Top Things To Do In Tokyo

Tailoring each tour to your wishes by locals who love their city

Tourists exploring the best things to do in Tokyo with a local guide

Top things to do in Tokyo

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

When in Osaka
make sure to try
“kushikatsu”!

See the city like
you would with a friend who lives there

See all

When in Osaka
make sure to try
“kushikatsu”!

See the city like
you would with a friend who lives there

Wondering what to do in Tokyo?

Tokyo is positively spilling over with entertainment and activities that can’t be found anywhere else on earth. The Japanese capital sprawls and stretches as far as the eye can see, with some neighborhoods harking back to the wood-built, lantern-lit Japan of old and others so mind-bendingly futuristic they could have been dreamt up in a sci-fi novel. In a city with such an effortless balance between the traditional and the modern, the best things to do in Tokyo span centuries. From exploring ancient temples and treasure-filled museums to walking down skyscraper-lined streets between neon-lit restaurants and karaoke bars, Tokyo is a feast of the unmissable.

Meet some of our Tokyo local hosts

Like the people who travel with us, they have different backgrounds and interests – but they’re all so passionate about the place they call home, they choose to spend their free time sharing it with the like-minded travelers matched to them.

We’ve handpicked them and we’ll match you to your perfect one!

Local guide enjoying a meal with tourists while on a food tour of Tokyo

From 100-yen sushi 1000-year-old Kaiseki

Of all the things to do in Tokyo, soaking up the food scene should be top of the list. Tokyo may have more Michelin-starred dining spots than any other city in the world, but it’s the city’s unpretentious eating spots that make its culinary culture so incredible. You could sample humble street food at a night market, grab a bento box at a convenience store, then wash it down with a drink at a no-frills standing bar – or you could splurge on a multi-course traditional Kaiseki meal followed by drinks and small plates at an upmarket izakaya. The foodie things to do in Tokyo don’t disappoint.

Tourists enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms while on a boat ride in Tokyo

Weird, wacky and wonderful

The city is brimming with the uncanny, interesting, and just plain strange, with experiences and attractions that are unique to Tokyo. Its quirky underbelly isn’t hard to find. Wacky places to see and things to do in Tokyo range from entire streets dedicated to kitchen utensils to themed cafés celebrating otaku culture. Maybe you’ll get treated like royalty at a maid – or butler – café, get a tiny doll that looks exactly like you made at Clone Factory, or see the first hotel in the world to have holographic staff. The bizarre things to do in Tokyo are some of the most memorable.

Tourists crossing a busy road with a local guide on a night tour of Tokyo

Tokyo by night

When night falls, the list of things to do in Tokyo only gets longer. The disappearing daylight is replaced with neon signs, lanterns, and LED screens, and the city has a totally different feel. Tokyo’s unique bar culture is ripe for exploration, from ramshackle izakaya to standing tachinomiya taverns to upmarket cocktail lounges. You could head to glitzy Ginza where the wealthy gather, or stroll down unassuming cobbled alleys between tiny restaurants packed with people snacking on small plates. It won’t be long before you’re cheering “kanpai!” with noisy locals over a sake (or several).

Tokyo travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find essential city info, travel tips and the best things to do in Tokyo and around the world recommended by our local hosts

Latest reviews from our guests

Kejei met us at our hotel and explained our itinerary. We added the Sanja Matsuri festival to the plan and it fit right in to his itinerary for the day. We went for an enjoyable sushi place for lunch. Kejei explained so many things about Tokyo and Japanese culture. He showed us how to navigate the train system and gave us ideas for the remainder of our vacation. An excellent guide we highly recommend!!!

May 2024

Jacqueline T
Wir hatten eine tolle Tour in Tokio mit Marc. Wir waren bereits letztes Jahr ein paar Tage in Tokio, trotzdem war es unglaublich abwechlungsreich und wir konnten viel Neues erkunden. Marc ging spontan auf unsere Wünsche ein, was uns sehr zugesagt hat. We had a great tour in Tokyo with Marc. We were in Tokyo for a few days last year, but it was still incredibly varied and we were able to explore a lot of new things. Marc spontaneously responded to our wishes, which really pleased us.

May 2024

Annina H
Es war ein toller und sehr informativer Tag. Chiara hat uns alles gezeigt was wir sehen wollen und hat uns viele tolle Tipps für unsere weiteren Tage hier gegeben. Wir können diese Tour mit Chiara nur weiter empfehlen. It was a great and very informative day. Chiara showed us everything we wanted to see and gave us lots of great tips for our next days here. We can only recommend this tour with Chiara.

May 2024

Severine H
Daigo was very concerned about meeting our expectations. It was raining so we needed to improvise and we still saw the highlights. Even better, Daigo helped us learn the subway system so we could feel confident getting around on our own after the tour was over.

May 2024

Alan M