Experience Old and Nostalgic Tokyo: Yanaka Walking Tour | La Vacanza Travel

Experience Old and Nostalgic Tokyo: Yanaka Walking Tour

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
Destination: Japan, Tokyo, Tokyo
from
68.08

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  • 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Tokyo
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

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 10 people, follow in their footsteps and admire the area's charming temples and cherry blossom trees.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Yanaka District, Yanaka, Taito 110-0001 Tokyo Prefecture

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.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Tennoji Temple, 7-14-8, Yanaka, Taito 110-0001 Tokyo Prefecture

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.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Yanaka Cemetery, 7-5-24, Yanaka, Taito 110-0001 Tokyo Prefecture

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.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Gallery Okubo, 6-chōme-2-40 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001, Japan

【Optional】
There's a place to experience Japanese Tea ceremony on Tatami mats! It's on 2nd floor of the building of Gallery Okubo.
The price of the tea (¥1,000) is not included into our tour cost, but you can actually try the authentic Japanese tea with the help of professional.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: SCAI The Bathhouse, 6-1-23, Yanaka, Taito 110-0001 Tokyo Prefecture

【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.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Shitamachi Customs Museum & Exhibit Hall, 2-1, Uenokoen, Taito 110-0007 Tokyo Prefecture

【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.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Edokoro Alan West, 1-6-17, Yanaka, Taito 110-0001 Tokyo Prefecture

【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.

Duration: 10 minutes

Pass By: Nezu Shrine, 1-28-9, Nezu, Bunkyo 113-0031 Tokyo Prefecture

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.

Stop At: Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street, Yanaka, Taito 110-0001 Tokyo Prefecture

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!

Duration: 30 minutes

Inclusions
  • Professional guide

Exclusions
  • Food and drinks(100-500 yen depending on what you want to try)
  • Transportation expenses
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • A maximum of 10 people per booking
  • Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 3,000 yen per group, per hour, payable in cash
  • Please inform your staring time when booking. The start time is from 9:00 am or 14:00 pm.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Departure Point

Nippori Station, 2 Chome-19 Nishinippori, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan


Return Details

Returns to original departure point

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

3 hours 30 minutes


User's Reviews

Zippytennis58

28 Apr, 2024

Emiko met me as planned. I was the only one on the tour so became a private tour. Emiko was engaging, full of knowledge and happy to adapt to my interests. We covered about 5 miles as we strolled around the Yanaka district visiting Temples and Shrines with a stop at the beer hall. The district is one of the oldest surviving so quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city districts I would highly recommend Omakase as a tour guide company!

Adam_Z

25 Apr, 2024

Emiko was one of the best tour guides I’ve had. She was very knowledgeable and for the questions she was not sure about she followed up with an email after! Way above and beyond. Not only did she show use the historic area and shrine of Tokyo but gave recommendations for after. Highly recommend if able to do the walking.

Sandrine_A

20 Apr, 2024

Really great tour especially if you are looking to learn about the history of Yanaka and Japan! Our tour guide Hana was awesome; she was patient and very knowledgeable! Some cool highlights were running into one of the Japanese famous artists, Alan West in his studio and getting to see his paintings and even chatting with him! We also got to see all of the beautiful Azaleas during the Azalea festival in Nezujinga!! A lot of the knowledge I learned on this tour, helped me appreciate the rest of my trip more as I was able to understand the Shrines and Temples I was visiting better! Overall really great tour and I would recommend it and Hana as your guide! I left a more detailed review on trip advisor.

sandrineaW2967NI

20 Apr, 2024

The Walking tour of Yanaka was awesome! Hana was our tour guide and she really explained a lot of the history and religion of Japan to my friend and I. I really liked that it was an intimate tour with just us three as it made it very impactful! We loved learning about all the temples and Shrines and also how to pray at a Shrine. We even had the chance to meet Alan West, a famous painter and look at his work (how lucky!). And we then got to go to the Azalea festival at the Nezujinga; it was beautiful!! And as we made our way through the market, we tasted some apply pie Hana recommended and it was truly delicious like she said! I will definitely recommend this tour and Hana!!

Katherine_G

17 Apr, 2024

We had such a wonderful time. Emiko was kind, thoughtful, and a lovely tour leader. She gave us such a nice insight into the Yanaka area and all it has to offer. She also took great photos of our group and shared them with us afterward! We had small stops along the way to try different foods, drinks, and some shopping, so that helped break up the walking a bit. It is a lot of time on your feet so wear comfortable shoes!

User's Picture Gallery

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History and nostalgia in old Tokyo

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Great Day Exploring Yanaka

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Don’t miss this great tour!

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A lovely way to learn about Japan and get some fresh air!

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An impressive Tokyo/Yanaka tour host

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Old Tokyo living experience

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Tour with Daiki

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Cultural experience

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Enjoyable ramble through "old" Tokyo

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Hidden gems - take the tour

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A superb tour!

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Emiko is the best guide!

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Great walking tour of a historic Tokyo neighborhood.

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Great tour

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If you're considering booking this tour... do it!!!

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Fun time in a beautiful area.

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Great tour, a must see addition to Tokyo visit

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Great experience, highly recommend it!

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Great tour

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Yanaka is Amazing and Filled with History

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Yanaka tour quieter side of Tokyo

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Interesting history & location.

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Must experience while in Tokyo

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Highly recommended

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