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.
Tour Itinerary
- 08:00 Meet at hotel
- 08:20〜09:00 Nijubashi, East Gardens closed
- 09:30〜10:20 Meiji Shrine
- 10:20〜10:40 Takeshita Street, Omotesando
- 10:55〜11:20 Shibuya Crossing
- 11:50〜13:45 Sensoji Temple, lunch
- 14:00〜14:45 Nezu Shrine
- 15:30〜16:10 Shinjuku, Godzilla, Omoide Yokocho
- 16:30 Hotel
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Over the course of the day the route took in Nijubashi, East Gardens closed at 08:20, Meiji Shrine at 09:30, Takeshita Street, Omotesando at 10:20, Shibuya Crossing at 10:55, Sensoji Temple, lunch at 11:50, Nezu Shrine at 14:00 and Shinjuku, Godzilla, Omoide Yokocho at 15:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Shinagawa to Tokyo Station by train (178JPY); Nijubashimae to Meiji-jingumae by subway (208JPY); Harajuku to Shibuya by train (146JPY); Shibuya to Asakusa by subway (252JPY); Asakusa to Ueno by subway (178JPY); Ueno to Nishi-Nippori by train (146JPY); Nishi-Nippori to Nezu by subway (178JPY); Nezu to Nishi-Nippori by subway (178JPY); Nishi-Nippori to Shinjuku by train (208JPY); Shinjuku to Shinagawa by train (208JPY). Across 10 sections the fare came to 1,880JPY per person.
Title: What Can You See on a Private Full-Day Tokyo Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report
On the day of the tour, additional sightseeing spots were requested, and the tour was extended by two hours. We narrowed down the preferred locations and made our way around, but there were also requests to visit several Japanese gardens such as Odaiba, Gotokuji, and Hamarikyu, which were not possible within the available time. I hope the guests will be able to visit them on a future trip to Japan.
At Sensoji Temple, the timing happened to be slightly off from the lunch rush, so we were able to get into a restaurant. We went to a restaurant located next to Kaminarimon Gate. The guests also wished to visit Nezu Shrine, which is near Asakusa. On this occasion, they would not be visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. They mentioned that this was the only day available for sightseeing during their trip to Japan. The photo shows Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku. The guests said it was fine to publish it.
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 | Train | Shinagawa～Tokyo Station | 178JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Nijubashimae～Meiji-jingumae | 208JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Harajuku～Shibuya | 146JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Shibuya～Asakusa | 252JPY |
| Section 5 | Subway | Asakusa～Ueno | 178JPY |
| Section 6 | Train | Ueno～Nishi-Nippori | 146JPY |
| Section 7 | Subway | Nishi-Nippori～Nezu | 178JPY |
| Section 8 | Subway | Nezu～Nishi-Nippori | 178JPY |
| Section 9 | Train | Nishi-Nippori～Shinjuku | 208JPY |
| Section 10 | Train | Shinjuku～Shinagawa | 208JPY |
| Total | 1,880JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Nijubashi, East Gardens closed, Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Street, Omotesando, Shibuya Crossing, Sensoji Temple, lunch, Nezu Shrine and Shinjuku, Godzilla, Omoide Yokocho.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 1,880JPY per person across 10 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?
coco 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! How are you?
I am a National Licensed Tour Guide Interpreter, Yumiko Komatsu. Nick name is coco.
I have started this guide job since 2014. I live in Tokyo, but I was born in Matsumoto. I guided many places throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. I guided and am interested in Japanese Art, pop culture, Manga, Japanese landscape, Japanese history, culture, religions and Japanese custom. In Tokyo there are a lot of things you need to visit such as Asakusa temple, Shrine, Team labo, food, Shibuya, and Akihabara. Every place is changing on everyday in Tokyo. I will get you updated information and I hope that you may enjoy your staying in Tokyo. Shall we go?
Mar 22, 2025
Deborah_S
Amazing Day in Toyko
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
What an amazing experience…
Mar 22, 2025
Deborah_S
Amazing Day in Toyko
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
What an amazing experience so worth it. Coco from JGA was an unbelievable tour guide so knowledgeable and spoke English well. She even came with a flip chart so we could understand some of Japan history. The driver was so accommodating always there to pick us up so there was no waiting on our part. I had gotten injured before our trip to Japan so required a wheelchair. They made sure to drop off at wheelchair acccessible spots, accompanied us to best entrances inside buildings, helped with tickets, paying vendors etc, and took wheelchair in and out of car. They made an undoable trip so convenient , comfortable and a wonderful experience. The car was clean, comfortable and plenty of room for each person.
Suggestion: very important … spend time researching what sites you want to see and researching how long by car it takes to get to each spot. We saw Sensoji temple, sky tree, imperial palace, Meiji jingu Temple. Choose 8:00 or 9:00 tour to get to Sensoji temple early before crowds. We just did a quick walk through (NY city pace)as we went back on our own later but wanted to understand the history. There was very low volume before 9:30 but after the sea of people was unbelievable. Meiji Jingu temple was our favorite. Would skip sky tree or do it on drop off only as even if you rush it is hard to get through it with the lines for elevators in under 1.5 hours.
Amazing Amazing thank you!!!!!
Oct 15, 2024
David_S
Tokyo Highlight Tour with private guide
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We enjoyed seeing Tokyo with Coco.…
Oct 15, 2024
David_S
Tokyo Highlight Tour with private guide
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We enjoyed seeing Tokyo with Coco. My friend had one day to see Tokyo. We saw a lot of the highlights with Coco. She mapped out an itinerary based on our interests. Highlights included Senso Ji, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shibuya Crossing, Imperial Palace, Takeshita Street, Nezu Shrine and Shinjuka. We also gained a better understanding of the Tokyo subway system. Coco also helped map out to the subway to get to future destinations. Highly recommend this tour and especially Coco.
Oct 9, 2024
961harlanh
Coco is a great Tokyo tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great experience…
Oct 9, 2024
961harlanh
Coco is a great Tokyo tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great experience with my tour guide Coco. She was very insightful and friendly. I
really enjoyed the tour with her and I think she is a great tour guide and she gave me a
great information about Tokyo and made my trip much more enjoyable.
Oct 3, 2024
Dreamer43508203689
Tokyo highlights – Imperial Palace, Fish Market, Rotation Sushi lunch, Takeshita Street.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide…
Oct 3, 2024
Dreamer43508203689
Tokyo highlights – Imperial Palace, Fish Market, Rotation Sushi lunch, Takeshita Street.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Coco worked with us to create an itinerary that highlighted many of Tokyo’s top destinations. She was very professional, informative, warm and friendly. We particularly appreciated that she began communicating with us about tour options days before we arrived in Tokyo. Our tour with Coco was a great start to our stay in Tokyo.