Flip Japan Tour

Customised and Private Tokyo Tour with a Local Guide

Find Tokyo’s highlights and hidden spots with a friendly local expert!

Private Tour from 340usd per group

Experience Tokyo exactly how you want to. These tours are completely private, so the day belongs entirely to you. You might want to tick off major sights, or you might prefer to sit in a quiet coffee shop and watch the world go by. Below are three examples of how your day could look. Remember, these are just starting points to inspire your own plans.

Plan 1: Modern Tokyo Classics (Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Meiji Jingu Shrine)

We usually start this route under the massive cedar trees at Meiji Jingu Shrine. Walking down the wide paths to the shrine feels like a surprisingly quiet retreat right in the middle of the city. As we walk, you can hear the satisfying crunch of gravel underfoot and breathe in the scent of the surrounding forest. From that peaceful start, we take a short walk into Harajuku. While many people immediately head for the main crowded streets, we love showing you the quieter back alleys. This is where you can run your hands over carefully curated vintage fabrics and smell the rich aroma of pour-over coffee from independent artisans.

Later, we make our way down to Shibuya. You will have the chance to cross the famous intersection alongside thousands of others, and then we can take you up to a great vantage point to watch the mesmerising flow of the crowd from above. It gives you a real sense of scale. As evening sets in, we catch a quick train up to Shinjuku. It has all the bright neon lights and tall buildings you expect, but we prefer to guide you through the small yokochos (drinking alleys). Here, the air is thick with the mouth-watering scent of charcoal smoke. You can sit at a cramped wooden counter, taste perfectly charred chicken skewers, and sip a cold local beer right alongside the Tokyo residents unwinding after work.

Plan 2: Food and History (Tsukiji Market, Asakusa and Ueno)

If you love food and history, this is a highly recommended option. We kick things off at Tsukiji Market, where the outer streets are completely dedicated to incredible food. We can walk around while you taste the warm, comforting sweetness of freshly made tamagoyaki egg omelettes and sip on premium, earthy matcha lattes. It is a brilliant place to observe the precise, practised movements of vendors who have perfected their trade over decades.

Next, we travel up to Asakusa, a district anchored by the profound history of Senso-ji. As Tokyo’s oldest temple, standing since the seventh century, it holds a deep spiritual weight to people in the city. To avoid the heaviest crowds, we normally approach the main hall through the quieter side streets, catching the distinct, sweet scent of purifying incense drifting through the air. It gives you a much better feel for the local atmosphere. Along the way, you can bite into a massive, warm melon bread that is incredibly crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside, baked by longstanding local family businesses.

We finish the afternoon in Ueno, an area defined by the expansive grounds of Ueno Park. Far more than just a simple green space, this park is a major cultural anchor for the city, housing significant historical monuments and Japan’s oldest and largest national museum. We can take a deep breath of fresh air walking beneath the trees, perhaps admiring the ornate architecture of Ueno Toshogu Shrine, before diving into the complete contrast of Ameyoko. This open-air market under the train tracks is loud and completely unpolished. We can hear vendors calling out the day’s prices and see colourful displays of fresh produce, offering a great look into daily commercial life in Tokyo. 

Plan 3: Local Neighbourhoods (Shimo-Kitazawa, Koenji and Kichijoji)

This route is for those who want to see where Tokyo’s creative communities actually live and hang out. We start in Shimo-Kitazawa, walking through narrow, mostly car-free streets filled with a very relaxed, bohemian energy. You can easily spend a quiet hour flipping through crates of old vinyl records or feeling the textures of rare garments in a specialised thrift shop.

Then we head over to Koenji, which has a proud history of alternative music and fashion. We take you through the local shopping arcades to find some of the most specific second-hand stores in the city that cater to distinct aesthetics. As it gets later, you will hear the faint sounds of guitars tuning up in the area’s live music venues. We can sit down in a small local pub located right under the train tracks, feeling the rumble of the carriages overhead as you order a drink. It is an area that feels completely unpretentious and very welcoming.

Our last stop is Kichijoji. Consistently voted as one of the best places to live in Tokyo, it has a wonderfully inviting atmosphere. We usually take a calming walk around Inokashira Park first, perhaps feeling the cool breeze coming off the central lake. Afterwards, we explore the small, intricate alleys right by the station where you will find excellent standing bars. It is a very authentic way to end the day, tasting rich, savoury local dishes shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who call this neighbourhood home.