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 Kawagoe castle and the old warehouse district of Kurazukuri. Take a day trip outside of Tokyo and discover the historic Kawagoe.
At your hotel
- I will meet you near the reception. I will show your name on my iPad.
I will pick you up at your hotel near the reception.
Take a train from Ikebukuro station to Kawagoe station and take a local bus there.
Nakain Temple; Enjoy strolling around this small, peaceful temple and be impressed with the spectacular architecture and traditional Japanese garden. Founded in 830 AD, by a Buddhist priest Jikaku Daishi, the temple relatively resembles those in Kyoto. In Spring, all the flowers, including Sakura will bloom together.
Kitain Temple; One of the most famous Buddhist temples in Kawagoe, attracting both locals and foreigners to visit. The over 500 mysterious Buddhist pupil statues, called Gohyaku Rakan, make this temple more amazing. Most of the buildings in this temple are part of the former Edo Castle, which is worth visiting. (Admission: 400 JPY per adult)
Lunch; Please try Japanese noodles with crunchy tempura or BBQ eel, which are the most famous dishes of Kawagoe.
Kawagoe Castle; We will visit the spectacular Kawagoe Castle, which used to be a residence of Tokugawa’s allies, and witness amazing cultural estates, such as the tranquil traditional Japanese garden, tatami rooms, and paintings. (Closed on Mondays, Admission: 100 JPY per adult)
Hikawa Shrine; Enjoy walking around this lovely shrine with its relaxing atmosphere. This shrine is very famous for love and relationships. One of the highlights is that the shrine houses the largest wooden Torii gate in Japan, which was moved from the Meiji Shrine. (Admission free)
Kurazukuri Street and Kashiya Yokocho; No visit to Kawagoe is complete without walking through this historic pedestrian 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.
End of the tour
At your hotel
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 and for Kawagoe Castle, 100 yen.
- Kawagoe Castle, museums and some shops in Kurazukuri Street are closed on Monday.
- The tour guide is not available on Monday.
- Please, send a direct message to the tour guide for confirming the availability before booking
Not available on Mondays.
There is little restriction due to COVID 19 in 2023. I was vaccinated six times with the Pfizer one.
“Excellent Tour”
Yuki was an excellent tour guide. He communicated with us before our tour to set up what we wanted to visit and also gave us advice on getting train cards at the airport. He met us at our hotel right on time. He showed us how to use the trains and we used them all through our tour. He was very informative about the places that we visited. He is a very nice man. My wife and I highly recommend his tour.
Yuki K.
(351 reviews)Dear Mike, Thank you for taking time to write such a excellent review of my Tokyo tour. We visited Meiji-Shrine, Asakusa, and Tokyo National Museum. I hope you can visit the Imperial Palace, Koishikawa Koraku-en Garden, and Tsukiji outer market tomorrow by yourself. Please enjoy your travel in Japan. Yuki
“Unagi in Asakusa”
Yuki was great! He speaks English well, knew his way around, and coordinated a nice day for us. We booked a tour with him for our first day in Tokyo - we visited the Tokyo Sky Tree, Asakusa, and the Outer Market. My husband was eager to try unagi during our visit and Yuki went out of his way to find a restaurant where it was being served. The tour was a fantastic introduction to Tokyo, as well as its subway system. Thank you, Yuki!
Yuki K.
(351 reviews)Dear Annie, Thank you for your review. There are shops serving eel in Tsukiji, but they were closed on Sunday. So we tried to find a good place in Asakusa. Although my favorite restaurant was not available when we arrive there after 2PM. We were lucky to find one who serves grilled eel over steamed rice for your husband. Thank you for taking my tour. Yuki
“Excellent tour guide!”
Our tour guide was Yuki. We went to three locations in Tokyo. Yuki was very knowledgeable & very patient & went above & beyond for my friend who needed a PASMO card for our trip. Highly recommend!
Yuki K.
(351 reviews)Dear Lily, Thank you for your review. It was good to find a Passport PASMO as it’s getting harder recently. Please enjoy your stay in Japan. Thank you for talking my tour. Yuki