City Kickstart Tour: Tokyo in Tokyo - 16647dbe0f8465587764feba0a5c100b
4.9

City Kickstart Tour: Tokyo

  • 1.5 hours
  • City Highlight Tours
  • Tokyo
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Choose one of 8 locals available

Experience hosted by Gulay, Alessandra & other locals

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

Welcome to Tokyo! Want to know the best places to eat? Cool events in town? Which places to go to and which to avoid? Or simply get some help to navigate the city? Book this private tour with a local and get the perfect introduction to Tokyo to 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, Português, Türkçe, Español, 日本語, 中文
Included
  • Private Guide
  • Local Tips & Tricks
  • City Orientation
  • All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance to attractions
  • tips

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Discover the real Tokyo in a nutshell
  • Learn how to navigate the city
  • Get the latest tips & tricks from a local
  • Ask anything during this private tour
  • Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
  • The best way to kickstart your stay

What you can expect

City Kickstart Tour: Tokyo in Tokyo - 16647dbe0f8465587764feba0a5c100b

First time in Tokyo? Wondering where to go and what to see in this fascinating city? We got you! Kickstart your time in Tokyo with a 90-minute introduction to the city with the help of your favorite local. This tour is the city overview you were looking for that brings together sights of main highlights and attractions, plus must-have tips and tricks that will help you get acquainted with the city, its people, and culture.

So, ready to start your time in Tokyo in the best way possible? On this private tour, you’ll meet up with the local host of your choice. Each of the hosts on this tour will show you their Tokyo in their way and based on their passions and expertise. The hosts know their city like the back of their hand and can’t wait to get you acquainted with Tokyo!

And what about that unique family-owned restaurant or that amazing local hotspot? Get personal recommendations from your local host and where to find the current hot spots in the city. Get insights on the local lifestyle and find out true stories about the city’s past as you take in vibrant, full-of-life present Tokyo. Historical facts, local stories, and great tips & tricks. What can be more awesome than that?

Any questions? Go ahead and ask your host about anything that pops into your mind and get all the answers you need for the perfect Tokyo trip. Locals always know best. And don’t forget, this private tour can be personalized 100% according to your wishes!

Choose your local

Get to know these 8 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 Shibuya Hachiko Square lottery shop (next to the Hachikō Statue) - Tokyo to start your journey

  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. City Highlights

    See Hachikō Memorial Statue, Harajuku 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
  4. 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
  5. 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!
  6. 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
  7. 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

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Surash
(About local )
23 April 2025
Great tour guide with excellent knowledge of the local area and history! Would highly recommend! Excellent start to our holiday
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Steve
(About local )
17 April 2025
Alejandro was very knowledgeable and informative. He spoke excellent English and Japanese. Great guide
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Mark
(About local )
17 April 2025
Joanne was totally excellent. Not just giving us information on the tour but helping us to improve our experience of our visit. Tha is Joanne you were amazing Totlly excellent
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Joanne🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
16 April 2025
In our first day in Tokyo this was a great way to start. We got a flavour of the city and some guidance on how to navigate the public transport which was invaluable. Really enjoyed the tour and would recommend Joanne highly. She was friendly & informed. Our only downside was trying to find the meeting point. Tokyo is so busy and the area was undergoing renovations- so give yourself double the time when trying to get where you want to go! Get to know Tokyo
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Doris
(About local )
13 April 2025
The Tour with Gulay was perfect for is. We arrived in the afternoon in Tokio and in the evening we started the 1,5 h Tour in shibuja. Gulay gave us a lot of information about how we have to move forward in this big City and explore the best places. At the end of the tour we visited a Food court near shibuja crossing and enjoyed the evening with traditionell Japan Food. It was a pleasure for us to meet Gulay. Br guys from Austria 😊Austrians explore Tokio 🙂
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Katie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 April 2025
Joanne did a fantastic job showing us around the key areas of Tokyo on this tour! She showed us the highlights of Shibuya, including a secret spot to see the crossing from up high, and took us to Harajuku, which was a hit with our 3 teenage daughters. We were able to ask her tons of questions about the trains, which areas we should go to, and ones we can cross off our list (only due to our limited time in Tokyo). We asked her for a sushi recommendation for dinner that night and walked us all the way to the restaurant and helped us get a table. That dinner was one of our favorites during our trip to Japan - phenomenal food and spectacular views! Highly recommend this tour if you're heading to Tokyo and definitely book with Joanne. 10/10! We loved learning about Tokyo from Joanne!
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Harry🇮🇲 Isle of Man
(About local )
27 March 2025
I cannot recommend Gulay highly enough! We did a 90mins tour starting next to the famous Shibuya Crossing and then explored the area. Gulay showed us some great hidden gems like little bars, the best ramen places and a small neighborhood where the locals live. She also really kindly bought us some matcha drinks and cake :) Gulay was super knowledgeable about the history and culture of Tokyo, answered all our questions and gave us some amazing recommendations for restaurants and sites to visit and avoid. Honestly felt like we were going around with a friend we’d known for years. 100% recommend! Thanks Gulay :) The perfect tour guide!
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Pam
(About local )
18 March 2025
We had a great time learning about Japanese culture and exploring Tokyo with Kennedy! She is very knowledgeable and helped us get acquainted with this beautiful city.Fun time exploring the city
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daniela🇲🇽 Mexico
(About local )
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
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Rosita
(About local )
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
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Sarah🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
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
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Stefan
(About local )
12 February 2025
Thanks a lot for the perfekt City Kickstart Tour in Tokyo. Group Manu 50
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Selma
(About local )
12 January 2025
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Jennifer🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 January 2025
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Julie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
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!
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Mike
(About local )
30 November 2024
Very nice tour. Very knowledgeable about the area. Great for English speaking travelers. Highly recommend. Nice tour!
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Kate🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
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!
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Ibrahim🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
(About local )
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
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herwig🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
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!
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Andrew🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
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
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amy🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
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!
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Olivia🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
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!!!
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Ria🇵🇰 Pakistan
(About local )
8 October 2024
This was my first time in Tokyo with my kids. Carlos gave me a very good introduction to the area, some local traditions and some good tips and tricks! I was very intimidated with the train/ subway system so Carlos really helped me understand- also came on a short train ride with us to get me comfortable. I really got lucky that i found Carlos.Carlos is fabulous
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Sharon🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
11 September 2024
Gulay provided a good though brief introduction to Tokyo. It was useful to understand the cultural norms of Tokyo when we first arrived. Recommend this short walking excursion to tourists new to Tokyo. Gulay spoke very good English and was very friendly Good introduction to Tokyo
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Unknown
(About local )
10 September 2024
Gulay is absolutely lovely and so helpful and friendly from the get-go. Our friend recommended doing a tour on the first day of our holiday and we really got so lucky with Gulay-she’s fabulous!! Thank you Gulay! A wonderful way to start our holiday!
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Jon🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
31 August 2024
Gulay was awesome. She truly did give us a kick start for enjoying our time in Tokyo. She quickly and easily taught us how to navigate public transportation. The places she took us to were fantastic. Gulay was very pleasant and she shared much local history that truly made us feel we welcome and immersed in Japanese culture. Gully went beyond our expectations. She came to our holes to start the day. It was our first day in Tokyo.Awesome Host
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Tim🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
8 August 2024
It was a great tour! :) Thanks for helping us to find all the good spots in the city! Excellent! :)
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alina🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
5 August 2024
This is a fantastic concept for those that just want a fast orientation to Tokyo. Gulay is an amazing, friendly, and fun guide for the entire family. Our family of four (including 2 picky teenagers) loved our time with her. She took us to spots not many locals know about and shared some good restaurants too. We especially loved her tip on trying natural japanese cola and went back a second time. If you are interested in getting a lay of the land in shibuya and the street for sneaker shopping, definitely book Gulay. She cam customize based on your interests and even texted us afterwards with some guidance. Next time we are in Tokyo, will definitely book an afternoon or evening with her. Perfect start to our stay in tokyo
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Armand🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
30 July 2024
Gulay was a very pleasant and knowledgeable tour guide.Excellent starter tour in Tokyo
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Unknown
(About local )
15 July 2024
Gulay gave us a amazing kickstarter tour of Shibuya and the surrounding neighborhoods. She is very enjoyable and very know;edgeable about the city ans the Japanese culture. I highly recommend herVery enjoyable and informative tour
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shelly🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
18 June 2024
Loved our tour w Gulay. She was full of great stories and helped us to get to know Tokyo a bit better. Great fun lots if good stories
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Kevin🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
9 June 2024
Gulay provides information about the best of Tokyo in such a lovely way. She knows all the best spots so please do ask her. Would recommend… I write this review the day after and we’ve spent it using ALL the recommendations she made.Fabulous start to Tokyo trip
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Richard🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
26 May 2024
We had a great tour around Shibuya with Gulay, she is knowledgeable and very friendly, she also told us where to go for amazing ramen at lunch. Can’t recommend enough. Great Gulay
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Dawn🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 May 2024
Gulay was a wonderful tour guide! Our tour was so fun and informative! Gulay tailored the tour to our family, gave great suggestions and provided links to things we were interested in doing in Tokyo. She was very attentive to questions, even after our tour. I would highly recommend Gulay!Great tour and tour guide!
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Frank🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
20 May 2024
What a wonderful and lovely person, and a great tour. Highly appreciated. Tks a lot for everything and hope to see you soon :) Have fun in this great city one of the best tour guides
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Martin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 May 2024
I’m a regular WithLocals user and booked a Kickstarter tour with Gülay at the start of our recent trip to Tokyo. Gülay is great fun, knowledgable and gave us some unique insights into the city and what it’s like to live there. As well as seeing some of the more expected sights we also discovered fascinating areas off the beaten track. The tour was tailored to our interests and finished up at a local ramen restaurant where Gülay helped us navigate the all-in-Japanese automated ticket ordering system. Highly recommend - thanks Gülay 10/10A great way to start our trip
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Paul 🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
5 May 2024
Gulay was a super guide and really helped us to get to know Tokyo! Highly recommend. Super
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Angela
(About local )
22 April 2024
We highly recommend this tour and guide is exceptional!!!So much information and told us about little things that mattered to us . He pointed out stores where we could purchase items such as shoes and clothing. It was raining the entire time but we pressed on . Definitely take this tour.In the rain
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Lys🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 April 2024
Gulay helped me get a great start in Tokyo. She focused on the things I needed to know, such as navigating the complex subway system hassle free and trying out hidden eateries, so I can enjoy my Tokyo visit, and I did - thank you!Great orientation
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Bethan🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
9 April 2024
We really enjoyed our tour with Gulay and really felt we were being shown around by a friend. She gave us a tour of the Shibuya area of the city, taking us across famous Shibuya scramble crossing and introducing the kids to the crazy capsule dispenser shops - much to their delight! Gulay gave us some great tips for restaurants and also showed us the best place to buy our Shinkansen tickets. She also gave us some really helpful advice both before and after the tour. A friendly and fun intro to Tokyo
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Tess 🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
7 April 2024
This was the perfect intro to exploring bustling Shibuya! Gulay took our preferences and interests into account when showing us highlights of the area and telling us stories about its history that resonated with everyone in our group. Gulay is immediately friendly and enthusiastic and great with kids too. Thank you Gulay!Perfectly tailored tour
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Anne🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
30 March 2024
My teenage son and I spent our first afternoon in Tokyo with Gulay and we couldn't have been happier. She was lovely and personable and within minutes of being with her, she gave us a tip that made our whole trip so much easier. She answered our questions, shared interesting information and showed us newbie tricks to help navigate the city. She also gave us a recommendation for an area we wouldn't have found on our own (which has been our favorite so far!). Thank you, Gulay, for a wonderful and helpful start to our trip. I just wish we could have have had more time with you!Great Start to Tokyo!
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Stephanie 🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
25 March 2024
Alejandro hat uns während der 1,5h viele interessante Ecken von Shibuya gezeigt, die wir so nicht gefunden hätten. Vielen Dank dafür. Gerne wieder!Interessante Führung Shibuya
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Wine🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
18 January 2024
Sometimes in this life the stars line up, you’re in the flow, the energy is amazing…and this is what my time with tour guide Gulay was like in Tokyo. She listened carefully to what I wanted and delivered! A smart lovely person with dynamism… I highly recommend! She was the added delightful bonus to my travels in Japan. Thanks again Gulay for everything. Made my trip to Tokyo extra awesome!
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Tiago🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
24 November 2023
Gulay was lovely, she gave us a lot of recommendations and took us to incredible hidden gems, highly recommend Gulay's tour.A warming friend in Tokyo
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lynn🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
30 September 2023
Sena was brilliant. Very knowledgeable, helpful and fun. In addition to our tour she helped us with onward train reservations and gave us lots of top tips. Cannot recommend highly enough.Fantastic Guide, highly recommended
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Alexandra🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 September 2023
Alejandro is awesome! 10/10 experience. Very knowledgeable & kind.
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Iain🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
28 August 2023
On our first evening in Tokyo, we had a tour with Sena in Shibuya. In only 1,5 hours she showed us around so many wonderful places! She tailored the tour completely to our interests and those of our 9-year-old daughter, which was wonderful. She gave us tips on where to eat and showed us many places that we would have never found without a local to show us around. We recommend Sena as a guide anytime and are hoping to do more tours with her when we come back to Japan in the future!Great guide
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Adam🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
28 August 2023
Gulay was both interesting and interested, engaging with us before and after our tour as well. Her 90 minute introductory tour got our trip to Tokyo off to a great start as Gulay took the trouble to understand what we'd be interested in, then created s route to match it all. We enjoyed it so much that we're going back to see many of the same sights again tomorrow. Excellent friendly guide
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Mark🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
16 August 2023
Carlos is a nice and smart guy. He knows a lot about Tokyo as a resident of Tokyo and he can also tell you in which ways Tokyo is different from other cities because he has traveled a lot.Great tour, nice and competent tourguide

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Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

Other City highlight tours in Tokyo

€25.55per person