Self-Guided Tours

JAPAN

15 Best Self-Guided Tours In Japan

Japan's classics.

The 15 most popular self-guided tours in Japan. What each one is really like, who runs it, and what you will pay.

15 Best Self-Guided Tours In Japan

Tokyo: Open Top Panoramic Sightseeing Bus with Audio Guide

Tokyo: Open Top Panoramic Sightseeing Bus with Audio Guide - Price and Value: What $11 Buys You in Real Sightseeing Time

1.Tokyo: Open Top Panoramic Sightseeing Bus with Audio Guide

Most Popular★ 3.8

Tokyo open-top bus tour with GPS audio in multiple languages, showing Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, Ginza, and more for about 70 minutes.

“I booked the City tour, and later for the same day, the Bay route. Found the meeting place relatively easily with the directions, but the lady who was there to greet people did not speak English and it was hard to communicate. The place had nothing to do with a "VIP lounge" and I wasn't…”

254 reviews1.2 hoursFrom $11by VIP Japan Tour

Check Availability →Read the review →

Tokyo: 60min Panoramic Open Top Bus Tour with Audio Guide

Tokyo: 60min Panoramic Open Top Bus Tour with Audio Guide - How the ride works (and why it matters: not hop-on hop-off)

One Day Private Customized Self-Guided Tour in Kyoto

One Day Private Customized Self-Guided Tour in Kyoto - Price and Value: What $509 Gets You (and When It Feels Worth It)

3.One Day Private Customized Self-Guided Tour in Kyoto

★ 4.2

Customize a 10-hour private Kyoto day with a pro driver and car. Visit Arashiyama, temples, markets, and Gion on your terms.

“Once the tour started after long delays, things went smoother though lack of proper briefing to the activity provider and also issues using private providers with the company NOT seem to be vetting them, creates massive problems. The provider never contacted us till we complained to your company and then ended up going to the…”

11 reviews10 hoursFrom $509by 大阪旅行株式会社

Check Availability →Read the review →

Akihabara: Self-Guided Tour with a special brochure

Akihabara: Self-Guided Tour with a special brochure - Starting at Akihabara Station: Get Oriented Quickly

4.Akihabara: Self-Guided Tour with a special brochure

★ 3.7

A $6 English brochure self-guided day in Akihabara with map links for anime, food, retro games, and even a maid café stop.

“Had a private tour with Keiko and she was absolutely amazing. Nice aboutthis tour is that you get to taste the non-obvious while learning about Tokyo’s past, present and future. Would recommend choosing this tour :)”

11 reviews1 dayFrom $6by Shingo Travel., LLC

Check Availability →Read the review →

Tokyo Self-Guided Audio Tour

Tokyo Self-Guided Audio Tour - How the audio links and interactive map work in real life

5.Tokyo Self-Guided Audio Tour

★ 3.5

Self-guided Tokyo audio tour for $9 with 22 stops from Meiji Jingu to Odaiba, start/stop anytime with offline audio links.

“The commentary did not always go along with our location. When it did, the information provided was not very helpful. My husband and I have done other self guided tours that were fun, informative and they followed our location and gave information based on where we were located. I would NOT recommend this self guided…”

10 reviewsFrom $9.00by Uvamai Niche Tourism

Check Availability →Read the review →

Fushimi Inari Shrine: Explore the 1,000 Torii Gates on an audio walking tour

Fushimi Inari Shrine: Explore the 1,000 Torii Gates on an audio walking tour - Hand Water and the main hall: where the narration slows you down

Hakone: Self Guided Trip to Mt. Fuji // Made by Local Guides

Hakone: Self Guided Trip to Mt. Fuji // Made by Local Guides - Moto Hakone stop: streets, photos, and your first taste of the region

7.Hakone: Self Guided Trip to Mt. Fuji // Made by Local Guides

★ 4.6

Self-guided Hakone day trip from Shinjuku to Mt. Fuji with a clear PDF itinerary, food tips, Lake Ashi pirate cruise, and Owakudani eggs.

“The guide gave us a useful tip for organizing the day trip. It is very clear and easy to understand. I only recommend entering the closing time of each activity to be more flexible with the departure time and organization, considering that in Japan most of the activities close early in the afternoon.”

7 reviews1 dayFrom $3.22by Sunrise Adventure

Check Availability →Read the review →

Osaka Food Quest: Self-Guided Culinary & History Adventure

Osaka Food Quest: Self-Guided Culinary & History Adventure - Konamon Museum: takoyaki culture you can actually see and touch

Kyoto/Osaka: Nara Customizable Self-Guided Tour with Driver

Kyoto/Osaka: Nara Customizable Self-Guided Tour with Driver - Price and value: what you’re really paying for

Tokyo: Open Top Sightseeing Bus with Audio Guide

Tokyo: Open Top Sightseeing Bus with Audio Guide - The meeting point: where you’ll start and why it matters

Tokyo: Sumo Keiko Training Tour with Audio Guide & Photo

Tokyo: Sumo Keiko Training Tour with Audio Guide & Photo - What You Actually Watch During Keiko Training

Osaka Castle & Temple Walking Tour with Multilingual Audio Guide

Osaka Castle & Temple Walking Tour with Multilingual Audio Guide - Chausuyama at Tennoji Park: three quick stops that set the tone

12.Osaka Castle & Temple Walking Tour with Multilingual Audio Guide

★ 5.0

Osaka Castle and Shitennoji Temple walking tour with a multilingual audio guide, a local host in simple English, and standout photo spots.

“I lucked out on this tour and happened to be the only guest that day. The guide AJ Kajiiwara did a thorough job and shared a detailed history of the temples and Osaka castle. I highly recommend this tour and ask for this guide- AJ Kajiwara!”

5 reviewsFrom $35.77by N.E.C.O. Walking Tour

Check Availability →Read the review →

One Day Private Customized Self-Guided Tour in Wakayama

One Day Private Customized Self-Guided Tour in Wakayama - Getting out of Osaka: pickup rules, timing, and luggage reality

13.One Day Private Customized Self-Guided Tour in Wakayama

★ 3.5

Private 10-hour Wakayama day from Osaka with a driver and flexible stops: castle, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, Shirahama coast, rocks and sea caves.

“This tour was an absolute failure in terms of planning and execution. The website lists 11 locations, and I was asked to select a shortlist since it was not possible to visit all. I carefully picked 6 key spots I wanted to see. In the end, we only managed to visit 3. The problem? The…”

4 reviews10 hoursFrom $532by 大阪旅行株式会社

Check Availability →Read the review →

Discover Stunning Nagasaki: Self-Guided Audio Tour

Discover Stunning Nagasaki: Self-Guided Audio Tour - Starting at Glover Garden: Thomas Glover’s Foreign Enterprise

14.Discover Stunning Nagasaki: Self-Guided Audio Tour

★ 3.0

A self-guided English audio walk through Nagasaki, from Glover Garden and Dejima to Sofukuji Temple and Peace Park, set at your pace.

“This is a good idea, but the execution is difficult and clunky. I needed to download the App, which is fine but the suggested links would not open in the app. We spent hours trying to work it out. It ended up in Files on my phone. I did thRead more”

4 reviewsFrom $15.29by Citywalksz Ltd

Check Availability →Read the review →

Historical Hiroshima GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game

Historical Hiroshima GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game - Entering Hiroshima’s remembrance zone at Peace Memorial Museum

15.Historical Hiroshima GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game

★ 1.5

Self-guided Hiroshima GPS walking tour with a phone app: start at Peace Memorial Museum, solve puzzles, and end at Shukkeien Garden.

“Could not get the App to work. Pre-loaded & set up in States, wouldn’t work in Japan. Re did to no avail. Traveled with 6 people total none of us could get the self guided tour to operate. Disappointing for sure. I’ve used Viator for many trips & tours & never had a problem before.”

3 reviewsFrom $13.61by Leplace - interactive self-guided app tours

Check Availability →Read the review →

Most recent

Explore Japan

Cities

Regions

Food & Drink

Culture