The 15 most popular walking tours in Japan. What each one is really like, who runs it, and what you will pay.
2-hour Gion walk with a local guide: see geiko and maiko, learn Geisha culture, visit quiet temples, get Kyoto food and shop picks.
“Yuri gave us a fantastic tour, totally recommend it”
3-hour Tsukiji Fish Market food tour: Wagyu skewers, uni and tuna sightings, and sushi or a seafood bowl with a local guide.
“Amazing tour with knowledgeable guide speaking good English. Tour gives good experience and knowledge about the traditions and culture, customs of Japan”
Walk Gion at night from Minamiza Theatre on a 100-minute small-group tour with geisha trivia, shrines and pagoda views, plus photo service.
“Learned a lot about Japanese culture and geisha! Not too much walking, even for an old guy like me. It was beautiful; and because we went at night time there were no crowds.”
Guided walk through Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens and Edo Castle ruins with a small group, included entry, and real context.
“We had an absolutely amazing time with Tony. He shared a lot of rich context about Tokyo’s history, the Edo period, the Shogunate, the Emperor, and the imperial family, which made the experience incredibly meaningful. Visiting the Imperial Read more”
Nighttime walk through Kyoto’s Gion and Pontocho, meeting geiko and maiko, with stories, shrines, and kabuki history for $20.
“My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this walking tour. Our tour guide Yuki was exceptional with a lot of knowledge about the area and Kyoto itself. If you get the chance to choose your tour guide I can’t talk more highly of Yuki.”
Night walk in Kyoto’s Gion with an English guide, etiquette tips, and a real chance to see geiko and maiko. 100 minutes, $21.
“Absolutely fantastic! We saw both Geiko and Maiko and were in absolute awe. The tour took us to uncrowded and picturesque locations. Small group tour as well, we saw other tours that had over 30 people. We took 3 kids and 1 in a pram and was fine. Absolutely would recommend.”
3-hour Shinjuku bar-hop through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Golden Gai, ending at karaoke. English guide, $34.
“Great fun! Asato-san took us to some really cool places. Awesome group as well and it ended up with karaoke of course 🤪”
Walk Tsukiji’s temples and markets with a local guide, tasting fresh street food at your own pace for $30.
“Haydn was really nice and knowledgeable about the food, but I was surprised that we went to a temple for the first part of the tour. While interesting, we could have done without the temple part.”
2-hour English Asakusa walk featuring Sensō-ji, Nakamise Street, Hoppy Street, and ends at Azuma Bridge. Guided, great value.
“Polina was amazing. She taught us a lot about history as well modern cultural foodie vendors to try. I really enjoyed the tour and it was also great value! Would highly recommend!”
Walk Gion after dark with a small group (max 15) and hear geisha and maiko stories at lantern-lit Kyoto spots.
“It was a very fun tour. Our guide was amazing. Friendly and very knowledgeable on the area. Would highly recommend to our friends and family!”
Guided walk through Tsukiji’s temple and Outer Market with English explanations, photo stops, and street-food ordering help for $22.
“Amazing tour! it is really nice to go with a local. He shared info about the history and gave us very useful recommendations. it was very fun to do it. Really recommended!”
Small-group Nishiki Market brunch walk with 7 tastings, a sit-down meal, and classic Kyoto stops from Shijo Bridge to Pontocho.
“Jimmy gave a great brunch tour. We had done a few tours and learned so much about Kyoto from him. The food was great and the stories even better!”
Osaka walk from Namba to Dotonbori and Kuromon. Takoyaki and a vending-machine drink included on 3–7 hour tours.
“Nothing could be improved. It was fantastic. Within the 2.5-3 hours we got a great overview of the Osaka/Namba area. Our guide was amazing with the information he shared and his energy. It made the tour very informative and entertaining. It was a great way to quickly see the area and learn more about where…”
Small-group Arashiyama walking tour with bamboo, Tenryu-ji gardens, Okochi Sanso, shrines, and the monkey park hike.
“This was a nice long tour that could have been done alone but was much easier with a guide. Marie was cheerful, very professional, easy to understand and a good shepherd through a busy set of sites. This tour needs to be run like clockwork, and it did!!”
Walk Kyoto’s Gion in 2 hours with a local guide, spotting geisha chances, old shrines, Edo streets, and local food vibes.
“So informative and especially beautiful at sunset. Our guide gave us great insight into the gion neighbourhood and geisha culture. Also pointed our good restaurants and rooftop bars. Truly time well spent.”
