Tokyo 4hr Private Tour: Explore Modern and Traditional Sights with Certified Guide

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Asakusa

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Experience the best of modern and traditional Tokyo in just 4 hours with a certified guide! Create a customized itinerary to explore this dynamic city.

Duration: 4 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Asakusa - This tour offers a more efficient way to explore Tokyo in a single day. Start at your hotel and proceed to any destination of your choice.
Imperial Palace - This tour offers a more efficient way to explore Tokyo in a single day. Start at your hotel and proceed to any destination of your choice. Note that entry inside the palace is not permitted.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s largest and most beloved parks. Just a short walk from Shinjuku Station, the park’s expansive lawns, winding paths, and serene scenery provide a peaceful retreat from the bustling city. In spring, it becomes one of the top spots in Tokyo to view cherry blossoms.
Shibuya Crossing - This tour offers a more efficient way to explore Tokyo in a single day. Start at your hotel and proceed to any destination of your choice.
Tsukiji Fish Market - This tour offers a more efficient way to explore Tokyo in a single day. Start at your hotel and proceed to any destination of your choice.
Meiji Jingu Shrine - This tour offers a more efficient way to explore Tokyo in a single day. Start at your hotel and proceed to any destination of your choice.
Akihabara - Akihabara (秋葉原), also known as Akiba after a former local shrine, is a central Tokyo district renowned for its numerous electronics shops. Recently, Akihabara has also become a hub for Japan’s otaku (diehard fan) culture, with many stores dedicated to anime and manga interspersed among the electronics shops. On Sundays, Chuo Dori, the main street, 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 finest Japanese gardens. Constructed in the early Edo Period (1600-1867) at the Tokyo residence of the Mito branch of the ruling Tokugawa family, the garden was named Korakuen after a poem encouraging rulers to seek pleasure only after ensuring the happiness of their people. Koishikawa is the district where the garden is located.
Hama Rikyu Gardens - Hama Rikyu (浜離宮, Hama Rikyū) is a large, beautiful landscape garden in central Tokyo. Situated alongside Tokyo Bay, Hama Rikyu features seawater ponds that change with the tides and a teahouse on an island where visitors can relax and enjoy the view. The traditional garden contrasts sharply with the skyscrapers of the nearby Shiodome district.
Tokyo National Museum - The Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館, Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) is Japan’s oldest and largest national museum, alongside the Kyoto National Museum, the Nara National Museum, and the Kyushu National Museum. Established in 1972 at Yushima Seido Shrine, it moved to its current location in Ueno Park a few years later. The museum boasts one of Japan’s most extensive collections of art and archaeological artifacts, with over 110,000 items, including nearly a hundred national treasures. Around 4,000 items from the permanent collection are displayed at any given time, and temporary exhibitions are held regularly. Excellent English information and audio guides are available.
Senso-ji Temple - Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a vibrant and popular Buddhist temple in Asakusa. According to legend, in 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, from the Sumida River. Despite returning the statue to the river, it always came back to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess Kannon, and the temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest temple.
Rikugien Garden - Rikugien (六義園) is often regarded as Tokyo’s most beautiful Japanese landscape garden, alongside Koishikawa Korakuen. Built around 1700 for the 5th Tokugawa Shogun, Rikugien means “six poems garden” and recreates 88 scenes from famous poems in miniature. The garden is a prime example of an Edo Period strolling garden, featuring 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, offering wide lawns, ponds, and forested areas. It’s an excellent spot for jogging, picnicking, and other outdoor activities. While Yoyogi Park has fewer cherry trees compared to other Tokyo sites, it is still a pleasant place for cherry blossom viewing in spring. Additionally, its ginkgo tree forest turns a brilliant gold in autumn.
Takeshita Street - Harajuku (原宿) refers to the area around Tokyo’s Harajuku Station, located between Shinjuku and Shibuya on the Yamanote Line. It is the epicenter of Japan’s most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for adults and some historical sights. The heart of Harajuku’s teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, lined with trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothing stores, crepe stands, and fast food outlets catering to fashion-conscious teens.
Odaiba District - Odaiba (お台場) is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. Originally a series of small fort islands (daiba means “fort”) built in the late Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo from sea attacks, the islands were later joined by massive landfills. Tokyo began an ambitious development project in the 1980s to transform the islands into a futuristic residential and business district. However, development slowed significantly after the burst of the “bubble economy” in the early 1990s, leaving Odaiba nearly vacant.
Shibamata - Shibamata (柴又) is a neighborhood on Tokyo’s eastern edge, near the Edogawa River, which forms the natural border between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture. The town retains its nostalgic charm and offers a perfect escape from modern Tokyo. One of the main attractions is the Shibamata Taishakuten Temple, located near the station.
Nezu - Miraculously spared from major damage during world wars and natural disasters, Yanaka and Nezu—two neighborhoods that make up shitamachi, Tokyo’s old downtown—retain their early 20th-century charm. Historical sites like Yanaka Cemetery and Nezu Shrine are nestled among shitamachi’s narrow alleys, traditional wooden houses, izakaya pubs, cozy coffee shops, and retro stores selling old-fashioned sweets and snacks. Visitors can experience a slower-paced, more genteel Tokyo here.
Shinjuku Golden Gai - Golden Gai is believed to have originated around 1950 when the black market that had emerged in front of Shinjuku Station relocated, and numerous eating and drinking establishments set up shop in the new area. Despite Shinjuku’s significant modernization, Golden Gai has remained largely unchanged. The narrow alley is filled with countless signs advertising various establishments, many housed in wooden buildings from the Showa Era. Most measure only around thirteen square meters (142 square feet). It’s a dim, lively place filled with the aroma of grilling meats. Despite the abundance of modern restaurants in Shinjuku, this little alley continues to attract foreign tourists. Golden Gai is a popular “un-touristy” tourist spot.
Tokyo Tower - Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, built in 1958. Standing at 332.9 meters, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan.
Gotokuji Temple - Gotokuji Temple, located in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward, is a Buddhist temple believed to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko, or “luck-inviting cat figurine.” These small statues, depicting a cat sitting up and beckoning with its front paw, have become popular worldwide among cat lovers.

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 2-3 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

Join us for a streamlined, half-day exploration of Tokyo, guided by a government-certified, multilingual expert! They will acquaint you with both the modern and traditional facets of this bustling Japanese city.

Given the enormous expanse of Tokyo, one of the world’s vastest metropolises, a full-day tour could likely only cover a minor part, still leaving you astonished by the city’s scale. In Tokyo, you find a unique blend of the new and the old, and your expert private guide will facilitate a smooth and enjoyable half-day journey through this energetic Japanese capital.

Share your interests and preferences, and we shall tailor a four-hour excursion that suitably matches them!

Note*1: Please choose your preferred attractions from a list provided in the tour details to build your personalized itinerary.

Note*2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification, awarded by the Japanese government, necessitates a thorough understanding and knowledge of Japanese culture and history.

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

4.9

(807 Ratings)

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1 star

Jonathan_b

Oct 5, 2024

Kazu is the best guide! - We had an outstanding experience. Kazu was a fantastic guide who I highly recommend! His tour was the highlight of our trip to Tokyo.

Review provided by Viator

Laurita2000

Oct 5, 2024

4h tour purpose made - The guide that we had the privilege to walk with was amazing: he tailored the tour to our family needs, and gave us a taste of history, culture, and understanding about japanese mind set; we are very thankful for this experience!