Tokyo Private Tour: English Guide Driver, Minibus with Aircon

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  Visit the area to take pictures, or take the elevator to up to the observation deck.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 2

  Take the elevator to 52nd floor, for a panoramic view of the city. On a clear day you can see mount Fuji. We recommend this location at sunset, when you can see the lights of Tokyo be illuminated. This is a preferable high-view location than Skytree, which is very congested and can take hours to see, but we will be happy to take you there instead if preferred.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 3

  This is Tokyo's oldest, and possibly most famous temple, with a strikingly tall gate, beautiful buildings and in addition, a 5-storey pagoda, with a beautiful central garden.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4

  Beside Senso-ji temple is Nakamise street, where you can enjoy a pleasant stroll. If you want to, you can also rent traditional kimonos by the hour, to take pictures with.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5

  Meiji Jingu is one of the Shinto shrines in Japan, with the vast land of the forest (70 ha.), located in the middle of the megacity, Tokyo. Once you step into this precinct, you will forget that you are in the hustle bustle city, and will find Japanese traditional scene amidst greenery nature. It was established in 1920, to commemorate the virtue of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken who took the initiative to make a foundation of modernized Japan. Meiji Jingu is open everyday, but opening hours vary depending on the season.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  Tokyo Imperial Palace is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo. It is the place of residence of Japan's Emperor & his family. From Kokyo Gaien, the large plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, visitors can view the Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The stone bridge in front is called Meganebashi (Eyeglass Bridge) for its looks. The bridge in the back was formerly a wooden bridge with two levels, from which the name Nijubashi (Double Bridge) is derived. The inner grounds of the palace are generally not open to the public. Guided tours of the palace grounds are available and take about 75 minutes. These tours are led in English and Japanese daily at 10:00 and 13:30 except on Mondays, Sundays and national holidays. Registrations before the start of the tours can be booked at the Kikyomon Gate.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
• 7

  The Imperial Palace East Gardens (皇居東御苑, Kōkyo Higashi Gyoen) are a part of the inner palace area and are open to the public. They are the former site of Edo Castle's innermost circles of defense, the honmaru ("main circle") and ninomaru ("secondary circle"). None of the main buildings remain today, but the moats, walls, entrance gates and several guardhouses still exist. The gardens are beautifully kept and particularly stunning in spring, during cherry blossom season, and in autumn with all the reds, yellows, browns, greens & yellows of the season.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8

  Omotesando is often described as the Champs Elysees of Tokyo. Here, you will find the most fashionable stores, interesting side streets to explore, dotted with interesting cafes and restaurants to stop and relax at too. If you want to see the most fashionable Tokyoites, this is the place!

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9

  It is said that Tokyo doesn't have one city center, but many. This is another high-end shopping area, with the main street lined with fashion goods. Side streets are also fun to explore and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes to stop at & relax too.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  Although the original huge Tokyo fish market has moved (& is no longer open to the general public), the outer fish market still very much exists. If you enjoy eating Sushi, then we would strongly recommend planning to enjoy your lunch or dinner here, at one of the Sushi Zanmai restaurants (there are several), which are especially well-known for the tuna they serve.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 11

  Rikugien is considered Tokyo's most beautiful Japanese landscape garden, alongside Koishikawa Korakuen. Built around 1700 for the 5th Tokugawa Shogun, "Rikugien" means "six poems garden" and reproduces in miniature 88 scenes from famous poems. The garden is a good example of an Edo Period strolling garden and features a large central pond surrounded by man-made hills and forested areas, all connected by a network of trails.

  1 hour • Admission ticket not included
• 12

  Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. There is a beach, known as a dating destination for young Japanese, and at night there are beautiful views of Tokyo bay. The statue of liberty was permanently installed in Odaiba, year 2000 as a symbol of friendship between Japan and France.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 13

  One of the most identifiable landmarks of Tokyo will always be Shibuya Crossing. The sprawling scramble intersection just outside Shibuya Station is an embodiment of Tokyo itself: action in all directions. Three huge television screens mounted on the buildings facing the intersection flash all day, while the rest of the area is covered with lights, advertisements, and more lights. This sight is best experienced after sunset. Less than 50m away, at the Hachiko exit of Shibuya train station is a bronze statue of Hachi. In the 1920s, this Akita dog would journey to Shibuya Station to wait for his owner to arrive back from his daily commute. One day his owner did not return from work, having suffered a fatal cerebral haemorrhage. This did not deter Hachi, who returned to the same spot to wait for his owner every day for the next nine years.

  20 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14

  A beautiful park, especially during spring's cherry blossom season. Many Tokyoites spend weekends here, enjoying picnics, or just relaxing on the grass. Nearby is Harajuku; one of Tokyo's fashion districts for young people, with fun stores to explore.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15

  Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū) is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line's busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16

  Akihabara is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops and has also gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture. Many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. On Sundays, Chuo Dori, the main street through the district, is closed to car traffic from 13:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from October through March).

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 17

  The Tokyo National Museum (Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) is the oldest and largest of Japan's top-level national museums. The Tokyo National Museum features one of the largest and best collections of art and archeological artifacts in Japan, made up of over 100,000 individual items including nearly a hundred national treasures. At any one time, about 4000 different items from the permanent museum collection are on display. In addition, visiting temporary exhibitions are also held regularly. Good English information and audio guides are available.

  1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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