**This tour does not include access to the inside of the Imperial Palace** The current Imperial Palace is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo Station. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family. Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and the country's capital and imperial residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards.
This tour will allow you to explore Tokyo more efficiently in one day. Meet at your hotel, then move to anywhere you want.
Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū) is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line's busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll. The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt shortly thereafter.
Koishikawa Korakuen (小石川後楽園, Koishikawa Kōrakuen) is one of Tokyo's oldest and best Japanese gardens. It was built in the early Edo Period (1600-1867) at the Tokyo residence of the Mito branch of the ruling Tokugawa family. Like its namesake in Okayama, the garden was named Korakuen after a poem encouraging a ruler to enjoy pleasure only after achieving happiness for his people. Koishikawa is the district in which the garden is located in.
Hama Rikyu (浜離宮, Hama Rikyū), is a large, attractive landscape garden in central Tokyo. Located alongside Tokyo Bay, Hama Rikyu features seawater ponds which change level with the tides, and a teahouse on an island where visitors can rest and enjoy the scenery. The traditionally styled garden stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent Shiodome district.
Rikugien (六義園) is often considered Tokyo's most beautiful Japanese landscape garden alongside Koishikawa Korakuen. Built around 1700 for the 5th Tokugawa Shogun, Rikugien literally means "six poems garden" and reproduces in miniature 88 scenes from famous poems. The garden is a good example of an Edo Period strolling garden and features a large central pond surrounded by manmade hills and forested areas, all connected by a network of trails.
Yoyogi Park (代々木公園, Yoyogi Kōen) is one of Tokyo's largest city parks, featuring wide lawns, ponds and forested areas. It is a great place for jogging, picnicking and other outdoor activities. Although Yoyogi Park has relatively few cherry trees compared to other sites in Tokyo, it makes for a nice cherry blossom viewing spot in spring. Furthermore, it is known for its ginko tree forest, which turns intensely golden in autumn.
A spacious Western style park with wide lawns, trees and ponds, popular among residents. Yoyogi Park is known for its autumn leaves, especially the golden leaves of the many ginko trees.
About half a dozen museums, a zoo, a Toshogu Shrine and the Shinobazu Pond are just some of Ueno Park's attractions. Ueno Park is also Tokyo's most notorious cherry blossom party spot.
Spacious botanical garden maintained by the University of Tokyo, featuring many tree and plant species, as well as a small Japanese landscape garden. Particularly nice during the cherry blossom season.
Beautiful Japanese landscape garden, representing famous Japanese and Chinese sceneries in miniature. It dates from the early Edo Period and is enjoyable during all seasons.
A green oasis surrounded by tall buildings, the Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden is a traditional landscape garden with a pond and man made hills. It used to be part of the residence of feudal lords and later an imperial villa.
Kiyosumi Teien is a pretty Japanese landscape garden with walking trails around a central pond. Parts of the trails lead over stones placed into the pond.
A true urban oasis, this stunning garden is a highlight of any trip to the Nezu museum. Located in the stylish hub of Omotesando, the museum was formerly the private residence to Nezu Kaichiro and now houses his collection of Asian and Japanese art. Winding walkways, stone lanterns, paving stones and a bamboo grove all provide different viewpoints to explore around the hilly garden, filled with stone sculptures and a number of preserved tea houses. Perhaps most interesting is the beautiful juxtaposition between the garden’s vivid greens and classical features, with the museum’s modern glass architecture. The café, serving lunch and cakes, is a great place to enjoy the garden from as well.
Happo-en is a vast park in Minato District. The name means, ‘The Garden of Eight Views’ for its appeal in all seasons and angles. The spacious grounds provide a stunning backdrop for photos, and in fact, the garden is a popular choice for wedding parties and photo shoots. A restaurant serving kaiseki cuisine overlooks the pond and a teahouse offers tea ceremony etiquette lessons among other things. Call ahead to make reservations for their walking tours hosted on weekdays, which include a lunch at the restaurant and a tea ceremony (7700 yen per person). Reservations are not required for Muan Teahouse but recommended for Enju, the kaiseki restaurant on the premises.
For a few weeks during the hanami (cherry blossoms) in spring, and during the koyo (autumn leaves) in November, the garden of the Tokyo National Museum opens to the public.
Mejiro Garden is a small and peaceful traditional Japanese garden located in Mejiro area, very near Ikebukuro Station. The garden is admission free, and it’s a perfect oasis to get away from the bustling streets of Tokyo. During the autumn leaves season, the garden hosts light-up events at night and illuminated autumn foliage can be enjoyed only this time of the year.
Shigeru is a fantastic guide! He speaks fluent English and shines with his impressive, detailed knowledge of history. On top of that, he is incredibly attentive and ensures a completely relaxed experience by offering plenty of breaks. Thank you very much for your time Shigeru, have a Good time and Take care! Carolin, Merle & Grete
Wonderful tour through the historic gardens of Tokyo. My wife and I enjoyed our guide and all the history he brought to the tour. Highly recommend, though it is important to understand there is a lot of walking involved in these very large gardens and the travel by metro to reach them. Well worth the effort both in beauty and understanding of Japan’s past.
My husband and I had an absolutely fantastic 6-hour tour with Shuji! As first-time visitors to Japan, we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. He custom-built our tour around our requests and interests, which made the experience feel very personal and enjoyable. He took us to Tsukiji Market, Hama-Rikyu Imperial Garden, Asakusa and Sensoji Temple, and Nezu Shrine, sharing fascinating history, cultural insights, and interesting stories along the way. Shuji had excellent communication from the beginning. He met us in our hotel lobby a little before our scheduled time and was extremely punctual throughout the day. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly helpful, giving us great tips for the rest of our trip. He also knew the best photo spots and took some wonderful pictures for us. The lunch spot he chose was excellent as well! We truly enjoyed our time with Shuji and are so happy we had the opportunity to experience Tokyo with him. He made our first visit to Japan even more memorable. We highly recommend Shuji!
Yoshi was wonderful! He knew a lot about the culture and each place that we visited. We had a great time. It was the perfect first day activity because it helped us make a plan for the remainder of the trip.
Our tour guide Hideaki was a very friendly gentleman who knew interesting history about the Shogunste. In retrospect, I’m not sure we needed accompaniment to walk through the gardens, but it was nice to have his company.
A most enjoyable and personalized tour . Tachi was most professional and knowledgeable. She provided very very thorough historical information about the 4 gardens we visited. I would highly recommend her!
We had a great garden tour with our most excellent guide Shuji! Not only did he take us to the most beautiful gardens he also explained the history of each which was so interesting!! He arranged lunch for us that accommodated my vegetarian requirement. We had a wonderful time and the driver was very good too.
We had an excellent garden tour with Shuji! Not only were the gardens beautiful, but Shuji provided historical context which enhanced our experience. I highly recommend this tour with Shuji!!
Seamless experience with Kiki. Picked us up at hotel and navigated us all over Tokyo to see three major gardens. We didn’t waste a minute as we didn’t have to figure out the crazy subway system. ! Nice gardens! he k ew the spots to go !
My guide, Steve, was excellent. I highly recommend the tour. We agreed an itinerary beforehand (with a plan B in case of rain) which included my special request to see bonsai. He arrived at the hotel early and briefly showed me our route and told me what to expect. He was friendly (without talking unnecessarily!) and efficient, told me about each garden, guided me on the Tokyo public transport system, always explaining which line, which station, how long etc which was very useful when using it later on my own. I didn’t want to be delivered back to my hotel so Steve took me to the Sensa-ji shrine and explained how to get back to the hotel and which exit to take. At lunchtime we went to an area with lots of restaurants so I could choose what sort of cuisine I wanted. Thank you so much Steve.
Are guide Kazuo was excellent. Intelligent , patient and very kind. He showed how to get a pass for the subway and how to use it. We visited three gardens in Tokyo all beautiful. Kazuo arranged a restaurant for lunch and we had our first Japanese Ramen. Delicious. Would highly recommend him .
Punctual and knowledgeable guide. Nobu showed me x2 gardens and knew their history and the plants. I also enjoyed the museum which has reconstructed an Edo period town. Here you can see how normal Japanese people lived, at the same time as seeing the grand gardens of the rich. Another highlight was riding the Tokyo Metro!! Nobu navigated it really well and was great fun. Highly recommend him!!!!!
My husband and I enjoyed a full day tour with Noripy. She was outstanding! She met us in the morning at our hotel and guided us to the nearest subway station where she taught us how to understand the train lines and stops. She then spent the day taking us to the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station, Hama-rikyu Gardens, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, and Meiji Shrine. We also stopped for a delicious ramen noodle lunch. This was a perfect day. Noripy was professional, pleasant, patient and kind. Along the way, she provided information and insight info Japanese history and culture. She knew that we wanted to see cherry blossoms, and even though the blossoms are past their full bloom, she took us to ideal places where some of the later-blooming varieties were still beautiful. We were so delighted with our tour.
Great experience. On our first day in Tokyo, our guide Yoriko took us to several locations around the city to see various gardens and cherry blossom locations. She reached out ahead of time to coordinate and was knowledgeable and helpful throughout the tour, topping it off with a delicious sushi lunch.
You will see a variety of gardens. Be ready to travel extensively on the subway- very clean and efficient! Guide told me to get a pass card in advance so it was quick and easy to use the system ! Went to a great restaurant she knew for lunch!
Cherry blossom time is a very popular time in Japan. We were happy to have Yuki who was able to guide us in the midst of thousands of visitors. She was friendly, kind and informative as we had to make minor adjustments due to the crowds. She had good recommendations for us as well.
Shigeru is very profesional, knowledgeable and kind. We enjoyed the differences among the gardens and of course, the cherry blossoms. Even though it rained, we got to see most of them.
A very nice and full of information about japanese history and culture. Lance is the best guide with a good pretour information and useful tips. I strongly recomand this tour.
Kei was an excellent guide. Very informative and thoughtful. I would highly recommend this tour to other travelers.
This was a wonderful tour. Kei was welcoming and informative. We would highly recommend this tour to others.
Great experience! Shiraga Yukino-san was especially adept in conversing in English and is able to explain nuances in the visited gardens. We were also able to talk about Japanese culture along the way.
I had a great time looking at the Japanese gardens with tour guide Shiraga Yukino-san. Admission fees were low, the weather was good. Crowd size was minimal, it was a good day. She explained many things about the gardens and Japanese culture during the trip to the various gardens. She was very accommodating and spoke quite good English. She also had a good grasp of foreign and local affairs, which allowed us to converse on many topics during the tour.
Our guide was Michio, who provided a wonderful history of Tokyo before heading out for our tour. He was wonderful and very patient with our slower pace. He sought out elevators, buses, and trains to reduce the walking and give us time to rest. First, we went to see a collection of Bonsai trees at a very beautiful event location. (Unfortunately, it was under reconstruction, so viewing was limited to only the collection.) Then, we traveled to the grounds outside the Imperial Palace and saw all the well-cared-for trees. From there we went to an outdoor and an indoor fish market. We finished the tour by having lunch at a 100-year-old sushi restaurant. Oh, so good! Michio then escorted us back. What a fantastic adventure we had!
Absolutely fantastic... Our Guide Koba was wonderful... Provided a great itinerary and was a mine of information a fabulous friendly guy
Masa-San was amazing and had the best recommendations of where to eat and what might possible as far as what we wanted. My mother had wanted to see some winter flowers which, unfortunately, were not as abundant in January. But Masa-san was able to guide us to some wonderful alternatives with amazing views. He also knew the train system inside and out so it was easy to get to everywhere with a minimum amount of confusion!
Very nice day visiting gardens. Very knowledgeable guide on botany. Excellent lunch. Gracefully travelled through public transport. Amazing experience. Highly recommend.
Haru is very knowledgeable about the history of Japan and the many Tokyo public gardens. He guided us through the use of the subway system and city taxis. He did a nice job of not making us feel rushed as we have some mobility issues and it takes us a little more time to get around! Efficient use of public transit allowed us to visit 4 gardens in the six hour tour duration. We found the gardens serene and quiet, also uncrowded, and it was a relaxing tour. We would highly recommend it!
Naomi is a great guide with knowledge of Tokyo gardens to view Cherry Blossoms. Naomi researched and suggested an itinerary that included visit to Imperial Place gardens that are open only certain days of the year. We travelled by Metro and walked many miles to see Cherry Blossoms in many gardens. Due to clod weather prior to our visit majority of Cherry Blossoms trees were not blooming but Naomi still managed take us to many gardens as possible to see the blooming trees. Highly recommend to ask for Naomi for your private garden walking tour as she did her homework to ensure we see many blossoming trees as possible including Imperial Place that was opened to public during our visit. Please let Naomi know your physical abilities to walk many miles climbing up and down steps during planning as at end of our tour we were tired but glad Naomi took us to many gardens.
Matt was great. He truly wanted to make us see as much as we could in 6 hours and even more. He was very nice and knowledgeable. I recommend this tour if you are in Tokyo for just a few days.
LOVED our garden tour with MINURO, who was excellent! We started with the elegant and serene Imperial Palace East Garden, went to the Kagurazaka neighborhood for lunch, then saw the intimate and personal Rikugien Garden, and finished with the busy and bold Ueno Park. Minuro listened to what we wanted and planned accordingly. He taught and managed us through the train/subway system too. Great day, great guide!
Best experience, so far, in my trip to Tokyo. Steve is a very good guide and I am honoured to meet him. I strongly recomand him. The trip was tailored on my requests and he took care that the tour will be perfect in every detail. Thank you, Steve.
The best trip i had. It was over my expectancy; and I was reading about the gardens before coming to Japan. Steve is a very good guide and I strongly recomand him. My trip was exactly according with my wishes. I was honoured to have him as a guide. I wish him best of luck.
We love gardens, so we took this beautiful japanese garden lovers tour and it is going to be an unforgettable day with Kazu, our Guide. He was a very kind and polite person. Thank you very much for such a pretty day Kazu!!
We had a most wonderful day visiting several Japanese gardens around Tokyo. Koji was the perfect guide with excellent communication and preparation in advance of the tour. We visit several locations and really enjoyed the serene beauty of the gardens and the contrast with busy Tokyo. Thank you Koji! We definitely recommend this tour.
Kei was fabulous as our tour guide. He assisted me from the time I made the reservation in making the most of our day. He also recommended hiring a private driver. It allowed us to see 5 gardens in our allotted time. I highly recommend Kei, and it’s a great way to enjoy the beautiful gardens tucked inside a major city.
The garden tour was excellent- lots of variety and beautiful vistas to enjoy. Our guide Kazuo was very helpful. He navigated our way across the city with efficiency despite some very wet and windy weather. We came to understand more of the history of each garden and its special features. A five star experience
Our guide, Shuji, was one of the highlights of our trip. He was very personable and made the experience fun and informative.
My son and I got a wonderfully personalised tour of Tokyo yesterday. Andy, the tour guide, met us punctually at the hotel in the morning and was completely relaxed about our wishes, including making the good suggestions. During the tour by public transport, he didn't miss any opportunity to give us lots of information in between here and there, when the sights were on the way. It was very pleasant with him, it was relaxed and easy and his English is excellent. At the end, he responded to a special wish of my son and we bought a great sushi knife in a small knife shop in Asakusa. Simply a great tour.
Hiromi Murata was WONDERFUL. She showed us everything we wanted, and was flexible with our itinerary. It was a marvellous day and we saw things very tourists would. Very good value and a day we will never forget. Thank you.
Our guide, Hiro, had obviously done a lot of research, since I requested some very specific gardens and architecture in Tokyo. He had contacted various people so that we could see places that were not open to the general public. He put together a comprehensive tour that made the most of our time. It did mean that we had to take taxis from one place to another, which added to the cost, but was well worthwhile because we could see much more than if we had tried to do it on our own, using public transportation. I appreciate the several emails that we exchanged before our trip so that he could be sure of what we wanted to see. He also took some photos along the way and shared them with us. Overall, it was an excellent experience.
The trip was really nice, and the guide emi-san was more than helpful and very very friendly, i really enjoyed talking to her and spend the day looking at the gardens.
Keiko was an excellent guide. She helped us navigate the complex transportation system to get to the Japanese gardens and walked us through some lovely gardens. We would have never found them without her. Thanks for a lovely day, Keiko.
Our guide, Kyoko, was exceptional in leading this tailored experience which included gardens, shrines, unique shopping areas, and youth culture. She carefully planned and executed a very full 6 hours to maximize our exposure and learning in Tokyo while addressing the things that interested us. We used public transportation and walked a lot, as expected. Wonderful experience!
I had a good time and was able to see / experience life in Tokyo. Thank you Miho for being so kind and for taking time to find a place that served food I could eat . Also for writing down informations about the Book Store! ❤️
If you're looking for an incredible tour of Tokyo, I highly recommend the Garden Lovers tour with Nobuko as your guide. She's incredibly knowledgeable and provided us with educational materials that really enriched our understanding of Japan's cultural heritage. She also went out of her way to accommodate us, was great at communicating, and even brought us local snacks to enjoy during the tour. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Nobu as your tour guide!
What started out as a 4-6 hour gardens tour turned into so much more!! KEISUKE YAMAMOTO guided us all day and night throughout the city of Tokyo. Since we really had only 1 day to explore the city, with YAMAMOTO guiding us I felt that we got an insider's view of many various neighborhoods in Tokyo. One of the highlights was visiting the fish market and YAMAMOTO guiding us what and where to eat. Ended an incredible day by having drinks at a tucked away brewery that we would have never found on our own. Thanks to our guide for being so patient and helpful to everyone in our group.
Kenji did an incredible job taking us around Tokyo, ended the day with 30,000 well spent steps! Our tour included seeing: Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, Rikugien Garden, Yanaka Street, Nezu, Kanda Myojin Shrine and Akihibara. Kenji was funny, entertaining, accommodating and he felt like a friend. He recognized when we were tired and sat down with us and introduced us to Kakigori to cool us down. We had many great laughs and he provided us with many great pictures. He also brought us to a delicious ramen restaurant and recommended Spa Laqua which we ended up visiting afterwards. We visited more places than we had planned for and it was a great time being able to explore more than anticipated. We highly recommend doing a tour with Ken! JGA was communicative and responded within a day to three days of each of our emails. They walked us through the process of acquiring a travel visa and was great at confirming for the most part. We had some issues with replies for one of our tours and regarding some questions about some of the restrictions lifting. Not sure if there was just a lot of uncertainty so they didn’t want to reply right away. We completely understand that things are not in their control but it was unsettling having to wait longer than usual for some responses. Overall, a truly great and memorable experience!
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