Odawara Castle Walking Tour: Exploring Samurai History and Ninja Mysteries
5.0
8 Ratings
Odawara
Uncover the secrets of samurai and ninja at Odawara Castle on a walking tour through Japanese history. Explore the castle, learn about the architecture, and immerse yourself in the traditions of the samurai. Discover the seaside city of Odawara, just a short distance from Tokyo.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Odawara Station Tourist Information Center - In the Odawara Station inside the East exit, there is the Tourist Information Center next to New Days convenience store. This is where the tour will start.
What's Included
- Entrance tickets to the Ninja Museum, Samurai Museum, and Odawara Castle included.
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
Discover the history and stories of the samurai and ninja at Odawara Castle on this exploration and experience into Japanese culture and history. Odawara Castle is the centerpiece for this walking tour that will include historic insight, local goods, craft shops, and much more. This castle was the grounds for some of Japan’s most famous samurai and ruled over a large part of central Japan during the Sengoku Period of Japanese history. The city of Odawara still has many connections to the traditions and culture of the time of the samurai.
Learn about the history of the samurai, architecture of Japanese castle, and all about the mysterious ninja. A short stop by a local shrine is also included as we explore this historic city on foot.
There is lots to see, do, and experience in the seaside city of Odawara. This is the closest castle to Tokyo and actually ruled the area.
Location
Odawara Station Tourist Information
Meet the guide at the Odawara Station Tourist Information Center inside Odawara Station.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(8 Ratings)
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Jasonpg1494rt
May 22, 2024
Amazing tour to get to see another side of Japan - Naoya was an amazing tour guide for Odawara and Odawara castle! Not only was learning about the castle and all of it’s history amazing, but it was super refreshing to get off the beaten path and see a much quieter place than the busy, tourist filled streets of Tokyo. In addition to the castle, we also got to check out an amazing shrine and got to walk around the town and even see the ocean. The trip to Odawara is also very short and only a half hour ride on the bullet train. Highly recommended if you want to see another side of Japan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alan_r
May 21, 2024
Touring Japan - Jeff was more than the best! Assisted in my wife’s health issue, took us different food and shopping - super!
Review provided by Viator
Leif_d
Oct 27, 2023
Amazing tour with a great guide! - Amazing tour with a guide deeply rooted to the town with lots of local knowledge. First he lead us to the highest point of the town with a great view to the town and the castle from afar. Then we went to the castle where he told us lots of stories and historical facts. Afterwards we had a exceptional lunch nearby the local fishmarket. No tourist anywhere to be seen except us. It was a great experience. Would do it again anytime! :)
Review provided by Viator
315quenting
Sep 23, 2023
Absolutely splendid! - Thank you again for this experience! Our guide was an American/Japanese who was fluent in both languages, which made the tour very pleasant for us who spoke English. His historical knowledge allowed us to discover the history of Odawara Castle, its surroundings, its occupants and Japanese culture in general. We were welcomed with the usual Japanese hospitality - "the customer is a God" - which put us at ease straight away and left us with an unforgettable memory! Thanks again for everything ! I highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Glennbr873tm
May 6, 2023
Odawarajo and Okioda - Wonderful Tour! Tour guides spoke very good English. We had a great time.
Odawarajo (Odawara Castle) was beautifully surrounded by the mountains and ocean background.
Also, pay your respects to Okioda (Big Oda) on the Castle grounds. Odawara’s oldest resident at 700 years old! Okioda was there 433 years ago during the 1590 siege of Odawara Castle.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly_c
Mar 23, 2023
Beautiful Odawara Castle - Wonderful tour of the city and castle. Went at our own pace and he was incredibly knowledgeable. Gave us wonderful tips for the rest of our day as well!
Review provided by Viator
Jake
Jan 17, 2023
Odawara castle - I had an excellent time exploring odawara castle and I learnt so much about the rich history of the samurai .
The tour guides were very knowledgeable about the history of odawara and the samurai that once lived there .
I was grateful that they were also English speaking which made it easy to understand .
They also pointed me in the right direction for other interesting things to do in the local area !
Highly recommended :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffh335
Oct 28, 2022
Beautiful City, Rich History, Awesome Tour - We had a wonderful experience with our host. The city was the perfect place to explore because of its size and history. Our host was very knowledgable and flexible to our interests.
A few shops, tasty treats, and crafts were also introduced and we left with some Japanese lanterns and a taste for the local Japanese wagashi sweets.
Odawara is the transfer point for many people making their way to Hakone, but it felt like an undiscovered gem and we enjoyed every minute.
Review provided by Tripadvisor