Asakusa Temple

Absolutely wonderful experience. This tour is perfect for first time visitors to Tokyo because it has a bit of the old and new that Tokyo has to offer. Visiting the Asakusa Temple was like a scene from a movie. When I read the description I thought it was going to be a quiet, time to reflect kind of thing. Instead I thought I was in Tibet or on a movie set..It was awesome!..It was like a city within a city, much bigger than I ever imagined and the smell of incense burning made it all seem like a dream.The Tokyo bay cruise was very smooth and relaxing and the Meji Shrine was like stepping back in time and a very spiritual experience. We were also served a great lunch on the 12th floor of this building looking out over Tokyo harbor. And best of all was the tour guide Mai. She was so nice and took the time to explain everything to us and answered all our questions. And most of all at the end of the tour she took the extra time to make sure that myself and several other tour members got on the right train to go back to our hotels. It was my first time using the train system and it looks very intimidating but she made sure I bought the right ticket and made it to the correct train platform..Thank you Mai!!..Do yourself a favor and book this tour, this is my second tour I booked through Viator {my other tour was the Mt Fuji, Lake Ashi and Bullet Train Day Trip I did in 2009} you get so much more than what what you paid for and life long memories

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Doing what: Panoramic Tokyo Day Tour - Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Temple and Tokyo Bay Cruise

The Asakusa Temple is a must-see place in Tokyo. There are shops nearby for food and souvenirs. The tall pagoda is also nice for photo ops. The Tokyo Skytree is the latest attraction in Tokyo and the highest tower in the world. We went up the view deck in the super fast elevator and enjoyed the sight of Tokyo and its surroundings from high above. People can also choose to go to the higher view deck for an additional fee, but we did not go there anymore. The Central Tokyo sightseeing was just from the moving bus. Our tour guide was fluent in English and very knowledgeable about the place and its history.

Doing what: Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa and Central Tokyo Sightseeing Tour

Contrasting the fantastic old with the amazing new in 'must sees' in Tokyo is the theme of this tour. The temple and shopping at Asakusa are absolute 'musts' in Tokyo, especially if you don't have the time to get to Kyoto when you are in Japan. I know lots of business and conference visitors have very little time for sightseeing, but this is the beauty of this tour: you get to see ancient and modern Japan in a very short time and still have plenty of time for those fantastic souvenirs. The temple at Asakusa is amazing, and the guide provided great background information which really introduced you to the culture and religions of Japan. Near Asakusa, is a great, very old shopping strip full of very good quality souvenirs. There is your usual tourist souvenirs, but if you want that high quality Kimono at a teasonable price, you'll find it here in no time. Everything was of excellent quality. After seeing the old and ancient Japan, you get to see the amazing Tokyo SkyTree. If you went by yourself, you could wait a very long time in queues, but the beauty of this tour, is that you don't wait long at all, as they have a group booking. This is really great when you are on a tight schedule. The view from the SkyTree is amazing, and the building itself is a wonder of Japanese design, technology and engineering. The guide on this tour also provded ,any insights into Japanese culture durimg the tour, and was very pleased to answer all of your questions about Japan or where to buy that special item. If you only have an afternoon to spare in Tokyo, this is the tour for you!

Doing what: Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa and Central Tokyo Sightseeing Tour

Our tour guide "Curry" was very nice. She went out of her way to make sure everyone had a great time. The tour began with a drive through various parts of Tokyo. Our first stop was the Senso-ji Buddhist temple in Asakusa. We had enough time to explore the area and even eat chow mein noodles. The next stop was Tokyo Sky Tree. The bus dropped us off a few blocks away and we walked about 5 minutes before arriving at the taxi drop off entrance to the tower. There we waited while our tour guide picked up our tickets. The wait to board the elevator wasn't very long compared to those arriving on their own. The views from the Tembo Deck are incredible. After an hour or so we returned to the bus and ended our tour at the Tokyo train station. Our tour guide was kind enough to escort us through the station to find the Keiyo line that would take us to Maihama. We all hugged her when we said goodbye.

Doing what: Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa and Central Tokyo Sightseeing Tour

This tour is highly recommended. If you've been to the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building and any other significant highrise, then the views are similar. If you want a free view of the city, I'd recommended the Tokyo Government Metropolitan building in Shinjuku since the observatory deck is free and gives you a similar view.

The tea ceremony was a good experience if you want to observe and participate in one of Japan's traditions. You only get a sampling of the tea - which is green and frothy, but as with most Japanese teas, has a bitter after taste. When attending this ceremony, participants are asked to be respectful and abide with the local tradition. The teahouse is also surrounded by a garden, so it's best to go there during Spring or Fall. There is a 300+ and 500+ year old bonsai tree on the premises, so make sure to ask the tour guide if you are interested in seeing them.

The lunch was one of the highlights of the tour - it states a "BBQ" lunch, so don't be deceived if you are used to the concept of an American BBQ. It's actually a hibachi-style lunch, a la Benihana, but not with the volcano or cutting shows. The food is freshly prepared in front of you, so it's definitely worth the experience and was the best lunch out of all 3 tours I took in Japan.

The Sumida River cruise started at the Port of Tokyo to Asakusa, where you will be given about 50 min to an hour to browse around the local shops and bakeries. Most of the vendors do not accept credit cards, so if you want to shop for souvenirs and sweets to take home, make sure you have enough yen on you. Since there is a limited amount of free time in this shopping area, make sure you have a plan of action since the tour bus leaves timely.

Lastly, the tour ends at Tokyo station, and you are responsible for finding your own way back. The guide will help you with directions but you will need to have enough money to return by train/subway. Overall - it was a good tour if you are short on tiime.

Doing what: Tokyo Tower, Tea Ceremony and Sumida River Cruise Day Tour

Excellent tour guide. We got to hit a lot of different sites in one day and didn't have to worry about transportation or lunch. The lunch was delicious and such a great experience. We loved the tea ceremony and visiting the shrine in Asakusa. Great tour!

Doing what: Tokyo Tower, Tea Ceremony and Sumida River Cruise Day Tour

Tour was very interesting, Tour Guide was very nice and friendly. The Tower was so impressive, Tea Ceremony was quite an experience, our lunch was great, the river cruise was very relaxing and the Asakusa Kannon Temple and surrounding area, was exciting. The day was altogether, very pleasant and we were taken back to the Bus Terminal , which, we really appreciated! The whole day gave us a great tour of Tokyo.

Doing what: Tokyo Tower, Tea Ceremony and Sumida River Cruise Day Tour

This is a great tour to see some of the important sites in Tokyo. If you only have a few days in Tokyo, take this tour; and if you have more time, take this tour early in your stay. You will have a better sense of where you are and how you can navigate Tokyo. The Tower is a great starting spot, you get an overview of Tokyo. The tea ceremony and the barbeque are Tokyo experiences that would be difficult for first-time visitors to arrange. And the Sunida River cruise and visit to Asakusa Temple are a perfrect end to a great day. I highly recommend this tour. BTW, our English-speaking guide really worked hard, keeping us informed and entertained while she kept everything moving and catered to folks who needed help.

Doing what: Tokyo Tower, Tea Ceremony and Sumida River Cruise Day Tour

Excellent introduction tour to Tokyo. Guide was good and tour was well organised. Shrines are well worth the visit. Leaves afternoon to explore the shopping areas of Asakusa or Ginza. Good value package

Doing what: Tokyo Morning Tour: Meiji Shrine, Senso-ji Temple and Ginza Shopping District

Our family my husband and I with two teenage daughters enjoyed the Tokyo Day Tour. Tokyo is such a big city, much bigger and spread out than I expected so the tour was great to situate us as far as how the city is laid out. The tour with the hotel pick up was great so we didn't have to try to figure out how to get from point A to B on our first day in Tokyo. Our tour guide Mei-san had fantastic English and a great sense of humor. The tour took us to historical sites with commentary when we pass through some important modern buildings. We were able to see a traditional Japanese wedding at the Meiji Shento Shrine which was really interesting. The Asakusa Temple is fun for the busy shopping streets in front. The western style lunch was so so since we would prefer Japanese lunch boxes however, the view from the top of the little hotel was very pretty. The after lunch cruise was very relaxing especially on that extremely hot day. We enjoyed our last stop at the Japanese version of the 1 store which was amazing since we found everything in Japan to be too expense. Overall, this is a great tour for anyone visiting Tokyo for the first time - we didn't have to worroy about anything and just get on and off the bus and learn from Mei-San.

Doing what: Panoramic Tokyo Day Tour - Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Temple and Tokyo Bay Cruise

Great tour! Asakusa is a great place to visit and do some serious shopping, not to mention eat some of the regional pastries. The Tokyo Bay cruise was splendid.

Doing what: Panoramic Tokyo Day Tour - Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Temple and Tokyo Bay Cruise

The tour guide was fantastic! She added all sorts of great facts and statistics about Tokyo and Japan that made the experience all the more enjoyable. I would have loved to have more time to shop at Asakusa, but know it was a packed day!

Doing what: Panoramic Tokyo Day Tour - Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Temple and Tokyo Bay Cruise

Great trip! Very informative guide. Ran like clockwork. Guide tried to make sure that you got the most that you could out of what was offered. Tokyo Tower was just the right amount of time, Tea Ceremony was fun and the river cruise was also fun and informative. The Imperial Palace and Asakusa stops were also very interesting and the shopping was great fun for the whole family. It was my wife and I and our 15 and 11 year old boys all who had a great time on this tour.

Doing what: Tokyo Tower, Tea Ceremony and Sumida River Cruise Day Tour

This was an interesting introduction to Tokyo city ending at the fascinating Asakusa market and temple area. There was good time to wander around the temple precinct. Guide was excellent.

Doing what: Tokyo Highlights Afternoon Tour and Sumida River Cruise

This is a great tour. We left the tour in Asakusa to shop at the Nakamise area. Be sure you know where they leave you in Ginza. You need to find your way back! We knew this but it was funny to see the reactions of people when they found out they had to find their way back. Do your research people!!!

Doing what: Tokyo Morning Tour: Meiji Shrine, Senso-ji Temple and Ginza Shopping District