I had a perfect tour with Miko! She contacted me through WhatsApp about a week before to get to know me and create a tailored tour to my individual interests. Having to plan around another tour that appeared to cover the 6 «must see’s» one day later, we visited Nezu Shrine first, where Miko introduced me to the various rituals and details surrounding Shinto-shrines: Past the red tori-gate was a lovely, little stream with turtles, the main shrine, and another little shrine with countless little tori-gates that (due to my height) forced me to pretty much bow to every single one to walk through. Afterwards we walked through charming little alleys, lined with lovely houses to enjoy some coffee and tea in a nice café before we headed towards the Asakura museum of sculpture. (Which outside façade and the rooftop garden were unfortunately under renovation during the time of my visit.) The experience was less like entering a museum and more like entering someone’s workshop and home, because it actually was. Asakura Fumio was a sculptor most famous for his realism-inspired bronze statues like “the grave-keeper”, taking pictures was unfortunately only allowed from a single spot in the venue at my time of visiting. But it is not just his sculptures: After passing through the large Studio the tour continues through his library into his private home, featuring a gorgeous inner garden, its pond filled with carp. Then the tour continued towards Ueno Tosho-gu, a gorgeous shrine, guarded by an alley of stone lanterns and with a pagoda in front. Aside from a tree that according to local belief has a spirit residing within the partially gilded shrine itself features stunning details like carved wood and was a sight to behold. After a stroll through the nearby Ueno-Park we eventually reached another, smaller temple featuring what was left of a former statue and Miko told me the story about it before arriving at the nearby Ameyoko market to enjoy some delicious Monja in a nice and air conditioned restaurant below the train tracks. Afterwards, knowing that I enjoy opera, Miko introduced me to the Kabukiza-theater which featured a cosy little exhibition on the upper floor, explaining this wonderful tradition. With the time flying away we ended walking through Ginza before eventually arriving back at my hotel. Throughout the whole eight hours Miko proved herself to be a very knowledgeable and flexible guide, delivering a truly tailor-made private tour that left me with wonderful memories and brought me to reserve another tour with Tokyo Vibes next week.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Photos taken by your guide as you explore
- Hotel or central meeting-point pick-up and drop-off
- Temple and shrine entrance fees on your agreed itinerary
- Custom itinerary planned around your interests before your tour
- Private walking tour with a Tokyo local guide
- Personal recommendations for the rest of your time in Japan
- Help with Suica/PASMO IC cards and getting around by train and subway
Excludes
- Meals and drinks
- Transport fares (trains, taxis) and airport transfers
- Entry tickets for additional attractions
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Traveler pick up offered
Itinerary
Tokyo's oldest temple, and still a working one. You'll come in under the Kaminarimon gate and its giant paper lantern, wash at the purification fountain, and watch people waft incense smoke toward whatever they'd like fixed. Your guide explains what's happening at each step so you can join in rather than just photograph it — including how to draw a paper fortune, and what you're supposed to do if you pull a bad one.
The approach to Senso-ji has been lined with stalls for centuries. It's crowded and it's touristy, and it's also where you'll find snacks that are genuinely local — ningyo-yaki baked in front of you, warm age-manju, rice crackers grilled over coals. Your guide will point out which stalls are worth stopping at and order for you where nobody behind the counter speaks English.
A wide public park holding several of Tokyo's major museums, a zoo, a shrine and a large pond, all within walking distance of each other. What you do here is your call — a slow walk under the trees, the quieter shrine paths away from the crowds, or a museum if you'd like to add one. Your guide will help you choose based on how much time you have left and what you've already seen that day.
A market street packed in under and alongside the railway tracks, left over from the years when this was a post-war black market. Now it's dried seafood, cut fruit, cheap trainers, cosmetics, and standing bars where people are drinking at four in the afternoon. It is loud and it is not polished. Your guide can read the stalls for you and get you tasting things you would never have ordered on your own.
Six or seven floors of anime figures, retro games, manga and secondhand electronics, stacked inside buildings you'd walk straight past without knowing. You'll see arcades where the regulars are genuinely good, shops organised by series in ways that only make sense once someone explains them, and duty-free counters worth knowing about. Tell your guide what you're into and you'll end up in the right building rather than the biggest one.
Several hundred people crossing in every direction at once, every couple of minutes. Your guide takes you across it, then up to the vantage points locals actually use to watch it from above — generally free, and generally not the ones signposted for visitors. Worth seeing at any hour, better after dark when the screens are lit.
A small bronze dog beside Shibuya Station, and the most-used meeting point in the city. Hachiko came here to meet his owner off the evening train, and carried on coming for years after the man died. Your guide will tell you the version Japanese people grow up with, which is sadder and more specific than the film. Expect a short queue for the photo.
A narrow pedestrian street of teenage fashion, secondhand shops and food built to be photographed — crepes, oversized candy floss, whatever is currently going around online. It's chaotic and it's fun. Your guide can also walk you two minutes over to Omotesando, the wide, quiet, expensive avenue running parallel, which is a useful thing to see back to back.
A Shinto shrine set inside a forest of roughly a hundred thousand trees, every one planted by hand when the shrine was built. From the first torii gate it's a walk of about ten minutes under the canopy, and the city noise drops away as you go. You'll pass the wall of sake barrels, wash your hands at the fountain, and see people writing wishes onto wooden plaques. Your guide will show you how to make an offering properly if you'd like to.
A handful of alleys on the west side of Shinjuku Station, lined with counters that seat six or seven people and grill over charcoal. It smells of smoke and it hasn't changed much since the 1950s. Your guide can get you a seat and order for you — the menus here are handwritten in Japanese, and having someone to translate is the difference between walking past and sitting down.
The busiest station in the world, and the districts stacked around it: department stores, neon, tiny bars, and government towers with free observation floors. What you see depends entirely on the hour — this is a different place at two in the afternoon and at nine at night. Your guide routes it around when you're actually there, and can get you through the station, which defeats most people on their first try.
The wholesale market moved out to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market stayed: rows of small shops selling grilled scallops, sea urchin, tamagoyaki straight off the pan, knives and dried goods. It's at its best in the morning and a fair number of stalls close by early afternoon, so this is one your guide plans around your start time. They'll order for you and tell you what you're eating.
The former grounds of Edo Castle, now a public garden inside the palace walls. You can walk up onto the stone base where the castle keep once stood and see just how large the fortress was before it burned. It's quiet, it's free, and it closes on certain weekdays — so if you want it in your day, your guide will build the route around the calendar.
Tokyo's expensive district: flagship stores, old department stores with basement food halls worth walking through even if you buy nothing, and small galleries a few floors above street level. On weekend afternoons the main avenue closes to traffic and people walk down the middle of the road. Your guide can also steer you into the older backstreets, which are a good deal less polished than the frontage suggests.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Had a fantastic first day in Tokyo with Satomi!!! Learned about getting around the city, and she built a perfect tour based around our interests and pace. Knowledgeable, friendly, funny, interesting, we would highly recommend her.
We had an AMAZING tour of Tokyo with our guide, Rika! I hardly ever write reviews on TripAdvisor but it was just that wonderful. She reached out to us a few days in advance and asked more specifically what we were interested in seeing, and then tailored the tour to our interests — we gave her very broad parameters (we said we were interested in learning about both history and current culture) and she totally delivered, taking us through the traditional fish market, shrines, and then to more modern districts. She was as kind and welcoming as could be, answered all of our questions that we’d been building throughout our time in Japan, and told us about her life and experiences in Japan and abroad. We really can’t recommend this tour, and Rika specifically, enough — it’s exactly what you hope for when you sign up for a private tour of a new city.
This was by far the best tour I have booked, and that was largely thanks to my incredible guide, Hina K. Before the tour, Hina reached out to ask about my interests, preferences, and what I most wanted to experience in Tokyo. Soon afterward, she created a complete itinerary tailored specifically to me, and it aligned perfectly with everything I was interested in. From the very beginning, she was incredibly responsive, friendly, and thoughtful. Spending the day exploring Tokyo with Hina was an absolute joy. We managed to visit so many different places in a single day, yet the tour never felt rushed or impersonal. It felt like exploring the city with someone who was genuinely excited to share it with me. Hina was incredibly fun to spend the day with, and I learned so much from her as we visited each location. She also took the time to capture some wonderful photos of me at several key locations, giving me lasting memories that I otherwise would not have had as a solo traveler. What made the experience especially valuable was how much it improved the rest of my trip. Hina taught me how to navigate Tokyo more confidently and gave me practical advice that proved incredibly helpful throughout the remainder of my stay. She also provided an amazing number of personalized recommendations, including places to visit on my later solo days, as well as cafes and restaurants chosen with my specific tastes in mind. Her recommendations allowed me to continue discovering Tokyo long after the tour had ended. This became the highlight of my first solo trip to Tokyo, and its impact extended far beyond that single day. Without this tour, and especially without Hina as my tour guide, I honestly don’t think my trip would have been nearly as memorable or meaningful. I wholeheartedly recommend this tour, and my guide Hina in particular. She made the experience personal, informative, and genuinely fun.
Rika was a fantastic, friendly, and knowledgeable guide. Before the tour, she reached out to learn about our interests and put together a customized itinerary that was a great fit for us. She shared lots of interesting information along the way and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the day. We had a great time and would definitely recommend Rika to anyone looking for a personalized tour of Tokyo.
I was looking for a small tour guide service for a couple’s trip for our first trip to Japan, that would provide “concierge” service. I could not have been happier with “Tokyo Vibes” from beginning to end. We dealt directly with the owner Gabriel, who could not have been kinder or more helpful. He meticulously planned our itinerary over a couple Zoom meetings before our trip and booked a variety of interesting excursions like Team Lab and watching a sumo wrestling practice at a stable which brought us close to the action. He was attentive to our every need. He also offered to make dinner reservations and suggestions for places to eat. Our guide in Tokyo was excellent and went above and beyond, thinking of many details and making sure we were comfortable and adjusting the tour to our needs. She shared her enthusiasm with the sights and history of the temples and shrines. We were able to participate in a small Shinto ceremony at a temple at her suggestion that was very meaningful. Having someone guide us through the customs and rituals greatly enhanced our understanding of the Shinto traditions. We scheduled a stay at an Onsen in Hakone and Gabriel picked us up at our hotel in Tokyo and drove us to Hakone, and provided personal guiding in Hakone like the Hakone Open Air Museum, a beautiful sculpture garden, followed by lunch at a traditional ramen restaurant. Our guide in Kyoto was Ai who was awesome. She met us at our hotel every day and provided personalized tour experiences after asking about our preferences. At her suggestion, we attended a Meiko/Geiko performance. She took up to to a small brewery for a Sake tasting, to small art exhibits and of course many temples and shrines including small shrines and well known shrines. All along she explained the rituals and history of the shrines and temples. She was kind and considerate upbeat and positive, and attended to our every need. By the end of the 4 days she guided us, we became friends. Tokyo Vibes from beginning to end was way beyond our expectations. All guides tailored the tours to our wishes and gave us a great mix of experiences and education of Japanese culture and history. We will definitely use Tokyo Guides again on our next trip, and can wholeheartedly recommend booking with Tokyo Guides. It was very easy working with Gabriel, and felt the value was excellent for the high level of service provided.
This tour was the absolute BEST tour we had on our trip to Japan. Rika was phenomenal! She reached out days in advance to ask about our interests (we were with two teenage girls) and she sent back a proposed itinerary right away. She was so fun to spend the day with! We got to just relax and follow her all over Tokyo without worrying about anything. On top of all of that, she sent me a detailed guide on how we could navigate the next day in Tokyo so the girls and I could shop all over the world’s most populous city. She was the reason we were able to figure out the train system for 8 hours the next day to shop. She went above and beyond!! Thank you, Rika, for being the highlight of our trip to Japan!!
Rika organized a lovely “off the beaten path” tour that included the fabric street in the Nippori area at my request. She was very informative about the history of the area and also bright U.S. to two lovely local shrines. I would highly recommend her tours.
We had a brilliant day with Hina! She is a lovely and knowledgeable guide, who took us through the history and culture of Tokyo. We discovered traditional sweets and learned a lot about Shinto Buddhism and worship. Hina was very helpful with everything and took great care if us. She provided lots of recommendations for us to consider for the rest of our trip. We highly recommend Hina for your great day out in Tokyo!
Our guide Yuko Higashi planned and led us through a wonderful day tour in Tokyo. We saw historic Tokyo in the location of the oldest temple in the city, modern Tokyo at the Aquarium, and everyday Tokyo on the subways and at a delicious Ramen lunch at a tiny restaurant with a delicious meal. Despite the pouring rain and cold weather she selected a great mix of sights and activities and left us with warm memories of our visit.
We spent an amazing day with Miwa. She had a difficult task, since we only got 8 h to vitis Tokio but she made it amazing experianceand a beautiful and fullfilling sample of the city. She was changing the plan by the intrest of the members of our family, the plan was flexible according to the things we were most intrested in. We made it safely on time to the cruise ship with all our souvenirs, belly full of delicious sushi and a head full of memories and phones full of photos. We wish we had more time! Thank you a lot and hopefully see you again!
Fantastic experience with Kanako! She went above and beyond by visualising our daily plan on a map to ensure a smooth trip. She is organised, proactive, and a joy to explore Tokyo with.
We had the most fantastic tour with Hina-san. Hina showed us various hidden gems, gave us an oversight in the Japanese culture and thoughts. It was the best tour we ever had and are in awe of all we learnt in those hours. Hina is a excellent guide who goes above and beyond to ensure that all expectations and needs are met. Strongly recommend to book her and the agency if you are looking for the perfect guide.
Tour was designed around what we were interested in. Travelled mostly by train and great to have the guide as the stations are enormous.
We were able to customize the experience to exactly what we wanted. It was absolutely perfect.. we had a wonderful experience.
Our guide Saya was wonderful. Highly reccommend. Above and beyond the tour, she included information about the culture and navigating the city that will make the rest of our trip easier and more enjoyable. She is very knowledgeable and personable. We had a great time and appreciated the places she added in our loose requests that we wouldn’t have known to ask about. Absolutely a great choice to do this as an introductory tour on our first day in Tokyo!
We loved our tour guide, Momo! She picked us up from our hotel and showed us around Tokyo using the Subway and train. She explained many interesting facts about the Japanese culture and their history, answering our questions and tailoring the tour to our interests. She even showed us unique places to get special souvenirs and try local cuisine. We had such a good time we spent the next day touring around with her again! We feel like we've made a new friend. She was so friendly and easy to be with. She made our 40th wedding anniversary special, even taking pictures for us like a professional photographer. Thank you, Momo!
We had a wonderful tour with authentic Japanese experiences with a very knowledgeable and personable tour guide, Miwa. The whole family (parents + 2 teens) loved the tour. We took the 8 h version, which we highly recommend. Anything less would be too rushed, we believe.
yoshie was so helpfull and showed all the places in tokyo, picked up at the hotel as told but little extra as the hotel was away from tokyo town. memorable trip
I have to admit this has been the greatest walking tour I have had. Gabriel was flexible enough to accommodate my last minute booking and was kind enough to meet me at the airport which I appreciate. He took me to places where I can experience as a tourist as well as a local resident. I got to pray and do some shopping. I certainly will return. Highly recommended!
Excellent service!! Gabriel was went above and beyond making the tour fun. They are reliable, responsive and have the most reasonable prices around.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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