Japan · GUIDED

The 15 Guided Tours in Japan a First Trip Should Cover

223 tours  ·  from $11 a head

The good ones book out weeks ahead and the best of them faster than that. Below: the 15 to lock in early, what each includes and where they differ.

Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide - How the six-hour plan really works
Government-Licensed Guide Tours, Guided, Licensed Guide Tours in Tokyo, Private, Tokyo Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

1.Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,902 reviews · from $156Our pick

Review of Tokyo’s private six-hour tour with a licensed guide, flexible sights, subway travel, local tips, costs, and honest value advice.

“Our tour guide May was A-May-Zing! My husband and I had limited time to explore Tokyo. May had us seeing and doing a lot in 6 hours than we could have done on our own. Not at all in a fast pace. We also had a great lunch in a local authentic restaurant . He taught us the traditional way to enter Temples and Shrines and to pay our respects. Showing us how to get around in Japan was so helpful, we had other tourist asking him questions. My husband and I met a lifetime friend. He is the coolest tour guide we ever met. Thanks again!”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour - Starting among the red lanterns of Omoide Yokocho
Bar Hopping & Izakaya Tours, Bar Hopping Tours in Tokyo, Drinking Tours, Guided, Tokyo Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Tokyo

Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

2.Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,794 reviews · 3 hours · from $34

Explore Shinjuku’s izakayas, Golden Gai, Kabukicho, sake bars, and karaoke with a local guide on this lively 3-hour Tokyo tour.

“This walking tour was out of the box. It was a great way to meet people and to see local gems that I wouldn’t have discovered before. Out of the group I ended up not feeling the best (thanks to allergies + jet lag :/ ) but the tour guide was so kind and understanding. When I come back I’ll have to do it again!”

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Tokyo: Private City Highlights Tour with Local Guide - Starting in Asakusa and Senso-ji
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Tokyo: Private City Highlights Tour with Local Guide

3.Private City Highlights Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,433 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $106

Review of Tokyo’s private, customizable city highlights tour, with licensed guides, public transit, major sights, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“We had a great tour with Michi who was really friendly and gave us lots of interesting information along the way. We were able to specify exactly where we wanted to go and he also made some recommendations that were great. He was happy to wait while we browsed in some shops along the way. He goes at a good steady walking pace and 4 hours was a great length of time. This was a fantastic way to spend our first morning in Tokyo and navigating the Metro with our guide to help. We would definitely recommend Michi and this tour.”

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Kyoto: Early Morning Tour with English-Speaking Guide - Fushimi Inari Taisha: torii gates before the rush
Guided, Kyoto Tours, Morning, Tour Reviews, Tours

Kyoto Early Morning Tour with English-Speaking Guide

4.Kyoto Early Morning Tour with English-Speaking Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,427 reviews · from $69

Review of Kyoto’s early morning small-group tour to Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, and Kinkaku-ji, with transit tips, costs, and practical advice.

“Great introduction to the classic sites around Kyoto. We were able to travel all around town with our guide via public transportation. That gave us a better understanding of the city layout and lots of time to chat with our local guide for additional tips for independent site seeing the next day.”

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Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Walking Tour - Meeting at Starbucks near Tsukiji Station
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Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Walking Tour

5.Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,397 reviews · 2 hours · from $22

Review of Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market walking tour, with temple history, local food stops, guide tips, pricing, and practical advice.

“I would have gotten lost in the market without our guide. She had a great knowledge of the market and which stalls to stop by. Our small group shared many small plates which made it enjoyable. Highly recommend!”

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Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide - Picking a smart route instead of chasing every sight
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Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

6.Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,394 reviews · from $109

Review of Tokyo’s flexible 4-hour private walking tour, with licensed guides, custom stops, subway help, costs, limits, and booking advice.

“Great tour at great pace! Our guide Seizo is very knowledgable. We visited Shibuya & Imperial Palace. Seizo also helped us navigate the metro which is very helpful. We stopped for lunch near Tokyo Station before continuing to Asakusa. We feel 4 hour is the right amount of time. Longer would be too exhausted for me & my husband. Highly recommended!”

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Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide - Fushimi Inari and Kyoto’s southern temples
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Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

7.Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,369 reviews · from $156

Explore Kyoto with a private licensed guide, custom six-hour route, public transport, famous temples, shrines, markets, and old districts.

“We are extremely happy with our experience. Mishi-san was in early and complete communication with us prior to our arrival in Kyoto. Mishi-san was waiting for us in our lobby and we set off on a whirl wind tour that we had designed with hRead more”

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Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide - Hiroshima Castle, about 90 minutes
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Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide

Tokyo Guided Small-Group Biking Tour - Omotesando, Roppongi Hills, and Aoyama Cemetery
Bike Tours in Tokyo, Cycling Tours, Guided, Tokyo Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Tokyo Guided Small-Group Biking Tour

9.Tokyo Guided Small-Group Biking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,250 reviews · from $106

See Tokyo by bike on a six-hour small-group ride through shrines, parks, Ginza, the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Bay, and Shinjuku.

“Our guide was superb. He was delightful company plus ensured all our safety in the heat. Trying to cover such a large city on foot is impossible, so I highly recommend a bike tour to cover lots of ground in a day.”

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Kyoto: Early Morning Tour with English-Speaking Guide - Fushimi Inari Taisha: torii gates before the rush
Guided, Kyoto Tours, Morning, Tour Reviews, Tours

Kyoto: Early Morning Tour with English-Speaking Guide

10.Early Morning Tour with English-Speaking Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,128 reviews · 5h 30m · from $101

See Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, and Kinkakuji before the crowds on a five-hour Kyoto walking tour with an English-speaking guide.

“We loved our day with Arisa. She was friendly knowledgeable and we enjoyed our time. It was super helpful having guide navigate the different transportation to each of the places we went”

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Kyoto: Nijo-jo Castle and Ninomaru Palace Guided Tour - Meeting at the East Main Gate
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Kyoto: Nijo-jo Castle and Ninomaru Palace Guided Tour

Tokyo: Samurai Ninja Museum Guided tour and Experience - Samurai armor, helmets, and swords up close
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Tokyo: Samurai Ninja Museum Guided tour and Experience

Kanazawa: World Heritage Shirakawa-go Morning Guided Tour - Meeting at Kanazawa Station without confusion
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Kanazawa: World Heritage Shirakawa-go Morning Guided Tour

13.World Heritage Shirakawa-go Morning Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 988 reviews · 5 hours · from $77

Review of the $77 Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go morning tour, with snowy views, local food, guide tips, timing, transport, and practical advice.

“We had the loveliest time on the morning tour to Shirakawa Go with Yasushi. The drive to the village went so quickly as he was so informative, funny and personable. En route we were given a map that helped us navigate the best spots to visit (and where to eat) which made our 2.5 hours very efficient and we managed to see everything we hoped to see. When we arrived we were left to explore on our own which was perfect — the loveliest day to experience this beautiful snowy place and Yasushi was the perfect tour guide! Because we left so early, we were able to see the village…”

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Kyoto: Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour - Kawaramachi gives the evening some context
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Kyoto: Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

14.Izakaya Bars Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 815 reviews · 3 hours · from $25

Explore Kyoto nightlife on a three-hour izakaya walk through Kawaramachi and Kiyamachi, with local bars, sake, food, and friendly company.

“Had a great time on this Izakaya tour in Kyoto. Moto was knowledgeable without being overbearing and did a good job explaining the food, sake, and local context in a way that felt relaxed and genuine. The stops were well chosen, the pacing was comfortable. A solid way to experience Kyoto’s food scene and learn a bit along the way. Would definitely recommend.”

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Kyoto Gion Night Walk & Geisha District Guided Tour - First two hours: wandering through Gion
Evening Experiences, Geisha & Gion District Tours, Guided, Kyoto Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Kyoto

Kyoto Gion Night Walk & Geisha District Guided Tour

New in Guided

★ 5.0Tokyo 6hr Instagram Highlights Private Tour with Licensed GuideFrom $15538 reviews
★ 4.5Tokyo Small Group Tour with GuideFrom $9938 reviews
★ 5.0Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed GuideFrom $15538 reviews
★ 4.5Private Mount Fuji Tour in Luxury Vehicle with English Guide39 reviews
★ 5.0Port Pick-Up: Kochi Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle39 reviews
★ 5.0Next-Generation Local Guide: Private Kobe TourFrom $7939 reviews
★ 5.0Hiroshima & Miyajima: Private Full-Day Tour with a Local GuideFrom $14539 reviews
★ 5.0Nagoya Half-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed GuideFrom $10940 reviews
★ 4.5Tokyo Asakusa & Senso-Ji Walking tour With A GuideFrom $5340 reviews
★ 4.060min Panoramic Open Top Bus Tour with Audio GuideFrom $1440 reviews
★ 4.5Tokyo to Kyoto 1-Full Day Private Guided Tour41 reviews
★ 4.8Scenic Bay Cruise with Local Guide on Private BoatFrom $3841 reviews
★ 5.0Kamakura 6hr Private Walking Tour with Government-Licensed GuideFrom $15542 reviews
★ 5.0Sapporo 4hr Private Tour with Government Licensed GuideFrom $12242 reviews
★ 4.9Kyoto Highlights 7-Hour Private Guided TourFrom $21542 reviews

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Explore Japan

Pick a shrine, a counter or a mountain road.

Shrines and temples

Temples & ShrinesArashiyamaCastlesHistorical ToursMuseums

Tradition

Tea CeremoniesGion & GeishaSamurai & NinjaKimono DressingCraft Workshops

Eating and drinking

Food ToursSushi ClassesCooking ClassesIzakaya CrawlsSake Tastings

Out of the city

Mount FujiSnow MonkeysMiyajimaHot springsCycling Days