This tour covers my recommendations in Tokyo. Please choose 2-3 places from the list first, and I may add some attractive spots near your choices if possible and make an itinerary according to your health condition and interests. If you have other places you want to go, please feel free to ask me.
At you hotel lobby
Omotesando is a beautiful avenue lined with zelkova trees on both sides that provides a relaxing atmosphere. It is also lined with refined shops including high-end brand shops, cafés, as well as all sorts of restaurants. It's popular to enjoy walking in the Minami Aoyama district to Roppongi! (1.5km form Omotesando to The National Art Center in Roppongi)
-The Nezu Museum in Aoyama: popular among foreigners not only for its collection but also its amazing garden.
-The National Art Center in Roppongi: designed by the famous architect, Kisho Kurokawa. The restaurant and café in this building are also fantastic!
Well known for good restaurants and long-established department stores. Basement floors of those departmentsstores are full of beautiful sweets, food and prepared dishes, which have captured the eyes and hearts of many foreign tourists.
Kabukiza and Tukiji Fish Market is nearby.
-KABUKIZA : You can enjoy watching just one act of Kabuki play there by buying the same day ticket.
I'd like t to take you to the best shop in the market where you can eat amazing tuna and other fish. It should be the best tuna you'll ever eat in your life!
Of course, you can find anything related to food from fresh fish, meats, fruit, vegetables, and dried foods to knives and kitchenware. Tsukiji is also a famous gourmet spot.
-Tokyo Metropolitan Government building: One of Tokyo's landmarks with free observatories on the 45th floor popular among foreign tourists
-Omoide-yokocho / Golden-gai: narrow alleys lined with tiny bars and shops that offer something to go with sake like yakitori, and more
-huge electronics stores such as Yamada Denki, Bic Camera, and Yodobashi Camera, which offer plenty of equipment such as PCs and electrical home appliances
-must-spot for girls' anime fan. Otome-street is lined with anime-related shops, especially girls' anime
-Sunshine Aquarium: first rooftop aquarium in Japan based on the concept of “an oasis in the sky”
-J-WORLD-TOKYO: indoor theme park full of animated cartoons from popular comic book “Jump” such as “One piece” “Dragon ball” and “Naruto”
-Nanjatown: indoor theme park that provides everything from amusement to food all at once, which is popular with groups as well as couples
You can fully enjoy the color of Tokyo from the different angle along the Sumida River toward Tokyo Bay and see many types of bridges spanning the river during an hour cruise.
One of the most popular tourist destinations. Senso-ji Temple, famous for its huge red lantern is the oldest and biggest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. But do you know that Asakusa-jinja Shrine is in the same grounds? You can learn about the coexistence of Buddhism and Shintoism here. You can buy traditional Japanese souvenirs at the shopping arcade called Nakamise.
Popular among both adults and kids. There are also several kids' places such as the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, an indoor amusement park along with fancy several attractive malls for adults.
-Ueno Park: designated in 1873 as the first park in Japan. In the huge grounds are a museum complex, zoo, and Toshogu Shrine, which was built in 1627 upon request by Tokugwa Ieyasu in his will.
-Ameyoko (short for Ameya-yokocho) is famous for its extremely cheap seasonal goods and other wares such as cosmetics, shoes, sporting goods, leather jackets and jeans.
Old town with several popular coffee shops, temples and shrines, and the famous Kiyosumi-garden, which is one of the greatest masterpieces in Japanese-style gardens in Tokyo.
-Taishakuten Temple may not be so widely known to foreign tourist, but it’s been popular among Japanese people because the temple and the approach lined with many long-established shops used to be a set of the movie titled ‘Tora-san’, which has been loved by the Japanese for many years. The carvings attached to the walls of the temple is absolutely overwhelming. You can enjoy the temple house as well as its beautiful garden.
-Yamamoto House: If you'd like to see a traditional Japanese house, it's absolutely a good choice. You can enter the house taking off your shoes, and even enjoy sweets with green tea.
The highest communications and observation tower in Japan, whose observation decks command a breath-taking panorama of Tokyo and surrounding area. There are also a planetarium, an aquarium, and a lot of shops and restaurants, so people from all age groups can enjoy there.
-Tokyo Staion: completed in 1914, designated Important Cultural Property, was restored to its original form in 2012.
Recently, many eateries and popular sweets shops have opened their branches in Tokyo station building.
-Imperial Palace: The Edo Castle, formerly the Tokugawa Family’s residence, became the Imperial Palace as the Emperor moved to Tokyo from the Kyoto Imperial Palace after the Meiji Restoration.
- KITTE: a commercial facility run by Japan Post. You can enjoy shops that let you experience Japanese craftsmanship as well as restaurants that serve delicious food from across Japan.
The center of electric, comic, card game shops, maid cafes, and anime products. The shop filled with many toy vending machine selling capsule toys called “Gasha-pon” is also popular along with the instant photo booth, Pri-Kura.
-Kanda Myojin Shrine: supposedly built in 730, which is dedicated to Taira no Masakado. The vermilion-lacquered main hall is spectacular. It’s also a sanctuary for anime fans now because of the scene of a popular anime “Love Live”. Adjacent to the Akihabara district, you can find omikuji sold in a capsule toy style.
A Sanctuary for Otaku (geek, nerd, or freak); enjoy Japanese sub-culture fully at Nakano Broadway. If you love a certain anime character, you can even make your cell-phone case printed your favorite one. Anyway, everything Otaku want is here.
Pop fashion & shopping area: all sorts of fashion categories, popular snack like colorful cotton candy, and unique cafes such as Cat Cafe, Dog Cafe, Hedgehog Cafe and Pig Cafe are available there.
Teenager shopping area: Walking from Harajuku to Shibuya, you can see shop windows displaying the latest fashion for the young. And you can visit to Shibuya station to see the Hachiko statue and the ‘human scramble’ traffic crossing.
Located in Harajuku, Shibuya, it’s popular among foreign tourists. The 'Well of Kiyomasa' in this garden has become famous as a so-called power spot. Pure water has been welling up for more than 400 years.
It must be amazing to walk in the beautiful man-made forest in the middle of city.
Famous for its Sanno Festival, one of the three biggest festivals in Japan. You can also see the National Diet Building and other important buildings nearby.
Situated near Tokyo Tower, Zojoji Temple is the chief temple of the Jodo-Buddhist sect. It had a deep connection to the Tokugawa Shogunate family. Just behind the temple is Toyo Tower. The beautiful combination of Zojo-ji Temple and Tokyo Tower is really photogenic!
It's called ‘o-Ise-sama in Tokyo’, this shrine is especially popular among young women who want to encounter their future husband. You can get a pretty charm on which flowers or Hello Kitty is embroidered.
If you are interested in shrines, please visit my blog, "Visiting Tokyo ten shrines"
At the final destination or your hotel
Making your original itinerary, Guide fee, Hotel pick-up (in 23 ward in Tokyo)
Transportation fee (you and guide), lunch, entrance fee for you and a guide
Please join my tour with the shoes which comforable for walking.
This is a walking tour. We use public transportation mainly. The rate doesn't include the fare for your transportation, entrance fee and lunch.
If you have any concern about the tour, please let me know in advance. Its my pleasure to do my homewark to get rid of your anxiety.
It's good for you to carry a decent amount of Japanese Yen with you. You can use this for transportation, snacks, souvenirs etc… Many small markets in Tokyo are cash-only, though most shops and restaurants accept credit cards.
Estimated Local Cash Needed:
Transportation expenses: about 1,000yen/person ( JR or Tokyo Metro)
Tokyo Bay cruise from Asakusa to Daiba: 1,130yen/person
*I can guide you outside Tokyo if you cover my transportation fee.
*Minimum tour is 4 hours. You can make it shorter, but the fee is the same as 4-hour tour. (JPY 20370)
*My guide fee for the night tour (at and after 6:00 pm) is 6,540 JPY per hour.
*I'm available until 9:00 pm.
“Great guide!”
Mayumi was very prepared and had discussed at length our requirements well before we met up for the three days we spent with her. She made sure that we had little or no issues with managing my sister's wheelchair and we enjoyed the itinerary immensely. Thank you Mayumi!
Mayumi H.
(197 reviews)Hi Simona, thank you so much for posting such a great review for me. It was actually a great experience for me to be with you for three days. I was moved to see your sister enjoying life while being considerate of those around her even in a wheelchair. I was also moved by your warm heart and dedicated support for your sister. Thank you for including me in your assistance. I learned a lot from you two. I hope our paths will cross again in the future. Have a lovely life! Best regards, Mayumi
“2nd tour with Mayumi”
Mayumi was our tour guide back in 2018 and we had such a great time with her that we rebooked her when we visited Japan this May. Let me just say that she is by far the best tour guide we ever had. She has a great personality and energy, is knowledgeable, and knows all the special spots to see. Our family of three really enjoyed having her show us around. She met us at our hotel and together we used the subway to get around. She even helped us reserve our seats for our train to Kyoto. I highly recommend her for any tour in Japan. The Hartleys from San Francisco, California
Bridget H.
A special tour exclusively for Bridge
Customized
“Modern Tokyo Highlights”
We had a great tour with Mayumi seeing a lot of modern Tokyo highlights. She was very responsive to all of our pre-tour questions and adjusting the itinerary. She also took special care to help find a lunch place that could accommodate my dietary restrictions (gluten and shellfish allergies). We saw so much and she knew all the best routes to get between locations and shared so much helpful information with us along the way.
Mayumi H.
(197 reviews)Hi Bridget, thank you for posting such a great review for me. I really appreciate it! The first thing that comes to mind when I think of you is that you two are very good photographers. I can imagine that you are busy making an album of this Japan tour. I'd like to see it when you come back to me in the future. There are still many other things you should take pictures in Tokyo, and excursions from Tokyo would be nice next time. I'll keep finding good restaurants for you. Looking forward to our next adventure! Kind regards, Mayumi