Tokyo: Meiji Shrine and Shinto Culture Walking Tour
Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Tokyo, Japan
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Gain deeper insight into Japanese spirituality and the history of the district on this small-group tour of Meiji Jingu Shrine. With a guide to accompany you, you can learn the symbolism behind Shinto rituals and the traditions that people follow. Visiting with a guide adds context you’d miss alone and the intimate group size encourages questions and meaningful discussion throughout the experience.
- Discover the highlights of Meiji Jingu Shrine with a guide to lead the way
- Perfect way to expand your knowledge of the Shinto religion and local history
- A guide helps explain temple rituals that many tourists miss
- Small group tour ensures a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Tour Guide
- Historical Insights into the District
- Tips
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Starbucks Coffee - With HarajukuJapan, 150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingūmae, 1-chōme−14−３０ WITH HARAJUKU
We will meet in front of the starbucks closest to Meiji Shrine. The guide will be waiting for you with a signboard with the lead travel name.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Meiji Jingu Shrine
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Meiji Jingu Nino Torii (Pass By)
明治神宮 Meiji Shrine (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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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 357 reviews
McCall_R, Apr 2026
Tony was fantastic! We had such a great tour. I really appreciated how he brought the history to life, especially by using photos as helpful reference points along the way. Learning about the distinctions between the shogun, the Emperor, and how the royal family functions today was especially fascinating.
Timothy_H, Apr 2026
Nicolas was very informative and knowledgeable. During the tour we did not feel rushed. He was very approachable and answered our questions about history and culture
Mihir_G, Apr 2026
Extremely informative and interesting tour, thanks to Nicolas who was our excellent tour guide! He knows so much about Japanese culture and history and was very happy to chat and answer all of our many questions!
Donald_M, Apr 2026
An insightful tour of the shrine and Simon was a great guide, sharing his own experiences as well as bare facts - we learned much more than if we had visited on our own, including Shinto beliefs and rituals and life in Tokyo today.
Sarah_T, Apr 2026
Excellent tour! We had a wonderful guide – he was very knowledgeable and had great appreciation for Japanese culture after living here for nearly 2 years. Definitely a worthwhile tour, highly recommend!
Emily_K, Apr 2026
We had a nice time on our tour and our guide was friendly, but we were hoping to learn a bit more. If you want to go in a group with a guide you can ask questions, then I’d recommend.
yxbw95tn5p, Mar 2026
Hoshi was incredibly informative and super friendly. Learned a ton and got to experience the temple with more knowledge.
Tenielle_M, Mar 2026
Absolutely loved it. Minori was so sweet and gave us a wonderful, authentic and insightful tour. Loved every minute.
Maggie_R, Mar 2026
Minori was an excellent tour guide and took great photos of me to send to my family back home! I would recommend this tour!
Leah_B, Mar 2026
We had a wonderful tour this morning with Nicolas. This tour is a bit of a walk but through beautiful surroundings. He was knowledgeable and shared a lot with us! We even saw a wedding procession.
Michael_C, Feb 2026
It was just the 2 of us on the tour, so we did a nice leisurely pace. Meiji Jingu Shrine is a very lovely, peaceful area to walk around, a little forest in the middle of one of the largest concrete jungles in the world. And right outside is the very modern and trendy Harajuku area. It’s really such a surprising contrast. Thanks to our guide, Nicolas, who was very knowledgeable about the area and the cultural/spiritual significance of its history and customs. Also, the timing of this tour fits well with shopping/hanging out in Harajuku after. We spent an additional 3 or 4 hrs shopping and eating in Harajuku, and that’s not even going into any of the animal cafes.
Rebecka_N, Jan 2026
Very knowledgeable guide and we learned a lot on our tour! I highly recommend taking this tour if you want to learn about the history of the shrine.
melcbennett, Sep 2025
Highly recommend this tour, Yumi is excellent she was knowledgeable and accommodating. She imparted a lot of useful information and tips about how to navigate Tokyo. The area itself was beautiful.
Edward_H, Sep 2025
Haydn did an excellent job leading our small group through the Tokyo Meiji Shrine and explained Shinto culture in great detail. The park-like grounds in one of Tokyo's busiest parts of the city was beautiful, and the shine was most impressive. There were numerous weddings during our tour which added to the experience.
There was a lot of standing around during the tour, which was difficult on a very hot & humid summer day, but we enjoyed the tour and learned a great deal about the Shinto religion in Japan.
Fran, Aug 2025
We had a great walking tour of the Meiji Shrine through the forest with Sara, our guide. She was very friendly and knowledgable and explained the important facets of the Shinto religion and customs. We had been on other tours, but had not fully understood the significant aspects until Sara explained it all. She told us a lot about growing up in Tokyo and the history of Japan. This tour was definitely worth it. Highly recommended.
Indraswari_K, Aug 2025
Our family of four attended the cultural walking tour in June 2025. Sara, our guide, met us on time at the designated meeting point, the Starbucks Coffee With Harajuku. Sara was fun and interactive. Besides informing us about Meiji-jingu as the main purpose of our visit, she also talked about daily life in Japan, recommended interesting places around Shibuya and Shinjuku to go to, and helped take photos of the whole family. During the tour, the guide frequently reminded us to stay hydrated as the weather was really hot.
The tour started with entering the first torii. Walking through the walking path in the Meiji Shrine Imperial Garden, we enjoyed the tranquil forest. Between the first and the second torii, there was an array of sake barrels wrapped in straw. Further along the way, a big display is put between the second and the third torii, where we can see poems by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
Upon entering the third torii, we were finally inside the shrine complex. The complex was surrounded by beautiful wooden walls with intricate details. After doing our ablutions, we entered the shrine complex. There was a large open field, with three huge trees in the middle, two of which were positioned close to each other, such that the three trees formed two focal points on the field. The left focal point, where the two trees are positioned close to each other, is equipped with a big sacred Shinto rope connecting the two trees. Meanwhile, the other tree at the right focal point was surrounded by wooden prayer votive tablets.
Sara showed us how to pray at the prayer hall, where we gave coins as offerings, bowed our bodies, clapped our hands, and said our prayers. Afterwards, we wrote down our prayers on the wooden votive tablets. There was also the Omikuji, a drawn oracle filled with traditional poems by the Emperor and the Empress. We also bought several lucky charms at the available booth. At the end of our visit, we bowed again at the torii gates, walking out through the forest again, feeling enlightened and grateful.
Chigusa_U, Jun 2025
Despite the rain, we really enjoyed our walk around Meiji Shrine thanks to Matt-san’s kind and thoughtful guidance. His explanations about the Meiji restoration and Emperor Meiji’s achievements were both insightful and memorable. I’ll definitely recommend this tour to my friends in the U.S.-it was a great experience!
( Anonymous C.U)
Oskar_C, Mar 2026
Simon gave us very good information.
A very friendly and interesting tour with time for photos and enjoy at your own pace.
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Andreas_M, Oct 2025
Benjamin was a very sympathetic guide who guided us through the Meiji Shrine with much peace and kindness. What was particularly beautiful was how he explained Japanese customs to us – from bowing at the gates to ritually cleaning hands and mouths. The explanations about the sake barrels and the short detour to Takeshita Street were also enriching. A few additional historical or religious backgrounds would have rounded off the already good leadership.
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From $20.84
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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