• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Welcome to the Shinjuku District in Tokyo! Want to know the best places to eat? Which places to go to and which to avoid? Or simply get some help to navigate the city? Get the perfect introduction to the city on this private tour with a local and start your city trip on the right foot.

Destination

Tokyo, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

1.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Español, 日本語, Português, Türkçe, 中文

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 7 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at At the East Exit in front of the Police Box - Tokyo to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. the Shinjuku District Exploring

   This Tokyo tour takes you to explore the Shinjuku District, where you can see another side of the city. Kickstart your trip in this fascinating area and get recommendations of what to do and where to go that will show you the Shinjuku District at its best!

4. City Highlights

   See Godzilla Head Statue, Memory Lane, and more landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots of the city so you can get the perfect introduction to what makes Tokyo so special

5. Local Hot Spots

   Along the way, your host will point out hangout spots and hidden gems that only the locals know about and will help you get acquainted with the city in the most local way possible

6. Food Recommendations

   Receive tailored recommendations according to your taste and where to go and what to eat while visiting Tokyo. Avoid tourist traps thanks to your local host!

7. City Orientation

   Learn how to navigate the city, and get the answers to your Tokyo questions that will help you in the following days making your time in the city much easier

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Olesya 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Kennedy )

2 February 2025

Excellent English , great local insights, very authentic with lots of insights. It was a well invested time with Kennedy! Thanks Great time in Tokyo

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alejandro)

23 September 2024

We did the 1.5 hour tour and enjoyed Alejandro’s knowledge and insight into the Shinjuku area. We walked through many of the famous areas ending with the 3d cat which was a highlight. All in all a good overview of the area. Fun tour with helpful information

David 🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Alejandro)

1 September 2024

Excellent work. Thank you Great host

9xz5yhc4nr🇷🇴 Romania

(About local Gulay)

5 March 2025

Our experience with Gulay was absolutely phenomenal! We arrived in Tokyo a day before our planned itinerary, jetlagged and exhausted, simply wanting to get a feel for the city with the help of someone knowledgeable. From the moment we met her, Gulay exceeded all expectations—she adapted seamlessly to our small group’s needs, pacing the tour perfectly and ensuring we were comfortable every step of the way. Not only was she incredibly patient and kind, but she also went above and beyond, helping us sort out the rest of our trip with invaluable advice. The places she took us to were truly special—hidden gems we would have never found on our own. Thanks to her, our first day in Tokyo became a highlight of our journey, setting the perfect tone for the rest of our stay. We can’t recommend Gulay enough! If you're looking for an exceptional guide who combines deep knowledge with warmth and flexibility, she’s the one. A heartfelt thank you—we’ll always cherish this experience!A Perfect Introduction to Tokyo

daniela🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Gulay)

23 February 2025

Taking this tour with Gulay was an excellent idea! She gave us so many great tips on how to explore the city and make the most of our time in Tokyo. Gulay was very kind and knowledgeable, showing us the main areas like Shibuya and giving us great recommendations on things to do and places to eat. We truly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend this tour with Gulay to anyone visiting Tokyo!Best way to start

Ruth

(About local Joanne)

23 February 2025

Joanne was perfect for us: Knowledgable, clever, helpful, inclusive and fun to be around. Do not hesitate to give her a whirl if you want to be guided. Thanks Joanne. Ruth and WillShibuya With Joanne

Melissa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gulay)

21 February 2025

This was our first visit to Japan. Gulay was so helpful in firstly communicating with us prior to our trip, and then providing an exceptional tour experience. Gulay was flexible in her approach, ensuring we took opportunities that arose as we walked. We wish we could take her with us for the remainder of our travels around Japan. Loved our time with Gulay.

Rosita

(About local Gulay)

18 February 2025

Gulay was very knowledgeable and took her time explaining the area, the rituals, and customs. She guided us on what to see and how to get there after the tour, which was very helpful. Would highly recommend using Gulay as a guide in Tokyo.Gulay highly recommended

Sarah🇺🇸 United States

(About local Joanne)

18 February 2025

My husband and I had a great tour with Joanne! She did a great job of combining the new with the old of Tokyo and taking us to places we wouldn’t have been able to find on our own. Would highly recommend anyone to book a tour with her! Great start to our Japan Trip

daniela🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Gulay)

17 February 2025

We had an amazing experience with Gulay as our guide in Tokyo! She shared so many fascinating facts and interesting insights that made our tour truly special. The places she took us to were real hidden gems and unique spots we wouldn’t have found on our own. Gulay was incredibly friendly and made us feel welcome from the start and gave us a lot of helpful tips. Her passion and knowledge made the tour very fun and insightful. We highly recommend her to anyone looking for an unforgettable experience in Tokyo!

Laura

(About local Joanne)

16 February 2025

As a solo traveller visiting Tokyo for the first time I was very nervous about how to get around and where to start or what to do. Joanne came up with a personalised tour which included everything I was interested in, including how to use public transport which was very overwhelming to me. Joanne was really friendly and knowledgeable and eased my worries about getting about and using the trains. The experience itself was so much fun! It was like meeting up with a friend, and I would highly recommend to anyone who, like me, has never visited Japan before. Joanne is so lovely and really went above and beyond! Best way to kick start my trip!

Stefan

(About local Alejandro)

12 February 2025

Thanks a lot for the perfekt City Kickstart Tour in Tokyo. Group Manu 50

Iain Shamus🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Ai )

7 February 2025

Had a great day exploring Tokyo. Lots of tips and tricks as well as good humor and great insight A wonderful day exploring

David🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ai )

20 January 2025

Ai did a great job communicating with me before the tour figuring out what we wanted to do and how to fit everything into a great day.Ai was the best

Eric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ai )

18 January 2025

Ai was wonderful. Book Ai with confidence. Very friendly, humble and knowledgeable. We enjoyed each food stop. Delicious bites. You will end the tour stuffed. She communicates well leading up to the food tour day. You won’t be disappointed. Food Tour

Dominic🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Kennedy )

15 January 2025

Thought provoking, insightful well spoken really interesting guide who gets to the heart of illustrating the Tokyo experience with plenty of context. Incredibly insightful

Selma

(About local Carlos)

12 January 2025

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

11 January 2025

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

11 January 2025

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

11 January 2025

lieke

(About local Carlos)

9 January 2025

Pleasant person but I had hoped to get more proactive and broader information, or guidance as being a local host who asks the group to come together to hear his information.

Ana

(About local ANA GEORGINA)

7 January 2025

Excelente guía Ana ...nos diseño un tour de acuerdo a nuestras necesidades ya que conocíamos algunas partes de la ciudad. Lo diseño perfecto y completo con un manejo del transporte preciso nos hizo sentir acompañados en todo momento una experiencia muy valiosa. 100% recomendable!!!Tokio increible y acompañado !!!

Michael🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gulay)

3 January 2025

Gulay was a total gem. She customized a tour that completely fit out interests, desired pace, and attention spans. She has so much to share about her experience in Tokyo and what makes Japan special. Allow her surprise you with some angles and quirks of the city and her creativity will inspire! 10/10!Don’t miss a chance to walk with Gulay!

Richard🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gulay)

28 December 2024

Gulay led us on a thorough kickstart tour of Tokyo. We met at the Meiji Shrine and had a great intro to the history of Japan. Learned of Shinto and Buddhist customs. Walked to Harajuku and got snacks, shopped, and dropped in on an otter cafe experience which was great. Took the metro for one stop and walked through Shibuya, experiencing the crossing and Hachiko statue. Gulay helped acquaint us with the metro and JR lines, and gave us ideas for other sights to see in the upcoming days. Highly recommend!Great intro to Tokyo

Larissa

(About local Gulay)

27 December 2024

Gulay was wonderful to deal with from the moment I booked - immediately responded with questions as to our group’s plans and interests. Met us promptly at our hotel and took us on a great tour, leaving us at our next booking for the day, right on time. Her knowledge is amazing and she has such an incredible enthusiasm and passion for the Japanese people and culture. Friendly, engaging and such a lovely person. We hope to see you again one day!An Excellent Tour!

Courtney🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gulay)

26 December 2024

Gulay was just perfect—personable, communicative, thoughtful, immensely helpful, patient, and flexible. She went above and beyond to provide cultural and practical overviews of Tokyo. She was a tremendous help with navigating every aspect of our transportation needs, including side trips to Hakona and Kyoto. We would have been completely lost without her. Gulay was extremely knowledgeable about our destinations, including Harjuku and the Meiji Shrine. She even brought coins for us to use at the shrine! Such a thoughtful touch. And Gulay was perceptive about our interests and schedule, making just the right tweaks to suit our energy levels and interests. Most importantly, Gulay was extremely accommodating when our itinerary changed due to family circumstances and flight cancellations, and she is the most lovely and relatable person to spend a day with. Do NOT hesitate to book with Gulay. She is top-notch!!Exceptional in Every Way!

Steve🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ai )

20 December 2024

Ai set up a culinary and cultural experience that was well beyond what I expected. We tried a wide variety of food at three different restaurants in an area of Tokyo that would be difficult for a tourist to figure out in their own. She was an excellent teacher and your guide, explaining both the food, the restaurant, the culture behind the izakaya experience, and nearly any other question I had about Tokyo. She was patient, happy, and very enjoyable. Can’t recommend this tour enough!Way more than I could have hoped for!

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alejandro)

7 December 2024

We booked Alejandro to take us out one night in Shinjuku to get a taste of the nightlife. It ended up being one of the highlights of the entire trip. He took us to a number of small bars where he knew how to get us in and where we got to mingle with the locals, not just tourists. Alejandro is so much fun to spend time with as well. If you are looking for someone to help you plan a fun, authentic night out in Tokyo, he is your guy! I will definitely book with him again on my next visit to Tokyo.Shinjuku Bar Hopping

Julie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

3 December 2024

Carlos was wonderful right from the time of booking. I asked lots of questions and he answered them thoroughly and immediately. He texted us the night before to inform us of his arrival time. He was very friendly and informative. He took us to two wonderful establishments to eat during our 5 hour private tour. He showed us how to use the train lines. Helped us buy our bullet train tickets for our next destination. He went above and beyond. We highly recommend him for your Tokyo tour!!! Carlos was a fantastc guide!

Mike

(About local Gulay)

30 November 2024

Very nice tour. Very knowledgeable about the area. Great for English speaking travelers. Highly recommend. Nice tour!

Kate🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alejandro)

26 November 2024

Alejandro’s tour was great. We signed up for an after hour and half intro to Tokyo and liked him so much we went on and spent the evening on one of his food/bar hopping tours. He has a great handle on the city from over a decade living there and helped us with great suggestions. He was prompt and easy to communicate with and left us with great memories and wonderful photos. Super Fun!

Gabriel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

23 November 2024

Carlos was Great!! He is the best guide of Shibuya, During the three hours of the tour he showed us many places. He’s very patient, If you are around the area and need a guide book your trip with him!! Thank you!!Best guide of Shibuya!!

Jean🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Ai )

17 November 2024

Review I just submitted earlier, I put in wrong names of our sights!sorry! It was actually the Meiji shrine & Shibuya / district. Got mixed up with names but regardless Ai was a super guide! The shrine & busy shopping streets were such contrasts! A perfect beginning to our time in Tokyo for my husband and myself. In November 2024. Ai is wonderful guide!

Hilarion🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

13 November 2024

Carlos was very knowledgable and very Friendly. He did a great job answering all of our questions about Tokyo and the food was amazing. He also gave great recommendations for us the rest of our stay. I would recommend this tour to everyone. Exactly what we were hoping for

Ibrahim🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Carlos)

9 November 2024

Carlos was very nice, informative and relaxed. He made the tour feel very chill and nice. He personalizes the tour as the group wants. Recommend for a newcomer to tokyoLovely intro to shibuya

Silvia🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Carlos)

8 November 2024

Wir waren mit Carlos am ersten Tag unseres Aufenthaltes in Tokio unterwegs, mehr im Bezirk Ueno. Er ist erfahrend, und hat uns viel über Japan erzählt. Ankommen und ein „Freund“ treffen !

Pinar🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Gulay)

6 November 2024

Toby🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ai )

3 November 2024

Our food tour with Ai was fantastic from start to finish! She was so warm and welcoming, and we felt immediately at ease with her. Since we already knew many Japanese dishes, Ai customized the tour to surprise us with new and exciting flavors. She clearly has a talent for finding the best local spots, and each place was a delicious discovery. Ai took us to hidden gems off the typical tourist path, making us feel like true locals as we sampled authentic dishes. She even included a stroll through a peaceful park and a stop at a serene temple, which gave us a perfect break between all the delicious food. There was so much to try, and every bite was amazing! Ai’s tour is a must-do for anyone wanting a genuine taste of Tokyo. Highly recommended!A real local experience!

herwig🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Carlos)

29 October 2024

From the moment we met with Carlos we knew he would be guiding us around Shibuya as a friend. Great experience!Great experience!

Lauren

(About local Gulay)

28 October 2024

Gulay showed us all the sites and gave us a thorough history. We ended the day smarter than we started. Highly recommend.So much fun ans very informative

Jeff🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

26 October 2024

I did a three hour food tour with Carlos and it was great. Carlos is easy to get along with and a great guide. He speaks English, Spanish and Japanese. We sampled a variety of food from different shops. Most had lines which told me that the locals like the food. He runs the tour a little outside of Shibuya where the shop owners are more friendly. I paced myself and only ate about 75% of everything. Glad I did because there is a lot of food. If your a foodie, you’ll love this tour. Great food tour

Julie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

22 October 2024

Perfect tour with Carlos. He was very efficient navigating the trains and sights. He shared tons of local information and historical information too. Highly recommend Carlos and would pick him again for future tours. Great day in Tokyo

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carlos)

20 October 2024

We had a wonderful time walking around Shibuya with Carlos. It was a great introduction to a neighborhood we went back to on our own maybe times. Would have been tough to get the full understanding of it all on our own, at least in only 90 minutes. He was great to chat with. The time flew by. Highly recommend.Great Experience

Caroline🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ai )

19 October 2024

We had a brilliant food tour with Ai. Perfect English. Huge amount of knowledge. We had so much food. It was so delicious. So informative. Make sure you are hungry at the beginning. Many new tastes and textures to try. So familiar but more delicious because you are in Japan. If you want a fabulous outing with much much food. Then book this tour. Easy to find the start. Ai finds you at the Baskin Robbins. The walk through the park was an added bonus. Excellent value for money. I will do it again next time I visit Tokyo. Thank you. Brilliant day out

Pierre🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gulay)

19 October 2024

We had a great tou with Gulay to discover Tokyo on our first day. Gulay has been very helpful with insights and tips. ThanksTokyo with Gulay

amy🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gulay)

18 October 2024

Gulay was a fantastic guide to the hustle and bustle of Shibuya! She was friendly and full of enthusiasm for the city. She shared bits of history along with many recommendations for activities that my teens would enjoy. I’d recommend this tour for anyone who is visiting Tokyo for the first time and especially for families with children. Great fun for teens!

Jaki🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Carlos)

18 October 2024

We had asked to see the non touristy side of the city as complete Japan novices and Carlos delivered. It was fascinating to hear his take on Japanese every day life and culture as a long term resident. We walked and talked and felt at the end we knew a lot more about the history of Tokyo and also about the way of life of the Japanese people. We went to an amazing soba restaurant for lunch which was was the icing on the cake. Just what we asked for

Olivia🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gulay)

17 October 2024

My mom and I had a wonderful tour with Gulay. She was knowledgeable, fun, and adapted the tour to our interests and needs. She gave us a great overview and intro to shopping in Tokyo along with interesting history and culture tidbits as we went. We really enjoyed our time with Gulay and couldn’t recommend her more!Thank you Gulay!!!

Stephen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gulay)

17 October 2024

Gulay went above and beyond to give us an awesome tour. She started communicating with us well before we arrived in Tokyo to confirm the things we were most interested in and she designed our tour accordingly. Gulay is also super friendly and knowledgeable about all things Tokyo. Thank you Galay for an amazing experience!Gulay is the Best

Marian🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Gulay)

16 October 2024

We are very grateful to have chosen Gulay as our guide. We had just finished a fifteen day tour of Japan ending in Tokyo. Gulay curated our tour exactly to our wishes. As a local she knows all the special places, food hot spots, and points of history. She is a great communicator and so passionate about her home town. We can highly recommend Gulay. We had a wonderful day.Absolute gem