Private Tokyo Food Tour - Retro Akabane Izakaya Experience

Recommended by 100% of travelers

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Tokyo, Japan

4 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Akabane, a residential neighborhood in Northern Tokyo, is a popular evening destination for locals. Let your English-speaking guide walk you through the retro charm of its narrow alleys, glowing with red paper lanterns, as you eat and drink your way through 3 traditional izakayas. Enjoy the nightlife in a relaxed way as you try at least 10 Japanese delicacies and 3 drinks like sake, shochu and hoppy.

Visit Akabane’s Ichibangai Street, full of places to eat and drink
Discover the izakayas (Japanese pubs) that are favorites of Tokyo’s workers
3 drinks and 10 popular Japanese snacks included in the price of your tour
Guide recommends the best dishes to try based on your palate

What's Included

Guided tour of Retro Akabane's food scene.
Try more than 10 local delicacies (you will be full).
Visit to three izakayas where you'll experience local Japanese food culture.
Dinner
Alcoholic Beverages

Transport to and from Akabane
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Akabane Station
1 Chome-1 Akabane, Kita City, Tokyo 115-0045, Japan
The meeting point is in front of the ticket gates of the north exit of JR Akabane station. Akabane is located 14 minutes from Shinjuku on the JR Saikyo line, 9 minutes from Ikebukuro on the JR Saikyo line, 9 minutes from Ueno on the JR Takasaki line or 15 minutes from Tokyo station on the JR Takasaki line.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Akabane Ichiban-gai Shopping District Promotion Association Office

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. Soft drinks will be served to those under the age of 20
Dietary Requirements. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements and we will do our best to make sure you are catered to.
We will be experiencing izakaya the Japanese way and so sharing plates between the group. (Dont worry you will be full!)
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Most travelers can participate
Smoking is permitted in most Japanese bars and restaurants so we don't recommend this tour for pregnant travelers.
We will be doing some mild walking so comfortable footwear is advisable.
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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 17 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

What a great experience. ...

Noel_S, May 2026

What a great experience. Guide was fun and knowledgeable and good conversationalist. Got to try some excellent food in authentic settings we never would have found on our ownp

Retro Akabane win—great guide, great bites

Kellie_B, Nov 2025

This was a blast. Simon kept it light and informative, guided us through classic izakaya dishes, and somehow steered us toward things we didn’t know we’d love. The neighborhood is a gem—retro, lively, and way off our usual path. Perfect tour: we tried lots, learned plenty, and rolled out happy.

A fun night out in Tokyo

Anastasia_B, Jun 2025

We had a great time with Simon. He took us to local spots and we ate a wide variety of food. He tailored our orders to what we wanted to try. It was off the beaten path which made it even better.

Fantastic Experience!

Nina_R, May 2025

A group of 6 of us, who were traveling together, had a wonderful immersive adventure with Simon, beginning with taking the Tokyo rail system to meet him at an area of restaurants frequented by locals. We went to three different restaurants, each featuring a different food experience: Tokyo pancakes and local drinks, Japanese "comfort foods," and sushi/seafood. Since it was a Saturday night, we had an opportunity to dine with lots of locals. Simon explained the significance of each food we were served, and even the most apprehensive in our group, enjoyed the offerings. We found Simon to be a charming guide, and all 6 of us were still raving about the food tour the next day!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thanks so much! It was sucha. pleasure to meet the 6 of you and show you around Akabane! I am glad you enjoyed the night!

Simon was a great host...

Barbara_S, Dec 2024

Simon was a great host and conversationalist. It was cool to get the experience of a more authentic working class Tokyo and experience a good variety of food and drink options. Highly recommend Simon.

Authentic izakaya experience

Jon_T, Oct 2023

Excellent izakaya tour. Highly recommended if you want an authentic experience. Our guide, Simon, was fantastic! He was extremely knowledgeable and conversational, giving us clear insight into Japanese food, culture, and society. He was very patient with all our questions! We had a great time because of him. The food Simon ordered for us was a good balance between "safe" options and "adventurous" options. It was mostly meat, but there was some grilled / pickled veg too. Lots of drink options too. Since it's a small private tour, Simon can customize the food how you like. Some food was definitely weird for us, but going outside our comfort zone is part of why we took a tour like this! Akabane is authentic. This is where the locals go. I saw no other tourists. The narrow, lantern-lit alleys bustled with locals having a good time. We visited 3 izakaya, and felt welcomed at each. It's an intense but informal atmosphere.