How to Book a Private Tour in Tokyo

1. Choose a tour. Every tour on our private tours page is private to your group and runs 4, 6 or 8 hours. Some let you pick the length at checkout.
2. Pick a date and start time. The calendar reads our guides' own schedules, so a slot you can see is a slot a guide can take. It opens 12 months ahead. Start times are shown in Tokyo time.
3. Set your group size. One to eight guests. The price is for the whole group, not per person.
4. Add your details. Name, email and a phone or WhatsApp number are required. Hotel and special requests (diet, mobility, a birthday) are optional, but they save a round of emails later. We hold your slot for 15 minutes while you check out.
5. Pay. The full amount, by card, through Stripe. There is no deposit and no second payment later.
6. Get your confirmation. A confirmation email follows right away. It lists the tour, date, start time, group size, total paid and your guide's name, with a link to reschedule or cancel.

Within 24 to 48 hours of booking, the concierge contacts you by email or WhatsApp to start the consultation. That is where you settle the meeting point and time and tell us what you want from the day.

Prices are per group, in US dollars, for the whole tour:

The price covers your guide, the planning and the consultation. Food, drinks, train fares, entrance fees and shopping are paid as you go. On tours that offer it, a private car and driver can be added at checkout for ¥50,000 (4 hours), ¥60,000 (6 hours) or ¥77,000 (8 hours), paid to the driver in cash on the day. If you want the car for the whole day, add it to a full-day tour.

Outside peak season, two weeks ahead is enough. For cherry blossoms (late March to early April) and autumn leaves (late November to early December), book four weeks ahead. Prices don't rise in those weeks; guides just book up.

Booking early costs you nothing if your plans move, because cancellation is free more than 24 hours before the start. You can also book late, for any slot the calendar still shows. A booking made less than 24 hours before the start can't be refunded, because it is already inside the cancellation window. With less time, the consultation covers the essentials: meeting point, time, diet and the one or two things you most want to see.

You pay in dollars. Prices are set in US dollars per group, and the checkout shows the total for your group size before you enter a card.

Times are Tokyo times. Japan is on UTC+9 all year, with no daylight saving. In winter, Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of New York and 17 ahead of Los Angeles. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, when US clocks go forward, the gap is 13 and 16 hours. A 9 a.m. tour in Tokyo on a Tuesday in December starts at 7 p.m. on Monday in New York. Check the date as well as the hour before you pay.

Messages cross the night. If you email us in your evening, it is already the next day in Tokyo. Routine questions get an answer within 24 to 48 hours. Urgent ones, like a delayed flight or a changed hotel, get an answer the same business day.

The cancellation clock runs on Tokyo time. You get a full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before the tour starts, counted from the Tokyo start time. For a 9 a.m. Tuesday tour, that means before 7 p.m. on Sunday in New York in winter.

Don't tour on the day you land. Book your first tour for the day after a long-haul flight. Your guide can meet you at your hotel, so you don't need to find a station on your first morning. If your flight is delayed and the tour no longer works, tell us straight away: we move it to another day of your trip, or refund it in full if the delay rules it out.

Each tour day is its own booking, with its own confirmation, consultation and cancellation window. There is no package price, so a second day costs the same as the first. Cancelling Day 3 doesn't touch Day 1.

Our advice is to book Day 1 before you fly and decide the rest once you are in Tokyo. After one day with a guide you know whether you want more guided time, which areas you liked, and whether full days suit you. You can book the next day from your phone on the way back to the hotel, though a booking made less than 24 hours ahead can't be refunded. Book every day before you fly if you travel in cherry blossom or autumn leaf season, or if you only have four or five days.

Mixing lengths keeps the cost and the walking down. For two people:

You can ask for the same guide on each day in the consultation. We arrange it when that guide is free, and short gaps between your tour days make it more likely.

Lead with what limits you. "My father uses a cane, we have dinner at 7, and we are not temple people" gets you a better day than "open to anything." Tell us about mobility, the time you need to finish, allergies or a vegetarian in the group, and how much energy you have. Tell us what you don't want, too. Traveling with an older parent? Tell us their walking limits and we can plan a slower day around them.

You can change the route up to 24 hours before the tour. Want Shimokitazawa instead of Asakusa, or markets instead of shrines? Say so in the consultation. Inside 24 hours your guide has prepared, so only small changes are possible, and on the day the guide adjusts for rain, tired legs or a place you want to stay longer.

Refunds go back to the card you paid with, usually within 5 to 7 business days. The full rules are on our tour policies page.

Can I book a private tour in Tokyo for tomorrow?

Yes, if the calendar shows a free slot; it only shows slots a guide can take. A booking made less than 24 hours before the start can't be refunded, because it is already inside the cancellation window. Put your hotel and any diet or mobility needs in the booking form, since the consultation is shorter.

When will I know who my guide is?

Your guide's name is in the confirmation email, and you hear more about them in the consultation. If they fall ill, we send a comparable guide and tell you.

Are your guides licensed?

No. Our guides are fluent English-speaking locals, not licensed, certified or accredited guide-interpreters. Since January 2018, Japan has not required a national license to guide visitors for pay.

Is the price per person?

No. It is one price for your whole group of up to eight, so the cost per person falls as the group grows. Eight guests on a 6-hour tour pay $800, or $100 each.

Can I split the payment between two cards?

No. Each booking is one card payment for the whole group. Friends usually settle up between themselves.

If this is your first trip, book our Tokyo tour for first-time visitors. It runs 6 hours, from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which fits a jet-lagged body, and it costs $430 for two, with a full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before the start. Your guide can meet you at your hotel and spends the day showing you how the trains, restaurants and temples work, so the rest of your trip is easier on your own.