The Old Quarter of Tokyo - Yanaka Walking Tour
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tokyo, Japan
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Tokyo is a huge, modern city, but you can find pockets of traditional culture if you know where to look. On a small-group half-day walking tour of the Yanaka neighborhood, check out wooden homes, temples, shrines, and shopping alleys, some of which survived the World War II bombings. See a quiet part of Tokyo that many travelers miss and sights you might not find if touring independently.
- Ideal for travelers looking for a different side of Tokyo
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
- Get an intimate look of Yanaka by touring on foot
- Meet your guide and group at a handy meeting point
What's Included
- Guided walking tour with an English-speaking local expert.
- Photo Opportunities throughout
- Food, drinks, and personal expenses
- Gratuities (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Nippori Station2 Chome-19 Nishinippori, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan
JR Nippori station North Ticket Gate (Outside the ticket gate next to “NewDays” convenience store) Please do not be late. Our guide cannot make other guests to wait long for the late guests.
End point
- Yanaka Ginza3-chōme-13-1 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001, Japan
Itinerary
1
Tennoji Temple
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Yanaka Cemetery
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Oshiolive
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
The Yanaka's Himalayan Cedar Tree (Pass By)
4
Enju-ji Temple
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Nezu Shrine
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
ヘイゴ・ニケ (Pass By)
6
Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 636 reviews
kasey_c, Apr 2026
Great tour guide. Very knowledgeable. Very helpful and easy-going. The locations she took us to were great. I highly recommend this. Make sure you have a beer at the craft beer shop so so good.
Vicente_C, Apr 2026
Our Yanaka walking tour with Junko was phenomenal, and the perfect introduction to our trip in Tokyo (and Japan). Junko was very knowledgeable, accessible and answered all our questions. She had a deep knowledge of the neighbourhood which she used together with her historical knowledge of Japan. We learned a lot and had a great time!
brneuberg, Apr 2026
Nice walking tour with shrines, parks, old neighborhoods, street markets etc. Of. The beaten, crowded streets of Tokyo.
Neil_P, Apr 2026
Temples, shrines, shogun memorials, tea houses, 100 years old wooden houses. Lots of information without being bogged down in too much detail.
Dianna_L, Apr 2026
A wonderful informative snap shot of the history of the culture. Guide, Reinwas fantastic and very informative
Tevra_F, Mar 2026
Rei provided a brilliant tour. Incredibly informative and lots of time to have photographs in the wonderful Yanaka area. If you have the time this tour is brilliant if you want to explore a quieter and more traditional side of Tokyo.
Giuseppe_V, Mar 2026
The tour was excellent, and Junko was friendly and knowledgeable.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, even though it rained. I would definitely do it again.
Paula_M, Mar 2026
Junko was knowledgeable and well-spoken. The information that she shared about temple etiquette was helpful.
Grietje_d, Mar 2026
Highly recommend doing this walking tour of Yanaka. It takes you to a less-visited area of Tokyo, which has a lot of history and is great to learn about this interesting local arty area. Pauline is very engaging and leads this tour in a fun way, sharing interesting stories. If you want to explore Tokyo away from the big crowds, then this is a tour you definitely want to take.
Allison_W, Feb 2026
Polina was a very nice guide and you could tell she really loves living in Japan. I appreciate her not canceling the tour when I was the only one booked for this date. Another guide came along and the three of us had a lot of fun talking about our experiences in Japan while strolling through the charming neighborhood of Yanaka.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed your time in Yanaka with Polina and appreciated her passion for Japan. We hope to welcome you again on another tour soon!
Priscilla_C, Jan 2026
A lovely walk through a more residential and quieter part of Tokyo with stops to several Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines with history and stories along the way. Well paced and informative of a Tokyo most tourists don't try a chance to see. Paulina was fantastic and shared so much of her experience and folk stories!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed discovering a different side of Tokyo with Polina and learning about the local stories. We hope to see you again soon!
Thomas_B, Jan 2026
The tour was excellent. Provided much needed context to and contrast with Tokyo center. The guide was highly knowledgeable, very friendly, and spoke excellent English. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see more than just your "average" Tokyo.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed seeing a different side of Tokyo with our guide. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!
Amanda_L, Jan 2026
Aya was wonderful and a delight to talk to! She has a lot of great knowledge about the area. She had an answer every question.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed your time with Aya and appreciated her local knowledge. We hope to see you again soon!
Clare_H, Jan 2026
So valuable to get local knowledge. Our guide was helpful and we enjoyed this tour a lot. Thank you!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We’re glad you found the local insights valuable and enjoyed the tour. We hope you have a wonderful time in Japan!
Christos_A, Jan 2026
Really great, Junko was absolutely amazing and very knowledgable. The history of the area was really interesting, highly recommend
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review!
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Junko and found the history of the area interesting. Thank you for the recommendation — it truly means a lot to us!
MichelleS, Dec 2025
This is such a wonderful traditional side of Tokyo that you wouldn’t see without a guide and Mami was wonderful! She was so knowledgeable and also funny and kind.
Anne_M, Dec 2025
Mei was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable of the area. Answered all our questions and showed us some great places to try some street food.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
We're happy to hear that we could help you see the best of what the city has to offer. Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us.
Stephen_S, Nov 2025
Our guide spoke the very best English of any of the tour guides I used on this trip. Explained everything and answered my questions fully. Love it.
Amal_H, Nov 2025
Very nice tour of a quieter neighborhood in the middle of a bustling city. Junko was lovely & very knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for choosing our Free Walking Tour in Tokyo and for your great review. We're looking forward to seeing you back soon many more times in the future.
Gulmira_T, Nov 2025
Very interesting stories and facts to know about Japanese culture and history. That part of the city is not crowded with tourists at all, it is cozy and peaceful. The pace was just right, and the tour concluded in the street marketplace, where you can dine and shop for the local products.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
It’s great to hear that you found the guide helpful! Wishing you lots of fun and unforgettable memories in Tokyo!
Sebastian_T, Nov 2025
The tour was really good. Our guide not only showed us the historical city, but also explained us a lot about the old living style, the relationship towards religion and more. I can highly recommend the tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for recommending our tour! It was our pleasure to serve you and we hope to continue doing so in the future.
Sidney_L, Nov 2025
It was very enjoyable. Aya knew alot of the history and brought laminated photos of different things she was talking about which were really helpful. She was very gracious and took time to answer everyone's questions patiently. She also showed us a wonderful bakery that has been built in one of the old houses.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your kind words of appreciation. We are glad to know that you enjoyed the tour. It was our pleasure to serve you and we hope to continue doing so in the future.
Anonymous, Nov 2025
This tour was a fantastic way to learn about old Tokyo. A much nicer experience than the usual tourist hot spots. The guide was fantastic. I also did the ‘darker side of Tokyo’ with her and that was also fantastic. Would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
We truly appreciate your kind feedback. Thank you for recommending our tour; we hope to have the opportunity to show you even more of what Tokyo has to offer in the future!
Donald_F, Nov 2025
Guide was knowledgeable and personable. Tour was good offset to glitz of other Hotspots in other tours. Fit well into our plans
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for choosing us for your tour! We hope to welcome you again soon!
Monika_K, Nov 2025
This is an unexpected side of Tokyo, a stark contrast to Ginza and Omotesando, for example. It reminds me of small provincial towns in Japan that can be very charming.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your kind feedback. We're delighted to hear that you found our guide helpful. Wishing you many more unforgettable moments during your stay in Tokyo.
Sarah_b, Nov 2025
Aya, our tour guide, was great. She was informative, helpful, made sure to pay attention to each of us, offered to take pics, and had great recommendations. This was a fun tour where we got to see things we never would have otherwise.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you very much for coming to our Tokyo Free Walking Tour! We're glad that you enjoyed the tour with our guide and learned a lot about Tokyo! Hope you're having a wonderful time here and see you back again soon!
Elizabeth_B, Oct 2025
This was a wonderful walking tour of temples and shrines in a beautiful, historic and quiet part of Tokyo, led by a warm and knowledgeable guide. Junko lives in the neighborhood and was happy to show us around. She provided pictures and fun facts.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for joining our Tokyo Free Walking Tour and helping us spread good words. We're happy to know that our tour and our guide are helpful in giving you a lot of information. Wish you enjoy your days in Tokyo and look forward to seeing you back here in the future.
Greig_G, Oct 2025
A very informative tour and a great way to see a quieter part of the city.. Juniko was a great guide.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour with our guide. Thank you for choosing us - We greatly appreciate it.
G_R, Oct 2025
Nice 3 hour tour of an older part of Tokyo. Our guide, Kiyo was wonderful, and gave us lots of great info on the history of the area, and what's happening in modern day. Thank you, Kiyo!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind feedback. We're delighted to hear that you found our guide helpful. Wishing you many more unforgettable moments during your stay in Tokyo.
Laura_M, Oct 2025
This was a lovely tour of a shrine and neighbourhood. Very quiet and peaceful with lots of nice shops
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you very much for your nice review! So happy to hear that you enjoyed our Tokyo Free Walking Tours. Hope you have a great time there and look forward to seeing you many more times in the future.
From $45.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Special Offer
The Old Quarter of Tokyo - Yanaka Walking Tour
634
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$45.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Half-day Tours
- Walking Tours
- Historical Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Day Trips
- Private and Luxury
- On the Ground
- Cultural Tours
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Tokyo
- Half-day Tours - Musashino
- Walking Tours - Musashino
- Half-day Tours - Kawasaki
- Walking Tours - Kawasaki
- Historical Tours - Kawasaki
- Half-day Tours - Yokohama
- Walking Tours - Yokohama
- Historical Tours - Yokohama
Attractions in Tokyo, Japan
- Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park Tours & Tickets
- Yasukuni Shrine (Yasukuni Jinja) Tours & Tickets
- 21_21 Design Sight Tours & Tickets
- Mt. Fuji 5th Station Tours & Tickets
- Shibamata Tours & Tickets
- Ginza Six Tours & Tickets
- Shibuya Tours & Tickets
- Edo-Tokyo Museum Tours & Tickets
- Shinjuku Park (Shinjuku Gyoen) Tours & Tickets
- Haneda Airport (HND) Tours & Tickets
- Denboin Street (Denboin-dori) Tours & Tickets
- Unicorn Gundam Statue Tours & Tickets