Matcha Estate & Factory Tour
Learn about matcha production throughout its history in Japan via an exclusive matcha factory/tea estate tour.
Time-honored traditions dating back 400 years are fiercely maintained in present day to produce the best matcha in some factories, while in others, modern technologies aid in greater yields for a less premium but pleasant experience.
Choose which route you'd like to experience:
Machine Harvested Uji Tour (4,000 JPY): This well respected tea manufacturer saves the most prized techniques for a small portion of tea manufactured and utilizes machine harvested tea for the majority of the harvest. This one hour tour takes you to the processing facilities and reveals not only the manufacturing facilities but tea grading room and internal tea house. Tour ends with a matcha grinding/whisking experience and being served matcha and Japanese sweets. Tea estate tour not included.
Hand Harvested Uji Tour (20,000 JPY): This small scale farm-to-table family is new to the Uji tea manufacturing industry, but harvests in the time-old, labor intensive method. Tea estate tour included.
Hand Harvested Joyo Tour (30,000 JPY): With over a 200 year history, tea leaves from this estate consistently rank as the highest level at nationwide tea competitions. With cultivation techniques dating back t the Azuchi-Momoyama period, this farm-to-table matcha farm and production facility provides a 2.5 hour in-depth tour of the tea estates and manufacturing facilities, sharing the true essence of matcha. Tea estate tour and tea tasting included.
What You'll Do
Taste finely brewed and varied cultivators of matcha and sencha.
What's Included
☆ Experience participation fees
☆ Tea Tasting
What's Not Included
☆ Any guest purchases
Guest Requirements
☆ Guests are required to behave in a civil and respectable manner.
Activity Level
Low
This is a seated activity with tables and chairs.
Accessibility Level
Wheelchair Accessibility:
Wheelchair accessible experience.
Dietary Restrictions:
Dietary restrictions will be taken into consideration during the initial consultation. Kindly inform us of any dietary restrictions by making a note in the booking reservation when booking so that we may curate a suitable experience.
How To Order
The Tea Tasting & Tea Battle experience can only be purchased in combination with a Tour and not as a standalone experience.
To Order:
1: Adjust the quantity to match the number of tour attendees. For example, if four people are attending, then the quantity should be set to 4.
2: Add experience to cart.
3: Add any additional Add-Ons to cart.
4: Prior to checkout, ensure there is one or more Tours added to your cart. The date of the experience will be the same date of the tour selected.
5: Check out to complete reservation. Our Concierge will contact you shortly thereafter to confirm logistics and answer any questions.
Once confirmed, you will be sent a payment link. Payment is due within 24 hours of the link being sent and payment constitutes a placed order.
Cancellation Policy
16 Days or More Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: No Cancellation Fee Levied; 100% of Order Amount Returned
15 days to 11 days Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: 40% of Order Amount Reserved As Cancellation Fee; 60% of Order Amount Returned
10 days to 6 days Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: 80% of Order Amount Reserved As Cancellation Fee; 20% of Order Amount Returned
5 Days or Less Prior To Tour or Experience Start Date: 100% of Order Amount Reserved As Cancellation Fee; 0% of Order Amount Returned
For more details, reference our Cancellation & Refund Policy.
Pairs well with
Select quantity (number of participants), date and time prior to adding to cart. The date and time is selectable from the "Select Date" button
Select type of tea manufacturer (hand harvested/machine harvested) and Kyoto location (Uji or Joyo).
Matcha Estate & Factory Tour
If you have any questions, you are always welcome to contact us. We'll get back to you as soon as possible, within 24 hours on weekdays.
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Customer Support
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FAQ’s
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Harvesting Techniques
The Best Matcha Requires The Best Cultivation & Harvesting Techniques
Time Honored Traditions
In an era of unceasing change, the preservation of traditional matcha production methods faces unprecedented challenges and has proved unsustainable for many matcha producing families. Concurrently, a wave of new matcha farmers looking to cash in on matcha’s recent surge in popularity without first procuring knowledge to properly produce quality matcha has resulted industry structural changes where the lines between low quality and what is now marketed as quality matcha have become blurred.
Hand-Picked Harvest
Discerning Appreciation
A discerning appreciation for truly exceptional matcha remains elusive to many, inadvertently leading to the consumption of matcha far removed from what is served to guests in Japanese tea ceremonies. This tour provides clarification as it transcends cognitive recognition to involve the senses, thus allowing for the discernment between matcha cultivated through time-honored traditions and matcha produced with modern shortcuts.
Elevate your understanding of Japanese tea culture and acquire crucial, practical knowledge of Japan made matcha in the heart and home of matcha: Kyoto.
Sample Itinerary
9AM
Meet Your Guide
Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting spot as provided in the tour confirmation e-mail. Alternatively, if you have selected the Personal Chauffeur option, you will be picked up at your accomodation.
9:15 AM
Matcha Factory Tour
Attend a 1-2.5 hour tour of a matcha factory and where applicable, matcha tea estate and learn time-honed production methods. Explore how production has developed over time. Sample different grades of matcha not sold online.
*Experience varies based on factory selected.