Edo Tokyo & Japanese Culture: A Historical Exploration with Licensed Guide in Tokyo

Explore the historical and cultural wonders of Edo Tokyo with a licensed guide. Discover Edo period buildings, the National Showa Memorial Museum, and the capital of Sumo in Japan. Book now!

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Imperial Palace - The current Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo) is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo Station. It is the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family.
    Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603…
What's Included
  • Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Tokyo
  • Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
  • Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
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

In the modern city of Tokyo, it is easy to forget that things were once very different. Join our tour guides on a tour of Tokyo’s history and culture. Learn what it was like before the city became one of the biggest in the world. Your guide can take you to fascinating sights like:
Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum: Be transported back in time in…

Location
Imperial Palace
1-1 Chiyoda
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(23 Ratings)
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C4806xvjoyd
Oct 23, 2024
Excellent Tour & We Learned A Lot While Doing Touristy Activities - If you're looking for a tour guide who has local knowledge and who is fluent in French & English, Mr. Kazu H. is the right one for you. Kazu-san was engaging and fun to talk to, and made us feel welcome and safe. He even helped me go to the post office to buy some postcards and postage stamps so I can send them to my friends back home. We visited the Imperial Palace Gardens and I had an enjoyable time taking photos of the scenery and saw some very colorful koi fish. Kazu-san was also very patient with me asking about the Samurai class, Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu and my questions about the big business conglomerates of Japan (i.e. Mitsui, Mitsubishi, etc). One memorable part of the tour is when Kazu-san took us to Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Nihombashi area, and explained how it is a symbol of luxury in Japanese Culture. I was very happy to get beautiful Japanese Sweets by Kasho Hanami, and Mitsukoshi-exclusive macarons by Laduree. My sister was very happy to get herself a Laduree macaron set featuring the Mitsukoshi Lion (only available at the Laduree counter in Mitsukoshi's depa-chika). Another memorable experience is when Kazu-san also took us to Sushizanmai at Tsukiji Market for an authentic sushi lunch experience. We sat at the counter and watched our sushi chef prepare us delicious sushi. It was a lovely experience, especially for my sister because it was her first time to visit Japan. Since we requested to see the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Stadium even though no Sumo Tournaments were happening, Kazu-san took us there and we were able to get souvenirs for ourselves at the giftshop. We also enjoyed the Sumida Hokusai Museum and spent some time viewing the exhibits and seeing high-quality replicas of famous wookblock prints. Just walking through the neighborhood where the Sumida Hokusai Museum was located was very enjoyable and memorable. Kazu-san was also very kind to take us to the Great Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum as this was our special request; we like to learn the reason why Tokyo has so many new buildings. My sister and I had an excellent time doing touristy stuff (sightseeing, picture-taking, shopping), while learning about the history of the Edo Period sites. Thank you Kazu-san for making our trip to Tokyo fun and memorable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sally_e
Apr 3, 2024
Fantastic day, great guide - We had a wonderful, long day. Show was an excellent guide. Apart from yhe marvellous things we saw, we learned how to use the IC card and use the bewildering (at first) public transport system. I chose 3 place far from each other, but Show mapped a course that got us everywhere we went. For me the standout highlight was the Hokusai Museum, but also loved the Edo-Tokyo Outdoor Architectural Museum.
Review provided by Viator
Bethany_j
Apr 2, 2024
Excellent tour - We were guided by Shinji and he did an excellent job of communicating with us prior to the tour and tailored it to what we were looking for. Great day touring and seeing the sites and very worth the money. The guide’s English was excellent as well.
Review provided by Viator
Richardry2354id
Mar 15, 2024
Custom Shibuya walking tour - Hiro Chikata is very knowledgeable and friendly. He was a great guide for our family. We highly recommend him for anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
228susanned
Mar 14, 2024
Recommended ! - Very nice and knowledgeably guide! Michio took us to Meiji Jingu shrine Edo palace Shinjuko garden Shibuya and lots more.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gerardalbo
Feb 16, 2024
Highly recommend - Moto was the most amazing tour guide, I want him to take everyone around Kyoto. He knew places we had didn’t even have on our list see list, he was knowledgeable about not just local history but world current events & history. We learned so much! Thx Moto for a wonderful day! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lousannesherlock
Feb 4, 2024
Our tour guide Nori and the best experience! - Nori was an amazing guide, incredibly kind and full of information! She took us to some beautiful places, told us so many things and little fun facts and for lunch, she brought us to an amazing location with the most delicious food we’ve had so far! It was also my boyfriend’s birthday and Nori arranged for a birthday treat to come out for him!! Nori was lovely, the tour was lovely - 10/10 recommend!! Plus you get to have a better understanding of the metro system!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S9385ptsamanthah
Nov 24, 2023
Kei-San is the best! - Kei-San is amazing! He has a wealth of knowledge about architecture, history, and philosophy. It was great to spend the day with him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Samantha_h
Nov 24, 2023
Kei-San is the MVP - Kei-san was the MVP and taught me a lot! He has a keen eye for architecture and aesthetics, as well as a wealth of knowledge about Japanese history and philosophy. Awesome day!
Review provided by Viator
K222iojeremyl
Nov 20, 2023
Awesome experience! - Kei was an amazing tour guide! He was very professional and friendly. My son and I learned an lot about Japanese history and culture. Since we had been to Japan ten years ago, Kei helped us become comfortable and confident again with Tokyo transportation. We also enjoyed great conversations throughout the tour! We are extremely happy we booked this tour for our first day in Japan!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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