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One-Day Imperial and Cultural Tokyo (Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Imperial Palace Gardens, Ueno)

Torii Gate at Meiji Shrine

Ritual at Meiji Shrine

Takeshita-dori Shopping Street

Imperial Palace East Gardens : Fujimi Watch Tower

Imperial Palace East Gardens : Stone Foundation of the Main Tower

Imperial Palace East Gardens : Ninomaru Gardens

Moat of the Imperial Palace.

Ueno Park : Toshogu Shrine

Ueno Park : Torii Gates at Hanazono Shrine

Ueno Park : Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo

One-Day Imperial and Cultural Tokyo (Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Imperial Palace Gardens, Ueno)

Highlights

Joined 2018

Hiroshi S.

4.93 / 5

(54 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Tokyo

Japanese (Native), English

8 hours

Private tour (only you and Hiroshi S.)

Up to 5 people

Enjoy old and new Tokyo through this tour!

Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest and most famous shrines in Tokyo. Along Omotesando Street in Harajuku many luxury brand shops are located, and Takeshita-dori Street near Omotesando Street is known as a shopping place for young people.

Imperial Palace East Gardens are a big beautiful park near Tokyo Station.

In Ueno they have a lot of temples and shrines, and also museums such as Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science, etc.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

09:00 AM

Meeting Point

Your hotel

- I will meet you near the reception in the lobby of your hotel.

09:00 AM

Your Hotel

Pick up at your hotel. Go to Meiji Shrine by public transportation.

09:30 AM

Meiji Shine

Visit Meiji Shrine and Harajuku.

Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest Shinto shrines where the soul of Emperor and Empress Meiji are enshrined. Surrounded by forests, this area of Meiji Shrine is a place for Japanese people to relax. If you are lucky, you may see a Japanese traditional wedding.

Harajuku

There are two main streets in Harajuku. One is Omote-sando Street where many famous boutiques are located, and the other is Takeshita-dori Street where many shops that young people are interested in. Takeshita-dori Street is known as a fashion hub for young generations. You can find a lot of interesting things in Harajuku.

12:00 PM

Imperial Palace East Gardens

Imperial Palace is former Edo Castle, and the East Gardens are a big beautiful park near Tokyo Station. You can see buildings of the Edo period such as stone walls and watch towers, and walk around the Japanese garden with a pond, stone lanterns, flowers, etc. We will have lunch nearby.

02:30 PM

Ueno

We will walk around Ueno Park.

During the period of Tokugawa shogunate, Ueno was a home for Buddhist temples and people living in those days. One of the most famous temples is Kan-eiji Temple which was originally established in 1625 as a family temple of Tokugawas.

Kan-eiji temple has several sub-temples such as Kiyomuzu Kannondo, Bentendo, etc. Kiyomizu Kannondo was built in the 17th century and modeled after Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. They enshrine one-thousand-armed Kannon in the hall.

Bentendo was originally built in the 17th century, but rebuilt in the middle of the 20th century because it was burnt down during WWII. They enshrine eight-handed goddess of knowledge, art, and beauty.

You can also visit Toshogu Shrine where Tokugawa's three shoguns, the 1st shogun Ieyasu, the 8th shogun Yoshimune, and the 15th shogun Yoshinobu, are enshrined. This shrine is said to have benefits for the success in business, victory in competition, health and longevity, etc.

In addition, there are several museums, festival hall, zoo which is famous for pandas, etc. in Ueno Park.

04:30 PM

Ueno

Go back to your hotel by public transportation.

05:00 PM

Your Hotel

End of the tour.

Ending Point

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

What‘s included

1. Guide fee

2. Hotel pick-up

* Hotel pick-up is included if your hotel is located near a station on JR Yamanote Line or inside the circle of JR Yamanote Line. If extra transportation fees are necessary for hotel pick-up, I will let you know.

What‘s not included

1. Transportation fee (you and your guide) : About 1000 yen/adult

2. Admission fee (you and your guide)

3. Lunch (you and your guide)

4. Beverages (beer, juice, etc.)

Tour Important Information

(1) The Imperial Palace East Gardens are usually closed on Mondays and Fridays, except for national holidays.

(2) This tour is available for groups of 6 or more. Please inquire about guide fees for groups of 6 or more.

*** FAQ ***

(Q) Can I add or delete the places to visit?

(A) Yes! You can add or delete the places to visit. Please let me know the places you want to visit. I will make a customized tour for you.

Important message from the supplier

Nothing speceial.

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 2018

Hiroshi S.

4.93 / 5

(54 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Hiroshi S.

Hello, I'm Hiroshi.

I am a National Government Licensed Tour Guide Interpreter in English. I received a master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the U.S.

I have lived in a city of Fujisawa, which is a city next to Kamakura, for more than 20 years, and also used to live in Kamakura for more than 10 years. So far, I have visited almost all the temples and shrines in Kamakura. I am sure I can offer you a pleasant trip to the historical city!

In addition to Kamakura, I can also guide you around Tokyo, Yokohama, Hakone, Nikko, etc. because I have visited many places in Kanto area. For example, in Tokyo I can show you around many sightseeing spots, such as Asakusa, Tsukiji, Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Skytree, etc.

I like baseball and used to play baseball, but now enjoy watching professional baseball games. And I like watching Rakugo, Japanese traditional story-telling performance.

Of course, I also like travelling very much, and am interested in Japanese culture and history. So I would like to show you Japanese tradition and culture.

Let’s enjoy a trip in Japan together.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon.

Reviews

Jolanta J.

5 / 5

Jan 23, 2026

Half-Day Tokyo Highlights : Tsukiji Fish Market, Vibrant Harajuku, and Trendy Shibuya

Jan 23, 2026

Tokyo

4 hours 30 mins

“great day with super nice guide”

I really recommend to visit Tokyo with a guide. This way you avoid being lost many times and waste of time. I am very happy I met Hiroshi! He not only showed me great places in Tokyo, but also helped me find a gift I was looking for. I am very grateful for all his help and very nice company. The trip in his company was a great pleasure. He is not only competent guide, but also very good and kind man. Thank you again Hiroshi, for great time and all your help!

Hiroshi S.

Thank you for taking your time to write a review. Tokyo's transportation system is very convenient, but also very complicated. I hope this tour helped you become familiar with it a little. We visited the Imperial Palace, Harajuku, and Shibuya, and I hope you were able to feel the Edo period atmosphere at the Imperial Palace, the New Year's mood at Meiji Shrine, and the crowds at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. If you have the opportunity to come to Japan, please contact me again. Let's enjoy Japanese culture and customs together!

Marie H.

5 / 5

Nov 18, 2025

One-Day Hakone Nature and History Expedition (Owakudani, Boat Cruise on Lake Ashi, Hakone Sekisho)

Nov 18, 2025

Hakone

9 hours 30 mins

“EXCELLENT ”

Fabulous ~ his love enthusiasm for his country is special Truly a great day A good 12k walking so wear comfortable shoes

Hiroshi S.

Thank you for writing a review. I enjoyed the tour to Hakone with you. Hakone was much busier than I expected. We had to wait to ride on the gondola and sightseeing boat, but I would be happy you enjoyed the tour. Although we were not able to see Mt. Fuji due to the clouds, but we were able to see the volcanic activity at Owakudani. We also learned about the history of Hakone at the Hakone Checkpoint. I look forward to seeing you again in Japan!

Laura S.

5 / 5

Nov 1, 2025

Half-Day Tokyo Highlights : Tsukiji Fish Market, Vibrant Harajuku, and Trendy Shibuya

Nov 1, 2025

Tokyo

4 hours 30 mins

“Great day in Tokyo ”

We loved our day and highly recommend. Super informative and flexible to what we wanted to see and do.

Hiroshi S.

Thank you for writing a review. I enjoyed two days with all of you. I hope you enjoyed the seafood and youth culture in Tokyo. Unfortunately, we were not able to see Mt. Fiji because of the clouds in Hakone, but enjoyed black eggs and boat cruise on the lake. There are many popular tourist destinations near Tokyo, such as Nikko, Yokohama, Kamakura, etc. I hope we can meet again in the near future. Let’s enjoy Japan’s culture and nature together!