TokyoSightseeing

    Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo

    4.9(564 reviews)
    By Trip Designer Inc.Product code 22178P4
    Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo photo 1
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    Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 6Nezu Shrine in JulyYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 8Azalea blossoms at Nezu shrineYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 10Gyokurinji templeAzalea blossoms in AprilTokyo Sky Tree view from Nippori stationYanaka Ginza streetYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 15Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 16At Ueno Sakuragi AatriYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 18Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 19Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 20Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 21Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 22Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 23Yanaka Cemetery in winterYanaka Cemetery in autumnYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 26Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 27Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 28Nezu shrine in autumnAutumn at Yanaka cemeteryNezu Shrine in DecemberYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 32Nezu shrine in autumnNezu shrine in DecemberTennoji temeple in autumnTennoji temple in DecemberNezu Shrine in DecemberUeno Sakuragi AtariYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 39Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 40Plum blossoms at Nezu shrine in FebruaryCharry blossoms at Yanaka cemetery in MarchYanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 43Yanaka Walking Tour: Historic and Traditional District of Tokyo gallery 44Plum blossom at Tennoji temple in February.

    Duration

    3 hours 30 minutes

    Ticket type

    Mobile Only

    Languages

    English, Japanese

    Confirmation

    Instant

    Pickup

    Pickup details available

    Meeting point

    Meeting point provided

    Time zone

    Asia/Tokyo

    Why Travelers Love This

    4.9 rating from 564 reviews3 hours 30 minutesMobile ticketsPickup details available

    Overview

    Leave Tokyo's skyscrapers behind for a taste of daily life in historic Japan on this 3.5-hour walking tour through the Yanaka district. Developed as a temple town during the Edo period, people have long visited Yanaka for worship and sightseeing. Together with a small group of no more than 8 people, follow in their footsteps and admire the area's charming temples and cherry blossom trees.

    What's Included

    Included

    Other

    All fees and taxes

    Other

    English Speaking Guide

    Other

    Photos of Tour Participants

    Not included

    Other

    Hotel pickup and drop-off (available for an additional fee)

    Other

    Food and drinks

    Meeting and Pickup

    Meeting point

    The meeting point is Nippori station, north ticket gate located on the 2nd floor of the station building. You can access the meeting point by JR Line and Keisei Line. Please be ready 10 minutes prior to the meeting time. Your guide will be waiting for you there with a sign board.

    End point

    The meeting point is Nippori station, north ticket gate located on the 2nd floor of the station building. You can access the meeting point by JR Line and Keisei Line. Please be ready 10 minutes prior to the meeting time. Your guide will be waiting for you there with a sign board.

    Pickup details

    • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. • Please inform your suitable start time in advance. The time is from 9 am or 13 pm. • If you late for the meeting time in group tour, the guide will wait for you only 10 min, does not wait any more.

    Itinerary

    Standard3 hours 30 minutes
    1

    Stop 1

    10 minutes

    Discover the different side of the sprawling Japanese capital that dates back to its Edo period of the 17th through 19th centuries, admiring the area’s charming mix of temples, springtime cherry blossoms and timeless ‘reien’ (cemetery). A included guide will accompany you on your visit, providing additional details about Japanese history and local culture.

    2

    Stop 2

    20 minutes

    This Buddhist Temple sits on the edge of the Yanaka Cemetery and dates back to 1274. It is located in a pleasant garden behind an old wooden gate. In its grounds, there is a bronze Buddhist statue that dates back to 1690 and was beloved by locals as "Tennoji no Daibutsu". Well worth to stop by.

    3

    Stop 3

    40 minutes

    This is an impressive cemetery and worth a look even though that is not a common route for the tour for tourists. It covers 100,000 square meters and has over 7,000 graves. It also has history more than 100 years after the Meji Restoration, the era that the government wanted to separate Buddhism and Shinto graves. However, most of the graves in this cemetery were owned by Buddhist so they established a public burial ground in Yanaka in 1871.

    4

    Stop 4

    30 minutesAdmission not included

    【Optional】 On the second floor of the Gallery Okubo building, there is a small tea room where you can experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony while seated on tatami mats. This optional experience is not included in the tour price. If you would like to participate, the fee is ¥3,000 per person and can be paid in cash directly at the venue. During the experience, a professional host will prepare authentic Japanese tea and introduce you to the basics of this traditional cultural practice. The tea room opens at 11:00 a.m., so it can only be visited during tours that start in the afternoon. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

    5

    Stop 5

    15 minutes

    【Afternoon tour only】 SCAI The Bathhouse is a contemporary art gallery located in Yanaka, with a town ambiance reminiscent of Old Tokyo.The gallery is housed in a venerable public bath imbued with a 200-year history.

    6

    Stop 6

    20 minutes

    【Optional】 Shitamachi museum was established to teach future generations about the culture of the Shitamachi or "Down Town". Most of the objects on display are things that were actually used at one time, and you can see the houses with furniture and goods which are placed in the location where they would have been used and you can even touch some of the displays. Display items are changed in accordance with the season, so that repeat visitors also get to enjoy how life in the Shitamachi varied over the year.

    7

    Stop 7

    10 minutes

    【Afternoon tour only】 In the middle of traditional old town Tokyo surrounded by Buddhist temples, you can find this studio of Alan West which was once an auto body garage and is now the only operating traditional Japanese painting studio open to the public. He was born in US but ever since he graduated from Carnegie-Melon University, he moved to Tokyo and continued his study and got a bachelor degree in department of Japanese painting at Tokyo University of the Arts, and even took master degree there.

    8

    Pass by stop 8

    One of Japan’s oldest shrine and perhaps most striking, set amidst huge trees and flowering azalea or つつじ shrubs with ponds, pathways and iconic colored charming wooden structures reflecting Japanese traditional culture and beauty including succession of small Torii gates colored in vermillon beautifully.

    9

    Stop 9

    30 minutes

    One of best local shopping streets in Tokyo, with the well-remained old town “Shitamachi” atmosphere. Explore the nostalgic side of Tokyo through Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street and don't forget to eat some local snacks!

    Additional Info

    No Heart Problems

    Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

    Stroller Accessible

    Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

    Public Transportation Nearby

    Public transportation options are available nearby

    Physical Medium

    Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

    Other

    A maximum of 8 people per booking

    Other

    Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 6,000 yen per group, per hour. During the peak months of March, April, and October, the rate is 8,000 yen per hour. Please be aware that the tour extension depends on the guide's availability and may not always be possible. Any additional charges for extended time will be invoiced online after the tour based on the actual duration of the extension.

    Cancellation Policy

    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

    Policy type

    Standard

    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

    Refund eligibility

    100% refundable 1+ days before

    Refund eligibility

    0% refundable 0-1 days before

    Review Summary

    4.9

    564 reviews

    Collected by Viator and Tripadvisor

    5 stars527
    4 stars33
    3 stars0
    2 stars1
    1 stars3

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