Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Overview
Enjoy an efficient, half-day tour of Tokyo accompanied by a government-licensed and experienced multilingual 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 half day in this dynamic Japanese capital.
Let us know what you would like to experience, and we will customize a four-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.
Note*2: National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
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 half day in this dynamic Japanese capital.
Let us know what you would like to experience, and we will customize a four-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.
Note*2: National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Inclusions
- Licensed Local Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 2-3 sites from 'What to expect' list
- The pick up/drop off for this tour is on foot.
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Asakusa, Taito Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Imperial Palace, 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda 100-8111 Tokyo Prefecture
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 palace.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, 11 Naito-machi, Shinjuku 160-0014 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 minute
Pass By: Shibuya Crossing, 2 Chome-2-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya 150-0043 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Stop At: Tsukiji Fish Market, 4-14-2, Tsukiji, Chuo 104-0045 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Meiji Jingu Shrine, 1-1 Yoyogi-Kamizono-cho, Shibuya 151-8857 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Akihabara, Sotokanda, Chiyoda 101-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
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).
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, 1-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo 112-0004 Tokyo Prefecture
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 in.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Hama Rikyu Gardens, 1-1 Hamarikyu Teien, Chuo 104-0046 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Tokyo National Museum, 13-9, Uenokoen, Taito 110-0007 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Senso-ji Temple, 2-3-1, Asakusa, Taito 111-0032 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Rikugien Garden, 6-16-3 Honkomagome, Bunkyo 113-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Yoyogi Park, 2-1 Yoyogi Kamizonocho, Shibuya 151-0052 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Takeshita Street, 1 Jingumae, Shibuya 150-0001 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Odaiba District, Daiba, Minato 135-0091 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Shibamata, Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Nezu, Nezu, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Pass By: Shinjuku Golden Gai, 1-1-6, Kabukicho, Shinjuku 160-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Stop At: Tokyo Tower, 4-chome 2-8, Shibakoen, Minato 105-0011 Tokyo Prefecture
The Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, built in 1958. At 332.9 meters, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan.
Duration: 30 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Asakusa, Taito Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Imperial Palace, 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda 100-8111 Tokyo Prefecture
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 palace.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, 11 Naito-machi, Shinjuku 160-0014 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 minute
Pass By: Shibuya Crossing, 2 Chome-2-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya 150-0043 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Stop At: Tsukiji Fish Market, 4-14-2, Tsukiji, Chuo 104-0045 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Meiji Jingu Shrine, 1-1 Yoyogi-Kamizono-cho, Shibuya 151-8857 Tokyo Prefecture
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Akihabara, Sotokanda, Chiyoda 101-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
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).
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, 1-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo 112-0004 Tokyo Prefecture
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 in.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Hama Rikyu Gardens, 1-1 Hamarikyu Teien, Chuo 104-0046 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Tokyo National Museum, 13-9, Uenokoen, Taito 110-0007 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Senso-ji Temple, 2-3-1, Asakusa, Taito 111-0032 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Rikugien Garden, 6-16-3 Honkomagome, Bunkyo 113-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Yoyogi Park, 2-1 Yoyogi Kamizonocho, Shibuya 151-0052 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Takeshita Street, 1 Jingumae, Shibuya 150-0001 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Odaiba District, Daiba, Minato 135-0091 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Shibamata, Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Stop At: Nezu, Nezu, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Kanto
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.
Duration: 1 minute
Pass By: Shinjuku Golden Gai, 1-1-6, Kabukicho, Shinjuku 160-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
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.
Stop At: Tokyo Tower, 4-chome 2-8, Shibakoen, Minato 105-0011 Tokyo Prefecture
The Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, built in 1958. At 332.9 meters, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan.
Duration: 30 minutes
Additional information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- 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 experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
jvdes
September 2023
A very helpful, understanding and informative guide. Suzuki was great and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
A very helpful, understanding and informative guide. Suzuki was great and we thoroughly enjoyed it.94borisf
September 2023
We appreciate very much the excellent guidance that Ms. Yuri Ogava and Mr. Sunano provided during on our recent tour in Tokyo. Ms. Ogava answered all our questions, and even treated us with small snacks. We learned a lot about Tokyo, and highly recommend Ms. Ogava!
We appreciate very much the excellent guidance that Ms. Yuri Ogava and Mr. Sunano provided during on our recent tour in Tokyo. Ms. Ogava answered all our questions, and even treated us with small snacks. We learned a lot about Tokyo, and highly recommend Ms. Ogava!603hannibald
October 2021
Ms. Noriko was kind, polite and knowledgeable. She arrived early for our tour and made great suggestions on what would be best to see in our time together. She provided great insight to the modern and historical culture of Japan. She was an excellent guide
Ms. Noriko was kind, polite and knowledgeable. She arrived early for our tour and made great suggestions on what would be best to see in our time together. She provided great insight to the modern and historical culture of Japan. She was an excellent guideJaymee_C
September 2021
I had an amazing time on this tour! My tour guide was so knowledgeable and fun! I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting a quick overview of the area!
I had an amazing time on this tour! My tour guide was so knowledgeable and fun! I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting a quick overview of the area!Ytplum
March 2020
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Are group justed loved him. The was very interesting and beautiful
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Are group justed loved him. The was very interesting and beautifulOdyssey320971
January 2020
Our guide Mr. Suzuki Yasuho is very knowledgeable of the history of the Shrine that we visited. He gave us lots of information during our tour. He’s very accommodating with our needs too. Very convenient for us 1st time in Japan . He picked us up in our hotel Lobby and drop off as well. One thi...
Our guide Mr. Suzuki Yasuho is very knowledgeable of the history of the Shrine that we visited. He gave us lots of information during our tour. He’s very accommodating with our needs too. Very convenient for us 1st time in Japan . He picked us up in our hotel Lobby and drop off as well. One thing though we have to walk very fast to catch up with him 😃😃😃 otherwise we enjoyed our 1/2 day tour recommendable . Thank you again Mr. Suzuki Yasuho We will Be back here and we will look for you .