Niigata Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

“Niigata Experience with Kei”

Kei was an excellent guide went out of his way to pickup us up with his personal car at Tsubame Sanjo station and escorted my wife and I at the Craft Fair. If anyone needs a great guide in the Niigata area , I would highly recommend him.

Keiichi S.

(13 reviews)

Thank you very much for your appreciation. I also had a wonderful time with you at the Craft Fair. I was impressed by how energetic you both were despite the strong sunlight. I was surprised to hear from you two that there are wild boars and horses in Hawaii. I really want to visit Hawaii someday.

“Wonderful Niigata Day Tour”

Our family of three from Hawai’i thoroughly enjoyed our day with Mutsuko. Communication and coordinating before the trip was excellent. Mutsuko was responsive and customized our tour integrating our ideas and her expert suggestions as a Niigata local. We rented our own car and she let us drive so we did not have to hire a van and driver. On the day of our tour, she met us at our ryokan and jumped into our car. Although we had a packed itinerary, Mutsuko timed everything so we never felt rushed. We had ample opportunity to explore, visit shops, discover local treats, and take lots of photos. She even helped us buy a suitcase (for all the amazing purchases we made) and find specific ingredients and gifts at the fish market, impromptu stops at local markets, and one very tiny local tea shop where we found a highly specific matcha that was sold out everywhere in Tokyo. Highlights: Mt. Yahiko was rainy and foggy but the ropeway tram was still enjoyable; Yahiko Shrine and surrounding area was beautiful and so peaceful; ate our way through Teradomari fish market where the sashimi was ultra fresh and so reasonable (we even returned the next day for more sashimi, fish cakes, and koshihikari rice ice cream); knife-making at Tojiro was fascinating and our two guides were friendly and encouraging; purchased a high-quality kitchen knife which they engraved with our name in kanji - this will be a treasured keepsake; picked and ate the most sweet delicious strawberries ever (AYCE in 50 min.) at Saito Orchard and Mutsuko won the contest with 35 strawberries; farmer’s market had many Niigata produce and gift items including sasadango and little cubes (about 2 cups) of Niigata rice. Highly recommend Mutsuko as a guide and will definitely contact her when we return to Niigata. Thank you, Mutsuko, for your warmth and friendliness, and your expert planning in creating a memorable experience for our first trip to beautiful Niigata.

Mutsuko W.

(7 reviews)

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was truly a pleasure spending the day with your lovely family and showing you some of the many treasures Niigata has to offer. I'm so glad we could blend your ideas with local experiences--especially the spontaneous stops and unique finds like the special matcha and the perfect suitcase! Even with the rainy weather at Mt. Yahiko, your positive energy and enthusiasm made the day so enjoyable. I'm also impressed by your sashimi adventures and so happy you returned for more--Niigata's seafood really is hard to resist! And I'll never forget our strawberry-picking "competition" at Saito Orchard--what a fun memory! Joan-san, I was truly touched by the beautiful gift bag you prepared for me before the tour. All the snacks and gummies--chosen so thoughtfully based on our earlier messages--were not only delicious but also heartwarming. I'm enjoying every bite with my family, and we all appreciate your kindness and generosity. Thank you again for choosing me as your guide. I'm honored to have been part of your first trip to Niigata, and I look forward to welcoming you back anytime. Until then, please take care and enjoy using your engraved knife--it truly is a special keepsake! Arigatou Gozaimashita! Warmest regards, Mutsuko

“2 Full days in Niigata”

We had a 2 full days exploring Niigata with Yoshiko and it was a blast. Touring with Yoshiko’s car made the travel easy and accessible. Being a former English teacher, communication was not an issue. Most importantly, the planning before the tour was made easy by the inputs of our guide. Thank you Yoshiko and you deserve a 5 star rating.

Yoshiko K.

(10 reviews)

Thank you, Rod for your review. It was such enjoyable two days tour with jolly two of you. I was very much impressed with your knowledge and your respect for our culture, especially the way you prayed in Yahiko shrine precinct. It was so nice to know you had a wonderful dinner in Ikinariya, the very traditional restaurant with geisha and the owner's daughter. Thank you for purchasing the craft man's hand made copper cup in TSUBAME, which left Gyokusendo workshop yesterday and became a tiny part of your life. Please take good care of it and enjoy the beautiful patina. It was such an honor to be able to guide you and your wife!