Tokyo in One Day: East Gardens & Odaiba — Guide Sally
November, 2024
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 Hotel
- 9:40 East Gardens
- 11:10 Nezu Shrine
- 12:30 Sensoji Temple
- 14:42 Odaiba
- 15:00 Dismissal
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The itinerary covered East Gardens at 9:40, Nezu Shrine at 11:10, Sensoji Temple at 12:30 and Odaiba at 14:42.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Shiba Park to Otemachi by subway (180JPY); Otemachi to Nezu by subway (180JPY); Nezu to Asakusa by subway (290JPY); Asakusa to Shimbashi by subway (210JPY); Shimbashi to Daiba by train (330JPY). Across 5 sections the fare came to 1,190JPY per person.
Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the East Gardens, and Odaiba
The guests were visitors from North America. They had come from another destination in Asia, and were a cheerful and friendly group who told me they had thoroughly enjoyed Japanese cuisine on a food tour the previous day. Since that food tour had ended in Akihabara, they requested that we drop Akihabara from the originally planned course and add Senso-ji Temple, so we started the tour with those changes. When I showed them a map where the locations were split neatly between north and south, they laughed heartily. I told them it would be a slightly busy day, and off we went. The East Gardens were beautifully colored with autumn foliage, and they were delighted. They were moved by the torii gate at Nezu Shrine, the sea views at Odaiba, and the Rainbow Bridge, saying that because they live somewhere without the sea, the majestic scenery was very impressive. At the end, we timed our visit to catch the life-sized Gundam moving for just one minute, which they filmed and seemed very satisfied with. They told me they were happy to have reached the places they wanted to see, were moved by the beautiful scenery, and found the history very interesting. They said that although they were returning home the next day, they would absolutely love to come back again and again, which made me very happy. After the tour, they wanted to go to the Starbucks Roastery in Nakameguro, so I gave them a printout of the subway and area map before we parted ways.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Shiba Park～Otemachi | 180JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Otemachi～Nezu | 180JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Nezu～Asakusa | 290JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Asakusa～Shimbashi | 210JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Shimbashi～Daiba | 330JPY |
| Total | 1,190JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited East Gardens, Nezu Shrine, Sensoji Temple and Odaiba.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,190JPY per person across 5 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Sally is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Tokyo itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hello, I’m Hizuru.
I have a passion for sharing my knowledge and love for Japan with visitors from all over the world.
After teaching English and Japanese to Elementary school and Junior high school students for about 15
years, I got the National License of Guide and Interpreter in 2014 which allowed me to officially guide
tourists around Japan.
I have guided many tourists around Tokyo and its vicinities, helping them to discover the hidden gems of the
city and learn about its rich history and traditions.
Whether you’re interested in visiting historical landmarks, trying delicious Japanese cuisine, or experiencing
the vibrant pop culture scene, I can tailor a tour suit your interests.
My experience as a teacher greatly helped me in this role as I was able to efficiently communicate and engage
with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
I am dedicated to providing an unforgettable and insightful experience for all my guests.
I look forward to welcoming you to in and around Tokyo and sharing the wonders of Japan with you.
Oct 14, 2025
vanessajK6787GS
Great day out and about in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hizuru was an absolute delight.…
Oct 14, 2025
vanessajK6787GS
Great day out and about in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hizuru was an absolute delight. Her communication from the beginning was wonderful. She tailored the tour to the things I wanted to see. Her local knowledge was invaluable at the shrines, she is also a wonderful story teller. An important thing for me was to learn how to use the train system and she went above and beyond to help me understand how it all works. Which I am happy to say I navigated well once on my own. I would highly recommend Hizuru to anyone, she was a great companion for the day.
May 23, 2025
Inspire25413313092
Tokyo walking tour 2025
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Sally did a great job putting together a…
May 23, 2025
Inspire25413313092
Tokyo walking tour 2025
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Sally did a great job putting together a program for us. She reached out early in the week to understand what we were looking for and experience.
I must admit it was nice to be guided through the subway system by a “professional”. That allows me to enjoy the experience and not worry about getting to the right train & connection.
Sally was very knowledgeable and my wife & I learned a lot about the history of Japan and Tokyo.
I would recommend Sally.
May 3, 2025
davidfZ3537PI
Great tour with Hizuru!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great private tour with Hizuru! Prior to the…
May 3, 2025
davidfZ3537PI
Great tour with Hizuru!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great private tour with Hizuru! Prior to the tour, she was in email contact with us to find out exactly what we wanted to do – then she arranged the perfect schedule. She met us in the lobby of our hotel, helped us navigate the Tokyo metro and took us to Gotokuji temple, Shinjuku crossing, the Azalea festival at Nezu shrine, then to Ginza (where she dropped us off for our dinner reservation). She gave us great information during the tour, good history lessons and cultural explanations, and was a pleasure to be around. At the end of the tour, she made sure we knew exactly how to navigate on our own back to our hotel. highly recommend the private tour, highly recommend our guide Hizuru!
Apr 17, 2025
Sharon_F
Sampling of everything in one day!
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great sampling of lots of different…
Apr 17, 2025
Sharon_F
Sampling of everything in one day!
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great sampling of lots of different places in the city! Did the palace garden, a Shinto shrine and Buhdist temple, along with Shibuya Crossing and Meiji Jungu! I appreciated the instructions at the religious sites and the history at the palace. The gardens were unbelievably beautiful this time of year! Great job on a good combination of places and info!