Tours in Japan

Buddha, Bamboo & Zen - Bespoke Kamakura Private Walking Tours

A six-hour private walking tour through Kamakura that bends to your preferences. Visit the Great Buddha, wander the Bamboo Temple's green grove, explore samurai heritage at historic shrines, and discover the yagura cave tunnels. Your Australian guide steers you through this coastal town's temples and history at a pace that suits your group—stop early if you've had your fill, or add spots you want to see. An escape from Tokyo's sprawl into genuine quiet.

Bamboo Lantern Workshop

Shape your own lantern from locally sourced bamboo in this hands-on hour-long session in Japan. You'll work with materials harvested nearby and finish your piece with decorative touches that reflect your taste. All tools are provided, making it straightforward whether you've crafted before or not. You'll walk away with a functional keepsake that's genuinely yours.

Mochi Matcha Gluten Free Japanese Sweets Class near Shibuya area

Make four beloved Japanese sweets in a traditional home near Shibuya over two hours. You'll craft strawberry daifuku, mochi ice cream, matcha pancakes and dango under Sakura's guidance—a certified confectionery instructor who covers the cultural roots of rice cake traditions. Each recipe gets written down so you can recreate them at home. These treats are naturally low-fat and gluten-free, and the intimate setting in an authentic wooden house feels like visiting a Japanese grandmother's kitchen rather than attending a class.

2 hoursfrom AUD $117

Private Tour of Shirakawago from Kanazawa (Half Day)

★ 5.0 (26)

Private Tour of Shirakawago from Kanazawa (Half Day)

A 4-hour private drive from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go, the UNESCO-listed mountain village famed for its steep-roofed farmhouses. Your English-speaking driver collects you from your hotel and takes you deep into the Japan Alps to explore this remote settlement on your own schedule. Choose morning or afternoon timing to suit your pace. Perfect for those who want flexibility without the constraints of group tours or public transport logistics in mountain terrain.

Kyoto Geisha Show Cultural Hour with an apprentice geisha, Maiko

Step into Kyoto's geisha world through a 90-minute encounter with a maiko apprentice. After a guided introduction to the tradition's history, training, and daily rituals, you'll watch an authentic dance performance accompanied by live music and storytelling. The session finishes with direct conversation, photographs, and time to ask questions—a rare chance to move beyond the mystique and hear firsthand accounts from someone actively practising this centuries-old craft.

Tokyo: Samurai Sword Academy in the Hometown of the Last Samurai

Train in Tennen Rishin-ryu swordsmanship at the actual Hino Dojo in Tokyo, where the legendary Shinsengumi—the final samurai warriors—once honed their craft during the Edo period. Over two hours, you'll handle a real katana and wooden sword under guidance from Masao Inoue, a direct descendant of Shinsengumi leadership, learning the discipline and technique that defined these historical fighters in their hometown.

2 hoursfrom AUD $161

2.5 Hour-Guided Cycle Tour in the Central Tokyo

1h 40m – 2 hoursfrom AUD $63

2.5 Hour-Guided Cycle Tour in the Central Tokyo

Skip the tourist crush at Shibuya and explore central Tokyo's actual neighbourhoods on two wheels. This 2.5-hour guided cycle covers backstreet alleys, hidden shopping arcades, and hole-in-the-wall food stalls where locals eat. Your guide shows you the parts of Tokyo that don't make postcards—quiet corners, family-run eateries serving proper regional dishes, and the rhythms of everyday city life. Late March through early April, you'll ride beneath cherry blossoms.

Official Street Go Kart Tour Akihabara 2nd

Pilot a go-kart through Tokyo's streets dressed as your favourite anime, game, or comic character—the real deal, not a theme park. This 1h 40m–2 hour guided tour lets you steer an actual kart alongside professional drivers who keep the chaos legal and safe. Costume rental, fuel, and kart hire included. Expect adrenaline, odd looks from pedestrians, and genuine Tokyo street driving that's become a social-media staple for good reason.

[1 Group Only] Explore Tokyo Ginza Food Tour for Family

3 hours – 4 hoursfrom AUD $134

[1 Group Only] Explore Tokyo Ginza Food Tour for Family

A private three-hour food tour through Ginza's back alleys and neighbourhood haunts, reserved for your group alone. You'll cook two traditional Japanese dishes—okonomi-yaki or monja-yaki—alongside a local guide, then taste them with a drink of your choice. Rather than polished tourist spots, you'll discover where salarymen unwind and locals actually eat, with a photographer capturing the experience.

Japanese home cooking class in Osaka Umeda

Master everyday Japanese home cooking in Osaka's Umeda district over two hours. You'll prepare a complete meal using supermarket staples alongside an instructor who walks you through technique and ingredient selection. Choose from five set menus ranging from ginger-grilled pork with miso soup to takoyaki and bento boxes. The class focuses on recipes you can replicate in your own kitchen, with practical guidance on navigating Japanese supermarkets to source what you need.

Private Food & Sake Tour in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

A three-hour private evening with Kenji, a sake sommelier, visiting two to three neighbourhood bars across central Kyoto. You'll taste carefully paired drinks—sake, craft beer, or non-alcoholic options—alongside traditional pub fare. Kenji draws on years spent at a Hyogo brewery, where he tasted over a thousand sakes. This is nomi aruki, the Japanese bar-hopping experience, stripped of tourist crowds and built around what actually appeals to your palate and stomach.

Fukuoka Evening Tours: Yatai, Izakaya, Karaoke and more

Spend your evening exploring Fukuoka's nightlife scene with a guide who knows the city inside out. Over 3–4 hours, you'll hit the yatai food stalls for grilled skewers and ramen, then branch into izakayas, karaoke bars, or a riverside cruise depending on your mood. Your English or German-speaking guide shares local stories and steers you toward the spots where locals actually eat and drink, not tourist traps. Food and drinks are included on most itineraries.

Tsukiji Fish Market: Street Food Tour with Tasting

Tsukiji Fish Market: Street Food Tour with Tasting

Spend 90 minutes wandering Tsukiji's wholesale stalls with a local guide who'll unlock the market's rhythms and introduce you to the craftspeople behind Tokyo's finest seafood. You'll taste your way through the morning—premium sushi, grilled eel, Wagyu skewers, tamagoyaki—whilst learning how artisans source, cut, and preserve fish to coax out umami. The guide brings a curated wasabi selection that transforms each bite.

Sumi-e Ink Painting Suiboku-Ga Workshop in a Japanese Teahouse

Explore Suiboku-ga, the water-ink painting tradition, in an intimate teahouse setting led by accomplished artist Rensui. Over one hour, you'll learn how varying water ratios create depth and texture, watch a live demonstration, then paint your own piece on a surface of your choice. You'll leave with a finished artwork and a packet of green tea from Tsukiji's renowned Uogashi Meicha as a keepsake.

Osaka Kimono Experience – Explore Kyoto & Nara

Dress in an authentic kimono and explore Osaka's streets in traditional Japanese style. This eight-hour experience lets you choose from over 100 kimono styles in various sizes, then step out wearing full regalia—tabi socks, obi, bag and sandals included. A professional stylist can arrange your hair in period-appropriate fashion to complete the look. Return to the shop before your time ends, change back, and browse the souvenir selection.

Japanese Katsu Curry Cooking Class–near YANAKA, Tokyo!

Learn to build katsu curry from the ground up at a home kitchen studio in Yanaka, Tokyo's old quarter. This 2.5-hour hands-on class teaches you to make curry roux and perfectly fried tonkatsu alongside a small group, guided by a home chef. You'll pick up substitution tricks for cooking back home and walk away with recipes and the confidence to recreate this Japanese comfort-food staple.

2h 30mfrom AUD $152

Highlights of Japan Tour: 10-day Small Group

Highlights of Japan Tour: 10-day Small Group

Spend ten days moving through Japan's everyday rhythms—crowded platforms, neon-lit neighbourhoods, regional train carriages—with a small group that shapes the itinerary together. You'll eat what locals eat, navigate cities on foot and by rail, and sidestep the velvet-rope attractions. Breakfasts and dinners are included; you chart the rest.

10 daysfrom AUD $10014

Private Tour: Tokyo's Oldest Sake Brewery and Riverside Walk

Private Tour: Tokyo's Oldest Sake Brewery and Riverside Walk

Head west from central Tokyo to visit the city's oldest sake brewery in the Tama river valley. This eight-hour private tour pairs brewery education and tastings with a traditional riverside lunch and forest temple visit. Your guide walks you through fermentation techniques, rice varieties and the drink's cultural place in Japan, while you sample several brews throughout the day. All food and drink included.

Turtle Snorkeling in Ishigaki - Fluent English! Small Group!

Spend a morning snorkelling off Ishigaki's beaches with a seasoned English-speaking guide hunting for sea turtles. This four-hour half-day tour involves up to two hours in the water spotting turtles, reef sharks, tropical fish and coral gardens. Beach entry means no boat journey—you wade straight in. Guides know the island's best spots and boast a 97% turtle-sighting record. Small groups, free transport from your accommodation, and all GoPro footage yours to keep.

Okinawa East Coast 3-hour Marine Experience: Kayak or SUP

Paddle out from Sirumichu Beach on Okinawa's east coast to reach Hamahiga Island, a secluded destination only accessible by water. You'll choose between kayak or SUP, receive proper instruction from an English-speaking guide, and spend three hours exploring crystalline shallows and hidden stretches of sand. No prior paddling experience required—the guide covers safety, technique, and conditions before you launch.

Your Own HANKO Name Seal Activity in Kamakura.

Learn the art of hanko-making in Kamakura, where a skilled craftsman will guide you through designing and engraving your own Japanese name seal. Completed in 45 minutes, you'll walk away with a functional stamp carved from Japanese boxwood—a keepsake that captures your visit and doubles as an authentic seal used across Japan for contracts and official paperwork. The process reveals how names transform into Japanese characters and why hanko remain deeply personal to Japanese identity.

Sake "Omakase" in Osaka : Guided Tasting by a Active Sake brewer

Spend 90 minutes at Sake Pairing Bar Potan in Osaka's Fukushima neighbourhood learning directly from the bar's owner, a former sake brewery craftsman. This guided tasting walks you through sake's history, production methods, and flavour profiles whilst sampling premium selections paired with three seasonal Japanese dishes. The intimate, traditionally designed space creates an unhurried setting for genuine conversation about Japanese culture and craft.

Kyoto Japanese Vintage Coin Ring Making Workshop

When Tom from our Global Hobo crew tried this Kyoto workshop, he spent an hour turning a vintage coin into a wearable ring. It's a low-key hands-on experience in Japan's cultural heart — the kind of thing that appeals to solo travellers, couples, and mates who want to take home something they actually made. You pick your coin (Japanese or international), get walked through the shaping and finishing steps, and walk out with a finished ring. No jewellery experience needed.

1 hourfrom AUD $27

Customizable Private Tokyo Trip with an English Speaking Driver

Customizable Private Tokyo Trip with an English Speaking Driver

A 10-hour private Tokyo tour with your own English-speaking driver, letting you shape the itinerary around what matters to you. Visit standout landmarks—Tokyo Skytree, [Shibuya Crossing](/places/shibuya-crossing), Takeshita Street—and explore Buddhist and Shinto temples to understand their distinct practices. Detour to Tsukiji Outer Market for fresh seafood, or hunt down quieter neighbourhoods locals favour. Optional stops include Tokyo Tower and the Gundam statue in Odaiba. Pick-ups from anywhere in central Tokyo; you set the pace and stops.

10 hoursfrom AUD $597

Kyoto Udon and Tempura Cooking Class with Professional Chefs

7 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $171

Kyoto Udon and Tempura Cooking Class with Professional Chefs

Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on cooking session in Kyoto where you'll craft udon noodles from scratch, master tempura frying, and shape onigiri and inari sushi alongside a local udon specialist. Over two hours, you'll move from flour and water to a proper meal, finishing with a sake tasting of what you've cooked. A chef's guide translates as you work, and you'll leave with downloadable recipes and photos to relive the experience at home.

Tokyo : Yanaka and Nezu-Old Traditional Town Cultural Experience

Walk through Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi at an easy pace to encounter Tokyo's quieter neighbourhoods where time moves differently. This 3.5-hour guided tour threads past temples, shrines and architecture spanning the Meiji through Showa eras, revealing how older Tokyo residents actually live. Your guide Sui and their team know these streets intimately and keep groups small so conversation flows naturally. The route adapts slightly by season—spring brings free sakura mochi, summer adds a chilled drink stop in a heritage café to beat the humidity.

Tokyo: Mt. Takao Tour with Ramen and Tattoo-Okay Hot Spring

Spend a full day on Mt. Takao exploring temples and wildlife, riding cable cars and chair lifts across suspension bridges, then soak in a tattoo-friendly hot spring. This seven-to-eight-hour loop outside Tokyo mixes mountain walking, ramen or soba lunch, and natural bathing—all guided by someone who knows the area well and lets you set the pace rather than rushing between checkboxes.

Kid-Friendly Sushi Making Class in Tokyo (English-Led)

Kid-Friendly Sushi Making Class in Tokyo (English-Led)

Learn to roll four different sushi styles in Tokyo over two and a half hours with English-speaking instructors who keep things relaxed and social. You'll prepare seasoned rice, assemble your pieces, and pick up Japanese phrases and sushi etiquette along the way. It's designed for families (8+), couples, and complete beginners—no advanced knife work required, just hands-on fun with fellow travellers in a welcoming setting.

Tokyo: Private Shibuya Bar Crawl Tour -3 Drinks & Local Foods-

Navigate Shibuya's backstreet bar scene with a local guide who knows where the regulars drink. Over three hours, you'll hit three neighbourhood izakayas tucked away from the main drags, each one a genuine hangout rather than a tourist trap. Your guide picks five or six dishes and three drinks matched to each spot, so you eat and drink what locals actually order. You'll pick up the rhythms of Japanese nightlife culture along the way—no scripted speeches, just real talk from someone who knows the neighbourhood.

3 hoursfrom AUD $143

4 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $192

Kyoto: Descending Arashiyama (Private)

This private seven-and-a-half-hour walking tour winds through Arashiyama's temples, hillside shrines and artisan workshops, beginning at a thousand-year-old Zen garden and descending gradually back toward town. You'll encounter twelve hundred stone Buddhas nestled on a slope, peek inside a working pottery studio, wander beneath towering bamboo, and stop at an Edo-period teahouse and a shrine founded by former geisha performers. A traditional lunch and browsing time through local craft shops punctuate the day's discoveries.

Kyoto: Arashiyama UNESCO Walking Tour with Admission

Walk through Arashiyama's UNESCO-listed temples and bamboo forest on this guided 90-minute tour of Kyoto's most photographed district. Starting at Tenryu-ji Temple, you'll explore its Zen gardens and centuries-old architecture before stepping into the towering bamboo groves that define the landscape. Your local guide unpacks the cultural significance woven through each site, from shrine traditions to why this corner of the city earned global heritage status. Browse local shops selling matcha sweets and bamboo crafts along the way.

Naha Sushi Cooking Class near Kokusai Street

Pick up basic sushi-making skills in a relaxed Naha workshop just off Kokusai Street. Over 90 minutes, you'll work through hand-forming techniques with seasonal fish—tuna, salmon, shrimp, egg—guided by an experienced instructor who keeps pace with beginners. Shape your own nigiri, taste what you've made alongside tea, and optionally dress in traditional happi for photos. It's food culture you can actually do, not just watch.

Asakusa Kimono Photography Tour (Private Option Available)

Dress in traditional kimono or hakama and explore Asakusa with a photographer and local guide over 2.5 hours. You'll visit Sensoji Temple, its gardens and the bustling Nakamise Street, then venture to spots like Azuma Bridge for shots of Tokyo SkyTree. A stylist handles your hair, and you'll receive at least 20 edited photos within three days.

Tsuwano Cycling Tour with Local Guide

Cycle through Tsuwano's preserved streetscapes and countryside on a 3-hour guided tour that follows routes depicted in the town's celebrated Edo-period artwork collection. This electric-bike tour traces 160-year-old landscapes still recognisable today, connecting historical landmarks and rural vistas that shaped a feudal domain's visual identity. A straightforward introduction to how this mountain town has maintained its architectural and natural character across centuries.

Nagasaki Top Sites Tour

Walk through Nagasaki's layered history with a guide who knows the city inside out. This 4–8 hour semi-private tour threads together war memorial sites, colonial landmarks, and harbour views. You'll visit Mt. Inasa for city vistas, the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park to understand 1945's impact, then shift to Dejima's Dutch trading post past, Chinatown's bustle, Oura Cathedral, and Glover Garden's Victorian mansions. All entry fees and public transport included; routes adjust for weather.

Osaka Japanese Cooking And Matcha Class near Osaka Castle

★ 5.0 (23)

5 hours – 6 hoursfrom AUD $215

Osaka Japanese Cooking And Matcha Class near Osaka Castle

Work through classic Osaka recipes with a local chef in a two-hour hands-on class near the castle. You'll prepare dishes from scratch, whisking matcha and building flavour as you go, then sit down to eat what you've made. The chef—often a seasoned home cook—guides you through techniques at your pace, whether you've never chopped an onion or you're keen to refine your knife skills. Perfect for groups wanting to cook together rather than just watch.

Private Local Hiking to enjoy the nature and culture of Mt.Fuji

Explore Mt. Fuji's foothills with Yuki, a seasoned mountain guide and local hunter, on this 5–6 hour private trek. Walk past a centuries-old shrine, crater lakes, and a lava-carved cavern through forests sculpted by volcanic eruptions. The moderate trail climbs for an hour, then descends in thirty minutes, making it accessible to most. Finish with Yoshida udon and matcha in a traditional garden. Gear rental and transport from Kawaguchiko or Fujiyoshida townships are included.

Private Arrival Transfer : Haneda Airport to Yokohama City

★ 5.0 (23)

✈️ Transfers

Private Arrival Transfer : Haneda Airport to Yokohama City

Direct private sedan or van service from Haneda Airport to your Yokohama hotel, with your driver waiting at arrivals holding a Cherry Tomato sign. Groups of up to 8 passengers travel in comfort without the hassle of queuing for taxis or navigating public transport with luggage. Your driver handles baggage and takes you straight to your accommodation in Kanagawa prefecture. Journey takes roughly two hours depending on traffic.

2 hoursfrom AUD $236

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Family Bike Tour ( Infants & Kids )

★ 5.0 (23)