Tokyo Private Tours

  Terrific time in Tokyo  - We had a very enjoyable day touring Tokyo and seeing the sights we requested plus a few others recommended by our guide, Rei. The restaurant she chose for lunch... read more was excellent and both Rei and our driver were very helpful and accommodating for the older members in our group. It was a great experience we won’t forget!

  Great tours with Backstreet Guides  - Great tours with Backstreet guides in Tokyo and Kyoto. We had been to both cities before and they were great in making suggestions for things we had not seen... read more that were really good! The guides in both cities were great and very flexible. We recommend this company very highly and would not hesitate to book with them again.

  Rie was awesome. Patient and great with my kids and made it a terrific experience for first timers to Tokyo.  - Rie was awesome. Patient and great with my kids and made it a terrific experience for first timers to Tokyo. We didn’t know what to expect, but she took care... read more of everything and helped to navigate the city with ease. Wonderful learning experience for all.

  Great, busy day  - We had a fabulous, fun filled day with Seiko along with lots of laughter and jokes. She met us promptly at the port and off we went on a... read more train and subway to see the main sights of Tokyo. She was very knowledgeable and customized the tour to fit our needs even making a slight change during the day to adapt for us. Be prepared for lots of walking, lots of steps and lots of subways-but it was actually what we were prepared for even some rain. Would highly recommend her and the tour to anyone!

  Highly recommend this tour with Rie! - Rie was an excellent guide. Besides her knowledge about the sites visited, we learned a lot about Tokyo’s history. Highly recommend!

  I had a private tour scheduled when we arrived. We met our guide Mayu. She was So sweet and friendly that half way through the tour i booked her for... read more the next day and the evening two days later.
She was very informed and taught us many things about Japan, the culture, religion. My whole group just loved her and the tour and the time she spent to teach us and inform us. IT is alot of walking but it was so worth it. We were able to go to shrines, towers, temples, gardens. She covered it all. I would highly recommend this company and her as a guide. Be prepared to walk, the booking process was excellent and the communication was super throughout the whole time.

  Tour guide in Kyoto and Tokyo  - We used Backstreet twice. Once in Tokyo and once in Kyoto. In Tokyo we had Rie. she took us around and we saw historical sites modern... read more streets and even quiet neighborhoods where we could learn a lot about daily Japanese life. We highly recommend her In Kyoto Junko was really nice. Very knowledgeable; took us all around the city in one day. We saw a lot and she was eager to help us see everything in a packed day. We highly recommend her

  I had the best day. visiting Nikko dressed in its Autumn foliage- Mayu from Backstreet Guides was so organised and thankfully her English was impeccable (as my Japanese was very,... read more very limited). Mayu picked me up from my hotel and we headed via metro to the Nikko train- Mayu explained what we were doing on the day and after some obligatory photos at the train station (as the leaves of the trees were superb), we were introduced to our wonderful driver who drove us all over Nikko- showing us the best leaves and going to the magnificent Nikko Shrines and Temples as well as the countryside and the sublime views and vistas of this area. This tour was more than I had hoped for and Mayu provided information about the places we visited and the best things we should note- it was a wonderful, calm way to see this amazing area and exceeded all of my expectations!! Thank you for such a brilliant day in Nikko- I shall always remember the fun time we had.

  Backstreet Guides is amazing. So are their guides Yoko and Rie. I highly recommend their day trips to Kamakura and Nikko. They made it easy and relaxing for us.
... read more My sister and I wanted to revisit places we remembered from our childhood. With courtesy and professional attention, Masa at Backstreet Guides helped us set up private day trips to both Kamakura and Nikko. It was a fabulous experience.
On the first day, Yoko met us in our hotel lobby and accompanied us through morning rush hour on the subway to the train station where we took the one-hour trip to Kamakura. With great ease she guided us around the town and its cultural treasures, including the Great Buddha, beautifully set against green hills and the sky, one of the icons of Japan. Yoko took us to a charming restaurant for a tempura lunch, took photos of us in the same spots as our old photos and led us into a bamboo forest we especially wanted to see. We shopped for sourvenirs and the beautifully carved wood for which Kamakura is famous. Yoko taught us so much - from sumo wrestling to persimmons to kimono dressing. She also taught us how to use the subway system!
The next day Rie came to our hotel and we took a 2-hour reserved seat train to Nikko - all arranged beforehand by Backstreet Guides. Rie also introduced us to Japan's wonderful vending machines! In Nikko we were met by a private car and Rie accompanied us up the mountain to see waterfalls and Lake Chuzenji. She then took us to a fabulous lunch at a small restaurant we would never have found on our own. We tried yuba, one of Nikko's specialties - a truly memorable meal. Then we headed to Toshogu Shrine, a World Heritage Site, newly restored, glistening with gold leaf under towering ancient cedars. There is no way we could have done all this in one day without Rie's professional and well-organized expertise. It was awe-inspiring and a lot of fun.
Thank you, Yoko and Rie. Thank you, Backstreet Guides.

  The Best  - The Backstreet Kyoto Tour was amazing! Our guide Saki was such a knowledgeable and impressive tour guide. We visited and learned about all the major Kyoto sites. Also we had... read more time for a great lunch and a wonderful shopping experience. Overall, it was a superb day! Highly recommend this tour.