Tours in Japan

Colors of Kanazawa (Traditional Crafts and Gardens)

Walk through Kanazawa's castle grounds and shrine precincts, then settle into Kenrokuen Gardens with a traditional beverage before heading to a Kaga Yuzen studio. There you'll apply indigo and crimson dyes to fabric under an artisan's eye, creating a wearable keepsake. This 3-hour afternoon tour keeps numbers small—just 12 people—so you're not shuffling through crowds between sites. A straightforward way to taste samurai-era Kanazawa and leave with something you've made yourself.

Kyoto: Craft Your Own Ninja Weapon/ Shōgun Mask Workshop

When Mia from our team tried this Kyoto workshop, she spent two hours casting real metal into ninja weapons using traditional Japanese tin-casting methods. You'll melt, pour, cool, and finish your own piece under the eye of experienced craftspeople — no prior metalwork skills needed. It's a hands-on, tactile experience in a working craft space, and kids from age 5 upwards join in too. The whole vibe is less theme-park theatre and more genuine Japanese artisanal practice, set in a city that's equal parts tourist-packed temples and quiet craft studios.

Sake Tour and Tasting in Kobe with a Sake Brewer

When Sarah from our team ran this tour in Kobe, we got the real deal: four hours with an actual sake brewer, not a tour-guide reciting facts. The region's Japan's sake heartland, and this experience takes you past the usual tasting rooms into a working cooperage where craftspeople still shape wooden barrels by hand, then sits you down for a proper guided tasting with food pairings at a local standing bar. You'll taste everything from unpasteurised Nama to barrel-aged and ultra-premium Daiginjo — the kinds of bottles most visitors never see.

Kayaking in Anbo River

Paddle through Japan's Anbo River on a beginner-friendly three-hour kayak trip down a V-shaped valley with crystalline water. All gear supplied—kayak, paddle, boots, life jacket, and waterproof bag. Coffee or tea included. A combined kayaking-and-trekking day option exists for those wanting more. Public transport reaches the launch point easily.

Half Day Izu Kogen Highlands Downhill Cycling Tour

Roll down Japan's Izu Kogen Highlands on two wheels, starting from Mt. Omuro's peak and finishing near the coast. This 3.5-hour descent covers roughly 40km through volcanic plateaus, forest passages and open valleys, with a local English-speaking guide handling navigation and the chairlift ride up. Bike, helmet, insurance and all gear supplied—you just pedal.

Shizuoka: Kliff Canyoning near Mt. Fuji

When Lily from our team tried Shizuoka's Kliff Canyoning near Mt. Fuji, we got a proper taste of what adventure guides Yuki and Misa have built—a 2.5-hour scramble through canyons involving jumps (1–5 metres), rappelling, slides, and swims. The outfit operates out of the foothills near Japan's most famous peak, attracting a mix of solo travellers and small groups keen to get wet and a bit scared in equal measure. It's run by an actual couple who've worked canyoning in Tokyo; you'll notice their rhythm and know-how pretty quickly once you're geared up.

2 Hours Mochi &Nerikiri Making & Matcha Class in Bunkyo

Master the craft of mochi and nerikiri (Japanese decorative sweets) in a small group setting within a traditional Tokyo home overlooking the Kanda River. This two-hour class teaches both classical and contemporary techniques in English, with recipes designed to be manageable enough to recreate once you're home. Limited to four participants, the intimate session creates space for genuine hands-on learning rather than passive observation.

Super Sugamo Local Foodie Adventure

Wander through Sugamo, a neighbourhood that's fed Tokyoites for a century, with a local guide who knows every shopkeeper by name. You'll graze at five food stops, sit down for a proper lunch, and finish with a sweet treat—the kind you can't find anywhere else in the city. Three hours, no tourist crowds, the sort of afternoon that sticks with you.

Unlimited Local Night《ALL-Y-CAN-DRINK》Find SHIBUYA Hidden gems!

Skip Shibuya's tourist traps and drink your way through two working-class izakayas that locals actually frequent. This three-hour crawl pairs unlimited sake, shochu and Japanese beer with proper pub food—sashimi, tofu, fried seaweed, pork steak—guided by someone who knows the neighbourhood's real rhythms. You'll start with a welcome pour of the guide's signature tipple and end wherever your appetite and energy take you next.

Kyoto: Paint Your Own Ramen Bowl & Michelin Ramen Class

Learn to hand-pull noodles and craft broth at Musoshin Ramen Academy, Kyoto's only workshop run by an actual ramen restaurant. Over 90 minutes, you'll cook a Michelin-nominated bowl from recipes used by the chefs, then paint your own ceramic dish to take home (kiln-fired on-site). The kitchen caters to vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free diets. You'll eat what you've made, collect the recipe card, and leave with a souvenir bandana—a genuine taste of how Musoshin feeds its six locations worldwide.

1h 30mfrom AUD $117

From Kyoto/Osaka: Amanohashidate, Ine Funaya and Miyama Day Tour

★ 5.0 (23)

From Kyoto/Osaka: Amanohashidate, Ine Funaya and Miyama Day Tour

When Charlie from our team ran this nine-hour day tour from Kyoto or Osaka, we hit three striking corners of Japan's quieter north. Amanohashidate — literally 'bridge to heaven' — is a sandbar lined with nearly 8,000 pines that genuinely does look like a dragon arching skyward. Then there's Ine, a fishing village where boat houses cluster so tightly along the shore they've earned it the tag 'Venice of Japan.' Last stop: Miyama Kayabuki No Sato, a thatched-roof settlement that feels like stepping into an Edo-period painting. The drive pulls you well away from the Kyoto-Osaka tourist crush, and the mix of landscape, working village life, and preserved architecture keeps the day moving without feeling rushed.

9 hoursfrom AUD $74

KOBE, SHIOYA, a quaint fishing town walking tour

KOBE, SHIOYA, a quaint fishing town walking tour

Explore Shioya, a working fishing village tucked into a valley near Kobe, on this three-hour walking tour. Start at the harbour to spot Mt Rokko, Awaji Island, and the Pearl Bridge, then duck through a tunnel into the town proper. Your guide—a local—takes you past a century-old barber shop, a tatami workshop, and the quirky Guggenheim house, stopping for snacks along the way. Chat with shopkeepers and residents who actually live here, not perform for tourists. You'll taste croquettes, sushi rolls, tofu, and sweets whilst learning how people actually spend their days in rural Japan.

Experience Sushi Making Class in Tokyo

Spend two and a half hours in a Tokyo kitchen learning to craft sushi from scratch. You'll roll nigiri and maki, prepare two accompanying dishes, and discover the Japanese ingredients and seasonings that define the cuisine. The instructor demonstrates each technique before you take the lead, so you leave with genuine skills rather than just tourist photos. Vegetarian options available on request.

2h 30mfrom AUD $125

Tokyo Private Bike Tour by Harajuku Bike Shop – 3 Hours

2 hours – 3 hoursfrom AUD $183

Tokyo Private Bike Tour by Harajuku Bike Shop – 3 Hours

Explore Tokyo on two wheels with a private guided ride tailored to your interests, led by Kotaro (former European road racer) and Kentaro (local cultural guide). Based at a Harajuku bike shop, you'll navigate everything from the hectic Shibuya Scramble to quiet residential streets over 2–3 hours. Routes adapt to your pace and curiosity—no fixed itinerary, no tour groups, just you discovering both famous and overlooked corners of the city on a shop-tuned road bike.

Private Guided Traditional Buddhist Cooking in Japan

🍜 Food & Cooking

Private Guided Traditional Buddhist Cooking in Japan

Master Kyoto's plant-based temple cooking tradition in a hands-on 2.5-hour session. You'll prepare several dishes rooted in Buddhist culinary practice—a centuries-old vegan discipline born from monastic principles—using seasonal vegetables, tofu, grains, fermented ingredients and seaweed. Each recipe reveals the restraint and precision underlying Japanese cuisine. Leave with techniques and recipes you won't replicate from restaurant meals.

2h 30mfrom AUD $97

Private Tokyo Early Morning Tour (English & Spanish Available)

3 hours – 4 hoursfrom AUD $224

Private Tokyo Early Morning Tour (English & Spanish Available)

Beat the Tokyo rush with a five-hour private walking tour led by a local guide who speaks English or Spanish. Visit [Shibuya Crossing](/places/shibuya-crossing), Meiji Shrine, and Asakusa while the city's quieter—your guide handles navigation, photography, and insider recommendations so you can absorb the neighbourhoods without phone fatigue. Temple and shrine entry fees are covered, and you'll leave with both images and local knowledge.

Sake Blending Experience : Craft Your Own Signature Sake

Work alongside a sake master in a private brewery lab to blend five distinct sake styles into your own 500ml bottle. Over two hours in Japan, you'll learn the post-fermentation techniques that shape flavour, taste through each component, and finish by hand-painting a kanji character onto your custom label—a tangible record of your creation to take home.

本物の京都ハンコ職人体験：あなたの名前を漢字に！

When Alex from our BugBitten team booked this Kyoto hanko carving session, we weren't expecting to walk away with a working name seal and a genuine craft skill. You'll spend 90 minutes learning how a hanko artisan translates your name into meaningful kanji, then hand-carve your own seal using traditional tools. The workshop sits in central Kyoto, drawing a mix of curious travellers and locals keen to take home something tangible. It's less performance art, more actual making — your fingers do the work, and you leave with a functional stamp that carries real meaning.

Okinawa: Kayak & Snorkel, Private Tour in Yanbaru

Paddle through Yanbaru's quieter northern reaches on this three-to-four-hour private kayak and snorkel tour. Launch from a protected lagoon, navigate shallow reef passages, and drop anchor at spots matched to your group's confidence level. The route hugs an undeveloped coastline where few tourists venture—expect gin-clear shallows, white sand flats, and reef fish in their natural habitat. Includes kayaks, snorkelling gear, wetsuits in cooler months, and light refreshments.

Private transfer Kanazawa to Takayama Including Shirakawago

✈️ Transfers

30 min – 1h 10mfrom AUD $108

Private transfer Kanazawa to Takayama Including Shirakawago

Travel from Kanazawa to Takayama in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver over five hours. The route passes through Shirakawago, a UNESCO-listed village known for its distinctive gassho-zukuri farmhouses and mountain setting. Your driver stops at leisure so you can explore the village at your own pace before continuing to Takayama. Hotel pickups and drop-offs included.

Kobe 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

A six-hour guided walk through Kobe with a government-certified English-speaking guide who knows the city's history and culture inside out. The port city cascades from hillsides to the waterfront and rewards wandering on foot. You pick three to four sites from Kobe's best—temples, markets, museums, neighbourhoods—and the guide tailors the day around what interests you. Compact enough to manage in a single outing from Osaka or Kyoto.

Nara:Tea Tasting&Private Tea Ceremony -Master Matcha Making-

Spend ninety minutes in Nara learning matcha preparation from an experienced tea master in an intimate setting. You'll taste five regional teas sourced within the prefecture, try your hand at whisking matcha under expert guidance, and nibble traditional wagashi sweets. Your instructor shares firsthand knowledge of the area, offering genuine recommendations for exploring Japan beyond the usual tourist circuits.

Tokyo Fukagawa Odori Ozashiki Experience / Meal & Matcha Options

Step into a traditional wooden house on Tokyo shrine grounds, six minutes from Tokyo Station, for an intimate encounter with classical Japanese hospitality. Choose from three tiers: a quick matcha-and-sweets session, a hearty local clam-rice lunch with dance, or a full kaiseki dinner paired with geisha performance and interactive arts. Each experience unfolds in an authentic ozashiki setting where a resident dance master and performers guide you through time-honoured traditions.

Cosplay Experience with Professional Makeup and Photo Shoot!

🛕 Culture & History

1h 40m – 2 hoursfrom AUD $125

Cosplay Experience with Professional Makeup and Photo Shoot!

Dress as a cyberpunk character in Akihabara with professional makeup, costume, and photography. This 3.5-hour experience in Tokyo's otaku hub pairs you with skilled makeup artists and photographers to create polished anime-style portraits. Choose your character style—neon-soaked streetwear, futuristic tech-wear, or classic anime aesthetics—and walk away with retouched digital images capturing your transformed look against the electric backdrop of Japan's electronics district.

Private Tokyo Local Food and Drink Tour with a Bar Hopping Master

Spend 2.5 hours bar-hopping through Tokyo's neighbourhood drinking culture with a local guide. You'll hit two traditional izakayas in Ueno, Shinbashi, or Ikebukuro—the kind of cramped, unpretentious spots where salarymen unwind and regulars occupy the same stools year after year. Each venue comes with a drink and a small dish, giving you a genuine taste of how Tokyoites actually socialise after work, away from the polished tourist circuits.

Luxury Tokyo Sake, Cocktail, Whisky and Pairing Tour

Spend three hours navigating Tokyo's drinking culture with a local guide, starting in Shimbashi's after-work district. You'll visit four carefully chosen venues sampling sake, craft beer, Japanese whisky, and inventive cocktails, paired with small plates and bar snacks along the way. Each stop reveals a different facet of Tokyo's beverage scene—from standing bars with modest crowds to high-end cocktail lounges serving world-class drinks. No two nights hit the same spots; your guide adapts the route based on venue availability and mood.

Tokyo Cherry Blossom Walking Tour

Walk through Tokyo's most prized cherry blossom sites during peak season with a local guide who knows the quiet corners and best vantage points. Over two and a half hours, you'll visit Ueno Park's famous groves and the serene Yanaka Cemetery, learning the cultural significance woven through these blooms. This isn't a rush through crowds—it's a measured exploration timed to catch sakura at their fullest, with guidance on where to photograph without fighting for space.

Private homevisit for whole cultual experience, 20min from Tokyo

Spend five hours in a private Tokyo home learning Japanese customs directly from locals. Just 20 minutes from Tokyo Station, you'll don a cotton yukata, participate in a casual tea ceremony, cook alongside your host, listen to a live traditional music performance, and have a go at playing a Japanese instrument yourself. Lunch or dinner rounds out the experience—typically okonomiyaki with pork belly unless you request otherwise. This is an intimate, unscripted afternoon that treats you as a guest rather than a tourist.

Kyoto Ramen Tour

Taste two distinctly different ramen bowls across Kyoto's noodle landscape on this 2.5-hour guided tour. Start with coffee or tea whilst your guide unpacks the history of Kyoto ramen and maps out the stops ahead. You'll visit a traditional ramen shop and a contemporary spot, sampling half-size portions of each to compare styles and techniques. A knowledgeable local steers you through both kitchens, explaining what makes each bowl tick.

Your Fully Private Kanazawa Tour

When Ben from our BugBitten team booked this private Kanazawa tour, we got exactly what we paid for: a full day shaped around what we actually wanted to see. Aiko, your local guide, asks upfront what interests you—temples, samurai history, local food spots, whatever—then builds the itinerary from there. Kanazawa's a castle town with serious cultural weight (gardens, samurai houses, geisha districts), and six hours gives you enough time to hit the major sites without rushing. It's just you, Aiko, and her deep knowledge of where locals actually hang out. Entry fees to Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle, and the Nomura Samurai House are included, as is all the taxi hopping around town.

Private Authentic Matcha Tea Ceremony in a Kyoto Tea Room

Step into a working tea room in Kyoto for a private ceremony led by a local from a kimono-making family. Over 90 minutes, you'll watch matcha being prepared with deliberate precision, learn the philosophy woven into each gesture, and sit as an actual guest rather than spectator. The host shares conversation and context throughout, serving you freshly whisked tea and seasonal sweets in a genuine gathering space that few tourists ever enter.

Tokyo: Samurai Adventure! Authentic Sword Action Experience

Spend an hour learning swordplay from a former action film performer in Tokyo. You'll watch practising samurai at work, then handle a wooden sword yourself to grasp the fundamentals of kenjutsu. The instructor covers samurai history before moving into practical technique, finishing with a photo opportunity alongside the training group.

Create Your Akihabara Tour! Anime, Games & Local Tips

Walk Akihabara's electric streets with someone who actually lives here. This 1 hour 40 minute to 2 hour tour cuts through the noise to show you what matters—whether that's vintage arcade cabinets, anime merchandise deep cuts, or the cultural backbone beneath the neon. Your guide builds the route around what you care about, and along the way shares practical Japanese etiquette so you move through the country like you belong there, not just passing through.

Nagasaki City and Shimabara Highlights Tour

7 hours – 10 hoursfrom AUD $896

Nagasaki City and Shimabara Highlights Tour

This 7–10 hour tour covers Nagasaki city and the Shimabara Peninsula with a small-group approach that ditches rigid schedules. You move at your own pace through the region's standout natural, historical and cultural sites, stopping as long as you like at each spot. Your guide steers you toward the peninsula's best attractions without the cattle-herding feel of mass-market operators. Lunch is sorted en route, leaving more daylight for exploration.

Forest Bathing in Temple and Enjoy onsen with healing power

🧖 Wellness & Spa

8 hours – 9 hoursfrom AUD $242

Forest Bathing in Temple and Enjoy onsen with healing power

A six-hour forest bathing session centred on a 600-year-old temple near Odawara, where ancient cedars frame your slow-paced walk through woodland. You'll practice mindful Shinrin-yoku, absorbing the forest's sensory offerings before lunch at a small temple café. The experience concludes in a mineral-rich onsen nestled within the same trees, letting thermal waters ease tension whilst surrounded by nature. A certified guide leads throughout.

Calligraphy and Matcha Tea Ceremony

When Lily from our team tried this calligraphy and matcha tea ceremony in a quiet Tokyo residential pocket, it felt like stepping into someone's actual home rather than a tourist classroom. You're four minutes by train from the Shibuya chaos, in a space with a dry garden and proper traditional bones. The 90-minute session walks you through ink-grinding and brush work, then you apply your chosen kanji to either a hanging scroll or wooden votive tablet to take home. Afterwards, your instructor prepares matcha in front of you the traditional way, complete with seasonal sweets and the etiquette that makes the ritual feel earned rather than rushed.

Naoshima private tour by national licensed tourguide

Spend eight to nine hours exploring Naoshima's contemporary art scene with an experienced English-speaking guide who's spent nearly a decade perfecting island knowledge. Visit signature installations like Yayoi Kusama's iconic pumpkins, the underground Chichu Museum, Benesse House, and artist-run galleries across the island. Customise your route to match your interests, whether you're chasing architecture, sculpture, or experimental spaces. Early starts and pickups from Okayama station are available for an extra fee.

Cool Down in Kyoto : Traditional Incense Making Experience

🛕 Culture & History