A Guide to Visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum: Tours, Restaurants & More

Visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum is one of the most iconic things to do in Sapporo, and that's especially true for beer lovers. Sapporo got its start way back in 1876, making it the oldest beer brand in Japan, and the museum offers a fascinating glimpse into its history. 

Located in the city of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture, the Sapporo Beer Museum is housed in a historic red-brick building, an attraction in its own right.

The building was originally constructed as a factory for the Sapporo Sugar Company in 1890, but was converted into a brewery after being purchased by the Sapporo Beer Company in the early 1900s. The museum you'll find inside the historic brewery today was founded in 1987. 

Explore the three-story museum and you'll learn all about the history of Sapporo beer and beer culture in Japan before sampling a few local brews in the tasting room. But it's not all about beer. Visitors also flock to the beer garden to get their fill of "Genghis Khan" barbecue, a regional speciality. 

Planning a trip to the Sapporo Beer Museum but don't know what to expect? This guide has got you covered with everything you need to know about visiting, from different tour options to the best place to get your barbecue fix.

There are two guided tour options to choose from when visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum: the Free Tour and the Premium Tour.

The museum is absolutely free to visit. If you opt for the free self-guided tour, you can explore the museum by yourself, starting on Level 3 and working your way down.

The first thing you'll see is the gigantic copper cask. After that, you'll find a series of informative displays detailing the brewery's history, the beer-making process, and the evolution of beer in Japan. While these are mainly in Japanese, the museum offers laminated cards with translations in different languages, including English. There's also a very cool collection of retro posters and old beer labels.

After you finish your self-guided tour, treat yourself to a paid tasting in Star Hall. This is the most popular part of the museum and it will inevitably be busy. That being said, there is a strict time limit of 30 minutes to keep things moving along. 

You can pay to sample just one beer. But your best bet is to get the tasting flight, which comes with three brews: Black Label, Classic (only available in Hokkaido), and Kaitakushi (the first beer made at the brewery). You'll also get some wasabi peas to munch on as you sip.

The 50-minute Premium Tour costs ¥1,000 (for adults). These tours are popular and do book up, so it’s best to reserve your spot in advance. While this tour is only offered in Japanese, there are audio guides available in English for an extra ¥500. On this tour, you'll watch a short film (with English subtitles) before learning about the history of Sapporo beer in Japan and the beer-making process from your guide. 

At the end of the tour, you'll get two generous samples of beer. One is Sapporo Black Label and the other is the Fukkoku Sapporo-sei Beer. The latter is the original Sapporo beer recipe, and you can only try it by taking the Premium Tour. This perk might be incentive enough for beer aficionados to pay for the guided Premium Tour. 

Whichever tour you take, be sure to peruse the gift shop, which is bursting with quirky souvenirs and a wide selection of beers to take home with you.

You'll want to come to the Sapporo Beer Museum very hungry because having a barbecue meal at the Sapporo Beer Garden is part of the experience. Most visitors choose to dine at the Sapporo Beer Garden to sample the jingisukan (aka "Genghis Khan"), a Hokkaido speciality. This style of barbecue gets its name from the hat-shaped grill that's said to resemble Genghis Khan's helmet. It is widely believed that Genghis Khan would use his helmet as a makeshift grill. Hence, the name.

There are technically four different food halls in the Sapporo Beer Garden: Poplar Hall, Lilac, Garden Grill, and Kessel Hall. It's important to note that not all of the restaurants serve the Genghis Khan. When you're making reservations, just double-check so you're not disappointed. 

Kessel Hall is by far the most popular and atmospheric place to get Genghis Khan in the Sapporo Beer Garden. The building dates back to 1890 and is famous for the huge 1912 cauldron that serves as Kessel Hall's centrepiece. Of course, this restaurant is very popular, so you'll want to make a reservation. 

Once you step inside, you'll be hit with the glorious smell of grilled meat. If you do opt for the Genghis Khan, you'll be given a selection of raw veggies and meat slices, with lamb being the main event. You'll then grease up the helmet-shaped cast-iron skillet in the centre of your table and cook your own meal. The meat slices go in the middle, and the veggies go around the edge to soak up all that meat juice. There are even all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options if you want to go big. 

If barbecue isn't your thing, the à la carte menu features a wide range of options, from super fresh seafood dishes, salads, Hokkaido cheese platters, and much more. 

Bus 88 (aka the “Loop 88 Factory Line”) stops at Sapporo Beer Museum. There are bus stops at Odori Station and Sapporo Station. The journey takes less than 10 minutes. If you'd prefer to walk, it will take about 30 minutes from Odori Station and 20 minutes from Sapporo Station.

You can make online reservations for the restaurants in the Sapporo Beer Garden through the official website.

You can easily tour the museum and do a tasting in about an hour. However, if there's a long wait for the tasting room or you plan on drinking and dining at the Sapporo Beer Garden, you can easily spend hours here.

While kids are welcome to tour the museum and dine in the beer garden, the drinking age in Japan is 20. You may be asked for ID.

Looking for a hotel near the Sapporo Beer Museum? Mercure Sapporo has got you covered. Rooms at this 4-star hotel are outfitted with comfy beds, large flat-screen TVs, and designer toiletries.

Upgrade to a Privilege Room and you'll get extra perks like complimentary drinks and late checkout. The hotel also offers an excellent breakfast buffet, a French restaurant, a wine and cocktail bar, and a fitness centre.

That's it, a complete guide to visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum. With this guide, you'll be equipped with everything you need to know to make the most out of the experience.