Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Akey

Title: What Can You See on a Full-Day Private Walking Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The original contract was for a 6-hour tour, but the guests requested to see as much as possible since they were departing on a cruise from Tokyo Port the following day. We started with a planned 2-hour extension at 7,000 yen for the additional time, but 2 hours proved too short to cover everything, so it ultimately became a 4-hour extension for a total of 10 hours of guiding.

Although I should properly have charged for the full 4-hour extension, I offered the service at the original 2-hour extension rate of 7,000 yen. We walked as much as 19 km on foot. Some of the cherry blossoms in Ueno were already in bloom. We took photos of the Asahi Beer building and Tokyo Skytree in the background from the Sumida River. In addition to the classic Senso-ji Temple, we visited the food floor of the Daimaru basement, which foreign tourists rarely visit, the observation terrace on the 6th floor of the KITTE building, the Imperial Palace, and the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, where we took a break and I presented an apple pie I had purchased at the Daimaru basement. I then guided them inside the Tokyo International Forum building, which tourists do not usually visit, followed by the Hachiko statue in Shibuya, the scramble crossing, a visit to a pachinko parlor, Meiji Shrine, and Takeshita Street. We then moved to Shinjuku, where they were deeply moved by the moonlit night view from the 45th-floor observation deck of the Metropolitan Government Building. Guiding this much in a single day of sightseeing requires a great deal of stamina and is demanding, but the guests were very pleased.

As I have felt before, a 6-hour tour is somewhat incomplete; starting at 9:00 means finishing at 15:00. Since lunchtime is also necessary, this does not allow for sufficient sightseeing, and I believe 8 hours should be the standard for a normal tour. Covering both the Imperial Palace and Meiji Shrine on the same day extends the walking distance and is quite demanding.

For me, 10 hours and 19 km of walking was too much, and my legs cramped while I was sleeping. Indeed, 8 hours seems to be the limit. I received the following thank-you message from the guests.

Good morning

Many thanks for yesterday. We enjoyed the tour very much, and saw much more than we could have achieved on our own. The lunch was excellent too. Kind regards

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Tour Report by Akey

Hello, new friends! I’m Akio Yasui. I was born in Kyoto City and graduated from Doshisha University in Kyoto and moved to Tokyo for working. I used to work for international companies as a marketing advertising specialist. I have been to fourty five different countries until now and been to all prefectures in Japan.
I have deep knowledge of both traditional and modern culture of Japan based on my experience in Kyoto, Tokyo and their surrounding areas such as Kamakura, Nikko, Nara, Osaka. I can design exclusive and the optinum itineray for you and guide you not only to ordinary tour courses but also casual or hidden locations. My task is making you enjoy Japan and like our culture and people. Let me guide you any where you want to visit and enjoy Japan together.