Choosing a Tour
A private tour built around your specific mobility needs, not generic accessibility promises.
October 18, 2025
5 mins read
Yes, we run private tours for wheelchair users. And the experience depends less on Tokyo's infrastructure than on what we learn about you beforehand.
"Our daughter uses a wheelchair, and Satoshi went out of his way to accommodate her needs… it felt like spending the day with a friend."
That's from a family who booked Infinite Tokyo, our fully customizable 8-hour private tour. It's the product we recommend for guests with mobility considerations because there's no fixed itinerary. We build the route around your specific needs after a consultation conversation. For more on how tour customization works, see our customization guide.
Infinite Tokyo runs $500 for a solo traveler up to $1,016 for a group of eight. The price covers the guide for the full day. For a detailed breakdown of how private tour pricing works, see our pricing guide. What we build together depends on what you tell us first.
Chair type isn't just logistics
The distinction between manual and power wheelchairs affects more than just getting around — it determines where you can go.
JR trains restrict wheelchairs to a maximum width of 70cm and length of 120cm. Many foreign power wheelchairs exceed these dimensions. Large power chairs also face reduced access in restaurants, shops, and some hotel rooms — Japanese accessibility infrastructure is designed around the compact wheelchairs common here, not larger Western models.
Manual wheelchairs fit into more spaces. They can be lifted over a step or two with assistance. Power chairs offer independence but narrow the list of accessible venues.
This isn't a reason to leave your chair at home. It's a reason to tell us what you're traveling with so we can plan accordingly.
Transfer ability changes where you can eat
A surprising number of Tokyo restaurants have one or two steps at the entrance — even newer establishments. Older buildings traditionally separate the entry with a small step.
If you can transfer to a bench seat, those restaurants become options. If you can't, we focus on fully barrier-free venues — modern buildings, food halls, hotel dining, and shopping complex restaurants in areas like Marunouchi or Ginza.
Transfer ability doesn't limit whether you eat well in Tokyo. It determines which category of restaurant we're choosing from.
The four questions that shape your day
Before we propose an itinerary, we need specifics:
Chair specifications. Type, width, weight. For power chairs: battery considerations for a full day. This tells us which stations, venues, and routes will work.
Transfer ability. Can you get out of your chair for a step or two? For tatami seating? This expands or narrows restaurant options and determines whether certain temple approaches are feasible.
Stamina and pacing. How long can you go before needing a rest? Is a full 8-hour day realistic, or should we plan for an earlier finish with built-in breaks? Energy management matters more than covering ground. For multigenerational groups with mixed mobility needs, we cover additional considerations.
Priority destinations. What matters most to you? Shrines and temples? Food markets? Modern Tokyo? Knowing your priorities helps us design a route that delivers what you actually came for, not a generic "accessible itinerary."
These aren't medical intake questions. They're the information we need to build a day that works for your specific situation.
Modern Tokyo handles wheelchairs well
Tokyo's modern districts have flat terrain, wide sidewalks, and newer buildings designed with accessibility in mind:
Marunouchi and Ginza — Business districts with barrier-free buildings, accessible restaurants, and direct connections to Tokyo Station
Omotesando and Shibuya — Recently renovated areas with improved access
Sensoji Temple — Paved approach, accessible with the correct route (crowds permitting)
Tokyo Skytree — Fully wheelchair accessible with elevators to all observation levels, accessible restrooms on every floor
Imperial Palace East Gardens — Approximately 90% accessible, mix of paved and gravel paths
Traditional neighborhoods require trade-offs
Older areas of Tokyo present challenges:
Yanaka and Kagurazaka — Narrow streets, uneven terrain, cobblestones, older infrastructure
Small independent restaurants — Many have steps to enter or cramped interiors
Temple interiors — Areas requiring shoe removal mean viewing from a distance rather than entering
The Imperial Palace's official guided tour is not wheelchair accessible — it covers 2.2km on gravel paths with no alternative route. The East Gardens are a different story.
teamLab Planets requires power wheelchair users to transfer to the museum's standard wheelchairs. If transferring isn't possible, this venue won't work. teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills is more accommodating — power wheelchairs are allowed with staff escort, and roughly 70% of the artworks are accessible.
Walking at destinations is unavoidable
Even with private car service, you'll still navigate on foot at each stop. Tokyo's best spots are in pedestrian zones, market lanes, and temple grounds. The car eliminates station navigation, not ground-level movement. For details on how much walking to expect, see our walking guide.
When Tokyo's trains work fine
Tokyo Metro has elevators at 98% of stations. Toei Subway has 100% elevator coverage. Station staff provide portable ramps for boarding, escort you to the platform, and call ahead to your destination station for ramp service on arrival.
One wheelchair user reported visiting seven locations by metro in a single day, starting during rush hour. Their verdict: Tokyo's disability access is "better than most all other places we have travelled to."
The challenge isn't the infrastructure — it's learning which elevator, which exit, which route. That's what a guide solves. For more on what to expect on tour day, see our guide.
When the car makes sense
A private car adds ¥77,000 (approximately $520) for an 8-hour day. It makes sense when:
Your power wheelchair exceeds 70cm width (won't fit through JR gates)
Low stamina makes station navigation exhausting rather than just slow
Anxiety about public transit would detract from the experience
Your destinations are spread across Tokyo rather than clustered in one or two areas
We don't default to the car. We help you decide whether it's worth the cost for your specific situation. For a detailed comparison of private car vs walking tours, see our guide.
Email service@hinomaru.one with:
Chair type and approximate dimensions
Travel dates
Who's traveling (group size and any others with mobility considerations)
Priority destinations or experiences
We'll follow up with a consultation conversation — not a form, an actual conversation — to understand what you need and propose an itinerary built around it. For details on the booking process, see our booking guide.
For more detail on Tokyo's accessibility infrastructure, see our guide to accessible travel in Tokyo.
Where Hinomaru One Fits
Your chair type, transfer ability, and stamina shape everything — we ask about all three before designing your route. The consultation isn't a formality; it's how we know whether to route through Marunouchi or avoid that temple with steps. Private car service is available if trains won't work for your chair.
At Hinomaru One, we design culturally rich, stress-free private Tokyo tours for first-time and seasoned travelers. Unrushed. Insightful. Always customized.
