Tokyo Half Day Tours
MAX number of people on a tour: four people
To maintain the tour quality, my policy is to limit the number of participants to four. This is a method that has worked best for me and I'm unable to accommodate a group that is larger.
Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Included in tour fee: Meeting at your accommodation or other pre-determined location in central Tokyo. Transportation fees for the guide.
Not included in fee: Your transportation/admission fees
Mode of transport: We always use public transport in addition to walking. The option to hire a private vehicle is not available.
My tours can currently be booked from ToursByLocals. This is a reputable reservation site that I work with and have instant booking confirmations which eliminate the need to wait for my response.
In addition, I have also started listing on the Viator platform. They have a more flexible cancellation policy, and in most cases the price will be lower due to differences in the commission rate.
Suggested itinerary:
(Option A: Main highlights of Tokyo) Available through ToursByLocals
For people with limited time, I can offer a quick tour of the main highlights of Tokyo.
Some suggestions include:
1) Imperial Palace East Gardens
2) Sensoji Temple and Asakusa
3) Meiji Shrine and the Omotesando neighborhood
4) Shibuya, with Hachi statue and famous crossing
5) Shinjuku, the commercial center. Godzilla figure and Golden-gai district
What we can manage to see will rely heavily on your preferred pace. On average, we can see 2-3 locations from this list.
(Option B: Hidden neighborhoods of Tokyo)
A popular program on my ToursByLocals listing is where we see some of the lesser visited areas of Tokyo while going over the ways to use the city's public transport. This is ideal for visitors who want some advice prior to attempting to see the city on their own. Since December 2024 I am also offering this tour through the Viator platform. I have provided a lower rate than the other platform while I attempt to get more exposure.
The tour focuses on the area north of Shinjuku.
*KAGURAZAKA - the quiet neighborhood that was once the geisha district
*WASEDA - home to a major university where novelist Haruki Murakami and current Prime Minister studied
*HIGO HOSOKAWA GARDEN - traditional Japanese garden with roots from the Edo period
*Taking the city's only remaining tram system to ZOSHIGAYA, another unknown neighborhood famous for the temple and huge cemetery.
*Finish anywhere within central Tokyo, but following this itinerary we will be in a convenient location from SHINJUKU or SHIBUYA, the major commercial areas of Tokyo.
(Option C: Fully customized half day program)
The itinerary is completely up to you, on the basis we stay within central Tokyo. The same pricing applies, but during periods of high demand, I might prioritize requests for one of my set itineraries instead.
Most tourist attractions allow for the licensed tour guide to enter without a fee. The exception is the Tokyo Skytree or the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. If you would like to visit these places as part of a customized itinerary, you are kindly asked to cover the entrance fee for the guide also.
How much we can cover will depend on your preferred pace and where we start/end the tour.
