Day Trip to Kawagoe: Temples, Local Food, Castle & More!
Joined 2014
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.
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.
At your hotel
I will pick you up at your hotel near the reception.
10:00-11:30 Travel from Tokyo to Kawagoe
Take a train from Ikebukuro station to Kawagoe station and take a local bus there.
11:30-12:00 Nakain Temple
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.
12:00-13:00 Kitain Temple
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)
13:00-13:30 Lunch
Lunch; Please try Japanese noodles with crunchy tempura or BBQ eel, which are the most famous dishes of Kawagoe.
14:00-14:30 Kawagoe Castle
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)
15:00-15:30 Hikawa Shrine
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)
16:00-17:00 Kurazukuri Street and Kashiya Yokocho
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.
17:00-18:00 Take trains to Tokyo
At your hotel.
End of the tour
Ending Point
At your hotel
Want to personalize this tour?
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 and for Kawagoe Castle, 100 yen.
Tour Important Information
- 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.
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
Joined 2014
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 more deeply than just visiting there by yourself or a member of 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
Celia K.
“Would have not made it without YUKI!”
Almost overwhelming, but in such a good way! Honestly, we would not have made it through the labyrinth of subways, buses, trains, and train stations without Yuki’s expert guidance. It was so satisfying to do Tokyo like a local!
Yuki K.
Dear Celia Thank you for your review just after our tour to Kamakura. I was worried about Marty for his bad knee but he made it at Hesedera temple to walk up many stairs. I tried to make our public transportations easy but they were crowded sometimes. I'll be glad if my tour helps you enjoy traveling Japan. Thank you for taking my tour. Yuki
Carla E.
“A great day in Japan with Yuki! ”
A huge thank you to Yuki for a wonderful day in Japan! He crafted a personalized itinerary, and the tea ceremony workshop was one of the highlights of our trip. Yuki's extensive knowledge and warmth made the experience truly special. His helpfulness and attention to detail ensured a seamless and enjoyable day. We're so grateful to have had Yuki as our guide.
Yuki K.
Dear Carla Thank you for taking your time to write the review of my tour. I enjoyed the tea ceremony and sushi lunch with your family in Asakusa. The cherry blossoms start to bloom now and I hope you can see their full bloom during your stay. Please make the best of your time in Japan. Please give my best regards to your family. Yuki
Janet H.
“Excellent Tokyo tour either Yuki!”
My husband and I had the pleasure of touring with Yuki today. We explored the lovely Imperial Palace East Gardens, the Fukagawa Edo Museum, enjoyed a fabulous sushi lunch, the gorgeous Kiyosumi Gardens, and the Hie Shrine. Yuki was especially knowledgeable about the Imperial Palace East gardens. We asked him many questions all day, and he proved patient and knowledgeable. We learned a lot and would definitely recommend Yuki!
Yuki K.
Dear Janet Thank you very much for writing such a good review of my tour. You are the perfect guests for the historical places we visited today. I'm glad if you like the sushi place I found recently. They serve very good fish from Toyosu, the new whole sale market, moved from Tsukiji. Please enjoy your stay in Japan. Yuki
$200/ per group
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