Niigata Private Tours
Book a Private Niigata Tour with a Local Tour Guide
Niigata Highlights Tours
Niigata City one day tour of your choices
Located on the Japan sea side of mainland Honshu, about 2 hours bullet train ride from Tokyo, Niigata city has been flourished as one of the major port towns for centuries. Along with this historical background, Niigata city is now well known for delicious "koshihikari" rice, varieties of tasty sake, fresh products from both land and sea. In this tour, you can choose 3 or 4 places to visit for 7-hour sightseeing tour. We mainly use public transportation networks like Niigata city loopline bus service ( one-day ticket JPY 500 ) and taxi if necessary. The places of choices are as follows: 1. Niigata City Aquarium "Marinepia Nihonkai" Displaying both marine and fresh water fish in the region and aquatic animals. Dolphin shows are performed daily. JPY 1500 Closed from Dec.29-Jan.1, Mar.3,4 2. Pia Bandai Fish and vegatable market with restaurants popular for locals and tourists. 3. "Imayotsukasa" sake brewery There is a guided tour and you can sample tasty sake. 4. The Niigata Saito Villa Built about 100 years ago, this gorgeous villa and Japanese style garden attracts visitors all year round. JPY 300 Closed on Mondays, from Dec.28-Jan.3 5. Minatopia with Former Niigata Customs House There are also Former Daishi Bank building and Niigata City History Museum by the Shinano River. 6. Former Ozawa Family Residence Authentic machiya-style house with beautiful garden from the Meiji Period. JPY 200 Closed on Mondays, from Dec.28-Jan.3 7. Honcho Market Located on the bustling Furumachi ( old town ) district, vendors sell all kinds of food with reasonable prices. * vendors are less on Sundays 8. Strolling Furumachi district for 1 hour Furumachi was once known as geigi (geisha) district like Kyoto and there are many restaurants, temples, old and new buildings in this area. * you can combine this choice with the Saito Villa or/and the Ozawa Residence (both in Furumachi district). Please choose places you'd like to visit and email me. Let's have fun in Niigata city!
Niigata City Highlights Tour
This compact, half-day tour introduces some of the city's cultural and historical highlights, concluding with a visit to a local specialties shop and sake-tasting museum. The client can expect to learn about Niigata City's history and culture, including unique culinary traditions. The guide will describe the city and it's culture against the larger backdrop of the prefecture and Japan as a whole.
Touring around Urasa station Niigata
Touring around Urasa station will provide you with the local history of Naked man festival, local cuisine :charcoaled Ayu sweet fish if you like and Ikeda art museum if you like with its beautiful park garden. You can also experience maccha.
Niigata City One Day Walking Tour
Niigata City is famous for its delicious rice, agricultural products, and fresh fish. This is thanks to the abundance of water that has made it a "city of water.” At the same time, however, people have suffered from floods since the beginning of history and have repeatedly overcome them. In addition, Niigata City today is home to some of the best people in the world of comics and modern dance. Come and taste the breeze of a town with such a unique history and character.
Niigata Day Trip Tours
Joetsu City One Day Walking Tour, Takada Area
Interested in historical sites in Japan? How about Joetsu City? Just a short ride from Tokyo (two hours.) Joetsu City is located in Niigata Prefecture, along the Sea of Japan. Takada Area, a famous sightseeing spot in Joetsu, has interesting features: a castle town, a snowy town, and tasty food and sake. By walking along a local town and communicating with local people, you will feel refreshed and energized. I hope to see you soon!
Central Niigata City 1-Day Tour
You are to visit highlights of Niigata City in 6 hours using public transportation and taxi. Choose 5 spots to visit. You will love to walk along the Shinano River and cross the symbolic Bandai Bridge if time allows. You will also have opportunity to learn the history and background of abundant Niigata food culture such as sake, miso, rice balls and other food materials. From the top of Bakauke Observation Deck, you will have the great and panoramic view of the city and the nature.
Shibata Castle and Central Shibata
Visitors can take the beautiful view of Shibata Castle, and feel the ambience of the castle town by walking along the streets. Please choose 6 spots to visit out of the highlights in central Shibata City.
Northern Culture Museum, Tsukioka and Fukushimagata Wetlands
Visitors can visit the large former Ito Family residence (Northern Culture Museum), and soak their feet in outdoor hot bath in Tsukioka. Please enjoy tasting various kinds of sake, local foods and lunch. Take a panoramic view of vast rice fields spreading in the Echigo Plain from the top floor of View Fukushimagata standing by the wetlands and learn how Niigata has centered rice in its culture.
Niigata Food & Drink Tours
Sake Brewery Visit/Tasting Tour to Niigata Prefecture
Walking through old traditional streets in Niigata will bring you back in time where you will be able to feel the sense of the past times combined with modern. Niigata is famous for its beautiful coastal and mountainous sceneries but Niigata prefecture is also well known for the brewing of "miso" "soy sauce" "sake" which have been carried out for centuries. Day Trip from Toky Tour will start 8:00am at your hotel and take Shinkansen to Niigata prefecture where you spend half day.
Murakami city Sake Sake one day tour
Murakami city is located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture. The city was flourished during the Edo period as a castle town governed by the Murakami clan. It is famous for "鮭-sake-salmon", "酒-another sake-Japanese sake", "Tsuishu" lacquer ware, Machiya houses, Murakami beef, Murakami green tea, Hina doll festival and more! In this tour we visit several must-see places in this diverse city. 1.Kikkawa: A shop selling salmon products. You will be surprised to see so many dried salmons hung from the ceiling of the shop. 2.Taiyo Sake Brewery: You can sample some of its products like "Taiyozakari". 3.Machiya houses open to the public ( some of them are shops selling salmon products, green tea, blacksmith, restaurant and so on. 4.Iyoboya Kaikan (salmon museum): You can learn why Murakami city became famous for salmon. Murakami city has succeeded in preserving old-style Japanese houses and you can enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere it produces. It is mostly a walking tour(about 3-4 km) and we may use loop bus or taxi accordingly. You can take Uetsuhonsen line from Niigata to Murakami, about 1-hour by local train.
Niigata Nature & Outdoor Tours
Two-wheel Adventures
A long-time resident of Niigata and avid cyclist, I have explored on two wheels the prefecture's areas of natural beauty and cultural interest on routes that only a local guide would know. As such, I offer custom cycling tours to travelers who want to get off the beaten track.
Morning Run in Downtown Niigata
Start your day on the right foot with this 2-hour, 10-kilometer jogging tour of downtown Niigata. The route includes temples, shrines, historic places, and scenic sights.
Niigata Art, Culture, & Historical Tours
Niigata Off the Beaten Path Tours
Niigata Tour Reviews
“Sanjo-shi with Yoshiko ”
I am still in awe with the planning and organizing that Yoshiko provided to create an outstanding private tour for me. She put in 101+% from the beginning to make a day in Sanjo-shi a time that I will never forget. She is a great communicator with quick replies for any questions. Yoshiko helped me with feeling comfortable in riding the train to the Tsubame-Sanjo Station, where she met me on the arrival platform with a sign. With Yoshiko's help, she arranged a meeting with my husband's family member and translated for us, which included a visit to the family grave. We drove around the beautiful countryside of Tsubame and Sanjo area, locating past areas of our family homes. We had a nice lunch at a Niigata-style ramen restaurant. She even took me to the Yamato Delivery Service to ship my luggage to the Haneda Airport and helped me purchase my ticket for the shinkansen ride back to Tokyo. It was wonderful to spend a day with Yoshiko and I will use her service again when I return to Tsubame/Sanjo-shi.
Yoshiko K.
(4 reviews)Showing you around was a valuable experience for me. I was surprised to see your weak cousin sister was looking forward to seeing you and getting better and better after meeting you. Please come again. We didn't have enough time, but I would be happy to show you the places I couldn't this time.
“Niigata Toyr with Fujiko”
I appreciate the time Fujiko took to show me around Niigata-shi. She was accompanied by a friend and fellow tour guide,Taku, who kindly provided the transportation. The tour was informative and entertaining! I was allowed to customize the tour with sites I was interested in seeing, and Fujiko created a wonderful plan for my seven hour tour. After meeting me at my hotel, we visited a Senbei factory, creating our own seasoning for our rice crackers; a Sake brewery tour & sampling; a fish market; a street market where I purcashed the local sweet treat, Sasa Dango; a delicious lunch enjoying Wappameshi; walking the Furumachi area; and ending at the Hakusan Shrine and garden. Taku also helped me purchase my train tickets at the Niigata Station for the next day. I appreciated their patience with all of my questions. They made my first trip to Niigata comfortable with their friendly and experienced guidance and information! I would gladly schedule with them again for future tours. Thank you! Ann
Fujiko M.
(31 reviews)Hi Ann san, Thank you very much for writing such a wonderful review for the tour. Taku and I are happy that you enjoyed the tour in Niigata city with us. Niigata is not yet well known for foreign tourists but it has rich history and must-see places. Next time, we may visit the suburbs of Niigata city. So, we are looking forwrard to meeting you again in the near future! Please take care and see you! Fujiko
“Family Vacation to Niigata”
During our recent family vacation to Niigata, we had the pleasure of being guided by Mutsuko, and I can’t recommend her highly enough! Mutsuko put in a tremendous amount of effort researching our family history in advance of our arrival to make our experience truly special. Before our arrival, Mutsuko took the time to research our family history, uncovering connections and stories that enriched our trip in ways we hadn’t anticipated. Her knowledge about the culture and historical context made every site we visited come alive with meaning. Mutsuko’s warmth and enthusiasm were infectious; she engaged with each member of our family, tailoring her insights to our varied interests. She truly was interested in learning about our family history as much as we were. What truly stood out was her genuine passion for her hometown and its heritage. Mutsuko not only guided us through Niigata’s beautiful sights but also shared her personal stories and experiences, which was an added touch to our 2-day trip. Overall, Mutsuko made our family vacation unforgettable. If you're looking for a guide who goes above and beyond, deeply cares about her guests, and offers a unique, personalized experience, I would highly recommend.
Mutsuko W.
(4 reviews)Tim-san, Wow, thank you very much for your words of pleasant praise! I donnot know what to say! Just please let me say I also enjoyed the tour with you and your family. I hope you will be able to encounter more findings about your family. It was heart-wariming to get to know your family history. Thank you for giving me this great opportunity to know how wonderful it is to be acquainted with our own family history! Please let me know and be of your help next time you visit Niigata! Mutsuko
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