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Tokyo Private Tour: Explore Modern and Traditional Tokyo with a Government-Licensed Guide
5.0
40 Ratings
Asakusa
Experience the best of modern and traditional Tokyo on a private tour with a government-licensed guide. Customize your itinerary and explore the dynamic Japanese capital in just one day!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Asakusa - This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want. You can visit 3 to 4 spots in 6 hours, please choose the places you like to visit from the list below and customize your tour with your guide! - Imperial Palace - This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want. You are not able to visit inside the Imperial Palace. - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s largest and most popular parks. Located a short walk from Shinjuku Station, the park’s spacious lawns, meandering walking paths, and tranquil scenery provide a relaxing escape from the busy urban center around it. In spring, Shinjuku Gyoen becomes one of the best places in the city to see cherry blossoms. - Shibuya Crossing - This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want. - Tsukiji Fish Market - Explore the old fish market in Tokyo! - Meiji Jingu Shrine - Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū) is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line’s busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll. The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt shortly thereafter. - Akihabara - Akihabara (秋葉原), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan’s otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. On Sundays, Chuo Dori, the main street through the district, is closed to car traffic from 13:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from October through March). - Koishikawa Korakuen Garden - Koishikawa Korakuen (小石川後楽園, Koishikawa Kōrakuen) is one of Tokyo’s oldest and best Japanese gardens. It was built in the early Edo Period (1600-1867) at the Tokyo residence of the Mito branch of the ruling Tokugawa family. Like its namesake in Okayama, the garden was named Korakuen after a poem encouraging a ruler to enjoy pleasure only after achieving happiness for his people. Koishikawa is the district in which the garden is located. - Hama Rikyu Gardens - Hama Rikyu (浜離宮, Hama Rikyū), is a large, attractive landscape garden in central Tokyo. Located alongside Tokyo Bay, Hama Rikyu features seawater ponds which change level with the tides, and a teahouse on an island where visitors can rest and enjoy the scenery. The traditionally styled garden stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent Shiodome district. - Tokyo National Museum - The Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館, Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) is the oldest and largest of Japan’s top-level national museums, which also include the Kyoto National Museum, the Nara National Museum, and the Kyushu National Museum. It was originally established in 1972 at Yushima Seido Shrine and moved to its current location in Ueno Park a few years later. The Tokyo National Museum features one of the largest and best collections of art and archeological artifacts in Japan, made up of over 110,000 individual items including nearly a hundred national treasures. At any one time, about 4000 different items from the permanent museum collection are on display. In addition, visiting temporary exhibitions are also held regularly. Good English information and audio guides are available. - Senso-ji Temple - Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo’s most colorful and popular temples. The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest temple. - Rikugien Garden - Rikugien (六義園) is often considered Tokyo’s most beautiful Japanese landscape garden alongside Koishikawa Korakuen. Built around 1700 for the 5th Tokugawa Shogun, Rikugien literally means “six poems garden” and reproduces in miniature 88 scenes from famous poems. The garden is a good example of an Edo Period strolling garden and features a large central pond surrounded by manmade hills and forested areas, all connected by a network of trails. - Yoyogi Park - Yoyogi Park (代々木公園, Yoyogi Kōen) is one of Tokyo’s largest city parks, featuring wide lawns, ponds, and forested areas. It is a great place for jogging, picnicking, and other outdoor activities. Although Yoyogi Park has relatively few cherry trees compared to other sites in Tokyo, it makes for a nice cherry blossom viewing spot in spring. Furthermore, it is known for its ginko tree forest, which turns intensely golden in autumn. - Takeshita Street - Harajuku (原宿) refers to the area around Tokyo’s Harajuku Station, which is between Shinjuku and Shibuya on the Yamanote Line. It is the center of Japan’s most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for adults and some historic sights. The focal point of Harajuku’s teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands, and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend-conscious teens. - Odaiba District - Odaiba (お台場) is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. It originated as a set of small man-made fort islands (daiba literally means “fort”), which were built towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo against possible attacks from the sea and specifically in response to the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry. More than a century later, the small islands were joined into larger islands by massive landfills, and Tokyo began a spectacular development project aimed to turn the islands into a futuristic residential and business district during the extravagant 1980s. But development was critically slowed after the burst of the “bubble economy” in the early 1990s, leaving Odaiba nearly vacant. - Shibamata - Shibamata (柴又) is a neighborhood on the eastern end of Tokyo, not far from the Edogawa River which is the natural border between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture. The town retains its old-school charm from yesteryear and is a perfect break away from modern Tokyo. One of the main attractions to see is the Shibamata Taishakuten Temple not far from the station. - Nezu - Having miraculously avoided major damage during world wars and natural disasters, Yanaka and Nezu—two of the neighborhoods that make up shitamachi, Tokyo’s old downtown—retain their last-century charm. You’ll find historical sites such as Yanaka Cemetery and Nezu Shrine tucked away among shitamachi’s narrow back alleys, traditional wooden houses, izakaya pubs, atmospheric coffee shops, and retro stores selling old-style sweets and snacks. Here you can slip back in time to a slower-paced, more genteel Tokyo. - Shinjuku Golden Gai - Golden Gai is said to have started around 1950 when the black market that had arisen in front of Shinjuku Station moved and, in this new area, a number of eating and drinking establishments set up shop. Although Shinjuku has undergone considerable modernization since then, Golden Gai seems to have remained largely unchanged. The alley is narrow and cramped with countless signs advertising the various establishments that line the way. Many of the buildings themselves are made of wood, remnants hanging on from the Showa Era. Most measure only around thirteen square meters (one hundred forty-two square feet). It’s a dim, boisterous place filled with the aromatic smoke of grilling meats. Yet despite the nearly endless number of slick new restaurants available in Shinjuku, this little alley continues to draw the attention of foreign tourists. Golden Gai is a popular “un-touristy” tourist spot. - Tokyo Tower - The retro cute version of Tokyo Sky tree! This vermillion tower has been a symbol of Tokyo for a generation and can be seen in the background of many famous animes! Note: The remaining time is for the round tour and time spent sightseeing or explorations.
What's Included
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Tokyo
- Customizable Walking Tour of your choice of 4-6 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
What's Not Included
- Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- Private Vehicle
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
Additional Information
Enjoy an efficient, one-day tour of Tokyo accompanied by a government-licensed and experienced English speaking guide! Your guide will introduce both modern and traditional aspects of this dynamic Japanese capital.
Due to the enormous size of Tokyo, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, a one-day tour would probably focus on one small area, which would still leave you in awe at the scale of the city. Tokyo is where you can experience both modern and traditional, and your experienced private guide will help you efficiently enjoy a full day in this dynamic Japanese capital. Let us know what you would like to experience, and we will customize a eight-hour tour that’s best for you!
Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
- Tour dates can be changed up to 2 days before the tour. Any tour date change may result in a change of tour guide or tour unavailability.
- This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
Location
Asakusa
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(40 Ratings)
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211donnam
Aug 23, 2024
Wonderful day! - Kendo showed us some wonderful parts of Tokyo, but also helped us to organise our train tickets for our onward trip - something we couldn’t have managed without him. He was so kind.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chrisht9517qe
Aug 22, 2024
The Perfect Start to Our Trip - Touring Tokyo with our guide, Yoshi, was the first thing we did after flying in, and I'm so glad it was. Yoshi corresponded with us extensively over email prior to our trip, providing useful tips for hitting as many destinations as possible and avoiding the August heat. He met us at our hotel, helped us navigate the subway system, and answered every single one of our questions. He was a pleasure to work with, and I highly recommend using the Japan Guide Agency.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Miriam_w
Aug 9, 2024
Tokyo is a great city to visit - Tani our guide adapted the itinerary according to our requests and made our visit very enjoyable, including places for kids to have fun
Review provided by Viator
Tardyparty7
Aug 5, 2024
Great tour with Kenzo Ito - I had Kenzo Ito as my tour guide and he was fantastic—-I truly mean fantastic. When we had a medical emergency, he rushed to get help and made sure we were OK! It was so hot outside (97 degrees) and Kenzo made sure we always had rest stops and time to get out of the heat. He was extremely kind and overall one of the best tour guides I have ever had in all my years of travel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Akiss755
Aug 4, 2024
An overall great experience - Our guided tour with Kei was most probably our best moment during our stay in Tokyo. Kei was very knowledgeable and approachable and helped dive into the japanese culture and history. Adding in our program the Nezu area that is a less touristic and busy area was a highlight.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sasha788
Jul 26, 2024
Thoroughly recommend tour guide, Tokyo - Our tour guide MASAMI was great. He communicated before we arrived to see what we would like to do and then he put together his tour. It was very informative and even the kids enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kkmtlc
Jul 21, 2024
Wonderful first tour in Japan - our guide, Seizo, was amazing. he kept us entertained, educated, and on schedule. we were able to tailor our experience, as needed, and Seizo was very accommodating. Seizo helped us with managing the bullet train system and other rail/subway lines. I recommend Seizo to any traveler, especially from the US on a first visit to Japan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Petrhe8778mw
Jul 17, 2024
Wonderful day in Tokio - We spent a wonderful day in Tokio seeing the most interesting places. The guide was really helpful and gave us a lot of information and insights regarding both history as well as current life in Tokio. I would definitely recommend Fumiko as your guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camper35346806189
Jul 16, 2024
Izumi was knowledgeable and kind and took great care with the kids - We had a full day with Izumi. Before we got to Japan, we traded emails to pick an itinerary that would be a good mix of cultural learning and fun for our kids of 6, 9, 10. He has great suggestions of what could be done and what shouldn't.
On the day, he picked us up from the train station near us and we spent the day navigating and seeing amazing sights. Very knowledgeable and incredibly kind and gentle with our children. He was like their grandfather and took great care with them.
Overall, a very enjoyable experience that we would do again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martin6283
Jul 4, 2024
Tokyo - A Beginner’s Guide - Because it was our first visit to Japan, we chose to get some help acclimating. Our guide, Sam, was just the right person for that help. He was knowledgeable and friendly. We crafted a nice plan for the day but with the very hot weather Sam was able to change plans and still do everything we wanted. There is still much to do and see in Japan before we return but we are grateful we could work with Sam to be better able to navigate this awesome place.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
