Private Tokyo Local Food and Drink Tour with a Bar Hopping Master

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Tokyo, Japan

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore the izakaya bars of the Ueno, Shinbashi or Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo with an expert local guide. Your 2-hour tour takes you into popular local spots that most visitors never see. Delve into the heart of Japan’s izakaya — a casual bar that serves up small plates of delicious Japanese fare (think tapas). Your guide translates the menus and helps you to choose a range of tasty food and drinks at three different venues. Don’t miss this chance to experience local culture and food traditions firsthand.

Sample a variety of small dishes and drinks while visiting three izakaya spots
Enjoy an authentic Tokyo experience with help from the local guide
Go into establishments that are popular with longtime residents
See places that are off the tourist trail

What's Included

One drink and one dish at each bar
Tour guide

Additional food and drinks
Transportation to/from bars

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.6:00 pm

Itinerary

Tokyo

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate

Minimum age is 20 years
Please advise any specific dietary requirements or food allergies at time of booking
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 6 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

5.0

based on 22 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sooooo fun

Cheri_P, Jun 2022

We had such a great time with Mr. Ono! He ordered our food and drinks and it was all stuff we wouldn't have known were so good. We had a great time at the places he took us too. Do not miss this tour!

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Thank you very much for joining our tour! I hope you had a great night! Looking forward to seeing you again!

Awesome adventure in Tokyo with...

Stefanie L, May 2018

Awesome adventure in Tokyo with Taka. He took us to a bunch of spots that we would have never gone into on our own. Taka has a great personality and puts together a great night for everyone on his tour.

We had a great experience during the...

op-op, Dec 2017

We had a great experience during the tour in Ueno. Our guide, Taka-san brought us to different types of Izakaya restaurants and we ended the night at a tachinomi bar, which was a cool experience. Taka-san took great care of us, ordering a perfect choice of food and drinks, and guided us through the local bar culture dos and don'ts. He is indeed a bar hopping master!

What an amazing, fun and hospitable...

Peta A, Apr 2017

What an amazing, fun and hospitable host is Mr Takayuki Ono 'Taka'. Our tour was an unforgettable journey in Japanese food and culture, full of laughs and great conversation. Taka showed us a truly unique Tokyo experience, taking us to places that would not be accessible to the non Japanese speaking tourist. Being our first night in Tokyo it was an insight into the hustle and bustle of this crazy city and the hospitality of the wonderful Japanese people. We will definitely book this tour on our next trip to Japan. Arigato gozaimasu Taka-san!

I highly recommend most western...

Timothy_L, Apr 2017

I highly recommend most western tourist do this. Unless you don't drink of course. We had a great time talking with Taka, The master of the bar hop! He took us into a couple of Izakaya small pubs that we never would have gone into as Westerners without much Japanese under our belts. We tried some of the local food we never would've thought to touch before, and it was great! We did it on the second night of our stay, and he gave us great advice on what to do during our visit to Tokyo. We cannot recommend Taka enough, great time!

Fantastic experience! This tour was...

Mark A, Mar 2017

Fantastic experience! This tour was likely going out with a buddy to take you to places that, without Japanese language skills, you likely would never go!! Fantastic, great, local type experience. Great for folks that like the experience of going out in the evening, having a few drinks, and talking about anything under the sun. We had a ton of fun and really enjoyed the experience with our tour guide.

I took this tour with two friends...

Andrew_S, Mar 2017

I took this tour with two friends and we all had a terrific time. Our guide, Taka, was timely and very outgoing. We went to several local restaurants, sampled a wide variety of food and drink specialties, and enjoyed lots of laughs learning about Japanese culture with our knowledgeable and friendly guide. Would recommend to anyone interested in eating and drinking with a fun local guide!

Our tour consisted of my husband and...

Cyril_B, Nov 2016

Our tour consisted of my husband and I, a married couple from New Zealand, and a local tour guide, Takayuki. Takayuki was friendly and brought us around 4 Izakayas, starting from a mellow, less crowded place. At each place, we enjoyed a drink or 2 and a variety of food. I would recommend the beer in the first Izakaya and the sake in the second. He is a great entertainer indeed he starts the conversation rolling, checks if you have any dietary or drinking preferences, and openly shares about the Japan culture. Greatly appreciate that he is a straightforward talker and is just as curious about cultures in other countries. He speaks English well too. I enjoyed getting to talk to a local guide. :

We had a great time with our guide...

Beri_R, Oct 2016

We had a great time with our guide, Taka! He was a lot of fun and made sure we had a good time. He introduced us to places, foods, and drinks we would never have otherwise experienced. We went to several different bars, each with a different feel. It was awesome to see a different side of Japanese culture! I highly recommend this tour.

This tour was amazing! Highly...

Melissa J, Jul 2016

This tour was amazing! Highly recommend if anyone wants to experience local bar-hopping! Taka-san will guide you the whole way through, making you laugh constantly and makes sure you get to the subway station safely afterwards!

The tour was heaps of fun and very...

Gayle A, Jun 2016

The tour was heaps of fun and very informative. Sam was great! So engaging and warm. We really felt we had an authentic Japanese experience. We would not have been able to have such a truly wonderful time in these wonderful little bars without Sam's guidance. We tried local food and drinks and Sam was able to explain their origins and what made each so unique. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Japan.

Our tour with Mr Taka Ono was great...

Rachelle M, May 2016

Our tour with Mr Taka Ono was great! He brought us to cool bars we never would have noticed or had the nerve to go into if we were alone since we don't speak or read Japanese. We ordered tons of different food to try and explained what each dish was. He also asked our taste in drinks and ordered different cocktails and beer for us. He was easy to talk to, his English was great and we enjoyed spending a few hours with him.

This tour was great! Mr. Ono was...

Daisy A, May 2016

This tour was great! Mr. Ono was very nice and funny to hang around with. He knew good places to eat and drink. Highly recommend this tour package. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

If you're thinking a food and drink...

Russell_J, Apr 2016

If you're thinking a food and drink Izakaya tour isn't for you, think again! You have to do this tour!! We had a lot of fun and tried many different food and drinks around the Ueno station area. Mr Taka Ono was a great tour guide, explaining the food and Japanese culture as we made our way to a few different places. Would 100 book this tour again! You wont regret it!

Tour was super!!! Toka ia an...

Karen B, Apr 2016

Tour was super!!! Toka ia an Excellent guide, so much fun to talk and meet the locals. places i would never dare to go in alone and also i wouldn't even get there. Good food Good drinks and the best vibes. Im so happy i did this tour, ill do it again when ill be inTokyo and will ask Toka to take us to different places. I recommend this tour for sure!

This tour was the highlight of our...

Ari N A, Apr 2016

This tour was the highlight of our trip! We ate and drank to our heart's content and ventured to places that we normally would not know about unless we were with a local like Taka. He was super friendly and took his time to allow us to try what we wanted. You could tell he did his research for the places to show visitors that had a local but representative feel. The locals at the bar were also very friendly and gave us a few Kanpai when we were there. We left the tour wanting more and even stayed around to finish the night. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to have an authentic experience in Tokyo.

This was exactly the experience...

Hal B, Mar 2016

This was exactly the experience imagined. Our guide really gave us a perfect mixture of excellent conversation, description of Japanese Izakaya culture, and showed us some wonderful hidden gems.

Mr Taka Ono, our guide, was very...

Patrick N, Feb 2016

Mr Taka Ono, our guide, was very enjoyable. His personality was as enjoyable as the food and drinks he introduced us to. A definite re-do if we return to Tokyo.

Our tour with the TBHM was a perfect...

Jennifer C, Dec 2015

Our tour with the TBHM was a perfect way to end our 10-day trip to Tokyo. We wanted to really insert ourselves into the culture and experience first-hand the social scene and people. And we got this and more. We never would have noticed or had the courage to walk into these local venues. We had the chance to sample lots of interesting foods and the drinks were deliciously exotic. Each venue had a unique appeal but all hopping places full of energy, we loved being in the middle surrounded by locals getting a glimpse of the nightlife. The best part of course was our guide - what a sense of humor and knowledge of everyday life -- he had us laughing the entire time. Have an open mind and enjoy!