On Foot · HISTORY WALKING TOURS IN JAPAN
Good history walking tours in Japan cap their group size and fill up weeks ahead. Below: the 11 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens walking tour, with Edo Castle history, guide commentary, pricing, meeting details, and practical tips.
“Blake was an awesome tour guide. Very knowledgeable and engaging! Had a great time and learned so much. Highly recommend!”
Explore Gion’s geisha culture, shrines, temples, old townhouses, and quiet lanes on this affordable two-hour Kyoto walking tour.
“Good walking tour only 2 hrs so just bearable in the hot weather. Oliver the guide was very friendly. There were no drink stops though, could of done with one as was unbearably hot. Took us to some really good location stops. Would recommend.”
Explore Tokyo’s Imperial Palace gardens, Edo Castle ruins, samurai history, royal koi, and Japanese culture on a friendly guided walk.
“Mika was a wonderful guide and did an excellent job of explaining the history of the castle and of Japan. We would highly recommend this tour!”
Explore Hiroshima’s wartime history on a 150-minute walk from Gokoku Shrine to the Peace Memorial Museum for $35.
“The historical facts and explanations Thomas gave us were really helpful to understand the complexity of the A bomb dropping. I totally recommend choosing this tour!”
Explore Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with an expert English guide, personal survivor stories, key monuments, and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
“Tomas was one of the best guides we have ever had the pleasure to meet. his passion for Hiroshima and story telling was fabulous. I could have spend many more hours with him exploring the beautiful city of Hiroshima. thank you Tomas”
Explore Nara’s UNESCO temples, sacred deer, old merchant homes, local lunch, and quiet paths on a five-hour guided walking tour.
“We had a great time with Yuuki and the small group of 8 people. Yuuki explained the culture of Japan, the history of each place, and a lot of background insights. Her English is brilliant!! The lunch was amazing. Thank you very much for the great experience!”
Explore Osaka Castle’s moats, gates, stonework, shrine, and tower views with an English guide and skip-the-line admission for $33.
“This guide is a must do for anyone interested in Osaka Castle. Mao my guide was so helpful and full of information that you can’t get anywhere else. I had such a great time and it was well worth the money.”
Review of Hiroshima’s 5-hour peace walking tour, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, museum, Orizuru Tower, local stories, origami, and lunch.
“This tour was incredible!!! It’s a heavy topic and this tour does an incredible job of covering the history, and also getting to see all the different sites. Additionally the tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and gave an in depth tour. She answered all of our questions. There was an activity about half way through the tour relevant to the content that was pretty neat. At the end the guide had a little handout that she made for us giving the tour a cool and personal touch. Overall I would 10000% book this tour again definitely worth the money and time.”
Explore Kyoto’s shrines, Zen gardens, pagoda, and Kiyomizu Temple with a private English-speaking guide on this thoughtful walking tour.
“The tour was perfect and very interesting. Our guide was the kindest 💛”
Review of Miyajama’s 5.5-hour walking tour, with Itsukushima Shrine, Daisho-in, local oysters, ferry tips, and practical advice.
“I loved the tour which took us around the island. Our guide Shun was super friendly and kind and could answer many of our questions about the area. The group was quite small, only 6 people, which made it easier to get to know each other and the guide. Highly recommend!”
Explore Asakusa’s temples, shrines, river, art, and history on a clear two-hour walk linking Japan with the wider world.
“We loved this tour and our guide Sachi was superb. She was knowledgeable and kept my 13 year old engaged and interested. Sachi brought the temple to life and explained the history as well as other interesting information of the neighbourhood. Highly recommended!”
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