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Off the Beaten Path

Kawagoe Old Town - 7hrs

Off the Beaten Path

Saitama

English

7 hours

Private tour (only you and your group)

Up to 6 people

This tour showcases well-preserved traditional architecture featuring clay-wall warehouses. Kitain Temple has buildings which were relocated from Edo Castle. These are the only surviving buildings of the ancient Edo Castle in Japan. Let's walk in the 350-year-old Shogun rooms! How can we resist the tempting local sweets and sweet potato snacks!? The tour offers you a lot of photo opps and is perfect all ages. Come to Kawagoe! I'd love to show you around!

Toshi H.

4.96 / 5

(125 reviews)

09:30 AM

Meeting Point

Central Tokyo or Yokohama

The numbered photos correspond to the numbering below.

09:30 AM

Meet-up at your hotel (Central Tokyo or Yokohama)

Meeting time is flexible.

11:00 AM

1. Kitain Temple

Tokugawa Shogun Rooms. These are 350-year-old rooms in the Kitain Temple grounds. They also house artwork by Kano Tanyu, the most famous artist in 17th century Japan. The gardens are yet another treat!

11:40 AM

2. Gohyaku Rakan

There are 540 Buddhist stone statues on the temple grounds with varying poses and facial expressions.

12:00 PM

3. Sweet potato snacks and candy at old-fashioned shops.

It's a regional delicacy.

12:20 PM

4. Kumano Shinto Shrine

Like a Jinja amusement park. Features a variety of interesting activities on the shrine grounds, including money-washing rituals, stone reflexology, fortune-telling, etc.

12:50 PM

5. Please choose one from Optional A , B, or C

If you like to visit all three, we need one hour extension of the tour.

02:00 PM

6. Walking in the old town

Clay-wall warehouses line the main road (from 100 to 200 years old).

03:00 PM

7. Bell Tower (Toki no Kane)

Symbol of Kawagoe.

03:20 PM

8. Candy Alley

Sells small- sized candies and snacks at about 10-100JPY each.

04:30 PM

Tour ends at Ikebukuro Station

Optional A- Kawagoe Festival Museum

Highly recommended. The area has a traditional festival once a year. Huge festival floats are displayed. Entrance fee = @ 250JPY

Optional B - Soy sauce factory tour (20min)

This isn't your ordinary supermarket Kikkoman. Wait 'til you try fresh soy sauce fermented in 180-year-old barrels!　Please ask the tour date and time for the guide. No entrance fee.

Optional C -Yamazaki Museum

Warehouses were converted to a small museum. Main collections are Japanese paintings. Entrance fee = @500JPY

The itinerary (time and/or order) may change depending on the weather, our pace, and the conditions on the day itself.

Ending Point

Ikebukuro station or your hotel in central Tokyo (No hotel drop off outside central Tokyo)

Want to personalize this tour?

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Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

Guide Fee

What‘s not included

The following are PAID IN CASH on the day/s of the tour.

= Transportation fee during the tour (you & guide = approx. 1,500JPY++ /person) = subway, train, bus, and taxi

= Entrance fee = Kitain Temple 400JPY/person (the guide has a pass)

= Optional = Yamazaki Museum 500JPY/person (you and guide), Festival Museum 250JPY/person (you and guide)

= Food / drinks (you & guide)

= Tour extension = 5,000JPY/ h

Tour Important Information

= The Soy Sauce Factory tours are only at 1:00PM daily. As this is a working factory, they may cancel tours without prior notice.

= Travel time:

...35 mins = From Ikebukuro station by Tobu train (1,020JPY)

...45 mins = From Shinjuku and Shibuya station by subway (1,100JPY)

...60 mins = From Tokyo station via JR train (1,680JPY)

= If necessary, we can extend the tour for another hour if you want more time for shopping, dining, sake-tasting, and seeing the Hikawa Shrine or Honmaru Goten (the former Kawagoe Castle).

{1} Involves a lot of walking. {2} Weekend crowd could affect tour duration. {3} Some stores and museums are closed on Mondays.

Important message from the guide

Multiple-day bookings are encouraged. I might have greater flexibility in opening closed slots in this case. Let's talk about it. Send me a message! :‑)

MORE INFO:

= We use public transportation (train, subway, bus and/or taxi) in my tours as it's the best way to see the city.

= A custom tour = Please book at least SIX HOURS = 45,000JPY

= The meet-up time marks the official start of the tour.

= Hotel pick-ups = only in Central Tokyo, Yokohama, and a few hotels in Kawasaki.

= Four-hour tours available = Tokyo, Harajuku & Shibuya, Odaiba, Shinjuku, Ueno, Yokohama, and antique flea market. Please check out the corresponding tour pages.

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

Saitama Tour Reviews

Peter B.

5 / 5

Dec 18, 2023

Scenic Yokohama Walking Tour - 4 hours

Yokohama

6 hours

Dec 18, 2023

“Great tour with Toshi, excellent knowledge, and covered all the key sites”

We arranged to meet Toshi at the station and were immediately put at ease after meeting Toshi. Her knowledge and English were excellent and we experienced many aspects of Yokohama. We enjoyed a Chinese lunch (inexpensive) in China Town followed by a taxi ride to Sankeien Gardens. Again Toshi had very good knowledge of the most interesting aspects of the garden . In summary, we can highly recommend Toshi to provide an excellent private tour of Yokohama.

Toshi H.

(125 reviews)

Thank you, Peter! It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife. Yokohama is one of my favorite places as the bay area is postcard pretty. Yokohama being historically significant yet considered a trend setter makes it very interesting to many visitors. Take care and I hope to tour you to other places in the future!

Ami G.

5 / 5

Nov 24, 2023

Customized tour for 7 hours

Tokyo

7 hours

Customized

Nov 24, 2023

“Great custom tour”

We highly recommend Toshi. We asked for a customized tour for me and wife. A tour that would match our preferences and abilities. Toshi planned and executed just the right tour for us. She even adjusted it on the fly when needed. Toshi proved to be a knowledgeable guide well versed in the history of Japan in general and Tokyo in particular. She is also great fun to spend time with.

Toshi H.

(125 reviews)

Thank you very much, Ami! I'm truly delighted to have you here in Tokyo. We were able to see a variety of places in one day. Our day began with a sense of reverence at Meiji-jingu Shrine. At Harajuku, we witnessed the vibrant fashion trends among the youth. Asakusa provided us with a unique blend of traditional charm and bustling energy. The Imperial Palace stood majestically beside the business district. Tokyo is full of surprises, isn't it? I sincerely hope you continue your Japanese adventure filled with joy and excitement. Enjoy the rest of your Japan adventure! Please take care of yourself.

Ray Q.

5 / 5

Nov 20, 2023

Two-day customized tour (12 hours in total )

Tokyo

2 days

Customized

Nov 20, 2023

“Tokyo with Toshi”

My family and I spent two days with Toshi touring the east and west side of Tokyo. Toshi communicated very well with us in English and took very good care of my 79 year old mother-in-law. We traveled primarily with the trains and I learned how to navigate the train system. Toshi took very good care of us and I would encourage others to take her tour.

Toshi H.

(125 reviews)

Thank you so much, Ray! I had a wonderful time with your family. I felt like a member of your family and I quite enjoyed your company. I am happy that we were able to visit all the places you wanted to see. Asakusa is a traditional town while Shibuya is a hot spot in Tokyo. It was fun to see your family enjoying the local delicacies. Sushi, beef, mochi, crapes, etc. I hope you'll take home a treasure trove of wonderful memories. Enjoy the rest of your stay! Hope to see you again.