This tour covers my favorite places in Tokyo.You can choose three places from the list of more than 30 places in Tokyo, classified as Temple&Shrine, Garden, Shopping, Observatory, Museum, Experience, and Others.
Check out what we are going to do.
Feel free to personalize this offer.
At your hotel
By clicking the (>) mark in the pictures window, you can find the pictures of these places indicated by the same ID number at the bottom of each picture. If you can't see the photos of these places, please use the following link to this tour. (https://triplelights.com/japan/tour/tokyo-by-yuki-651) If you have only one day, I would recommend T1. Meiji shrine, G1. Imperial Palace and T2. Asakusa.
10:00 AM Hotel pick-up
11:00-12:00 Place #1
12:30-13:30 Place #2
13:30-14:30 Lunch
15:00-16:00 Place #3
17:00 Return to your hotel
I will provide a more specific itinerary considering the location of your hotel and the choice three places.
It is one of the most popular Shinto shrines in Japan where you will feel a special sacred atmosphere in a forest (Admission free except Inner garden including the Kiyomasa's well and iris garden (Optional with 500 JPY)). It was built in 1920 to commemorate Emperor Meiji who changed Japan into a democratic industrialized country after a long feudal period.
Asakusa is a very popular area for shopping such as the Nakamise street where you can find Japanese souvenirs with reasonable price. Asakusa has been developed with Senso-Ji temple which was established in 8th century and has been very popular among common people to get rid of illnesses.
It used to be the temple of Tokugawa family who had governed Japan for 265 years. It is not so touristic nor crowded where you can feel Japanese traditional Buddhist atmosphere in front of the statue of Buddha (Admission free).
This Temple is famous for the graves of 48 Ronin who attacked a high ranking samurai named Kira to revenge for their Lord Asano. Its story is well known among Japanese to fight against authority with the samurai spirit (Admission free except its museum (Optional with 500 JPY)).
It is a temple of Tokugawa family who had governed Japan for 265 years. It is a very authentic Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect. There are graves of the Tokugawa Shoguns including the last one, Yoshinobu (Admission free).
A branch of Tosho-Gu Shrine, which worships the 1st Shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, who established Edo Period. (Admission free)
This temple is famous for the numerous statues of cats with one paw raised in invitation for good business. (Admission free)
This shrine was established in 1498 and had been worshiped by the Tokugawa Shogunate as the protection of Edo from evil spirits. (Admission free)
It used to be Edo castle where Tokugawa shogunate had governed Japan for 265 years. You can see several gates and defense house of the castle renovated about 50 years ago. There is a nice Japanese garden, renovated based on a picture of Edo period, but we can't enter the current Palace, including the residence of the emperor (Closed on Monday and Friday. Admission free).
This Japanese garden used to be a Samurai mansion of the Mito Tokugawa family. This garden is a typical strolling type garden of feudal lords, reproduces many scenic places in Japan such as Kyoto and Hida (Admission: 300 JPY).
This garden is next to Shinjuku area, very large, so many kinds of trees and has a well maintained Japanese garden. It is very popular with many kinds of cherry blossoms. (Admission: 200 JPY)
It used to be owned by the Tokugawa Shoguns in Edo period. They enjoyed duck hunting by using trained hawks. This garden is within walking distance from the Tsukiji outer market, which is popular with sea foods. (Admission: 300JPY)
It is a typical strolling type Japanese garden with the collection of big natural stones with different shapes and colors. There are a lot of Koi fish, turtles, and birds in the pond. (Admission: 150 JPY)
It is a typical strolling type Japanese garden in Edo Period made by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu who loved Japanese poems. (Admission: 300 JPY)
Note that you need your passport for Tax Free.
The wholesale area has moved to Tokyosu in October, 2018. But its outer market is very popular where you can taste a variety of foods. There is a new wholesale area where you can see many kinds of fish including a big tuna. (Admission free)
There are large department stores, brand shops and Kitty land. How about lunch at Ginza Six? Or you can buy Japanese foods and eat at a table there.
A busy area for shopping, food, cat cafe, owl cafe, and hedgehog cafe. (Admission: 1,000 to 2,000 JPY/h for animal cafe)
Shopping, Godzilla road and its observation deck, Please watch my video below! (Admission free)
Newly developed area by Tokyo Bay with a lot of modern shops and facilities. (Some facilities request an admission fee)
There are many electrical appliance shops. (Admission: Owl cafe: 2,000 JPY per hour, Maid cafe: from 2,000 JPY)
It is a department store of used figurines. (Admission free)
There are many old local shops for crafts and foods.
You can see Mt Fuji from Tokyo on a clear day, but its possibility is about 30%.
The tallest tower in Japan with two observatories at 350m and 450m. (Admission: 2000 JPY for the 350m only, +1000 JPY for the two observatories)
Tokyo City View; Observatory at 270m. It has Sky Deck which is an outdoor observatory. (Admission: 1,800 JPY, +500 JPY for Sky Deck)
Tokyo tower is a nice place to observe Tokyo without waiting so long. If the sky is clear, you can see Mt.Fuji. (Admission: 900 JPY for the main observatory at 150m)
There are two observatories with great view of Tokyo. Currently, only North Tower is available. (Admission free)
Not crowded with good view of the Tokyo Bay area and Tokyo Tower from 150m. (Admission: 670 JPY per adult including the guide)
The most popular museum in Japan, which has the largest collection of Japanese treasures such as statues of Buddha, Japanese sword, Japanese painting, and Kimono. The museum has a nice museum shop for souvenirs. (Admission: 600 JPY per adult)
Samurai Museum has something new, where you can observe real Samurai armors and swords with background explanation from a staff, You can take pictures with the armors on you. (Admission: 1800 JPY per adult and 800 JPY per child)
Many kinds of moving computer graphics are projected on the walls of dark rooms. You will have a very strange experience, so different from the real world. Great fun for adults as well as children. https://borderless.teamlab.art/, Please watch my video below!, (Admission: 3,200 JPY per adult, 1,000 JPY per child under 14.)
Unique Museum for Edo Period, including scale models of Edo Castle, display of the daily life of common people. Must see for those are interested in Japanese history. (Admission: 600 JPY per adult)
Nezu collection of traditional Japanese arts with a very unique and quiet garden. (Admission: 1,100 JPY)
This museum is more focused on the life of common people in Edo. The real scale model houses look very real. (Admission: 400 JPY)
Ninja experience is a new place for children to practice some arts of Ninja. Forty minutes practice of basic skills of Ninja such as throwing shurikens. (Admission: 1,000 JPY, closed on Tue. and Wed.)
Experience a formal tea ceremony with English guidance for 60 min. (Previous reservation required. Admission: 2700 JPY/ adult)
You can eat all the strawberries you pick. They are sweet and delicious. (April and May only, Admission: 2,500 JPY per adult, 2,000 JPY per child, Reservation needed, please ask.)
Tokyo Carmii mosque is the largest mosque in Tokyo, it is a beautiful mosque and open to public. (Admission free)
At your hotel
1. Easier to Go; You can explore the most popular places in Tokyo without being bothered by her most complicated transportation system.
2. Memorable Tour; I will explain the historical or cultural background of each place by using my document installed in my iPad which will make it more memorable for you.
3. Flexible Plan; The tour is very flexible with time and places according to your interest.
4. Delicious Foods; Japanese food is very important part of my tour, I will take you to my favorite restaurant for lunch during the tour.
Guide fee
Hotel pick up
Transportation cost of the guide within Tokyo
Transportation cost of you (about 1,000 JPY each within Tokyo).
Transportation cost of the guide outside of Tokyo (if you stay outside of Tokyo such as Disneyland)
Lunch cost of you and the guide (from 1,000 JPY)
Entrance fees (shown in the description of each place in highlights)
We will use public transportations during this tour but we can take a taxi if you want.
I can lend you an IC card for easy use of public transportations and help you to charge your deposit in it.
- The tour guide is not available on Monday.
- Please, send a direct message to the tour guide for confirming the availability before booking
We use the subways to visit the places. I will rend you an IC card for public transportation, please pay me 1,000 JPY each for you and me at the beginning of the tour.
Yes, I can go to Narita airport in the morning from 8:00AM.
I will use public transportation as much as possible.
If you have much luggage, you'd better take a taxi which costs about 200USD.
I will take you to my tour after leaving your luggage at your hotel.
I will take you to your hotel after the hotel for checking in.
The extra cost will be 10,000 JPY including the transportation cost of mine.
The following is typical schedule.
10:00 Hotel pick up
10:30-12:00 Meiji shrine
12:00-13:00 lunch
13:30-15:00 Imperial palace
15:30-16:30 Asakusa
17:00 return to the hotel
If we go to Meiji shrine, Tsukiji and imperial palace shown above, we are going to walk 20,000 steps.
If you think it's too much, I can arrange places so that you don't have to walk so much.
The auction will start at 5:30AM and you need a ticket to attend it.
The number of ticket is limited to be 120 and it is becoming more and more difficult.
So I don't take you to the auction.
Yuki is an excellent Zoom online guide. He is knowledgeable about Kamakura and very keen to guide me. I strongly recommend him to you.
Dear Masato, Thank you for taking time to write such a good review of my tour. I hope my tour would be useful for making your own online tour. Best regards, Yuki
Thankyou for your splendid tour Yuki. It was an enjoyable expierence and you are well versed in escapism.
Dear Bradley, Thank you for giving me the remark with many stars. I hope this virtual tour will help you when you come to Japan in the future. Best regards, Yuki
We are so grateful for two amazing days in Tokyo. We saw SO MUCH that we could not have managed by ourselves especially with the complicated subways! Yuki took us to so amazing spots that we could not have known about or seen so quickly in two days.
Dear Debbie, Thank you for taking my tour. I am very happy if you enjoyed it. Please give my best regards to Dave, too. Yuki
An awesome day in Kyoto followed by some Tokyo highlights .. Yuki was an awesome guide - very knowledgeable, knew the best restaurants, public transport system, Japanese history and culture .. we enjoyed an awesome 2 days with him :) Thanks !
Dear Andrew, Thank you for taking my tours. I was very much upset when I found that we were waiting at different places. But we met just before the departure of the Shinkansen and saw Mt. Fuji from the window of the train. We delayed for the tea ceremony in Kyoto, but you made it through and arrived Kinkaku-Ji temple before the sun set. It was a memorable tour for me, too. Please give my best regards to your family. Yuki