Tokyo

Experience Old and Nostalgic Tokyo: Yanaka Walking Tour

Tokyo, Japan

3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Step back in time to ancient Tokyo during this exploration of the city’s historic Yanaka district. Discover a different side of the sprawling Japanese capital that dates back to its Edo period of the 16th through 19th centuries, admiring the area’s charming mix of temples, springtime cherry blossoms, and timeless ‘reien’ (cemetery). A guide accompanies you on your visit, providing additional details about Japanese history and local culture.

Discover the historic side of Tokyo's Edo Period during a walking tour in Yanaka
Wander the charming streets of this well-preserved historic district
Escape the skyscrapers for a taste of daily life in historic Japan
Visit ancient temples, springtime displays of cherry blossoms, and the local 'reien' (cemetery)
Learn about Japan's Edo era, spanning the 16th through 19th centuries
Great way to take a 'mini-retreat' during a visit to Tokyo

What's Included

Professional guide

Food and drinks（100-500 yen depending on what you want to try）
Transportation expenses
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Nippori Station
2 Chome-19 Nishinippori, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan
The meeting point is Nippori station, north ticket gate located on the 2nd floor of the station building. You can access the meeting point by JR Line and Keisei Line. Please be ready 10 minutes prior to the meeting time. Your guide will be waiting for you there with a sign board.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Yanaka District

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Tennoji Temple

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yanaka Cemetery

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gallery Okubo

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

SCAI The Bathhouse

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Shitamachi Customs Museum & Exhibit Hall

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Edokoro Alan West

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nezu Shrine (Pass By)

Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
A maximum of 10 people per booking
Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 3,000 yen per group, per hour, payable in cash
Please inform your staring time when booking. The start time is from 9:00 am or 14:00 pm.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

384 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 384 reviews

A great tour of old Tokyo

Donald_T, May 2024

This walking tour of Yanaka was one of the highlights of our visit to Tokyo. Our guide Emiko was excellent and made the tour very enriching and enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Great tour and FANTASTIC guide

Adam_Z, Apr 2024

Emiko was one of the best tour guides I’ve had. She was very knowledgeable and for the questions she was not sure about she followed up with an email after! Way above and beyond. Not only did she show use the historic area and shrine of Tokyo but gave recommendations for after. Highly recommend if able to do the walking.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued customer, Thank you for your fantastic review! We're glad to hear that Emiko provided such a wonderful experience for you. It's fantastic that she went above and beyond by following up with email responses to your questions. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for more tours in the future! Best regards, Mariko

Great Tour of Yanaka

Sandrine_A, Apr 2024

Really great tour especially if you are looking to learn about the history of Yanaka and Japan! Our tour guide Hana was awesome; she was patient and very knowledgeable! Some cool highlights were running into one of the Japanese famous artists, Alan West in his studio and getting to see his paintings and even chatting with him! We also got to see all of the beautiful Azaleas during the Azalea festival in Nezujinga!! A lot of the knowledge I learned on this tour, helped me appreciate the rest of my trip more as I was able to understand the Shrines and Temples I was visiting better! Overall really great tour and I would recommend it and Hana as your guide! I left a more detailed review on trip advisor.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your wonderful review! We are happy to hear that you had a great tour of Yanaka with Hana and that you found it informative and enriching. Thank you for recommending the tour and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future! Regards, Mariko

Lovely Walking Tour

Katherine_G, Apr 2024

We had such a wonderful time. Emiko was kind, thoughtful, and a lovely tour leader. She gave us such a nice insight into the Yanaka area and all it has to offer. She also took great photos of our group and shared them with us afterward! We had small stops along the way to try different foods, drinks, and some shopping, so that helped break up the walking a bit. It is a lot of time on your feet so wear comfortable shoes!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for leaving us 5 stars! We are delighted to hear that you had a good time with your guide Emiko. Looking forward to welcoming you again in the future! Best regards, Mariko

A lovely afternoon with a lovely guide!

Rachel_B, Apr 2024

We had a lovely time walking around with Mutsuko. The cherry blossoms were blooming, which made the cemetery that we went to the most beautiful cemetery that I've ever seen. We saw many beautiful shrines and temples. We were able to ask questions about different Japanese customs and foods. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon sightseeing, and learning, and getting our steps in!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your time exploring with Mutsuko and experiencing the beauty of cherry blossoms.We hope to welcome you back soon for more unforgettable experiences! Regards, Mariko

Comment

Maria_H, Apr 2024

Rie guide, took us to cemeteries, shrines, temples, quaint streets, and little shops with local delicacies. She shared her knowledge of history and local customs to make this an entertaining experience worth every step we took. We suggest that the organizers give a more detailed description of the meeting location. For the uninitiated there was some guessing involved.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued customer, Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Rie and found her knowledge of history and local customs valuable. We appreciate your suggestion regarding the meeting location description and will work to provide clearer instructions in the future. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience soon! Best regards, Mariko

Great guide, very interesting tour

YSTEIN_S, Apr 2024

A memorable tour with a very knowlegable guide (Emiko). My warmest recommodation for anyone that are interested in the history of Tokyo.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for taking the time write this review！ It really means a lot to us! We are a small company, so every feedback is extremely helpful. I hope we'll be able to help you explore Japan even more in the future! Best regards, Mariko

Really worth seeing Edo period Japan.

Lee_O, Apr 2024

I really enjoyed this trip around Yanaka seeing the older parts of Tokyo. Beautiful temples, shrines and a wonderful bakery! Our guide was wonderful so thank you.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued customer, Thank you for choosing our tour! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed it. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on another tour in the future. Best regards, Mariko

Tokyo as it was

Stefan_E, Apr 2024

Travelling with public transport to the meeting at Nippori station was easy. The meeting point was not clear and it would be better to specify more exactly. We visited many interesting tempels and graveyards, and also nice narrow streets and old residential buildings. Our guide was knowledgeable and accommodated our requests. The time was a bit short and we walked a lot. It would be nice with a coffee break halfway but then the duration of the tour needs to be longer.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued customer, Thank you for your valuable feedback. We apologize for any confusion regarding the meeting point and will ensure clearer instructions in the future. We're glad to hear that you found the tour interesting and that our guide was accommodating. We appreciate your input and hope to provide an even better experience next time. Thank you for choosing our tour! Best regards, Mariko

An enriching experience

Andr_P, Apr 2024

An interesting tour during which we learnt much from the guide Rie. She was able to go into great depth in explaining Japanese cultural traits & issues. This was an enriching experience

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful experience with Rie and enjoyed your tour of Yanaka(in Tokyo). We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future! Regards, Mariko

I loved the experience of...

Jenny_W, Mar 2024

I loved the experience of walking amongst the old houses and streets. The number of temples was mind blowing and I particularly enjoyed our guide's explanations whilst walking amongst the cemeteries. It would have been perfect if the cherry Blossoms had bloomed.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for taking the time write this review, it really means a lot to us! We are a small company, so every feedback is extremely helpful. I hope we'll be able to help you explore Japan even more in the future! Best regards, Mariko

Tour with Daiki

Briana_P, Mar 2024

We had the best time on our tour with Daiki. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area, answered all our questions, and tailored the tour to our interests. We also were able to eat lunch together as a group afterward which had phenomenal food!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that you had a great time on the tour with Daiki. It's wonderful that he provided knowledgeable guidance, tailored the tour to your interests, and facilitated a delicious lunch experience. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for more enjoyable experiences in the future! Regards, Mariko

Rie was a fantastic guide. Very knowlegeable and friendly. She adjusted the sites we saw based on our requests.

Lois_L, Mar 2024

Rie explained the culture and history of the sites we visited. She went out of her way to ensure we comprehended and enjoyed the trip

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for the positive feedback! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Rie. We hope to be able to help you explore Japan even more in the future! Best regards, Mariko

Wonderful tour full of great sights and history!

Anonymous, Mar 2024

We were intrigued with all of the interesting history and sights we saw. Emiko was wonderful and full of knowledge and great stories about what we saw. Thank you Emiko!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for the positive feedback! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Emiko. We hope to be able to help you explore Japan even more in the future! Best regards, Mariko

Off the Beaten Path

Shannon_M, Mar 2024

This was a great tour to begin my stay in Tokyo. Our guide, Eriko, was very knowledgeable about the temples, shrines, and local area. In addition, touring the various sites, she pointed out a number of delightful local shops. I had the best rice crackers of my entire trip along this tour (and picked up my favorite souvenirs)! I recommend this tour to anyone looking for a more personal and authentic experience. *Bonus: Eriko helped direct me when I got lost finding the meeting spot and waited for me so that I didn't miss the tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great tour with Eriko and enjoyed the knowledge she shared about the temples, shrines, and local area. We're also glad to hear that Eriko assisted you when you got lost. We hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future! Regards, Mariko

Fabulous guide and tour

Lynette_B, Mar 2024

Rie was a lovely and informative guide. We went to so many places that we never would have known about on our own. She taught us a lot about early Japanese culture and the tiny back streets and houses were so nice to see.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for taking the time write this review. It really means a lot to us! We are a small company, so every feedback is extremely helpful. I hope we'll be able to help you explore Japan even more in the future! Best regards, Mariko

Excellent tour

Mary_C, Mar 2024

Excellent guide very informative a really interesting tour thank you. The guide herself was a wealth of information.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Yuki, is very detailed...

Jessica_M, Mar 2024

Yuki, is very detailed oriented and explained all the Japanese culture in an understandable way. She has a positive attitude and is always willing to support you with any inquiry or need that you may have during the walking tour. I will definitely recommend her for any future tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. Yuki is really a great guide. We are very fortunate to have her on our team. We hope to welcome you back on another tour soon when you next visit Japan! Regards, Mariko

Yanaka tour

Susan_V, Mar 2024

Toshi was an excellent tour guide. His tour of Yanaka was very interesting and informative. I really enjoyed it.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. Toshi is really a great guide. We are very fortunate to have him on our team. We hope to welcome you back on another tour soon when you next visit Japan! Regards, Mariko

Great opportunity to see a different side of Tokyo

Malinda_J, Mar 2024

Eriko was a wonderful guide. She led us on a leisurely pace to see lot of shrines and neighborhoods. It was nice to take just a short train ride and see a totally different part of Tokyo.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. Eriko is really a great guide. We are very fortunate to have her on our team. We hope to welcome you back on another tour soon when you next visit Japan! Regards, Mariko

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