Ueno and Yanaka Culture Art Walking Tour in Old Tokyo

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Admission fees for the museums and Toshogu Shrine
Local English speaking guide

Food and drink
Trains and transport before and after the tour

Overview

The tour will provide guests with a well-balanced itinerary including museums, a park and nature, shrines and temples, and traditional architecture. You will walk around the popular and expansive Ueno Park to visit its many temples, shrines, and beautiful landscapes. Known as the place to go if you’re a culture vulture due to its many museums and heritage attractions. You will then visit a bustling and lively retro area of Ueno famous for its old-style shopping arcades and restaurants. You will then visit a perfect example of a Shitamachi or ’lower city’ in Tokyo, Yanaka. A cozy and traditional neighborhood, not many tourists know about, you will step back in time and enjoy an atmosphere that is very different from many parts of Tokyo.

Meeting points

Ueno Station
7 Chome-1 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0005, Japan

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You will meet your tour guide outside of Ueno Station’s park gate exit. Please follow the signs in Ueno station for the park gate exit and go through the ticket gates and come outside of the station. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

End point

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

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Itinerary

National Museum of Nature and Science

You will have an introductory guide to the Museum and its history, as well as being shown some of the main attractions there, including a life sized Blue Whale model, a steam locomotive and the taxidermied body of the beloved and legendary dog Hachiko. The architecture of this Meiji period building is also impressive. The museum is large, so we won’t have time to explore it all, but you can enjoy some free time to explore yourself before we meet back up for our second destination.

1 hour
Ueno Park

We will then head to Ueno Park to explore the beautiful temples, shrines, and lake to enjoy nature and escape from the busyness of Tokyo. The walk around the park is peaceful and you can enjoy a relaxed and slower pace as your guide tells you all about the history and culture of the area. You will experience a variety of temple and shrine architecture, from a large bronze Buddha face, a walkway of red Torii gates, and even a golden shrine! At the lake, you can enjoy seeing many birds and Koi Carp against the backdrop of high rise buildings.

1 hour 30 minutes
Ameyoko Shopping Street

Our final stop in Ueno will be Ameyoko, a retro area known for its shopping and restaurants. You will have a guided tour on the history and significance of the area, before enjoying your lunch break to explore, eat and go shopping if you wish. After lunch, we will have a 20 minute walk to our next destination of Yanaka.

1 hour 20 minutes
Yanaka District

For our first Yanaka stop, we will visit a well known museum in Yanaka’s history and art scene. The museum was both the workshop and family house of a famous Japanese Sculptor. You can enjoy viewing the artist’s amazing and unique works on display, but also the architecture of the beautiful traditional Japanese house you will walk around. The museum also has a Japanese style garden built in the centre of it, and a rooftop terrace where you can enjoy views of Yanaka and surrounding Tokyo. You can spot the Tokyo Skytree on the expansive horizon!

1 hour 10 minutes
Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street

You will then enjoy a guided walk around the shopping district of Yanaka Ginza, where you can feel the cosy and calm atmosphere. Known as Cat town, look out for the many cat statues and cat themed items on display and for purchase! Sample delicious street food, traditional Japanese standing bars, baked goods and visit unique shops to pick up the perfect souvenir. There is even a vintage Kimono shop where you can buy items for as low as 500¥. You will have free time here to enjoy the area at your own pace.

1 hour
Yanaka Cemetery

Finally, we will pay a visit to a beautiful and peaceful Buddhist temple with impressive statues of Buddha. You can enjoy a rest here among the tranquility. We will then walk through Yanaka Cemetery and Sakura Dori. Don’t be alarmed, this cemetery is very popular with the locals to stroll through and enjoy nature. In Spring, Sakura Dori is filled with blooming Cherry Blossoms and makes for a magical sight. Yanaka Cemetery is also known for its many famous people laid to rest, including Sumo Wrestlers, Samurai and aristocrats!

1 hour

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Free Cancellation

April 25100% refund

April 26No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-1 of 1 reviews with 5 stars

Lovely tour in Old Tokyo!

Published on Jun, 2024

We loved our full day tour with Beth! :) Great tour for those who love more underrated/less crowded places and want to do relaxing yet rewarding sightseeing through older, cultural parts of Tokyo. There was a good mix of outdoor strolling and indoor museums. We started the morning by meeting Beth in front of Ueno Station, and we had a wonderful stroll through Ueno Park where we did a brief "highlights" tour of National Museum of Nature and Science, and then afterwards saw a really beautiful "hidden gem" temple as well as red torii gates and bronze Buddha. Lunch was at a nearby famous busy shopping street with lots of stores and restaurants. Beth helped us find a nice soba noodle place and taught us how to order food using a ticket machine :) Afternoon was my favorite part, as we explored the Yanaka district. The home of the famous Yanaka sculptor was such a unique museum that we'd never have discovered on our own. It was getting to appreciate art + explore a traditional Japanese home all in one. The cat sculptures were so cute! The rooftop garden was very scenic as well. Yanaka Ginza is a much more unique and "local" shopping alternative to the more touristy regular Ginza. I've been on a hunt for nice matcha bowls in Japan and we discovered them here, made by local artisans and very very reasonably priced. Beth picked out the best stores for us. Very satisfied with our souvenirs! We also got to sample some delicious street snacks as well on the same street! Plus, the street is cat themed...! Finally, we ended with a stroll through Yanaka Cemetery, where we visited a serene temple with one of the nicest Buddha statues I've seen around. You can walk inside the temple if you take off your shoes. Beth was just a lovely tour guide, and she created the whole itinerary on her own. Her passion for what she does clearly shows through. We're so grateful that she shared her cultural knowledge with us! She also gave us some wonderful recommendations for our last remaining days in Tokyo. We can't wait to be back and take another tour! :)