing and the gorgeous Bikan Historical Quarter of Kurashiki.
The journey wraps in Kansai’s most famous Sake city, Kobe, where you’ll get an exclusive tour of the Kenbishi Sake Brewery, explore the urban centers of Sannomiya and Namba, and more! Of course, appreciating the local culture would be incomplete without checking out the huge Himeji Castle and the Nunobiki Herb Gardens that overlook Kobe and Osaka Bay. All in all, it’s a uniquely curated, exclusive journey that will get you closer to the people who dedicate their lives to Sake than you ever thought possible.
So whether you missed the first trip, are looking for a unique addition to your Japan trip, or just love Sake, this is a journey you will not want to miss. Grab your ochoko and sign up today, and we’ll see you at the izakaya!
Trip itinerary + MAP
DAY 1: Welcome to Hiroshima
Meet at Haneda Airport at Noon to fly to Hiroshima, where we’ll gather for a night on the town to begin the fun when we land!
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Hiroshima or similar
DAY 2: Saijo Sake Festival!
Welcome to one of Japan’s biggest Sake festivals! The celebration begins with a walk to some of the local breweries before tastings in the square!
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Hiroshima or similar
DAY 3: Hiroshima Exploring
After a visit to the Peace Museum and A-Bomb Dome, we’ll sail to one of Hiroshima’s most gorgeous destinations – Miyajima – to visit the famous “floating” Itsukushima Shrine, local shops, and more.
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Hiroshima or similar
DAY 4: Unique Sake and Superb Views
After checking out, we’ll head to the scenic port town of Tomonoura to try the unique “health” sake of Homeishu. Then it’s back on the road to visit two breweries – Tenpoichi Brewing and Marumoto Brewing – before arriving in Okayama for dinner at a Sake-themed izakaya!
Lodging: Daiwa Roynet Hotel Okayama or similar
Meals: Dinner
DAY 5: Cheers to the Canal
Our second day in Okayama features a visit to Doppo-kan, where they make not only sake, but beer and whiskey as well. From there, you’ll get to see the old Bikan Historical Quarter on the canal in the gorgeous town of Kurashiki.
Lodging: Daiwa Roynet Hotel Okayama or similar
DAY 6: The Castle And The Sky
On the way to our next hotel in Kobe, we’ll stop to visit one of Japan’s most well-preserved castles in Himeji. Don’t get lost among the castle walls though; you won’t want to miss our visit to Honda Shoten (home of Tatsuriki Sake!) and an evening out in Kobe’s vibrant Sannomiya area.
Lodging: Brenza Hotel or similar
DAY 7: From Nada to Osaka
Begin your day in Kobe’s famous Nada brewery area, where we’ll stop by Kobe Shushinkan to learn about their famous Fukuju sake. Then we’ll visit the iconic Osaka neighborhoods of Namba and Shinsaibashi, home to endless rows of neon signs and amazing food.
Lodging: Brenza Hotel or similar
DAY 8: Kobe Means Kenbishi
Our last full day in Kobe starts with a view overlooking the city and sea from the Nunobiki Herb Gardens. Then we head to our last brewery – Kenbishi – to get a hands-on look on how they make their uniquely aged and brewed kimoto-method sakes. Finally, you’ll have the option to join your guides for a dinner featuring Kobe’s famous beef!
Lodging: Brenza Hotel or similar
DAY 9: Return Home
Return to Tokyo from the airport to fly home, or rely on PacSet's expertise to help plan any personal extensions you want to plan!
This trip includes…
| |
Trip Status |
Open for signups |
Deadline |
July 30, 2027 |
Minimum guest #: |
8 guests |
Fly → JP On*: |
October 6 or 7, 2027 |
Starts in JP On: |
October 8, 2027 @ Noon |
TRIP PACE |
Medium. There will be more standing than walking in most spots, so make sure to have comfy footwear! |
Extras |
Single Room: +$1000 |
*This is the date you should leave your home country.
Click for more info about:
FLIGHTS • REFUND POLICY
🛌 8 nights three-star accommodations
🥢 Includes 1 dinner
🚅 All scheduled rail and air transport within Japan, including a flight from and to Tokyo Haneda Airport for the trip**
🧳 Baggage shipping (up to 2 complimentary luggage transfers for one suitcase per trip)
😀 Professional, bilingual guides there to help with anything you might need
🎟️ Admission to all scheduled activities
📗 Customized Trip Guidebook and Pre-Trip Orientation Materials, mailed to you before the trip so you can prepare for the journey before leaving home!
🍫 Nightly turndown service with local sweets
❤️ Complimentary concierge service: we can help plan extra stops, pre-and-post-trip extensions, and more.
🗾 Much, much more!
NOT INCLUDED:
❌ Flights to Japan from your home country
❌ Travel insurance
❌ Meals not listed above
NOTES:
START TIME: This trip begins at Noon on October 8, 2027 Japan time. This means that you will need to arrive in Japan by that time; flights that land in Japan on October 8 (with the exception of flights that land VERY early) CANNOT BE USED. If you need help finding accommodations for nights in Tokyo or other cities before or after the trip, let us know on the intake survey you will be sent after you sign up.
*All initial payments are a $300 deposit. The balance for the trip is due at the deadline for the trip.
**If a guest decides to go long distances on rail during free times, extra charges may apply.