Private Day Tour to Kawagoe – Edo-Era Temples & Nostalgic Streets with Local Food
Hidden in Saitama Prefecture, Kawagoe, also known as Little Edo, still retains the atmosphere of ancient Japan during the Edo period. If you wish to escape from the bustling city of Tokyo, this Kawagoe private tour will not disappoint you. In this small peaceful town, there are many traditional Japanese shrines, temples and other amazing attractions, such as Kita-in Temple and the old warehouse district of Kurazukuri. Take a day trip outside of Tokyo and discover the historic Kawagoe.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel
- I will meet you near the reception. I will show your name on my iPad. I will contact you via WhatsApp, so please have your phone ready. We can find our phone numbers at the bottom of the itinerary two days before the tour date.
10:00-12:00 Transportation to Kawagoe
Transportation: We will take a train from Tokyo to Kawagoe station to take a local bus there.
12:15-12:45 Naka-in Temple
Naka-in Temple; Enjoy strolling around this small, peaceful temple and be impressed with the traditional Japanese garden. Founded in 830 AD, by a Buddhist priest Jikaku Daishi, the temple relatively resembles those in Kyoto. In Spring, many azaleas will bloom together.
Admission free
13:00-13:30 Kita-in Temple
Kita-in Temple; One of the most famous Buddhist temples in Kawagoe, attracting both locals and foreigners to visit. The over 500 mysterious statues of Buddha's disciples, called Gohyaku Rakan, make this temple more amazing. Some of the buildings in this temple are part of the former Edo Castle, which is worth visiting.
Admission: 400 JPY per adult
13:30-14:30 Lunch
Lunch; Please try Japanese noodles with crunchy tempura or BBQ eel, which are the most famous dishes of Kawagoe.
15:30-16:30 Kurazukuri Street and Kashiya Yokocho
Kurazukuri Street and Kashiya Yokocho Alley; No visit to Kawagoe is complete without walking through this historic street. In the Edo era, this street was the center of trade, thus there were many warehouses. Now, they became restaurants and souvenir shops. Visitors also can find rare Japanese sweets and desserts in Kashiya Yokocho Alley.
17:00-18:00 Transportation to Tokyo
Transportation: There are many railways to Tokyo.
We will take the easiest rapid train to Tokyo.
At your hotel.
End of the tour
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
Tour guide fee and hotel pick-up service
On this Kawagoe private tour, the transportation fees, admission fee, and lunch costs of the visitor and tour guide are additional fees and as following:
- Transportation fee: approximately 2,000 yen per person
- Lunch: approximately 1,000-2,000 yen per person
- Admission fees: for Kitain temple, 400 yen for entering the special room in the former Edo Castle.
Tour Important Information
- Some shops in Kurazukuri Street are closed on Mondays.
- Please, send a direct message to the tour guide for confirming the availability before booking
Not available on Mondays and Fridays.
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 Yuki K.
I was born and grew up in Yokohama. I used to work in Tokyo for more than 20 years. I became the National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter in English in 2013. At first, I had attended a volunteer group which provided a tour of the Imperial Palace East Gardens until 2015. I guided more than fifty times in the garden as a volunteer and studied about Japanese history and culture. Based on this experience, I became a tour guide of this online site in 2015.
Since then, I have guided more than 500 tours in Tokyo as well as Yokohama, Kamakura, Hakone, Kyoto, Nikko, etc., while improving my tours. My tours are very flexible and I always do my best to customize them according to the interests of my guests. I studied about the places and will provide you knowledge to appreciate them deeper than just visiting there by yourself or a member of big group tours. I like foods and I know many restaurants which provide typical Japanese lunch with reasonable price without waiting too long. Therefore, I am sure that I can provide you the best tours customized to your interests. It will be my great pleasure to help you to enjoy your stay in Japan. So please be my guest!!
Reviews
Marissa C.
“Historical Tokyo”
Yuki is an excellent guide. He responded to my queries even before our trip. He came prepared with a presentation of the historical facts for every site we visited. He oriented us how to navigate the complex train system of Tokyo. For English speaking visitors, he is the guide you need to pick. I noticed that the prices of the guided tours are varied. I believe his rate is a reasonable one.
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Yuki K.
Dear Marrisa, Thank you for taking your time to write the review. We visited the must-visit in Tokyo, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace, and Asakusa. We had lunch at my favorite udon restaurant, where we could pick up our favorite fresh tempura. The weather was perfect for walking! Please give my best regards to Digna.
Olga P.
“Tokyo Visit”
We had the absolute pleasure of spending two days in Tokyo with our guide, Yuki-San, and it truly made our trip unforgettable. From the moment we began planning, he was incredibly helpful—sending us useful tips before we even arrived, including how to get an IC transportation card, which made getting around Tokyo so much easier. During our tour days, Yuki-San was always prompt, organized, and extremely knowledgeable. He guided us through some of Tokyo’s most beautiful and historic sites, including the Imperial Palace area, Ginza, Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, a traditional tea ceremony, Meiji-Jingu Shrine, and the peaceful Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. His explanations brought each location to life and helped us understand the culture and history behind what we were seeing. He also made our experience very personal. Knowing we were traveling with our granddaughter, he made a special stop at a Sanrio shop just for her, which absolutely delighted her. It was a thoughtful gesture that we will always remember. The food recommendations were fantastic as well. One day he took us for outstanding sushi, and another day we enjoyed delicious udon noodles—both meals were excellent and authentic experiences we might not have found on our own. Yuki-San also suggested additional places for us to visit, including teamLab Planets and a local aquarium, and both turned out to be highlights of our trip. Overall, Yuki-San is professional, friendly, attentive, and deeply knowledgeable about Tokyo. Having him guide us allowed us to experience the city in a much richer way than we could have on our own. We highly recommend him to anyone visiting Tokyo—you will be in excellent hands.
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Yuki K.
Dear Olga, I don't know how to thank you for such a detailed review. Please give my best regards to your family. Thank you for taking my tours!! Yuki
Taylor D.
“Great Time in Tokyo”
We are so glad we booked with Yuki! He was well prepared to show us around some great spots in the area. I loved how responsive he was to my questions before and during the tour. He also taught us a lot of the history behind each spot. Lots of delicious food at the outer market and quality time within garden and temple. We will book him again for our next trip.
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Yuki K.
Dear Taylor, Thank you for your compliments. The Sushi place is my favorite one in Tsukiji Outer Market. Please give my best regards to other members. Thank you again for taking my tour. Yuki
$221/ per group
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