Tours in Japan

Tokyo Palais Impérial & Shoguns Visite à pied (Guide Français)

A two-hour guided walk through Tokyo's Imperial Palace and East Gardens with a French-speaking local guide. You'll explore the Ōtemon Gate, guardhouse ruins, and Ninomaru Garden whilst hearing accounts of samurai, shoguns, and the Edo period that shaped the city. Small groups mean genuine conversation rather than rushed commentary, and your guide knows the best vantage points for photographs.

Shinjuku Chopstick Making and Local Food Walking Tour

When Noah from our BugBitten team ran this tour, we kicked things off by crafting our own pair of chopsticks—a genuinely hands-on introduction to Japanese craftsmanship. From there, a local guide steered us through Shinjuku's backstreets and bustling food spots, with stops at izakayas, street-food stalls, and the quirky 3D Cat sculpture. The whole thing takes about four hours and blends a tactile craft activity with serious eating and wandering. Shinjuku's got that electric energy—neon, crowds, tiny restaurants tucked into alleys—and this tour taps into the everyday side of it rather than the tourist-choked precincts.

Osaka Japanese Cooking And Matcha Class near Osaka Castle

Work through classic Osaka recipes with a local chef in a two-hour hands-on class near the castle. You'll prepare dishes from scratch, whisking matcha and building flavour as you go, then sit down to eat what you've made. The chef—often a seasoned home cook—guides you through techniques at your pace, whether you've never chopped an onion or you're keen to refine your knife skills. Perfect for groups wanting to cook together rather than just watch.

TOKYO Ultimate Samurai Armor Photo Experience!

Don this full samurai regalia and strike authentic warrior poses while a photographer captures you in cinema-style portraits. Set in a private Tokyo studio over ninety minutes, you'll don genuine armour, learn period-correct stances from staff, and walk away with composite images printed on canvas or ceramic within the hour. Couples can opt for kimono dress instead, and the experience welcomes ages five and up.

Your Own HANKO Name Seal Activity in Kamakura.

Learn the art of hanko-making in Kamakura, where a skilled craftsman will guide you through designing and engraving your own Japanese name seal. Completed in 45 minutes, you'll walk away with a functional stamp carved from Japanese boxwood—a keepsake that captures your visit and doubles as an authentic seal used across Japan for contracts and official paperwork. The process reveals how names transform into Japanese characters and why hanko remain deeply personal to Japanese identity.

Make Your Own Soy Sauce in Japan’s Old Capital Asuka Nara

Step into a century-old soy sauce brewery in Nara and press your own batch using traditional wooden equipment. After touring the fermentation rooms at this family-run operation since 1918, you'll extract moromi by hand, bottle your creation with a custom label, and taste the raw product alongside silken tofu. The experience wraps with local mitarashi dumplings dressed in the brewery's signature sauce.

2h 30mfrom AUD $108

From Nagoya: Hida Takayama & Shirakawago Tour (Small Group)

From Nagoya: Hida Takayama & Shirakawago Tour (Small Group)

A 9.5-hour mountain escape from Nagoya into two beautifully preserved towns separated by centuries of tradition. You'll explore Hida-Takayama's merchant-era streetscape and Shirakawa-go's distinctive gassho farmhouses, guided by an experienced local in your choice of language. The small group format keeps things intimate, and you can elect to finish in Takayama, Kanazawa, or Shirakawa-go depending on your next move.

9h 30mfrom AUD $286

Christmas Magic in Tokyo! Private & Family-Friendly Walking Tour

4 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $639

Christmas Magic in Tokyo! Private & Family-Friendly Walking Tour

Craft your ideal Tokyo day with a local guide who knows the city's quieter corners. Over 4–8 hours, you'll navigate neighbourhoods, eat at spots tourists miss, and ask the questions that matter to you. Whether you're chasing architecture, food stalls, or family-friendly temples, the route bends to your interests. Your guide handles reservations and logistics; you focus on what actually happens when you turn a corner.

🍹 Nightlife

Social Drinking in Osaka

When Ben from our team hit the Osaka International Party in Shinsaibashi, it was a refreshingly straightforward social mixer—no pretence, just a bar full of travellers, expats, and locals who showed up to actually talk to each other. The evening runs 19:30 to 22:00 with a 30-minute reception beforehand, organised group shuffles at regular intervals so you're constantly meeting new faces, and five drinks thrown in. It's the kind of night that works whether you're solo, speak Japanese, or just want to test your English on friendly strangers in one of Osaka's liveliest shopping districts.

2h 30mfrom AUD $85

Otaru Canal Private Sightseeing Tour from Sapporo Station

5 hours – 6 hoursfrom AUD $242

Otaru Canal Private Sightseeing Tour from Sapporo Station

A 5–6 hour guided tour from Sapporo Station into Otaru, led by an English-speaking local ambassador. You'll walk the historic canal district, browse the music box museum, peek inside restored banking buildings to understand Japan's financial heritage, and eat fresh seafood at a local restaurant. The tour wraps with views from Mt Tengu and a soak in an Otaru onsen.

Private Nijo Castle & Imperial Palace Tour — Kyoto

🛕 Culture & History

Private Nijo Castle & Imperial Palace Tour — Kyoto

When Alex from our team ran this private tour through Kyoto's two power centers, we got the full picture — Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace aren't just separate sights, they're chapters of the same story. The Shogun's fortress and the Emperor's residence sit minutes apart, and this tour connects the dots between Tokugawa Ieyasu's 1603 power play and the dramatic moment in 1867 when that power flipped back. Your guide is a Kyoto local steeped in Edo-period history, and since it's private, the pacing is entirely yours. Two and a half hours, but it's the narrative architecture that counts.

Kimono rental in Asakusa Tokyo

Don a traditional kimono or yukata in Asakusa and explore Tokyo's historic district dressed for the period. This two-hour rental includes the garment, obi, styling and accessories. A professional photographer can accompany you through nearby laneways and temple grounds, capturing portraits in authentic settings or indoors if weather turns. The experience suits all ages—even infants and wheelchair users—and pairs well with a matcha tasting lesson (additional cost).

Nagoya Castle and Local Flavor Samurai Tales and Street Food Walk

When Lily from our BugBitten team walked this Nagoya Castle tour, she got a solid two-and-a-half-hour primer on the city's feudal roots and modern food scene. You start at the castle itself—all golden roof ornaments and reconstructed halls that speak to the Tokugawa clan's grip on the region—then wander through stone ramparts and gardens before heading into Kinshachi Yokocho, a tight laneway lined with local food stalls. It's pitched as a first-timer's intro to Nagoya, and it covers the ground briskly without requiring real fitness or prior history knowledge.

2h 30mfrom AUD $72

All-about Mt.Fuji Short Tour from Shimizu Port

All-about Mt.Fuji Short Tour from Shimizu Port

When Lily from our BugBitten team ran this Mt. Fuji tour from Shimizu Port, it felt like the sweet spot for cruise passengers after a tight turnaround. You hit a few viewpoints to clock the mountain from different angles, then settle in to craft your own wagashi—traditional Japanese sweets—with a guide walking you through the hand-crafting process. The whole thing wraps four hours, timed so you're back at the port well before your ship shoves off. It's compact, focused, and doesn't pretend to be more than a quick cultural tick and decent view.

4 hoursfrom AUD $163

Kagoshima Highlights Private Tour, Sakurajima Volcano and more

Kagoshima Highlights Private Tour, Sakurajima Volcano and more

Craft your own seven-hour exploration of Kagoshima with a private guide. Sakurajima dominates the itinerary—an active volcano erupting roughly 200 times yearly, best viewed from the observatory or whilst relaxing in Japan's longest 100-metre foot bath. Mix in the 1658 Sengan-en estate and gardens, award-winning local whiskey distilleries, samurai heritage sites, or Tenmonkan's food scene featuring wagyu, black pork and regional ramen. The itinerary flexes to your interests.

Discover Japan Tour: 15-day Small Group

Spend 15 days navigating Japan's rhythm alongside fellow travellers, moving between Tokyo's crowded stations and quieter neighbourhoods. You'll catch the shinkansen, eat what locals eat, and watch how the country actually works rather than just photograph landmarks. The itinerary flexes to match what your group finds compelling—whether that's a particular prefecture, craft, or neighbourhood vibe.

15 daysfrom AUD $15484

2.5 Hour-Guided Cycle Tour in the Central Tokyo

2.5 Hour-Guided Cycle Tour in the Central Tokyo

Skip the tourist crush at Shibuya and explore central Tokyo's actual neighbourhoods on two wheels. This 2.5-hour guided cycle covers backstreet alleys, hidden shopping arcades, and hole-in-the-wall food stalls where locals eat. Your guide shows you the parts of Tokyo that don't make postcards—quiet corners, family-run eateries serving proper regional dishes, and the rhythms of everyday city life. Late March through early April, you'll ride beneath cherry blossoms.

Tokyo: Samurai Sword Academy in the Hometown of the Last Samurai

Train in Tennen Rishin-ryu swordsmanship at the actual Hino Dojo in Tokyo, where the legendary Shinsengumi—the final samurai warriors—once honed their craft during the Edo period. Over two hours, you'll handle a real katana and wooden sword under guidance from Masao Inoue, a direct descendant of Shinsengumi leadership, learning the discipline and technique that defined these historical fighters in their hometown.

2 hoursfrom AUD $161

Private Customizable Car and Mini Van Tour in Tokyo

4 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $729

Private Customizable Car and Mini Van Tour in Tokyo

Build your own Tokyo tour with a dedicated guide and driver who handle navigation while you decide what to explore. Choose from architecture, temples, street art, anime hotspots, wartime history, or food scenes—whatever grabs you. Available as a 4–8 hour private hire for 1–8 people, with flexible pickups from hotels, cruise ports, or airports across Tokyo and Yokohama. Kids under 11 ride free.

Nagasaki Highlights Private Full-Day Tour by Car

Nagasaki Highlights Private Full-Day Tour by Car

When Lily from our BugBitten team ran this Nagasaki tour, it felt like the kind of thing you'd do if a cruise had left you just 6 hours to see the city properly. Private car the whole way meant no trudging between sites in what can be genuinely wet weather, and everything—entrance fees, transport, the lot—was sorted upfront with no gotchas at the end. You hit the essential three: Dejima's Dutch trading post, the Atomic Bomb Museum, and Glover Garden's colonial architecture. It's designed tight for cruise passengers, but honest enough to admit you're fitting a lot in.

6 hoursfrom AUD $326

Tokyo Private Tour Highlights Temples Markets and Skyline

8 hours – 10 hoursfrom AUD $433

Tokyo Private Tour Highlights Temples Markets and Skyline

When Mia from our BugBitten team ran this Tokyo private tour, she got a proper arc through the city's layered character in a single day. You start in the organised chaos of Tsukiji Outer Market—watching vendors work, grabbing snacks—then pivot to temples (Sensō-ji in Asakusa, Meiji Shrine's calm forest). The route threads through imperial grounds, Harajuku's chaotic fashion strips, and finishes at Shibuya's famous crossing as the city lights up. It's 8–10 hours of ground covered via private car with an English-speaking guide, hotel-to-hotel. Good for those who want Tokyo's hits without the train-map stress, though observation deck tickets (Skytree, Tower, Shibuya Sky) are separate.

Home Made Onigiri and Matcha Cooking Class in Hiroshima

🍜 Food & Cooking

Home Made Onigiri and Matcha Cooking Class in Hiroshima

Make two styles of onigiri from scratch alongside local home cooks in a casual Hiroshima café, then sit down to miso soup, matcha, and traditional sweets. The 90-minute class sits steps from the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome, wrapping by lunchtime so you can spend your afternoon exploring the city. Suited to families, solo travellers, and anyone curious about the mechanics of Japan's most portable comfort food.

Okinawa Miyako Jungle&Starry Sky tour Free Pick up and Drop off

A two-hour nocturnal expedition through Miyako Island's jungle, timed to catch the starry sky when conditions allow. Your English-speaking guide navigates the dense forest after dark, pointing out nocturnal wildlife like giant coconut crabs whilst sharing local knowledge you won't find in standard guidebooks. Free pick-up and drop-off from anywhere on the island, rain or shine—cloudy nights pivot to focused jungle exploration instead.

Kyoto: Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market. Private

A four-hour private guided tour through Kyoto's landmark sites—the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, and Nishiki Market—led by a licensed local historian. You'll move beyond surface-level narratives to understand how samurai culture, shogunal power, and feudal politics shaped the city. The guide uses iPad graphics to contextualise each stop, revealing the gritty details behind Japan's most recognisable monuments. You'll leave with curated suggestions for exploring nearby neighbourhoods and a short video memento of your time together.

4 hoursfrom AUD $161

Private Curated Tour | Hidden Gems & Must Sees in Tokyo

3 hours – 7 hoursfrom AUD $134

Private Curated Tour | Hidden Gems & Must Sees in Tokyo

Walk through Harajuku and Shibuya with a local guide who knows where the crowds thin out and the real character emerges. This 3–7 hour private tour threads between fashion districts, street-level food vendors, and subculture hotspots, offering a ground-level read on what drives Tokyo's restless energy. Your guide captures photos at key spots and explains the trends and obsessions animating modern Japan's most visible neighbourhoods.

Nara: Half-Day Private Tour of 4 Must-See Spots & Deer Park

🛕 Culture & History

Nara: Half-Day Private Tour of 4 Must-See Spots & Deer Park

This five-hour guided tour covers four major landmarks across Nara, beginning at Kofuku-ji Temple's distinctive five-storey pagoda before moving to Todai-ji Temple to view the monumental Great Buddha. You'll absorb perspectives from Nigetsu-do Temple, then walk through Nara Park to encounter the resident deer—animals held sacred as divine messengers since medieval times—before finishing at Kasuga Taisha Shrine with its iconic lantern displays. The route winds through heritage streetscapes, revealing merchant houses and traditional architecture that shaped the city's character.

5 hoursfrom AUD $305

2h 30m – 3 hoursfrom AUD $58

Kyoto: Descending Arashiyama (Private)

This private seven-and-a-half-hour walking tour winds through Arashiyama's temples, hillside shrines and artisan workshops, beginning at a thousand-year-old Zen garden and descending gradually back toward town. You'll encounter twelve hundred stone Buddhas nestled on a slope, peek inside a working pottery studio, wander beneath towering bamboo, and stop at an Edo-period teahouse and a shrine founded by former geisha performers. A traditional lunch and browsing time through local craft shops punctuate the day's discoveries.

Mochi・Matcha sweets Making Class Near Shibuya at private house

Spend two hours with a certified wagashi instructor in a residential Shibuya home learning to shape fruit daifuku mochi and nerikiri confections by hand. You'll discover the stories behind these sweets, practise a basic tea ceremony, and leave with handwritten recipes to recreate them at home. The intimate setting feels less like a classroom and more like cooking with a skilled family member, complete with fresh matcha to sip while you work.

Okinawa West Coast 3-Hour Paddle-boarding adventures

Launch from Sobe Beach on Okinawa's west coast for a three-hour paddle-boarding session exploring crystalline waters and hidden coves. Your English-speaking guide teaches the basics before you paddle out, with a mid-session break on a secluded beach to swim, snorkel, or simply take in the coastline. Boards, safety gear, and instruction included. Suitable for ages four to seventy with moderate fitness; children must be accompanied by an adult.

Kyoto Hidden North: Beautiful Shrines, Yokai & Cursed History

Walk through Kyoto's shadowed northern quarters on a late-afternoon tour uncovering the city's supernatural underbelly. Over roughly three hours, explore shrines built to ward off malevolent spirits, trace the influence of Abe no Seimei's mystical practices, and hear accounts of yokai sightings tied to specific locations. This adult-only experience threads together folklore, ritual history, and architectural choices that reveal how Kyoto's residents once battled invisible forces. A reflective moment in a ritual garden—historically used to appease vengeful entities—caps the journey.

Tokyo Lucky Cat Painting Workshop at Gotokuji

🍜 Food & Cooking

Tokyo Lucky Cat Painting Workshop at Gotokuji

When Ben from our team did this Tokyo workshop, we painted our own Maneki-neko (lucky cat) in Gotokuji, the neighbourhood where these ceramic charmers actually originated. The 45-minute session is hands-on and genuinely relaxed — no art skills required, and everyone leaves with their own finished cat to take home. The area itself feels neighbourhood-real rather than tourist-heavy, which is refreshing. You'll work with paint pens and stickers, personalise your piece, and walk out with a proper souvenir that you actually made.

Tokyo Street Food Tour - 7 Japanese Foods

Graze through Togoshi Ginza, Tokyo's longest shopping arcade, sampling seven distinct Japanese street foods across two hours. Your guide unpicks the culinary history woven into each dish—from crispy karaage to silken Japanese pudding—while you navigate the 400-plus shops that line this working-class neighbourhood. A free drink rounds out the experience, leaving you with both a full belly and the backstory behind what you've eaten.

2 hoursfrom AUD $125

Osaka Dotonbori Night Photoshoot Walk - Private Session

Osaka Dotonbori Night Photoshoot Walk - Private Session

Capture Dotonbori's electric nightscape with a seasoned photographer guiding you through neon-soaked streets for 60 minutes. This private session pairs two decades of low-light expertise with insider knowledge of Osaka's most photogenic corners, timing your shoot when the district pulses brightest. You'll walk away with 30 professionally edited images that actually look like the vibrant chaos you witnessed.

Private Koto Lesson in Kyoto with a Professional Koto Performer

Learn to play the koto, Japan's elegant 13-string plucked instrument, from a working professional in Kyoto. Over 80 minutes, you'll master the basics and play 'Sakura', the iconic cherry blossom melody. All equipment—instrument, picks, sheet music—is provided. This works for ages three to ninety, making it genuinely family-friendly rather than just a solitary tourist tick.

1h 20mfrom AUD $85

Customizable Private Tokyo Trip with an English Speaking Driver

Customizable Private Tokyo Trip with an English Speaking Driver

A 10-hour private Tokyo tour with your own English-speaking driver, letting you shape the itinerary around what matters to you. Visit standout landmarks—Tokyo Skytree, [Shibuya Crossing](/places/shibuya-crossing), Takeshita Street—and explore Buddhist and Shinto temples to understand their distinct practices. Detour to Tsukiji Outer Market for fresh seafood, or hunt down quieter neighbourhoods locals favour. Optional stops include Tokyo Tower and the Gundam statue in Odaiba. Pick-ups from anywhere in central Tokyo; you set the pace and stops.

10 hoursfrom AUD $597

All-Inclusive Ishigaki Island Shore Excursion with English Guide

5 hours – 6 hoursfrom AUD $170

All-Inclusive Ishigaki Island Shore Excursion with English Guide

This five-to-six-hour guided tour of Ishigaki Island suits cruise passengers with tight schedules. A local English-speaking guide takes small groups (maximum eight people) through the island's natural and cultural landmarks in a comfortable air-conditioned van. Everything's sorted: refreshments, snacks, sun protection, towels, and lunch included. The itinerary flexes to match your ship's departure time and the group's pace, weaving together local history, geology, and native flora.

Half Day Izu Kogen Highlands Downhill Cycling Tour

★ 5.0 (23)

🏔 Adventure & Sports