Shinjuku: Food Tour – 15 Dishes at 4 Eateries
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tokyo, Japan
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Lots of tours help you discover Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku ward, but not many let you dine at a range of hidden-gem eateries across the district. On this half-day small-group food tour, sample more than a dozen different dishes, including fresh sushi, traditionally-made gyoza, and crispy kushikatsu, alongside complimentary Japanese sake.
- Small-group tour: Lots of chances to ask your guide questions
- Get some restaurant recommendations for the rest of your trip
- A great way to socialize with fellow foodie travelers
- Reserved entry to each restaurant to secure your seat at dinner
What's Included
- Dinner15 dishes (enough for a full meal)
- Alcoholic Beverages1 drinks at each of the first and second bars. One drink at the final bar (choose from the tour selection)
- Visit 4 Local Eateries with a local guide
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Shinjuku Station East Exit Police Box3-chōme-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan
Meet in front of the police box at the east exit of Shinjuku Station. There will be a guide holding a sign that says "Local Guide Stars".
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Omoide Yokocho
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Kabukicho
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Shinjuku Golden Gai
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- 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
Featured review
Laura_M
Great intro to Shinjuku and the different areas in this fantastic pocket of Tokyo. Ayaka was a fantastic guide navigating us through some areas I may not have been able to find on my own. The food was good too! Overall I recommend this if you want a good intro to the neighborhood. Can’t say enough great things about Ayaka!
Reviews
4.9
based on 892 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Nick_T, Jul 2026
Excellent guide, food was good, great tour, not just about food but history and landmarks around the area. I highly recommend this.
Adina_D, Jul 2026
We tried a LOT of different food. Ren is very kind and funny and could answer any question about the culture or Shijuku neighborhood. It was a delight to eat with him and if you are looking for a crash course in not just the cuisine, but for any advice about the area, then you will enjoy this tour.
Trevor_F, Jul 2026
Ali was an exceptional guide who made our Shinjuku experience unforgettable. He expertly led us through the busy streets, sharing fantastic local insights and introducing us to some of the best hidden food spots in the area. His knowledge of Tokyo’s food scene was outstanding every stop was spot-on.
Beyond that, Ali was incredibly friendly, patient, and genuinely enthusiastic. He happily answered all our questions about Tokyo, making us feel comfortable and well cared for the entire time. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. The food stops were all delicious. I had a friend who had a food allergy and there was no issue at all with substituting foods that he could eat. Each stop offered multiple dishes to try and did great with representing the Tokyo food scene. We would absolutely return to each spot we stopped at.
I would highly recommend this tour and hopefully you get Ali as your guide!
Brandon_P, Jun 2026
We did a food tour in Shinjuku through Viator and had Ali as our guide, and honestly it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. He took us through places like Golden Gai along with several great local izakayas we never would have found on our own. What really stood out was how much local history, folklore, and cultural background he shared along the way, which made the whole experience feel much deeper than just a food tour. His English was excellent, he helped translate for us when needed, and he gave us a lot of great recommendations for places to explore during the rest of our trip. Super friendly, entertaining, and incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommend this tour if you’re visiting Tokyo & hopefully you get Ali as your guide!
Ewa_C, Jun 2026
Had a great food tour with Yuki and Anthony. We got to try many different dishes and learned about Japanese culture too. We appreciated them keeping us out of the rain as best as they could. Both my sons are now excited when I put food tours on our schedule.
Verena_N, Jun 2026
Rahman was super friendly and engaging. Took the time to get to know us and also entertained my 10 year old daughter. He taught us about the local culture and etiquette and gave us suggestions on where to go and answered all our questions. I would definitely recommend anyone to go with him. It's my first time in Tokyo with my daughter and we felt safe. Thank you 🙏
Danielle_B, Jun 2026
Our guide Rahman was excellent. He took us to some delicious stops and we had a really fun time laughing and eating our way through Shinjuku. Our family had teens and they also enjoyed all of the food.
Kimberly_T, Jun 2026
Great way to experience Shinjuku in the evening. Our guide Haruki was friendly, knowledgeable and a good communicator. He kept our group of 10 organized and well-paced. So much food and all so good! Very filling! And a nice way to meet others from around the world. Just do it!
Chairina_B, May 2026
Don't waste your $. You could do better on your own eating better food than thru this tour. Foods offered were very ordinary that you can find almost anywhere and quality was sub par. One would expect more eclectic selections of food, the sushi menu was of the cheapest sort. The tempuras were fried w old oil i threw up hours later and ruined my next day. Had i known better i would never have joined this food tour. Don't trust all the rosy reviews.
jeremy_c, May 2026
Nice introduction to the skinjuku area. I had 3 20 year-old boys that were a little hungry after? Ha ha.
With a little work, you’d probably sample three or four restaurants in the area and do a pretty good job on your own.
Taylor_S, May 2026
Yuki was unreal! Loved the history throughout the tour. Felt very relaxed and helped us get our bearings for the rest of our time in Tokyo. Would highly recommend!
Tammy_M, May 2026
I would highly recommend this tour. So much history and culture was explained. Our guide Ren was very engaging and knowledgeable. He took us to excellent places and was a pleasure to be around.
Jaromey, Apr 2026
Excellent food experience. Guide very knowledgeable. Took good care of my vegetarian request. Made sure we found our way back on the Tokyo Metro
Ginette, Apr 2026
Mushfiqur Rahman was an outstanding guide for our Shinjuku food tour. He created a truly personalized experience, taking us to four different spots and thoughtfully weaving in Japanese dining etiquette, local history, and bits of sightseeing along the way. He was incredibly engaging, answered all of our questions with depth and enthusiasm, and offered great recommendations for the rest of our trip. The food was excellent, portions were generous, and we left completely full and happy. It felt like a comprehensive, well-curated introduction to Shinjuku, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide.
Michael_D, Apr 2026
A fantastic evening with a superb guide, Sota, who spoke perfect English. Delicious food in a great area in Shinjuku, including golden gai area. Sightseeing thrown in. Best night in Japan.
Vincenzo_C, Apr 2026
WOW!! What a great experience. Our tour guide SOTA was absolutely amazing. He was a local from Tokyo who was very knowledgeable. The food and places we visited were amazing.
Would definitely recommend!!!!
10/10
Hollie_S, Apr 2026
The guide was kind and walked us through a cool neighborhood. Unfortunately all the food we ate was things we had already had in Japan and was the worst version of it. Dive bars and restaurants with terrible food. Worst sushi I have ever eaten. Fried pork that you eat literally everywhere in Japan, Nothing was unexpected (but we had eaten at a number of Japanese restaurants before the tour). Definitely not worth the price. Our group was HUGE (think 20+ people).
Cristina_M, Apr 2026
Very interesting, we tested foods that we would have never ordered on our own
Plenty of interesting information about priceless tidbits about the city
Jasmeet_P, Mar 2026
Our guide Naota was great. Loved the Gyoza spot. Great introduction to the area and local customs. The dessert was a highlight
carla_c, Mar 2026
Naoto and Jun were so friendly and fun! They truly made this experience fun for our family. We booked this last min and so glad it was this one we ended up getting. Highly recommend!
Richard_V, Mar 2026
Great sampling of various foods. Akira is a friendly, knowledgeable and informative guide. I really had a wonderful evening on this tour and highly recommend it.
Paul_M, Mar 2026
Sota was a great host. I had a great time. This tour offers a good introduction to different food dishes on offer in Japan.
Kedrick_S, Feb 2026
Our guide, Hannah, was great! This was a great way for us to begin our trip and to familiarize ourselves with the Shinjuku area.
Jessica_P, Feb 2026
This is a great food tour that actually feeds you enough for dinner! The restaurant selection was interesting and nothing we would have tried on our own. Chihiro was a wonderful guide who was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the area. We definitely recommend this tour!
Andrea_L, Jan 2026
so terrible, guides gave NO information about the area or the food. they even got lost between restaurants 2 and 3 and again between 3 and 4. we stood outside wandering for 15 minutes each time.
Murray_B, Jan 2026
Good selection of food. We had a great evening would recommend,
Yes be aware at one place you need to remove your shoes
Edward_P, Jan 2026
Friendly staff. Excellent choices for the food.
Very Friendly staff. Excellent choices for the food.
Laura_M, Jan 2026
Great intro to Shinjuku and the different areas in this fantastic pocket of Tokyo. Ayaka was a fantastic guide navigating us through some areas I may not have been able to find on my own. The food was good too! Overall I recommend this if you want a good intro to the neighborhood. Can’t say enough great things about Ayaka!
Shylo_R, Dec 2025
This food tour was incredibly disorganized, over sold and frustrating. There was 50 people trying to follow the tour guide down the street and unable to keep up or hear what he was saying. We got to the first stop with the gyoza and it was chaos! We were right beside the door with people walking all over our bags and jackets as there wasn't room to put them anywhere. People complaining in regards to no drinks, sharing soup with strangers and general over crowding ( more than the regular Japanese way). After the first stop, we waited outside for approximately 15 minutes with no direction as to what was going on or happening. We finally decided that our night was more valuable than what was happening and left the tour. There were many others in the group that left the tour as well as it was not what we expected or what we paid for. Very disappointing. Definitely would not recommend.
Peter_G, Dec 2025
I had an amazing experience on this Shinjuku food tour, and a huge part of that was thanks to Naoto. He took us to four fantastic spots, each with its own unique vibe, and the food was outstanding. The gyoza were a highlight—easily some of the best I had in Japan—and the sushi was incredibly fresh and memorable.
What really set Naoto apart as a guide was how knowledgeable, thoughtful, and engaging he was throughout the tour. He answered every question I had (and I had a lot!) and went well beyond the basics, sharing great local tips, cultural insights, and recommendations that were incredibly helpful for the rest of my trip.
The pace was perfect, the selections felt very authentic, and I never felt rushed. It was clear he genuinely cares about giving guests a great experience and sharing his love for Tokyo and Japanese food.
I highly recommend Naoto and this tour to anyone visiting Tokyo—whether it’s your first time or not. I’ll absolutely be signing up for one of his other tours on my next visit to Japan.
From $63.23
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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