Tours & experiences

Tours in Japan

Small-group tours, day trips, cooking classes and multi-day adventures. Every tour vetted for traveller reviews first.

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Any ⏱ Under 1 hour 🕓 1–4 hours 🌞 4 h – 1 day 🗓 Multi-day

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516 tours in Japan · ★ 5.0Clear filters

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Kyoto Satoyama Cycling with Lunch and English Guide

🌿 Nature & Wildlife

Kyoto Satoyama Cycling with Lunch and English Guide

Cycle through Kyoto's rural heartland on an e-bike, guided by locals who know every shrine and back lane. This 4–5 hour tour from Sonobe village brings you past farmland, historic temples, and the hillside that inspired Super Mario's creators. Pick your meal: hands-on soba-making with lunch, or a spread of seasonal vegetables in a traditional timber house. English-speaking guides handle all the routing; you just pedal at an easy pace and soak in birdsong and river sounds, all within 30 minutes of the city.

4 hours – 5 hoursfrom AUD $134

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

🌿 Nature & Wildlife

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.

2 hoursfrom AUD $44

Tokyo : Ghost and Dark Tales, Urban Legends & Cemetery Night

🛕 Culture & History

Tokyo : Ghost and Dark Tales, Urban Legends & Cemetery Night

This 2-hour night walk trades Shibuya's neon for Tokyo's shadowed quarters, threading through urban legends and into Aoyama Cemetery under moonlight. A storyteller guides you through folklore, spectral histories, and the quieter layers of the city where spirits linger. Small groups keep the experience intimate, perfect for those drawn to Japan's ghost narratives and the peculiar stories woven into its urban fabric.

2 hoursfrom AUD $58

Tokyo Toilet Tour

🛕 Culture & History

Tokyo Toilet Tour

Walk through Shibuya's reimagined public restrooms, designed by Japan's leading architects including Tadao Ando, Shigeru Ban, Fumihiko Maki and Kengo Kuma. Over three and a half hours, you'll explore how these masters approached functional design, moving between neighbourhood pockets you'd likely miss solo. The tour doubles as an informal primer on Tokyo's train and subway networks, with short rides woven through the itinerary.

3h 30mfrom AUD $314

Tokyo Street Food Tour - 7 Japanese Foods

🍜 Food & Cooking

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

Calligraphy & Digital Art Workshop in Kyoto

🛕 Culture & History

Calligraphy & Digital Art Workshop in Kyoto

Learn brush and digital art techniques in a Kyoto studio over 90 minutes. Work with traditional Japanese calligraphy and explore iPad-based creation, including etegami (picture letters). Led by Ami, a digital artist with a substantial YouTube following, and her team. You'll work in an authentic setting with refreshments provided, whether you're solo, with mates, or bringing family along.

1h 30mfrom AUD $179

Kyoto Sushi Making Experience with a Professional Sushi Chef

🍜 Food & Cooking

Kyoto Sushi Making Experience with a Professional Sushi Chef

Learn to hand-shape nigiri and roll maki under a master sushi chef in Kyoto, then sit down to eat what you've made alongside his tempura. The 3.5-hour experience kicks off at a traditional wagashi shop, moves into the sushi kitchen for hands-on instruction, and wraps up in a Kyoto garden where you'll whisk matcha and pair it with the sweets you selected earlier. Three sake varieties feature throughout, chosen to complement each dish.

3h 30mfrom AUD $224

Nikko Private SightSeeing Day Tour With Guide (From Tokyo)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Nikko Private SightSeeing Day Tour With Guide (From Tokyo)

A 10-hour private guided tour from Tokyo exploring Nikko's layered blend of sacred architecture and alpine scenery. Visit the ornamental Toshogu Shrine and Rinno-ji Temple, take the Akechidaira Ropeway for views over Lake Chuzenji, see Kegon Falls, and step inside Tamozawa Imperial Villa. Your own driver and guide navigate you through UNESCO-recognised temples and dramatic landscapes at your own rhythm, with air-conditioned transport, onboard WiFi, and complimentary water included.

10 hoursfrom AUD $1075

Best of Tokyo Private Tour for Yokohama Cruise Passengers

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Best of Tokyo Private Tour for Yokohama Cruise Passengers

Craft your own Tokyo itinerary with a private guide who meets you at Yokohama cruise terminal. Spend eight hours exploring three to four major landmarks—the Imperial Palace, Ginza's shopping district, Shibuya's frenetic crossing, or other Tokyo favourites—using local trains and taxis to hop between sites. Your guide customises the route to your interests and pace. Return to the ship by bullet train if you wish, completing your day with a thrilling 15-minute Shinkansen ride.

8 hoursfrom AUD $215

1-Day Togakushi Tour: Soba making, Ninja Town, and Hidden Shrines

🛕 Culture & History

1-Day Togakushi Tour: Soba making, Ninja Town, and Hidden Shrines

A full day in the forested mountains north of Nagano, combining hands-on soba-making, ninja history, and shrine walks. You'll roll and cut buckwheat noodles under a craftsperson's eye, explore the Togakure school's 12th-century hideout with its trick house and shuriken range, then trek through a cathedral of ancient cedars to reach the secluded Okusha Shrine. Eight hours, guided throughout, with transport between sites included.

8h 15mfrom AUD $228

Daikoku Car meet & Tokyo Private JDM Night Tour in 700HP R34 GT-R

🏔 Adventure & Sports

Daikoku Car meet & Tokyo Private JDM Night Tour in 700HP R34 GT-R

Ride shotgun in a 700-horsepower R34 Skyline GT-R through Tokyo's underground JDM scene. This three-and-a-half-hour private tour takes you to Daikoku PA, Japan's premier late-night car meet where modified machines gather, then cruises the neon streets alongside a convoy of tuned Skylines. You'll stop at a sprawling parts retailer to scope the latest aftermarket gear, then experience the raw engine note and precision handling of one of Japan's most iconic performance cars—all from the passenger seat.

3h 30mfrom AUD $842

Little EDO Sushi Making workshop in Kawagoe

🍜 Food & Cooking

Little EDO Sushi Making workshop in Kawagoe

Roll sushi alongside a trained Japanese chef in a 140-year-old Kawagoe building that once dealt rice wholesale. Over 90 minutes you'll master the fundamentals of sushi rice preparation and hand-rolling techniques in this intimate, English-friendly workshop held in a cherished local café. Walk away knowing how to recreate what you've made at your own table, plus the historical backstory of nigiri sushi's invention three centuries ago.

1h 30mfrom AUD $115

Ancient Katana Training in Kyoto with Local Students

🏔 Adventure & Sports

Ancient Katana Training in Kyoto with Local Students

Train in Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu at Kyoto's Asayama Ichiden Ryu Hyōhō dojo, a 400-year-old martial tradition. You'll work through wooden-katana basics alongside actual students under qualified instructors over three hours. This isn't a performance or photo op—it's genuine practice in a working training space where discipline and technique matter.

3 hoursfrom AUD $63

Anime Tour Kyoto: ONE PIECE & Arashiyama Bamboo

🛕 Culture & History

Anime Tour Kyoto: ONE PIECE & Arashiyama Bamboo

Explore Kyoto through the lens of ONE PIECE, tracking character locations and iconic scenes across the city and Arashiyama's famous bamboo grove. This four-and-a-half-hour guided tour combines anime fandom with real Kyoto landmarks, culminating in a custom "WANTED" poster bearing your likeness and a bounty value you choose. An English-speaking guide leads the way through neighbourhoods that inspired the manga's world.

4h 30mfrom AUD $128

Luxury Tokyo Sake, Cocktail, Whisky and Pairing Tour

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.

3 hoursfrom AUD $456

Explore Maidreamin Akihabara Walking Tour

🛕 Culture & History

Explore Maidreamin Akihabara Walking Tour

A three-hour walking tour through Akihabara, Tokyo's epicentre of anime, gaming, and tech culture. You'll navigate neon-soaked streets lined with towering screens, hunt through specialist shops for rare collectibles, and experience the quirky charm of a maid cafe. Your guide steers you past the obvious tourist traps to reveal how this neighbourhood pulses with genuine otaku passion—a place where Japanese pop culture devotion feels almost tangible.

3 hoursfrom AUD $45

Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Lively One-Day Walking Tour

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Lively One-Day Walking Tour

A seven-hour guided walk through Osaka's layered past and present. Start at Osaka Castle to trace samurai history through museum exhibits, then stride down Japan's longest shopping arcade where locals actually browse. Finish in Dotonbori's neon-lit food quarter, where street stalls and restaurants explain why the city claims culinary supremacy. Your guide handles all entry fees and queues, plus navigation on local transport.

7 hoursfrom AUD $193

Nagano Snowshoe Hiking Tour

🌿 Nature & Wildlife

Nagano Snowshoe Hiking Tour

Strap on snowshoes and trek through Togakushi's winter landscape, where centuries-old cedar avenues guide your path and frozen lakes stretch beneath your feet. This five-hour Nagano experience follows in the footsteps of mountain ascetics who've sought spiritual practice here for generations. You'll navigate both forest and ice, moving through terrain that reveals itself differently in snow than any other season.

5 hoursfrom AUD $125

Small-Group Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki Cooking Class

🍜 Food & Cooking

Small-Group Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki Cooking Class

Learn to cook Osaka-style okonomiyaki in a local home with a small group of five, guided by an English-speaking host who welcomes genuine cultural exchange. This two-hour class covers ingredient selection, technique, and adapting recipes for vegetarian and vegan diets. You'll walk away with a recipe and the confidence to recreate these savoury pancakes at home.

2 hoursfrom AUD $199

Tokyo Sunset Boat Party with Music Drinks and Vibes

Tokyo Sunset Boat Party with Music Drinks and Vibes

Three-hour floating dance session on Tokyo Bay where you'll catch the sunset from the water with live DJs spinning tracks from the city's top clubs. The boat glides past Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge as they light up against the darkening sky, while you've got a drink in hand and the city skyline as your backdrop. It's nightlife that works best on the water—the music, the crowd, the views all hit differently when you're floating rather than stuck on land.

3 hoursfrom AUD $81

Shinto Shrine Tour: Explore Japanese Culture in Tokyo

🛕 Culture & History

Shinto Shrine Tour: Explore Japanese Culture in Tokyo

Step inside three of Tokyo's significant Shinto shrines to understand how this spiritual practice has shaped Japanese life for millennia. Over three hours, a local guide walks you through the origins of shrine worship—how ancient communities built sacred spaces to honour the spirits they believed governed nature's forces. You'll move between locations via public transport, seeing firsthand how these sites remain woven into daily Tokyo life. Entrance fees and professional English guidance included.

3 hoursfrom AUD $80

Easygoing Nature Walk in Hakone Tour

🌿 Nature & Wildlife

Easygoing Nature Walk in Hakone Tour

Spend three-and-a-half hours exploring Hakone's distinctive lowland terrain with a certified naturalist guide. This walk focuses on accessible, relatively flat ground, giving you proper time to notice seasonal plants found nowhere else in Japan, resident and migratory birds, insects, local fish, and potentially larger wildlife like deer, foxes, and weasels. You'll carry binoculars throughout to examine distant geological formations and spot creatures across the landscape. The region's unique geology and biodiversity create an entirely different natural world from most places you've visited.

3h 30mfrom AUD $54

Hiroshima:Private lacquer workshop experience tour(gift included)

🍜 Food & Cooking

Hiroshima:Private lacquer workshop experience tour(gift included)

Spend two hours in the studio of Naoya Takayama, a master lacquerware artist in Hiroshima, learning the centuries-old techniques that once adorned Buddhist altars. Under his guidance, you'll discover how traditional craftsmanship translates into functional tableware using only natural materials, then apply lacquer yourself and take home a piece you've created. Takayama's work has been gifted at the G7 Summit and draws on refinements he's made to Kyoto lacquer traditions.

2 hoursfrom AUD $394

Sokoiko Cycling Through History The Beginning of Japan

🛕 Culture & History

Sokoiko Cycling Through History The Beginning of Japan

Pedal through Japan's foundational era on this three-hour guided ride around Asuka, where ancient burial mounds and historical landmarks reveal the country's earliest cultural layers. You'll cover ground on electric bicycles with a local guide who unpacks the significance of each stop—from kofun earthworks to temples that shaped Japan's trajectory. A straightforward way to absorb historical context without the museum walls.

3 hoursfrom AUD $117

Shinjuku Nightlife Tour

Shinjuku Nightlife Tour

A 4-hour guided evening through Shinjuku's Kabukicho district, taking in the neon-soaked streets, tucked-away drinking spots, and the narrow lanes of Golden Gai. Your guide navigates you through the area's layered history—from the red-light quarter to intimate neighbourhood bars—with dinner and three drinks included. Small groups mean you'll move at a relaxed pace and actually hear what's happening around you.

4 hoursfrom AUD $269

[Okinawa Miyako] [Early Morning] Sunrise SUP or Canoe

🐠 Water Activities

[Okinawa Miyako] [Early Morning] Sunrise SUP or Canoe

Paddle out on Miyako Island's waters before dawn breaks, choosing between SUP or canoe for an 80-minute session that ends with sunrise views from your craft. You'll catch the island waking up—birdsong, salt air, first light spreading across the sea. It's built for people squeezing in one last adventure before heading to the airport, or filling a gap in their itinerary with something grounding rather than rushed.

1h 20mfrom AUD $71

Mt.Fuji Private SightSeeing Day Tour With Guide (From Tokyo)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Mt.Fuji Private SightSeeing Day Tour With Guide (From Tokyo)

A 10-hour private guided tour from Tokyo exploring Mount Fuji's full landscape rather than rushing between postcards. You'll visit the 5th Station for alpine views, trek through volcanic caves shaped by ancient eruptions, pay respects at the historic Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, wander Oshino Hakkai's traditional village streets, and take in Lake Kawaguchiko's shoreline from Oishi Park. The route weaves cultural sites, geological formations, and mountain villages into a single arc that reveals why this peak matters beyond its silhouette.

10 hoursfrom AUD $1075

Tea ceremony experience with simple kimono in Okinawa

🛕 Culture & History

Tea ceremony experience with simple kimono in Okinawa

Step into a traditional tea room in Okinawa and learn the art of chanoyu from an experienced instructor. You'll dress in a simple kimono, study the ritual gestures and tools, sample local sweets, then prepare and drink your own bowl of matcha. This 75-minute session accommodates groups of two to eight and welcomes participants of all mobility levels. Book at least three days ahead.

1h 15mfrom AUD $117

Guided Tour to Naoshima Art Island with Private Car

🛕 Culture & History

Guided Tour to Naoshima Art Island with Private Car

Spend eight hours exploring Naoshima, Japan's premier contemporary art destination, guided by someone with deep museum expertise. Travel by private car and ferry to three architectural landmarks: the underground Chichu Art Museum, the serene Lee Ufan Museum, and the clifftop Benesse House Museum. You'll encounter Kusama's Red Pumpkin, Monet paintings, and site-specific installations that respond to seasonal light, all set within Tadao Ando's minimalist designs. Your guide contextualises the art and architecture throughout, making connections between works and the island's ethos.

8 hoursfrom AUD $571

Lake Kawaguchi Explorer: E-Bike Guided Tour

🏔 Adventure & Sports

Lake Kawaguchi Explorer: E-Bike Guided Tour

Explore Lake Kawaguchi's shoreline and surrounding villages on a pedal-assist e-bike, guided by someone who grew up in Mt. Fuji's shadow. Over 2–3 hours, you'll cover terrain that would exhaust you on a regular bike, stopping at landmarks and lesser-known spots where your guide unpacks local history and the cultural layers of this region. Small groups mean real conversation, not rushed photo stops.

2 hours – 3 hoursfrom AUD $117

Osaka Private Food Tours by Local Foodies: 100% Personalized

🍜 Food & Cooking

Osaka Private Food Tours by Local Foodies: 100% Personalized

Osaka's eating culture demands a local guide, and this three-hour private food tour pairs you with a like-minded host who knows where the city's best Kansai dishes hide. You'll taste your way through two or three neighbourhood eateries, sampling everything from Kobe beef to regional specialities, finishing with something sweet. Your itinerary is built around your interests via a pre-tour questionnaire, meaning you're not following a script—you're following genuine recommendations from someone who actually lives here.

3 hoursfrom AUD $257

Gion & Higashiyama with a private Tourguide in German or English

🛕 Culture & History

Gion & Higashiyama with a private Tourguide in German or English

A three-hour guided walk through Kyoto's most atmospheric neighbourhoods with a private German or English-speaking guide. You'll navigate the lantern-lit streets of Gion and Higashiyama, passing wooden machiya townhouses, active temples, and working teahouses tucked into alleyways. The guide unpacks the neighbourhood's layered history—where geisha still live and work, where merchants' families have traded for centuries, and where pilgrims still visit shrines. All fees included.

3 hoursfrom AUD $365

(Private car)Fake It Then Taste It:Japan’s Quirky Cuisine Journey

🍜 Food & Cooking

(Private car)Fake It Then Taste It:Japan’s Quirky Cuisine Journey

A five-hour private tour exploring Japan's food culture through nostalgia and craft. Begin at Sagamihara's quirky vending machine market, where vintage Showa-era machines still dispense hot udon and curiosities. Then learn to sculpt hyper-realistic food samples at Atelier Stella—the plastic replicas you see in restaurant windows—before finishing with dinner at a local Machida eatery chosen by your guide. Perfect for those curious about how Japanese food marketing works and keen to make something tangible to take home.

5 hoursfrom AUD $113

Tokyo Coffee and Culture Tour

🍜 Food & Cooking

Tokyo Coffee and Culture Tour

Spend 3.5 to 4 hours threading through Tokyo's coffee quarters with a guide who knows the neighbourhood's overlooked corners. Visit seven roasteries and cafés across Jimbocho and Kanda, sampling everything from Nordic light roasts to post-war dark brews. You'll learn brewing fundamentals, pick up the history embedded in these streets, and duck into seasonal wagashi and art-supply shops that locals have relied on for decades.

3 hours – 4 hoursfrom AUD $129

Osaka Food Tour Eat Like a Local in Namba and Dotonbori

🍜 Food & Cooking

Osaka Food Tour Eat Like a Local in Namba and Dotonbori

Taste your way through Osaka's culinary heart across 3.5 hours, guided by locals who know these streets intimately. You'll hit five neighbourhood joints in Namba and Dotonbori, sampling what residents actually eat: takoyaki, kushikatsu, udon, karaage and rotating specials. Small groups mean you're never crushed against crowds, and your guide speaks from lived experience, not a script. Two drinks are your shout, the rest flows naturally.

3h 30mfrom AUD $128

Sake Blending Experience : Craft Your Own Signature Sake

🍜 Food & Cooking

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.

2 hoursfrom AUD $161

Tokyo Shibuya Hidden Izakaya and Karaoke Night Tour

Tokyo Shibuya Hidden Izakaya and Karaoke Night Tour

A three-hour evening through Shibuya's backstreet drinking culture, starting with two hours in a tucked-away izakaya serving Japanese nibbles alongside sake, shochu and whiskey sodas, then moving to a private karaoke booth for an hour of singing. You'll navigate Tokyo's neighbourhood bars with an English-speaking guide, meeting other travellers in genuine local settings rather than tourist traps. Bring cash for food and drinks; karaoke fees run ¥1000–2000 per person.

3 hoursfrom AUD $40

Cook Favorite Japanese Dishes with a Tokyo Mom

🍜 Food & Cooking

Cook Favorite Japanese Dishes with a Tokyo Mom

Learn to cook everyday Japanese meals in a Tokyo home kitchen with a local who's prepared these dishes for her own family for decades. Over two and a half hours, you'll make authentic washoku from scratch—proper dashi stock, seasonal vegetables, mains and sides—using real ingredients without shortcuts. This is home cooking as Japanese people actually eat it, taught by someone who understands the 'why' behind each technique. You'll leave with recipes and the confidence to recreate these meals at home.

2h 30mfrom AUD $192

Calligraphy Experience at Tokyo Ginza and Tsukiji Area

🛕 Culture & History

Calligraphy Experience at Tokyo Ginza and Tsukiji Area

Learn traditional Japanese brush writing in central Tokyo's Ginza district with a certified instructor from the Japan Educational Calligraphy Federation. Over ninety minutes, you'll create two finished pieces—one large, one small—suitable for framing at home. The session fits neatly before or after exploring nearby Tsukiji's food stalls or Ginza's shopping streets, making it an easy add-on to your day.

1h 30mfrom AUD $70

Kyoto Private Tea Ceremony at a Japanese Inns

🛕 Culture & History

Kyoto Private Tea Ceremony at a Japanese Inns

Experience authentic tea ceremony in a private ryokan room in Kyoto after dark, when the city's temples have closed their doors. Dressed in kimono, you'll participate in a full evening of Japanese cultural practice—tea preparation, Zen meditation, and traditional etiquette—guided by a licensed instructor in a space normally off-limits to visitors. A translation device ensures you follow every step. This 90-minute session is yours alone, arranged in a 20-tatami room lit by candlelight.

1h 30mfrom AUD $179

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