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Hikaru was a fantastic guide!! We have taken numerous guided tours and he was by far the most knowledgeable, positive and professional guide during our journey to Japan. I can’t recommend this tour enough!

Hikaru was super friendly, informative, a delight to be with and speak with

We learned about Japanese culture and some differences with the USA.  Our guide Hikaru took us to grab some delicious treats in this tour (more treats than most food tours in my opinion, which I enjoyed!). Thank you!

I have been on many different walking tours all over the world and Hikaru was my favorite guide I’ve ever had. His personality, knowledge, enthusiasm, and hospitality is second to none. I felt like by the time we had finished the tour, we had made a new friend. Much gratitude and love for the experience and for Mr. Ono!

Hikaru was a wonderful tour guide. He was fun, energetic and knowledgeable on everything!

The experience was amazing! Our guide Hikaru O. Very informative and educational. A great variety of tastings. Would definitely do again.

Our guide hikaru ono,was brilliant,and cheerfull and very helpfull,also made a good explanation of all things !!well done to hikaru and keep up the good job!

Hikaru was  brilliant and knowledgeable. He made our experience so special. He is a genuine nice guy. I definitely recommend to anybody.

Our guide, Hikaru, was entertaining and fun to explore with!  The food waa delicious and he was cautious about what we were eating and the experience we were having

We had a fantastic food tour of the streets of Kyoto with Hikaru Ono. He was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience enjoyable from start to finish. His sense of humour kept the tour fun and engaging, and his English was excellent, making it easy to understand the history, culture, and food we experienced along the way.Hikaru's passion for Kyoto and its food scene really came through, and he took us to places we would never have discovered on our own. The tour was well organised, informative, and filled with delicious local food.I would highly recommend Hikaru to anyone visiting Kyoto who wants an authentic and memorable food tour experience. Thank you for a wonderful morning.

Our guide Hikaru was wonderful - personable, energetic, and very attentive to our needs and questions. He was especially good with our 9 year old son - taking time to explain the history and traditions in very clear and interesting ways, and all the time with a kind and warm sense of humor. He also was able to answer our more challenging and inquisitive questions and interests, and tailored the tour towards that end. Definitely a fun way for our family to see the Nishiki market, and to get a little inside perspective of some of its rich traditions.

This was great afternoon with Hikaru! He tools us to many good places including a lovely sit down lunch.  We learned so much about the food and the market - would 100% recommend!

This food tour was the highlight of our trip! We were so lucky to have Hikaru as our guide - we enjoyed the markets (all the food we tried was absolutely delicious) and also a little tour to a local shrine and streets around the markets. Hikaru had amazing knowledge of both the food and the culture of Kyoto, and we loved spending the morning with him. 10/10 would recommend!

Hikaru was a great tour guide. He was fun, engaging and spoke English well. The food stalls for the tastings were delicious.  Our group would have preferred more stops in the marketplace to sample more foods instead of the restaurant meal that was at the conclusion of our tour.  I would highly recommend this tour.

Hikaru was amazing❤️❤️❤️❤️Loved the tour🥹🥹🙏

Very fun thoroughly enjoyed and our guide Hikaro was very knowledgeable and personable 10 out of ten

Hikaru was a friendly and informative host, showing us the wonders of the Nishiki Market and a delicious gyoza lunch.So much fun and highly recommend. Expect to be very full by the end from all of the delicious food!

We had a great time on our Nishiki food tour. Hiraku was very friendly and knowledgeable about local history. It was a great experience.

Our brunch walking tour in Kyoto with Hikaru was one of the highlights of our trip—he brought incredible local insight and was thoughtful , friendly, and polite. The food stops were thoughtfully chosen, giving us a perfect mix of traditional flavors and hidden gems we never would have found on our own. Hikaru made the whole experience amazing and I’d recommend this tour to anyone wanting a great taste of Kyoto.

Hikaru was our guide and he was amazing! Very friendly and informative, and took us to great spots to try different local foods. I can't recommend him enough!

I really loved the experience, it was one of the best things we did during our trip.  Our guide Hikaru was amazing, so helpful and knowledgeable, he made the experience unforgettable.

Hikaru was an incredible guide! He’s so knowledgeable and made the experience so enjoyable! We loved the food tour at the market and ending the tour for delicious gyoza! We would highly recommend the tour!

Hikaru was a great guide, very accommodating and kind.  I appreciated how hard he worked to give us a great tour experience.

Hikaru was super friendly and enthusiastic. He was knowledgeable and organised while being flexible to accommodate the needs of the group.

Informative Lots of choice Really easy to understand Ability to ask questions Hikaru was excellent

So amazing,  Hikaru is a wonderful person, an excellent guide. I would recomend to everyone this experience. The food selected was so amazing. At first the market was empty so we can do the experience perfect

Hikaro was the friendliest guide and took us to the best food stalls in Nishiki!

We had such a fun time walking through Gion and Nishiki Market with Hikaru. It's a fairly tight area that can be a bit overwhelming especially when you have children so it was much more enjoyable to have Hikaru as a guide. Great way to try many different food items in a short amount of time and learn about the area as well.

Our guides, Hikaru and Amy, made this trip special! We were in a group with another American who booked this trip just to be with Hikaru and I can see why! At the end, he gave us all a Christmas gift of some of his favorite Japan candies & things. But I am very appreciative to Amy. I was feeling sick and she took me to the drugstore at the market and helped me buy some medicine. It worked like a miracle and my trip was saved. I appreciate her so much! She was also very knowledgeable about the health benefits of some of the foods we tried. We were lucky to have 2 amazing guides this trip.We really like the brunch stop beyond the market tour. The restaurant was quaint and the food was excellent. We did 2 trips with Magical tour and one with a different group. I highly recommend Magical Tour for any of your experiences in Japan!

Hikaru gave a wonderful tour - so lively and friendly! We learned so much and enjoyed the food. Highly recommend this food tour

Hikaru the tour guide was lovely and very friendly. The experience was fun and yummy, but not exactly like what we expected. We thought we would learn more about ramen, and gyoza then we did, and did not receive the recipe guide or photos after. 

The guide seemed more interested in impressing the European guests with his 'polyglot' skills than actually spending the time telling us more about what we're seeing, eating, walking past during the tour. A little bit annoying. 

The cooking class with Hikaru and the other female chef was great and fun!! The taste of all the food was sooo delicious. And they even made it possible that I get a veggy option. Thank you so much for the great experience. :-) 

Great vibes thanks to our guide Hikaru. Loved the perfect organization and the guidance we had while preparing the meal. Highly recommended!

Excellent tour! Hikaru and Emma were so friendly and informative. Great food, drink, and conversation! Highly recommend the tour!

The trip was amazing! Hariku has a great knowledge and great attitude that makes this experience unforgetable. I would totally recommend to anyone who would like to try local products, and get more familiar with Kyoto food and culture!

Very nice experience, we tried out different specialties from the food market and had a great time !  Hikaru is very passionate !

That.was.awsome! :D The tour guide Hikaru was so full of energy, useful tips and interesting insights about Japanese culture. He was great! The tour was very fun and interesting. We bought some souvenirs for home :) The brunch was delicious. Definitely worth going!

Hikaru was an extremely enthousiastic guide who put a lot of effort in discussing with everyone in the group and making us feel included. We really appreciated learning about Kyoto's history and culture. As we were already familiar with some Japanese food, we were hoping to discover some more unexpected flavours during the tour of the market. Everything was delicious and if you're new to Japanese food, this is definitely a great tour to join.

Super enthusiastic guide, who speaks very good English (and even Dutch), great food and just lots of fun. Highly recommended!

This was such a wonderful and memorable experience! We had so much fun making ramen noodles and gyoza from scratch and learned a ton about Japanese cooking. Our guide, Hikaru, was fantastic. He was warm, engaging, and made the class both educational and entertaining.

Was so fun! Hikaru was a great host! Food was delicious. Highly recommend to book right away! Class was in English also so very easy to follow along.

A wonderful experience. I recommend it to anyone who has concerns about cooking Japanese food or just wants to have a good time Hikaru, the translator, a real 10/10 person

The area was wonderful and the tour was really interesting.lunch was fabulous. Hikaru our guide was funny, interesting, knowledgeable and genuinely a very nice person. It was great to spend time together.

Hikaru is a great guide. Shared lots of information and history of the region. Lots of good food too! The pace is just also and suitable for all ages.

Hikaru was an excellent guide. His English is excellent and he took us to some traditional Japanese stalls within the market for some tastings. These included some croquettes, omelette, different spices and mochi. We then had a mini six course lunch. A great tour - highly recommend!

It was really very nice!! Our guide Hikaru was so kind and explained us everything!  He was also really interested in the people and talked a lot with us! Also Saori explained us everything very kindly and helped us with the cookin!

Hikaru was such a great tour guide - the nicest, sweetest young man - so fun to talk to and shared great information - we loved him!!!!

Hikaru was amazing, the tour was very interesting and the people very friendly, is the best option if you want to visit the market in Kyoto.

It was an amazing brunch walking tour and Hikry was so informative and I had a great time seeing the all the unique places at the market.

Nikaru our guide was so exuberant!  He was interested in each on of us and our background and looked forward to hearing our opinions on what we saw and ate.  I loved the sit down lunch along with the snacks at the market plus the small group made the experience even nicer.

Hikaru was fantastic and very knowledgeable about everything in the area. He let us try many different things that you wouldn’t usually try. His English is fantastic and we would recommend to everyone. He was great with our baby too, so fantastic with families. Great tour!

Hikaru was a great guide … would highly recommend to take this tour through the market and then stopping off at a lovely restaurant

Wonderful experience. Easy meet up point. Fantastic fluent multi lingual host, Hikaru. The little restaurant was very authentic.

We had the best time on this tour! We learnt about the origins of ramen and then got stuck into making the noodles, cooking them and eating them. We got to choose our soup base and add our condiments. We also made the gyoza, cooked them and ate them. Delicious!Hikaru was our guide and he taught us so much about ramen and the Japanese language. He’s a very smart man! This experience was 10/10 and highly recommend it!

We really enjoyed our tour of the Nishiki Market. Hariku was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable about all things Japan. We were able to ask him all kinds of questions even if they didn’t have anything to fo with our tour. We loved our lunch and all the snacks that we were given at the food market

Hikaru was our tour guide and he was so much fun to be with and very informative. Him and our chef Ai were amazing and made this experience a fun and unforgettable. Definitely recommend 10/10

Hikaru was amazing! He was very friendly and provided a lot of information! And the food and drinks were delicious! Ai, the cook that helped was amazing as well! Highly recommend!

Hikaru was amazing! The food was good! Recommend for a group setting it was enjoyable. The cook gave us great instructions on how to cook.

I cannot recommend this cooking class enough! The class takes place in a small group setting in a lovely little restaurant, and we had an amazing time making ramen, fried rice and gyozas. Hikaru and Ai were so friendly and helpful, and the food turned out so well. Thank you Hikaru and Ai for making this such an unforgettable experience :)

Hikaru was great and very charismatic! Made the the whole experience great. Ai was also a great cook and teaching us very well. 10/10 would recommend!

It was a great experience. Hikaru was the best tour guide and made the experience! Ai also explained everything with the food. Such a great time!

Hikaru  was awesome he made it a great experience.  AI was an awesome chef who really explained everything .I would highly recommend this experience for all.

Hikaru (our guide) was great! Very friendly, helpful and informative. The cooking class was very enjoyable. I would recommend.

Hikaru was a great guide! He was very kind and helpful. Ai was a great teacher as well! It was a great experience, and we got to do more than expected. We got to make Ramen, Gyoza and fried rice from start to finish. Unforgettable experience!

What a great way to start my trip! A nice introduction to some local spots while learning some history, culture and customs. It helps we had a great group and the best guide Hikaru! I can’t say enough about Hikaru, his ability to connect to every single person, glowing personality, intelligence and the list goes on is very impressive and rare. Thank you for starting my experience off on such a high note!

It was a really fun tour and I loved the food, and the places we went to! The tour guide (Hikaru) was very sweet and I would not hesitate to go again, he made us feel very local and I felt like I belonged! I would give it 10 ⭐️ if I could!

We had a wonderful food tour with Hikaru in Kyoto! From the very beginning, he impressed us with his warmth, enthusiasm for connecting with people, and his ability to switch so effortlessly between Japanese, English, and Spanish. His knowledge of both local food and Kyoto’s history made the experience truly memorable.We not only enjoyed delicious dishes at places we wouldn’t have found on our own, but also rich conversation and insights into everyday life in Kyoto. Hikaru’s passion for sharing his culture shines through in everything he does, and it made the tour feel both personal and authentic.We left with full bellies, new knowledge, and a real sense of connection. Thank you, Hikaru – ka nui te mihi ki a koe (our deepest thanks to you)!

Hikaru was AMAZING and gave us the absolute best experience. I learned so much on the tour. He took us to the most amazing local spots. I would recommend everyone needs to do this tour!!

Hikaru was the best tour guide!!! So nice and full of information. Had the best tour with him! Had some great food in Nishiki Market

This tour with Hikaru was a lot of fun. He was friendly and chatty as we walked. We tried many new foods and learnt a lot as we strolled through the market and surrounding streets. We ended with a delicious restaurant lunch and heartfelt farewell. I’d gladly recommend this tour to anyone.

My daughter and I had a great time with Hikaru at the ramen class.  It was a small setting with plenty of hands on instruction.  The ramen that we made was delicious!Highly recommend!

Hikaru was great.  He was informative, spoke very well, fun, energetic Explained foods we tasted.  Enjoyed the yuba croquettes

The tour was very enjoyable. Our tour guides were great in introducing us to different shops in the market, some traditional and cultural knowledge and we also had a great group of guests, which is always a nice plus when you’re going on a tour with strangers.

Delicious food and very family friendly for an older kid. She was included the same was the adults and was able to make great noodles. The guide had great English and was very personable - even when our 11 year old was telling stories of drop bears in Australia.

Hikaru Ono was an amazing guide and full of energy. Made us feel super comfortable and the food was amazing!! Would highly recommend :-)

Hikaru was an amazing guide and the food we made was delicious! Full is an understatement 😮‍💨🥟🍜  highly recommend!!

Hikaru was amazing - so friendly and helpful! The class was very interactive and in depth. Lots of fun and fulfilling to enjoy your own meal at the end.

Amazing Ramen + Gyoza Heaps of fun making the food then eating would highly recommend best experience in Kyoto. Big thanks Hikaru.

Hikaru and Youhei did an amazing job :) I tried things I wouldn't have otherwise. Nishiki Market is best if you go there with a guide. Strongly recommend this tour.

Our guide Hikaru was great and so friendly and knowledgeable and his English was excellent. Food was delicious and interesting. Highly recommend!

Was super fun, Hakiru was friendly and made the class a good time. Easy to follow and good was delicious to eat. Had a good class size too.

Great experience. The tour guide (Hikaru) was very nice and had a great ambience. The food turned out delicious. Would definitely come back.

We had an amazing time with Hikru as our guide! The food was delicious and we had the most amazing time making all the food! Would definitely recommend this experience for anybody wanting to learn how to make ramen, gyoza, and fried rice :)

Great person and great walk and very informative guide and surprise us with knowing spanish. All the food was super delicious.

Hikaru was very friendly, energetic and speaks very good English and Spanish. He made the trip very interesting. We didn’t realize that we’d walk far already.

We loved this tour with Hikaru. It was really interesting to get the background on many aspects of Japanese food culture.

Our guide was great; funny, informative, and his English was excellent. It felt as if I was back in old Japan. An added bonus was meeting people from around the world.

Hikiru was really friendly, inviting and knowledgeable. We had a great tour with our family (including one year old) and all our questions were answered. The tour was fun and we ate some new and delicious foods. Thank you!

Really excellent tour of Nishiki and the surrounding area. Hikaru is so friendly and knowledgeable. It was great to get some information about the area, the history and the food! Highly recommend. We went with our 1 year old and there were no issues with accommodating her.

Hikaru is just great. The whole course was really great and we could really try a lot. In addition, Hikaru and the chef answered all our questions extremely expertly.

I’ve done cooking classes all over the world and this was my favourite! The food was sensational as were the hosts! Hikaru is a human sunshine 🥹🥹🙌🏻👌🥰

Really great cooking class! We got to make the noodles from scratch l, and the food was amazing at the end! Our host hikaru was really great. Very happy and enthusiastic with excellent english

This activity was so pleasant for my family and I. Hikaru  and Eitaro were so helpful teaching my daughter and the rest of us the proper techniques in how to make ramen, gyoza and fried rice. And the food that we prepared was an abundant amount. Delicious!!I highly recommend this tour!

Hikaru truly took us to the Nishiki highlights. Also, as an avid baseball fan, he had plenty to chat about with my elementary school aged son. His energy and happiness is contagious. We hope to show him around our hometown if he makes it across the ocean, he was so wonderful to spend the day with.

The tour was great and very reasonably priced. Hikaru was a fantastic guide. Very knowledgeable, fun, and easy to talk to. We definitely recommend this tour!

The views are amazing, as is the food! Hikaru was very knowledgeable and knew all the areas! We loved hearing him tell us all about everything! I highly recommend this tour!

Incredible tour with an amazing tour guide. Hikaru was awesome! Super knowledgeable, friendly, and energetic. He was so fun and made the tour great!it’s a small tour so it ended up being just me and my family which made the tour feel intimate and personalized. He was patient and allowed us to stop a few times to purchase some souvenirs and goods from the market. It’s not really a “brunch” though. You get a few samples and then end with a lunch. Lunch was great - tofu based meal. I wouldn’t come super hungry to start though. We didn’t have a full meal until close to 11 or so just some small bites. Have a light breakfast/ some snacks before you come :) still really awesome especially for the price point!

This was a nice early trip, in which you see the gion streets and food market. Hikaru our tour guide was so well mannered, well spoken and enthusiastic. His trainee who also joined us was amazing also, I loved her. Getting to try some Japanese fruits, spice and delacases was the highlight. 

Fabulous tour through the market ending with a wonderful lunch … a tasting extravaganza! Our guide was fun, informative, and gracious … his name is Hikaru - it means light and he was bright one!

Hikaru

Reviews (190)

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