Nagoya's Best and Hidden Gems in 6 hours - Totally Customizable
This private 6-hour tour is perfect for first-time visitors as well as seasonal travelers. Step into the Castle and immerse yourself in the life of Samurai from 400 years ago. Visit the Shrine, and get a rare chance to hold a real Japanese sword in your hands. Explore Sakae, Nagoya’s vibrant downtown packed with local shops and department stores and enjoy the local vibes using super clean public transportation! You have other options such as Osu old shopping arcade, or Toyota museum, etc, too.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your Hotel
- Pick-up time is flexible and can be adjusted to fit your schedule.
Atsuta Jingu Shrine
One of Japan's most significant Shinto shrines with the history of over 1900 years. Enjoy the Sacred Oasis in the City. You can even hold real Japanese swords in Kusanagi museum, too.
Nagoya Castle
A symbol of samurai strength and history, Nagoya Castle is especially known for the stunning Honmaru Palace, filled with Edo-period elegance—gold-leaf sliding doors, colorful paintings, and intricate wooden carvings. After exploring the palace, you can relax at a charming teahouse nearby, where you’ll enjoy real matcha and traditional Japanese sweets, surrounded by the serene beauty of the authentic Ninomaru Gardens.
Sakae
Nagoya's biggest downtown where you can find all kinds of Japanese delicacies and souvenirs. Let's enjoy "depachika", gourmet wonderlands packed with beautifully prepared meals, seasonal sweets, and local specialties.
Hisaya-Odori Park
Take a relaxing stroll around the fountain park while enjoying the views of stylish and beautiful city.
Ending Point
At your Hotel
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee
guide's transportation fee
guide's admission fee
transportation fee-- 860 JPY (around 6 USD)
admission fee-- 500 JPY (around 3.5 USD)
lunch and drinks --for you and a guide
Tour Important Information
*This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
*This tour is wheelchair accessible.
*Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Tommie T.
Welcome to Nagoya! I’m Tommie, a nationally certified guide based in central Japan.
Having lived in six different countries since childhood, I have a passion for cultural exchange and connecting with people from all walks of life. After spending 14 years abroad, I now enjoy sharing the hidden charms of my lovely hometown, Nagoya, with international travelers like you!
With experience guiding small groups and couples, I focus on creating warm, flexible, and meaningful tours. Whether you’re into history, local food, cars, modern city life, or traditional crafts, I can tailor the tour to match your interests.
If you’ve already visited Tokyo or Kyoto, you’ll find Nagoya refreshingly less crowded and more relaxed. Here, you can enjoy authentic experiences with a local touch. Known not only as the home of TOYOTA, Nagoya also has strong roots in Samurai culture and offers a unique blend of tradition and innovation.
Meantime, you can enjoy unique local specialities, such as Miso-Katsu( Pork cutlet with Miso), Hitsumabushi(grilled eel)etc., and also enjoy hands-on cultural experiences like Shiori dyeing or traditional fan-making. There’s so much to explore here.
I’d love to be part of your memorable journey.
Let’s enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime adventure together!
Reviews
Carl W.
“Nagoya Highlights”
Tommie T. Was excellent, we did not know what to expect at this port stop. She took us around to many sights seamlessly. Subway, bus and walking, do not think we missed anything. Tommie was very knowledgeable and explained items that the onsite guides did not know or forgot to tell us. Highly recommend her for your tour in Nagoya.
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Tommie T.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m truly happy to hear that you enjoyed exploring Nagoya and that the tour went smoothly for you. It was a real pleasure guiding you around the city and sharing some of the local stories and culture. I really loved the warm, positive atmosphere you both created — I hope to travel like you two someday! Please come back to Japan if you have the chance. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your adventures!
Caren D.
“Nagoya Highlights”
We had the pleasure of touring Nagoya with Tommie. She promptly met us at the cruise terminal. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the moment we met her she was incredibly warm; personable, welcoming-it felt like we explored the region with a knowledgeable friend. Her deep understanding of Japan’s history and local customs added depth to every place we visited. Whether we were walking through ancient shrines and temples or navigating bustling markets (she found the best spot for ceramic kitchen goods!) or discovering gems off the beaten path (the most peaceful and delicious tea house and garden) she shared insights and stories that brought life to each moment. She was also particularly attentive and flexible, tailoring the experience to our pace and interests, always making sure we were comfortable and engaged. We shared our love for our sons and puppies as well! If you are looking for a guide who combines expertise with genuine hospitality and elegance, we wholeheartedly recommend Tommie! She made our day in Nagoya a truly memorable day. Extra bonus was the private car and driver she arranged for part of the day which helped us beat the heat!i
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Tommie T.
Thank you so much for taking your precious time to share such a wonderful review—it truly motivates me! I’m so grateful that you enjoyed my hometown, Nagoya. I remember how much your husband appreciated learning about Japanese customs at the shrine, and I’m delighted that the tea house was as special to you as it is to me. It was an absolute pleasure to guide guests as warm and curious as you, and I loved our chats about our sons and our puppies. I hope you can spend many happy moments together once you’re back home. Take care, Tommie
$251/ per group
More tours by Tommie T.
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Nagoya Highlights: Toyota, Castle & Foodie Paradise
Discover Japan’s industrial evolution at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Next, visit the historic Nagoya Castle — an iconic symbol of the Tokugawa Shogunate — and explore the beautifully restored Honmaru Palace. We’ll finish the tour in downtown Sakae, where you can sample Japanese and local specialties in a “depachika,” a foodie paradise found in department store basements.
Nagoya Highlights: Toyota, Castle & Foodie Paradise
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Shibori Experience in Arimatsu & Shrine Visit
Visit the sacred Atsuta Shrine, one of the most prestigious shrines in Japan, and feel its rich spiritual energy. Then, head to Arimatsu and enjoy a hands-on Shibori tie-dye workshop with a local artisan. The workshop takes place in a beautifully preserved traditional merchant house that is over 100 years old. You’ll experience the charm of old Japan while creating your own Arimatsu Shibori fabric — a one-of-a-kind souvenir to take home and treasure.
Shibori Experience in Arimatsu & Shrine Visit
Other Popular Highlights Tours in Nagoya
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Nagoya Highlights: Toyota, Castle & Foodie Paradise
Discover Japan’s industrial evolution at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Next, visit the historic Nagoya Castle — an iconic symbol of the Tokugawa Shogunate — and explore the beautifully restored Honmaru Palace. We’ll finish the tour in downtown Sakae, where you can sample Japanese and local specialties in a “depachika,” a foodie paradise found in department store basements.
Nagoya Highlights: Toyota, Castle & Foodie Paradise
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Nagoya Golden Tour
Nagoya is the 4th largest city in Japan with a population of about 2.2 million. I would like to guide you Nagoya Castle, Osu Kannon Temple, old shopping streets, Oasis21 and Nagoya TV Tower. Nagoya Castle was first built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612. Afterwards it was burnt down in 1945 and it was reconstructed in 1959. You can see Golden Shachi on the both ends of the top roof. Furthermore the Honmaru (the keep of a castle) reconstructed in 2013 is open to the public, too.
Nagoya Golden Tour
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Nagoya favorite one day tour
This Nagoya favorite one day tour will take you to Atsuta Shrine, Nagoya Castle and Osu Kannon Temple in a large shopping district as major destinations. Public transportation is very convenient to visit these places. You can enjoy local food lunch and Japanese sweets . If you have any specific places to visit in your mind such as Inuyama, where the TIME world's greatest places 2023 featured. I will accommodate the itinerary accordingly.
Nagoya favorite one day tour
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Nagoya 1 day Grand Tour
I am a National Government Licensed Tour Guide in English. I have lived in Nagoya City for more than 3 decades and I can guide you in tourist spots in Nagoya such as Nagoya Castle, Osu Kannon Temple & shopping arcade, Oasis 21 & TV Tower in Sakae and so on. Also, I can guide you to Takayama & Shirakawa in Gifu and Magome & Tsumago in Nagano and Ise in Mie, all are 2 days' trip from Nagoya.
Nagoya 1 day Grand Tour
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