TOKYO · JAPAN
Tokyo’s best days out.
The 15 most popular imperial palace & edo castle tours in Tokyo, from the famous to the underrated. What each one actually involves, what it costs, and who runs it.
Small-group walk through Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens, Edo Castle ruins, and Ninomaru Garden with guided stories and ticket included.
Most Popular“Blake was an awesome tour guide. Very knowledgeable and engaging! Had a great time and learned so much. Highly recommend!”
Tokyo Imperial Palace Eastern Gardens walking tour with an English guide. Follow Edo-era footsteps, see koi fish and bamboo, learn the ranks system.
“Our tour guide was wonderful. She had a sign so we knew exactly who she was. She gave us some small gifts which were perfect for this heat! During the tour she spoke loud enough everyone could hear, was mindful of the heat and tried as much as possible to stop in the shade when…”
A 2-hour, English guided walk through the Imperial Palace East Gardens, including Ninomaru Garden koi ponds and Edo-era power spots.
“Tony our guide for the tour was fantastic. Thank you Tony for the memorable experience. He was really knowledgeable, explained the history in a straightforward way, answered all the questions and provided additional suggestions on where to eat nearby and what else to do this weekend! I really enjoyed the tour, and it makes such…”
Small-group walk around the Imperial Palace East Gardens and Edo Castle ruins, with a calm start at Wadakura Fountain Park and expert local stories.
“Our guide Glenda, originally from Singapore, was extremely knowledgeable on Japan's history and especially, in relation to the Emperor's, Shogun's, Samurai's and the Imperial palace and gardens. Her English language was perfect and she spoke clearly and slow, unlike some other guides we have had in Japan. Glenda also gave us many recommendations for other…”
Stroll Tokyo’s East Gardens and Edo Castle remnants with an English guide, learning shogun-era design and seasonal blooms for $19.
“What an amazing experience! Mei was lots of fun and very informative. Do yourself a favour and book this tour!!”
See Imperial Palace outer grounds, Sensō-ji with Nakamise, and Tokyo Tower views on a 4-hour English guided hybrid bus tour.
“The guide was very good and explained many interesting facts of Tokyo.”
Small-group walk through Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens, Ōtemon Gate, and Ninomaru Garden with shogun-era stories and photo spots.
“Our guide was super knowledgeable and gave us an incredible tour filled with very interesting facts! We loved getting to know about the history of the place!”
Tokyo Imperial Palace East Gardens tour: a 2-hour guided walk from Wadakura Fountain Park, Edo Castle stories, and koi fish highlights for $42.
“Lovely slow paced walking tour and informative guide.”
Private Tokyo tour of Imperial Palace East Gardens with a guide covering Edo Castle ruins and Ninomaru Garden. 2 hours, mobile ticket.
“Our guide Naoko was charming and knowledgable. But to be honest, the name of the tour led us to believe that we'd see the Imperial palace and the gardens there. But instead we paid for a tour of gardens that are free to the public and information is freely available.”
A 7-hour bilingual tour linking Shibuya, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace, Akihabara, Asakusa, and Tokyo Skytree with train tickets included.
“It was great! Jorge was fantastic! Give it a shot. Filler words to meet the character minimum: go Japan!”
A guided walk through Tokyo Imperial Palace’s eastern gardens, Edo-era ruins, and koi highlights, with history context and photo stops for about $40.
“the guide was awesome, a real fountain of knowledge”
Private 2-hour Edo Castle ruins and Imperial Palace East Gardens tour with an English guide. Time-travel through shogun-era Tokyo for $63.
“Our guide Yuji was welcoming and knowledgeable. It was great having an English speaking local as our guide. Yuji walked at a pace that was comfortable for our family and shared insights into the garden that we would not have seen if we didn’t have a guide. A highlight of our Tokyo visit! Thankyou Yuji.”
A small-group Tokyo walk mixing Imperial Palace grounds, Tokyo Station, and Kagurazaka alleys, with expert guide tips and mobile tickets.
“I ended up with a private tour! Gave me the opportunity to ask lots of questions which is the benefit of having someone guide you. It is possible to do this on your own without a guide but I learned a lot like the meaning of the fish on the roofs Read more”
Walk the Imperial Palace East Gardens and shop Nihonbashi with a guide. Includes dashi and sake tastings plus washi making and more.
“The rain. We did not sign up for a 10K. Spent most of our time walking to and from subway stations in pouring rain rather than at the intended attraction. Guides were good and helpful but they need help with making transportation manageable and with better balance of time at attraction versus getting there.”
A 2-hour English guided walk around Tokyo’s Imperial Palace grounds with Edo castle stories and an Imperial snack.
“Madame was our tour guide todY. he was very informative on Japanese edo period history. He took time to explain the various structures on the palace grounds and answered our questions. we were quite happy with the tour and would recommend again.”
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