Tokyo Like a Local: Private & Personalised Experience (2-3 hours)
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tokyo, Japan
- 2 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Orient yourself on your first day in Tokyo, and see the city through the eyes of a local. During this customized tour with your personal host, learn how to navigate and use Tokyo’s transport system. Choose from the city’s most famous attractions, or explore up-and-coming neighborhoods. Understand cultural practices, find the best places to eat, and get advice on Tokyo’s nightlife scene.
- Explore Tokyo at your own pace with a local guide
- Customize your tour to your needs and interests
- Get familiar with navigating the city on Tokyo’s transport system
- See the most popular attractions in your chosen neighborhoods
What's Included
- Private and personalized walking experience with insider tips from a passionate local
- Flexible durations and start times - choose your preferred time when booking
- Pre-tour questionnaire to tailor the experience to your preferences
- Direct communication with your host for itinerary planning and local recommendations
- Food, drinks and tickets to any attractions
- Transportation (primarily a walking experience, public transport may be used at an additional cost)
- Gratuities (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
Tokyo (Pass By)
Hachiko Statue (Pass By)
Shibuya Crossing (Pass By)
Center Loop (Pass By)
Senso-ji Temple (Pass By)
Nakamise Shopping Street (Kaminarimon) (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- After booking, you'll receive a short questionnaire to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your guide will personally reach out to craft a fully customized itinerary that suits your style—whether you love history, food, hidden gems, or cultural experiences.
- This private tour is a walking experience. A private vehicle is not included.
- Public transportation or local taxis may be used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with your host after your reservation is finalized.
- 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
4.6
based on 82 reviews
Zain_D, Mar 2026
Great experience and introduction to Tokyo and Japan from our guide Sherilyn! Some great knowledge on history, culture and food. Also provided up some great tips and recommendations around the city!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We’re so glad this experience gave you such a great introduction to Tokyo and Japan! It’s wonderful to hear the mix of history, culture, food, and local tips made it so memorable — thank you for sharing this with us.
Demetrios_W, Apr 2025
It was very fun and informative, he traveled to an area we had high interest in and showed us a faster way back to our hotel.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We hope the rest of your time in the city was just as enjoyable, and we'd love to welcome you again in the future.
Elizabeth_T, Jan 2025
This jumpstart tour was fantastic. We did in first thing in the morning after arriving in Tokyo the night before. Our guide Saito was excellent! He introduced us to subway system and helped us buy tickets, which was very helpful. He also took us through a beautiful city park and some cool shopping districts and helped us order ramen. Most importantly, he gave us cultural tips about how to not embarrass ourselves!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed and it’s great that Saito helped you navigate the subway, explore the city, and even shared cultural tips. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to Saito!
Diana_P, Oct 2024
Tomo was a wonderful and thoughtful guide. She was intentional with creating our itinerary and a joy to spend time with. She showed us special temples and shrines and taught us about Japanese traditions and customs. We were so lucky to meet her and have a such a personalized tour. She is a gem!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
We wholeheartedly agree—Tomo is indeed a gem! It’s heartwarming to know that you felt lucky to spend time with her and explore those beautiful temples and shrines.
Robert_P, Jul 2024
Our guide was well meaning - on the plus side he was on time , with very good English and eager to please - However the trip was not planned well given the amount of information we gave in advance - We were first taken to a closed temple - and then on to a variety of uninspiring locations - A charming young man but without the knowledge base needed for this price point tour- Google was his main source of information. - I CANNOT recommend this tour
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hello Robert,
While we appreciate your kind words about our host, we regret that the tour did not meet your expectations in terms of planning and the host's knowledge.
Your feedback is invaluable as we strive to ensure our hosts are knowledgeable and well-prepared. We’d love the opportunity to make this right on your next adventure.
Warm regards,
Kyle and the City Unscripted team.
Amy_B, Jul 2024
He was very sweet and continued to help us after our tour. My teenage son had a lot to talk to him about!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
It’s great to hear that your host was so attentive and went above and beyond, even after the experience! It sounds like your son found a great connection with him, which definitely adds a special touch to the whole experience. It must have been a memorable day for both of you!
Lynn_H, May 2024
Our guide Shoko was outstanding. She was very flexible and in addition to taking us to enjoy places we wanted to see, she was very helpful in pointing out different places we would enjoy during our stay. She continued to email me with links to various stores she felt we would like to explore. What a great way to start off our trip.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that Shoko was outstanding and flexible, tailoring the tour to your interests and offering helpful recommendations for your stay. Her continued support with store suggestions sounds like a wonderful start to your trip.
Emma_D, May 2024
Our guide was very kind and accomodating. She tailored our tour to suit our family so that our child was able to have a play instead of sitting in a pram all day. A very useful tour if you are new to the country and have never experienced their rail system or need tips on where to eat!
Response from Host, May 2024
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us! Providing a personalized experience that accommodates your family's needs is always our priority. We're glad we could make it enjoyable for both you and your child. Thanks for choosing City Unscripted and here's to more great adventures!
carolyn_l, Apr 2024
A wonderful afternoon with Alberto! He showed us parts of Tokyo we would have never seen on our own! Thank you for an amazing experience!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
It's fantastic that you had an amazing experience, and we're grateful for your kind words.
Anthony_v, Apr 2024
It was indeed a custom/personalised tour with a local who knowa a lot about Tokyo. We very much enjoyed the tour. We learned a lot, discovered Tokyo and had a great tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Our team are truly uplifted by your positive feedback. Thank you so much!
Claudia_V, Mar 2024
Fantastic experience with our super nice guide, Shuto. We couldn't have started our Japan experience in a better way, had a great time. Highly recommended if you feel bit overwhelmed with all the choices Tokyo has to offer and want to get acquainted with one of the coolest cities in the world!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience with Shuto! We're delighted to hear that he provided such a memorable and enjoyable introduction to Tokyo. Your recommendation means a lot to us, thank you!
Debbie_B, Feb 2024
This tour was ok. It's nice to have a guide for the amount of time you book them. Just be very specific in what you ask for and then double confirm it with your guide when you meet. Maybe ask for someone who specializes in what you are looking for as well.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We appreciate your insight into being specific with requests, and we'll certainly use it to enhance our services. We'll also encourage our hosts to be more proactive in this regard. Looking forward to your next tour with us, where we aim to provide you with the 5-star experience you deserve!
Warm regards,
Ruslan and the City Unscripted Team.
Aisha_M, Oct 2023
Ayaka and I had a great time exploring the area near my hotel in Minato Tokyo! We went to the fish market (too many people but interesting) and got omelettes on a stick there, then saw the kabuki theater, then found an amazing tea shop where we had very special tea and traditional sweets. We were having so much fun I extended my time and we saw the imperial palace and the gardens near it!
William_P, Oct 2023
Guide for our tour of Tokyo did not turn up at our hotel because of illness and we have received no refund as of yet she tried to reach us just before she was due to arrive which was to late to arrange alternative guide as we were only staying Three days in Tokyo and next two days we had tours booked.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Hello curious traveler,
I can imagine how frustrating it must have been when your Tokyo tour didn't go as planned due to the host's illness, especially since you had a tight schedule and couldn’t reschedule. Your feedback is important to us, and I want to assure you that your refund was processed and you will receive it soon. We truly hope you'll consider giving us another chance to provide you with a great tour experience. If you need any more help, don't hesitate to reach out to our friendly customer service team.
Warm regards,
Ruslan and the City Unscripted Team.
Yeymi_G, Aug 2023
I booked this tour and the guide never picked up us.
I talked with the organizer before the tour but the guide never tried to texted or called.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello Yeymi,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. Due to unforeseen circumstances, our host was suddenly not available on the day. This miscommunication is not up to our standards, and we're actively enhancing our processes to prevent such occurrences.
We've reached out to you directly via email, and we hope you’ll give us another opportunity so we can show you how amazing our experiences are.
Best regards,
Ruslan and the City Unscripted Team
MelchorTiama, Jul 2023
my wife and i love eating and shopping and the walking motivated us to eat some more and our local guide Apy was very patient with seniors like us who are overwhelmed by the massive subway system.
Joelle_B, Jun 2023
This was a great tour! Our guide Camila tailored our tour to our interests and had lots of insights on Japan culture. I would highly recommend this tour!
Andrew_C, Jun 2023
Susumu was the perfect guide for our intro to Tokyo- Thoughtful, easy going, and extremely helpful in getting me and my 13yo son to oriented the city. Communication ahead of our trip was thorough and thoughtful. Day of was a perfect combination of touristy sight seeing and the locals' experience of Tokyo. Felt more like traveling with an experienced friend than a guide. Wish we had booked him for more than one day! Thanks again, Susumu!
Peter_F, May 2023
Excellent and well informed friendly guide who was able to respond to all our questions and made the tour a highly enjoyable experience.
Jen_Z, May 2023
Hiroto was great! He walked ua around asakusa, answered all our questions, introduced us to a dozen new foods, and he as great with our daughter, too. This was our first private tour, but it was so much better with a toddler to do it this way. This was so good that we booked another one in Kyoto!
Rommel_S, Apr 2023
Antonio was an super friendly, knowledgeable guide. He is also really smart and an expert in both Japanese and English, despite that neither was his first language.
He met with us (2 adults, 2 children) at our hotel and we went to Akihabara together and explored the area for a little while until we went to a maid cafe to have dinner. It was a really nice time.
There were only two minor disappointments, neither of which was a very big deal:
1) The listing on Viator lists that we would be "picked up," so we were expecting a tour guide with a vehicle. Instead, we had to find our own transportation.
2) We did also want to visit a bookstore where we could check out some My Hero Academia manga, just to see what it was like, but we were busy doing other things and we all forgot to do that.
Overall, it was a really fun, memorable experience.
hgsender, Apr 2023
Mariana was our guide. She was fantastic. She took us to major temples, shrines, and to the fish market. We are at a sushi restaurant at the fish market and it was delicious. I still can’t understand how Mariana navigated us across the city on the Teaneck system but she did! Great tour and exceptional guide.
Mark_H, Apr 2023
Your subcontractor, City Unscripted, first confirmed our date, April 1st, then cancelled with only three days to go, then reconfirmed after finally finding a host with only one day to go. That caused some stress and replanning. The eventual host, Jonny, was great and very flexible.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
I’m sorry to hear about the initial confusion, and we completely understand how frustrating that can be. I'm glad Jonny was able to make it a positive experience despite the challenges! Thank you for your patience, and we hope you had a great time in the end.
James_D, Mar 2023
Excellent tour guide for a personal tour of Tokyo parks for cherry blossoms. Gave great suggestions and context for the parks, palaces and temples. Great rooftop park to eat bento lunches. Taught us how to use Tokyo transit system! Highly recommended. 5 star tour.
Azie_S, Mar 2023
Gabriel was amazing! He showed us how to use the train, took us to Senso-ji temple, helped us order food and buy some basics at Don Quijote then gave us recommendations for lunch. It was the perfect intro to Tokyo! He was understanding, patient, and friendly.
Samantha_O, Mar 2023
My son and I had an excellent tour with Michael on our first morning in Tokyo. We booked it for the first day so we could essentially get an orientation to the city... In summary:
- He met us on time at our hotel
- He followed through on our asks to do practical things
- We learned a great deal about 'how' to operate in Japan and local manners/customs. He also showed us how to get around on the subway and a bunch of other tricks to help us get the most of the city. (how to find good food)
- Michael is incredibly knowledgeable about the city and Japanese culture.
This tour was game changing for us and allowed us to make the most of the city. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because a 'walking tour' of Tokyo feels impossible given the size and sets the wrong expectation. The tour company should consider marketing this as an orientation.
I highly recommend that you start your first-time-in-Tokyo trip with this tour.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your detailed review! We're thrilled that Michael's knowledge and guidance helped you get the most out of your time in Tokyo, especially with the practical tips. We appreciate your feedback on the tour's scope and will consider that for future bookings. It's great to know that this experience made your trip more enjoyable!
Matthew_S, Feb 2023
Experiencing all the cultural areas, seeing the hidden side of Tokyo and getting ideas for where to visit over the next few days
Jamison_J, Jan 2023
Mark was an excellent host & tour guide- we had a nice walk in the brisk evening air as he shared some of the sights & his knowledge about living in Japan for twenty years as a British citizen with a Japanese wife- great perspective & insights - great way to see the area during my 12 hour layover. He was flexible as my plane landed a little late & I wasn’t sure how long customs would take. He met me at my hotel near the statue of the haichimoku the loyal dog,
David_G, Dec 2022
The tour was excellent and very informative. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. I would highly recommend the tour
Virgilio_C, Nov 2022
Michael was a great tour guide! Knowledgeable catered to our needs and enjoyable to talk with. Highly recommend. When we visit again we would love him to accompany us on our next adventure.
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