Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tokyo, Japan
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Tokyo is an exciting city with lots to see and do, but it can be overwhelming for first-time visitors. Simplify your time in Tokyo with a private full-day walking tour that includes hotel pickup. Choose 4–6 sites from a list of recommendations so you focus on the sights and experiences that interest you most. Browse museums, stroll through parks and gardens, and admire Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.
- Receive personalized attention on a private tour
- Included hotel pickup provides a relaxed start to your tour
- Customize the itinerary to suit your group’s needs
- An ideal introductory tour for first-time visitors to Tokyo
What's Included
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
- Customizable Walking Tour of your choice of 4-6 sites from 'What to expect' list
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Tokyo
- 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.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
This private tour is a walking day tour. A private vehicle is not included. Public transportation or local taxis maybe used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with the guide after a reservation is finalized. Please have Japanese Yen on hand for your transportation costs. If you wish to arrange for a private vehicle, please book our Private Tokyo Tour with Government Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 7 persons).
Itinerary
1
Asakusa
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Imperial Palace
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
35 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Shibuya Crossing
Admission Ticket Free
5
Tsukiji Fish Market
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Meiji Jingu Shrine
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Akihabara
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
35 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
9
Hamarikyu Gardens
35 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
10
Tokyo National Museum
35 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
11
Senso-ji Temple
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
12
Rikugien Garden
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
13
Yoyogi Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
14
Takeshita Street
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
15
Odaiba District
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
16
Shibamata
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
17
Nezu
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
18
Shinjuku Golden Gai
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
19
Tokyo Tower
1 minute • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- 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 is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 143 reviews
Celal_S, Apr 2026
We had a great tour even it was full day rainy and a bad day for walking. Masa san was a great guide, he was very helpful and guided us very nicely.
Rosi_L, Apr 2026
If you want a personal selection of sites in Tokyo a private guide is the best. Our guide took us as speedily and thoroughly as possible to and through the areas we wished to see. And filled the times of transport between them with valuable background information. We thoroughly enjoyed talking and traveling with him.
Judah_M, Mar 2026
Koji san was amazing. He did everything i wanted to do and added more things to the trip he thought i would enjoy. I will definitely be booking another tour when i return next year.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your kind review—I truly appreciate your thoughtful words. It was a pleasure exploring together and sharing such meaningful moments. The memories we made will stay with me.
Warm regards,
Koji
John_H, Feb 2026
My two boys, 16 and 13, and I had a great time with Fumiko! She was a very knowledgeable guide who made our first trip to Tokyo fun and informative.
There are two main benefits to hiring a guide in Tokyo - first, to learn about the city in depth, and second, to navigate the transportation system efficiently. Fumiko did both to perfection. This was our only full day in Tokyo, and Fumiko had a wonderful day planned to help us make the most of it. We got to see and learn so much about the city that we wouldn't have been able to do nearly as thoroughly or efficiently on our own. This was absolutely worth every cent we paid.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for your wondeful review❗️
I am really glad to hear that you and your family members enjoyed the tour. I also enjoyed being with you. I hope you will stay healthy and happy and see you again with your all family members someday in the future.
Best regards,
Fumiko
Rick_S, Nov 2025
We had an amazing day with Yuri (Julie). She truly loves her city and enjoyed sharing it with us. She had a deep knowledge of the history of all of the sites we visited. 22,000 steps in the day together!! We had a great day.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hi !
Thank you so much for your generous review!
Despite the unfortunate rain, we could visit most of the main tourist spots , both traditional and modernized areas in Tokyo.
I was impressed to hear that you go back to your hotel on foot after 22,000 steps!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay !
Thank you again!
- Julie
Alyssa_S, Sep 2025
This was such an amazing tour! Kenji was so fun and kind. We learned so much from him and he was willing to accommodate the extra stops we wanted. I would highly recommend him and this tour!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
How was your trip to Tokyo and other parts of Japan? I hope you enjoyed plenty of delicious food and visited many famous sights and historic places. I hope you will come back to Japan in the future.
Kenji
Jennifer_R, Jun 2025
We had a fantastic experience with Taka as our guide. He was so knowledgeable and we were able to see so much and cover a lot of ground. It gave a really great intro to Tokyo and he helped us learn the subway system. He also took amazing pictures of our family. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks for your quick review! I appreciate your great review and believe you've enjoyed Sushi at Tsukiji fish market. If your elder daughter becomes well from her stomach illness, I hope you will accompany her and your husband to Tsukiji Sushi restaurant.
Jennifer_W, Apr 2025
Sharing this top experience with an English speaking Japanese local guide was amazing. We visited the places requested, and all our communication was respectful, helpful and appropriate. We also had interesting sights, etc, pointed out along the way, which we didn't know about, and he was able to accommodate small changes. He quietly guided us to all the good photo spots and offered to take photos for us.
Our Guide was very professional and happily shared his vast historical knowledge in an interesting way during the day. We had good conversation sharing our interests, hobbies, family, etc which made us feel very comfortable. This was a wonderful day and we have the best memories!
Response from Host, May 2025
Hello. Thank you so much for sending this nice review about the tour. Your last comment that you had the best memories makes me so happy and grateful because my customer’s satisfaction is the No.1 priority for me. Since we could have established like neighbors relationship, our tour lasted until the end with lots of reliable and respectful consideration among us. Again I appreciate your kind words letting those possible tourists who may have an interest on this tour know more about what’s going on in this tour. Kazuo Sugiyama
Gail_T, Apr 2025
I would highly recommend doing this private tour for first time visitors to Tokyo. We spent an amazing day with our very professional and friendly tour guide Koba. All of his communications from booking, picking up location, tour details were excellent. We saw so much on this tour that we probably wouldn’t have been able to do on our own because the metro stations are so complex.
This tour is well worth your time and money.
Thank you Koba for our “awesome” day and it was a pleasure meeting you.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for your very positive review. In our 8 hours, we visited Tsukiji Fish Market, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Imperial Palace East Garden, took Shrimp Tempura lunch, visited Harajuku Takeshita Street, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Asakusa, and ended at Asakusa. A lot of spots in 8 hours! We were able to enjoy a lot of cherry blossoms in the Shinjuku Garden. I hope you enjoyed these experiences and food. Please come to Japan again as we have many rural areas and hot springs!
Koba
Irene_L, Mar 2025
If you want to see the highlights of Tokyo, this is a great tour! Koji-san was our guide and he took us to all the best places to see the cherry blossoms and Tokyo’s must see places. Itinerary is open and you can change it based on sites you want to see. Also, he helped us navigate the train stations. Would recommend again, and koji was amazing!
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Your kind review truly touched our hearts. We strive to create unforgettable experiences for our guests, and knowing that we achieved that means the world to us. We would be delighted to welcome you on another journey in the future—you’re always welcome!
Sincerely,
Koji
Anthony_J, Mar 2025
Kazu was our guide. He contacted me by email prior to the tour to agree our itinerary. We met on time and had a wonderful tour of public gardens and local neighbourhoods.
Kazu provided us with the right amount of interesting information and accompanied us on the train and subway system to all points of interest. I can throughly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
It's hard to see cherry blossoms at this time of year, so I'm glad you were able to see them at Shinjuku Gyoen and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.
Kazuo
David_M, Mar 2025
We are a family of three that booked the 8 hour tour with private guide. We were contacted quicky by our guide, Yoshii. We provided Yoshii with some sites we wanted to see North (Akihabara, Asakusa Sensoji Temple, Sky Tree) and West (Shinjuku-Godzilla Head, Cat Billboard, Tokyo Metropolitan Gov't Building, Meiji Jingu Shrine, and ending at Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Yoshii mentioned there was not ample time for Sky Tree so he filled in added time with various sites in the Akihabara area as well as the Shinjuku and Shibuya areas. Yoshii was also so helpful finding places to eat and obtaining access to restaurants. Throughout the tour Yoshii taught us a lot of the Japanese history and culture. Our plan was to end the tour in Shibuya and spend some free time exploring before heading back to central Tokyo. However, with the rain and long day we decided to head back to the hotel. Yoshii stayed with us and navigated the train system with us back to our hotel. We highly recommend a tour with a private guide and if you get Yoshii you won't be disappointed!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks very much for your nice review.
I wish you will visit more frequently and enjoy not only history and culture
but also beautiful nature in countryside.
Thanks and best regards.
Yoshii Kenichi
Joe_F, Mar 2025
Great tour, customized to my interests, Edo period cultural sites. Mr. Seky was an excellent guide who reached out to me before the tour and proposed an itinerary based on my interests. Tokyo is a large city, and having a tour guide who efficiently navigated the geography was invaluable. Also Mr. Seky was friendly, knowledgeable, and shared his insights and suggestions. I highly recommend this tour. Thank Mr. Seky.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
I was very happy and enjoyed our 4 hours private tour with you. Essentially, witnessing the tail of Tokyo Marathon was a great experience!
Please continue to enjoy Tokyo and have a wonderful time!
Seky
Sal_C, Feb 2025
Our tour guide was An, she was amazing, very informative and proactive from the start with making sure we were good to go. Was a bit more walking than anticipated which was tough with one in the group being elderly with bad knees. We also planned this tour on Feb 8th which is a cold time of year for them. Lows in the 30°s and highs in the 40°s (Fahrenheit). Overall we highly recommend An and the experience through Viatour. Was safe and reliable.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience! It was truly a pleasure guiding your family. I’m glad to hear that, despite the chilly weather, you had a safe and enjoyable time. If you have another chance to visit Tokyo, I would be more than happy to guide you again! Thank you very much! Warm regards, An
Sharon_C, Jan 2025
Tokyo is such a large city with so many sites that the 8-hour private tour was perfect for me to see some of the highlights and learn to navigate the metro system. A was the perfect guide. From our first stop at the shrine to our overhead view of Shibuya Crossing at the end, she not only took me the sites but explained the history and customs such as the purification before entering temples and shrines to make my visits meaningful. She is also a terrrific photographer and took beautiful photos of me during the tour. The visit to the peaceful gardens outside the Imperial Palace to see the winter cherry blossoms was a stark contrast to the chaotic Don Quixote shop to select some Japanese snacks! She also identified local shops for some unique souvenirs and when I had questions, she translated on my behalf with the shopkeepers. She really listened to my preferences whether it was selecting a restaurant for lunch or special interests. We had a beautiful, sunny day and logged many steps, although she would have adjusted the pace if needed. An’s English was excellent. Having been in a few other tours, I appreciate that even more in hindsight. My husband has been to Japan numerous times and was shocked at how much I learned in one day. I even taught him a few things, such as how to select a hot drink from the vending machines and “tap” the Suica (transit) card to pay for the purchase! This was a perfect tour in winter; had I visited in the summer I would have probably chosen two separate half-day tours instead due to the warm weather but it was just perfect with the cool temperatures.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed review! I’m truly honored to hear that you found the private tour the perfect way to experience Tokyo’s highlights. It was a pleasure guiding you through the city, from the sacred shrine to the vibrant Shibuya Crossing and chaotic Don Quijote! I'm especially glad that the historical and cultural insights added meaning to your visits. And also, it’s wonderful to hear that you even had a few fun facts to share with your husband afterward! Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience, and we look forward to serving you again in the future! Warm regards, An
Jesus_M, Dec 2024
Excellent and knowledgeable guide. Very friendly, helpful and kind. Knows the history of the city and country very well, and anwers all your questions. KOJI IS A GREAT GUIDE!!!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review. It brought me great joy to see you and your wonderful family enjoying various places together. I truly appreciate your words. The day of the tour was deeply rewarding, and I hope you were able to fully immerse yourselves in Japan's stunning landscapes and rich culture. It was also a delight to share a delicious shabu-shabu lunch with you and assist with your souvenir shopping.
Please do visit Japan again someday—I would love the chance to meet you all once more.
Koji
Dominique_L, Nov 2024
We had a fabulous day with Koba! He is professional, knowledgeable and kind. In addition to visiting the many sites we had agreed upon in advance of our visit, we had great conversations about Japanese culture. We are grateful to have met Koba early in our visit to Tokyo. He gave us great insights and information and we will carry them during the remainder of our time here.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for your very positive review. Yes, we talked a lot about the itinerary and finally decided to visit Meiji Jingu Shrine, Edo Castle (Imperial Palace East Garden), Nezu Shrine, temples in Yanaka area, Ueno Toshogu Shrine, Asakusa Senso-ji Temple, and Ameyoko in 8 hours. When we met in the morning, I learned that you already visited half of the Imperial Palace Garden, so I added Harajuku Takeshita Street to show you a modern aspect with young people. I also guided National Museum of Western Art in Ueno as you found that there are Rodin’s sculpture in the open area. I understood you like Japanese history, so I talked a lot about it and I’m glad you liked it. Please come to Japan again and enjoy various areas!
Koba
Amy_V, Nov 2024
I had an incredible experience with my guide, Izumi! He was exceptionally knowledgeable and took me to all the must-see sites in Tokyo, including hidden gems away from the typical tourist spots, just as I requested. Izumi guided me through shrines, temples, the Tokyo National Museum, and even the Imperial Palace, providing fascinating insights every step of the way.
What made the experience even better was his patience in teaching me how to navigate the subway and train system, making the rest of my trip much easier. I truly got my money’s worth and felt well taken care of throughout the tour. If you’re looking for an informative, friendly guide who can show you both the highlights and local secrets of Tokyo, I highly recommend Izumi!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for joining the tour and thank you very much for such a warm comment. It's really my great pleasure. I'm so much pleased to hear that the tour was enjoyable and was memorable for you. The spots selected in this tour based on your suggestions, including Tokyo National Museum which we visited early in the morning, are nice choices. I'm very glad to hear that the Yanaka area, which is one of the off the beaten paths in Tokyo, that was replaced with the crowdy Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, was impressive for you too. Please enjoy your trip to Kyoto and to some other cities in Japan in this best season. See you once again in the near future. Izumi
shawn_c, Sep 2024
My sister and I took our mom to Japan on her first trip there. My sister and I were in Tokyo a few yrs back and had previously seen most of the more popular sightseeing spots but decided to get a private tour for efficiency this time around with our mom.
Our guide Nori was wonderful. She was so accommodating and flexible during the tour. She was also very efficient with getting us from each location, always aware of the schedule of trains and buses. We loved all of the historical details she provided at each location, although my sister and I had already seen some of these sights, all of the additional information she provided made revisiting them so much more enjoyable than our first time by ourselves.
Highly recommend this tour!!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you very much for your favorable and warm comment. I really appreciate it and am glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. I myself had a great time with you, drenched in sweat though. We enjoyed having delicious ramen for lunch together. I hope you will come back to Tokyo and I would like to enjoy with you again. Thank you. Nori
Miriam_W, Aug 2024
Tani our guide adapted the itinerary according to our requests and made our visit very enjoyable, including places for kids to have fun
Response from Host, Aug 2024
I am delighted to hear that the tour was helpful for you. The day was so hot that you were not so tired. I enjoyed answering some of the tough questions for your children, and I hope the tour encourages them to revisit Japan.
Tani
Johana_G, Jun 2024
Had the best time with Yoshi. It was raining hard in the beginning of our tour so he made some recommendations for our tour throughout with the weather changes. He had many food recommendations and helped us book our bullet train tickets. Had a blast but prepare for lots of walking.
Jamie_B, May 2024
From the very beginning, Japan Guide Agency was very professional and prompt in answering my emails and questions. Therefore, we booked 2 tours with the company and have no regrets.
Guide: Taka Oshiyama
We had a full day tour of Tokyo with Guide Taka. He met us in our hotel lobby and we started our tour by walking across to the Shibuya train station. We visited Sensoji Temple, Ueno Park, Akihabara, Shinjuku Golden Gai and a side visit to Dawn Avatar Café as requested by me.
Our day was full of walking and as I had an injured foot, Guide Taka took time to always check on my condition throughout the day. Taka showed great pride in Tokyo and was easy going and attentive. Taka is presented as a seasoned, compassionate tour guide who loves his work. Taka advised us at the beginning of the tour that he would be taking photos of us with his phone and would transfer the photos to our phone at the end of the tour. This lifted the burden of us having to worry about getting a photo at each location and bothering others to take a photo of my husband and me. When we returned home, we realized that this was the only tour we took during our 1-month vacation that had so many photos of us together at each site. We thought this was a great idea and it really made our trip even more memorable. Highly recommend both this company and Guide Taka for a private tour of Tokyo.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thanks for your great review and detailed explanations. On behalf of JGA (Japan Guide Agency), I would like to express our gratitude. DAWN Avatar Robot Cafe is so unique. We have found Ms. Miko, who is our taking partner by voice, was stationed in Okinawa island and joined in via internet. She, a little bit disabled, could be a part of society and was connected to the people in foreign countries such as you. AMAZING! A lot of photos I took, please enjoy!
Taka
Sidney_J, Oct 2025
Perfect tour in Tokyo that was absolutely interesting and entertaining. An picked us up at the hotel and after a short vote it also started. We ran a lot and also used the subway. We enjoyed the explanations and stories about Tokyo and Japan.
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Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring Tokyo and learning about Japan’s culture and stories.
It was my pleasure to guide your family through Tokyo and spend such a wonderful day together. Thank you again! An
Michel_D, Jul 2025
With Koba , undoubtedly Japan’s best guide , we established a personalized itinerary that allowed us to go to Tokyo Tower and climb to the observation gallery (150 m) where we could see the city then visit a temple and shop in the Akakusa neighborhood (Koba even managed to find a baby Buddha for my little girl). We ate with him in a typical small Japanese restaurant (great dining experience). Then visit the Tokyo Pokémon Center (gift for children) where the number of customers and the choice is impressive. Thereafter, the Shibuya Scamble Crossing is the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. Very impressive. We ended our tour by going to Takeshita street which is the fashion hotspot for young Japanese. You can see everything that interests teenagers and young adults including a café where you can flatter little pigs.
For this 8 hour tour we used public transport and also walked a lot.
To be effective, you need to have a guide who knows the Tokyo subway well because there are several lines and it is very large.
We had Koba from the JPA who is undoubtedly the best.
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Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your very positive review. Yes, we started at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and visited Tokyo Tower, Asakusa (viewed Tokyo Skytree and visited Senso-ji Temple), Pokémon Center in Nihonbashi, Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Harajuku Takeshita Street, then went back to the cruise terminal in 8 hours. We had good sushi lunch in Asakusa. Our plan was to walk through Akihabara, but the weather was very hot and you hoped to go to Pokémon place, I changed the itinerary after Asakusa. If you enjoyed my tailored tour, it’s my pleasure. Please come to Japan again!
Koba
Erwin_C, Mar 2025
Der Guide Masa hat uns über den ganzen Tag hervorrraqgend betreut und 3 Sehenswürdigkeiten von Tokio gezeigt. Den Kaiserpalast, Sensojio Templ und die berühmte Shibuya Kreuzung gezeigt. Er hat uns freiundlicherweise vom Cruisterminal in Yokohama abgeholt und und danach der Tour zum Flughafen Haneda gebracht. Wir konnte alle Standorte mit öffentliche Verkehrsmittel absolvieren. Am Flughafen hat uns der Guide sehr beim Checkin unterstützt. Wir können den Guide Masatoshi Fujii (Masa) sehr empfehlen.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
I thank you very much for your kind review comment. I am afraid you have tired with a long way from Yokohama to Tokyo and finally then to Hneda. But I have enjoyed the conversation and jokes with you in the tour and I have learned you have more than enough and accurate knowledge about Japan’s history, culture, social problems, and how it is going.
Anyhow, I feel relieved that you had enjoyed the stay in Tokyo and hope you have already back to your home in safe. If possible, I would take you to explore the other regions when you come back to Japan again and let’s have a great time.
sincerely,
Masa
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