The 15 Best Walking Tours in Japan

Kyoto Geisha Walking Tour: Gion District & Hidden Gems - Starting beside Hotel Alza Kyoto

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3,273 reviews · 2 hours · from $25Our pick

Explore Gion’s geisha culture, temples, machiya houses, and quiet lanes on a two-hour Kyoto walking tour with local tips.

“We had a fantastic experience on the Kyoto Geisha Walking Tour, thanks to Michael. He is incredibly knowledgeable and explained the history, traditions, and cultural significance of Gion and Geisha in such an engaging and easy-to-understand way. Every stop felt meaningful as he brought old Kyoto to life with fascinating details and stories. What truly elevated the tour were his thoughtful recommendations and travel tips, which were very helpful for the rest of our stay. The pace was comfortable, never rushed, and Michael’s enthusiasm made the entire walk enjoyable and interactive. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a deeper, more authentic understanding of Kyoto. Thank you, Michael, for s...”

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Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour

2.Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,184 reviews · from $99Top rated

Explore Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market with a guide, tasting Wagyu, sushi, seafood, fruit, tea, and Japanese snacks in three hours.

“My wife and I did the food tour with Hedeki and could not have had more fun! He was very polite and knowledgeable. He knew where all the good food was! If you’re looking for a food tour look no further than Hedeki, you will have a great time!”

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Kyoto: Gion Magical Night Walking Tour with Geisha Trivia

3.Gion Magical Night Walking Tour with Geisha Trivia

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,393 reviews · 1h 40m · from $24

Review of Kyoto’s Gion Magical Night Walking Tour, with geisha culture, glowing shrines, small groups, practical tips, and value advice.

“Pam was really great; great energy the entire time. We learned so much and felt very well taken care of. Definitely would recommend.”

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Tokyo: Imperial Palace and Shogun Historical Walking Tour

4.Imperial Palace and Shogun Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,251 reviews · from $22

Explore Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens, Edo Castle ruins, and shogun history on a friendly, small-group walking tour.

“Great experience. Worth every penny. Mitchi was amazing guide and storyteller. I would recommend to everyone.”

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Kyoto: Gion Geisha District Walking Tour – Stories of Geisha

5.Gion Geisha District Walking Tour – Stories of Geisha

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,187 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

Explore Kyoto’s Gion and Pontocho at night, hear geisha stories, visit Yasaka Shrine, and learn local customs for $20.

“Our tour was so interesting and Yukari was an awesome guide! It was the perfect taste of Gion and the walk was easy with lots of opportunities for questions. Yukari had a great knowledge of the history of geisha!”

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Night Walk in Gion: Kyoto’s Geisha District

6.Night Walk in Gion: Kyoto’s Geisha District

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,003 reviews · 1h 40m · from $21

Explore Gion at night on a 100-minute English walking tour covering geiko culture, Kyoto history, local etiquette, and scenic streets.

“Great experience! It was beautiful at night, and we saw many geishas because our guide had previously taken us to a less crowded district.”

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Tokyo: Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

7.Shinjuku Local Bar and Izakaya Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,794 reviews · 3 hours · from $34

Explore Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai with a local guide, then share sake, izakaya food, and karaoke.

“Nao was an amazing tour guide. Super friendly, fun and inclusive. She made it the best night ever in Tokyo. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone who wants to experience Japanese night life!”

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Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Walking tour

8.Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Walking tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,724 reviews · from $30

Explore Tsukiji with a local guide, choosing your own seafood, sushi, omelet, and street foods while learning Tokyo market history.

“We really enjoyed our tour of the fish market. Our guide, Rie, was great! She was knowledgeable, made moving around the market easy and stress free. She was patient and so friendly.”

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Tokyo: Asakusa Walking Tour with Sensoji Temple Visit

9.Asakusa Walking Tour with Sensoji Temple Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,583 reviews · 2 hours · from $22

Explore Asakusa, Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Street, and local food lanes on a friendly two-hour Tokyo walking tour.

“Its was amazing! Paulina really explained everything! Its was really interesting! Thanks to her !”

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Kyoto Gion Geisha District Walking Tour – The Stories of Geisha

10.Kyoto Gion Geisha District Walking Tour – The Stories of Geisha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,441 reviews · from $25

Explore Kyoto’s Gion after dark on a small-group geisha tour with cultural stories, lantern-lit streets, and expert local guides.

“An excellent experience! Our guide, Joy, was friendly, engaging and very knowledgeable. We learnt a lot about geisha and Japanese culture. We highly recommend this activity!”

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Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Walking Tour

11.Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,397 reviews · 2 hours · from $22

Explore Tsukiji Outer Market, taste Japanese specialties, visit Hongwanji Temple, and learn Tokyo food culture with a local guide.

“Nicolas was a fantastic tour guide. We started the tour at the Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple (good intro to culture and religion). Then we spent majority of the time at Tsukiji Outer Market where Nicolas expertly guided us through fruit stands, dried goods stalls, sweets and savoury (e.g. wagyu beef and unagi eel). We also got recommendations for sushi, Kobe beef and matcha. The small group size made the experience even more enjoyable and personal. I also loved that food isn’t included in the tour price—you can choose exactly what you want to try. I highly recommend this tour to anyone seeking a fun, informative, and excellent value for money experience.”

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Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Tour (7 Tastings + Brunch)

12.Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Tour (7 Tastings + Brunch)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,355 reviews · from $68

Explore Kyoto’s Nishiki Market with seven tastings, brunch, Gion sights, and a small group guide in this practical food tour review.

“Lovely tour guide . Good insights Into area and food.great selection of food tastes and lovely lunch . Small group so personalised”

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Osaka: Hotspots & Hidden Gems Walking Tour Private or Group

13.Hotspots & Hidden Gems Walking Tour Private or Group

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,300 reviews · 3 - 7 hours · from $33

Explore Osaka’s markets, alleys, Dotonbori, America-mura, and Shinsekai with a lively English-speaking guide on foot.

“It was fun and insightful, and very flexible! We were two couples independently joining the tour led by Stephanie, and she was a gem explaining and answering our questions, including great tips for dinner, shopping, and taking pictures of us. Flexible, as we all wanted to visit a cute vintage store in Amerikamura, where she also shared some extra knowledge about it! We can only recommend this tour to understand the way of life and the vibes of Osaka better. The 3-hour tour covered a lot of different aspects, and we could discover a lot of hidden gems! Thank you for making this evening special!”

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