Hello? Tokyo!

+ How much walking is involved in a walking tour?

Walking tours by their nature involve quite a lot of walking! We do schedule in rest breaks and toilet stops but you should be prepared to spend the majority of the duration of your tour either walking or standing. You should also be aware that Tokyo is a hot and humid city in the summer so you need to be prepared with sunscreen and water. The spring and autumn are nice and the winter gets cold (0-15 C) so dress accordingly. If you have health or mobility issues you should book a private tour so that we can plan a route and itinerary for you which is appropriate for your needs. All of our Tokyo walking tours are designed for enjoyment and we do go at a leisurely pace, (believe us we don’t want to be rushing around any more then you do), so as long as you are in reasonable health you shouldn’t have any problems with the amount of walking involved.

+ Do you offer car tours?

Yes we do! Car tours are ideal for those who have difficulty walking, families with small children, people who find the humidity difficult to contend with and for those who tire more easily. Our vans can seat a maximum of 12 passengers plus the guide and driver.

If you also have luggage the maximum is 8 passengers plus the guide and driver.

If you are a larger group please contact us for a quote, we do have a 23 seat coach available as well as 44 seater.

+ Are your tours wheelchair/pushchair friendly?

Some of the routing on the small group Tokyo food tours is not wheelchair and pushchair friendly. If you are in a wheelchair or are bringing a pram/pushchair with you we advise you to take a private tour with us and we will design a route for you that is suitable for you.

+ Do you cater for children?

Yes, we do! All of our tours are child-friendly. Our guides love children and will go out of their way to make sure they have a great time! That said the routes are not pram/pushchair friendly in all places so if you are bringing children with you on a small group tour they do need to be old enough to walk and to be in a group environment for the duration of the Tokyo walking tours. If you have a pram/pushchair please book a private tour so that the guide can modify the routing for you where necessary.

+ What languages are your tours in?

All of our small group Tokyo tours are conducted in English.

+ Do you take your guests to jewellery stores, factory outlets and other shops?

Absolutely not. We do not visit any such shops on any of our Tokyo walking tours. We do not take commissions from any establishments at all. Furthermore, the restaurants which we use have been selected solely because we think they are the best that Tokyo has to offer and not for any other reason. We do not take commissions or kickbacks or even discounts from any of them. If you do want to do some shopping we are happy to make recommendations for you. If you book a private tour we can even take you shopping but we will only take you to shops that we think suit your requirements and not shops that offer us or our guides any personal gain.

+ What is included in the price of the tour?

If you book a tour that has inclusions such as the Tokyo food tour Day Tours of Tokyo, or Tokyo night tour, the listed inclusions are included in the tour price. On our walking tours the costs of public transport (train, bus) is NOT included and if you wish to use any taxi it would be payable by yourself. On our car tours the costs of your private hire vehicle and driver are included. The costs of drinks, snacks, meals, souvenirs etc are not included. If you want to stop off at a convenience store and buy yourself a drink or snack then this is of course at your own expense.

+ I have dietary restrictions, can I still join the food tour?

If you have dietary restrictions the best thing to do is to send us an email letting us know what you can not eat and we will advise you on how much of the food we try contains ingredients that you can not eat. If you can eat most things we will advise you to come to the Tokyo food tour and we will let you know what to avoid. If you will be heavily affected we will advise you not to take a food tour but to book a customised tour instead.

+ If I book a private tour can you take me to big attractions like Tokyo Disney?

We do not take people to places like Tokyo Disney because we would not be able to add any value to your day. To put it simply you would be wasting your money if you hired us to take you to a theme park. Instead, we focus on introducing you to the real Tokyo, by taking you down back streets and alleyways which you wouldn’t normally go down yourself, by explaining the culture, the history and the way of life to you. All of these big attractions are easy to get to, your hotel will be able to explain to you how to get there on public transport which is very efficient and straightforward to use. If you don’t fancy public transport you can take a taxi.

+ I normally take a group bus tour/car tours in all of the cities I visit and I think they are great, why would I take a Hello Tokyo walking tour?

We also like a bus/car tour and think that they give you a good feel of the geography and layout of the city and ensure that you ‘see’ all of the main points of interest in a day. Hopping on and off a vehicle also gives you a great way of travelling between points of interest without having to worry about getting lost on public transport! What the bus/car tour will not do however is show you the ‘real’ Tokyo. It will not take you to meet local business owners or to discover hidden parks down alleyways. It will not explain the culture of Tokyo to you, or point out hawker restaurants that surprisingly have Michelin stars! If you like car/bus tours then take one in Tokyo (we have and we enjoyed it) but take day tours of Tokyo, Tokyo walking tours, Tokyo food tours or any other tour with us as and let us introduce you to a few places that the bus/car tours will not.

+ I actually live in Tokyo, can I take one of your Tokyo walking tours?

Of course! We get countless guests joining us who live in Tokyo. Many people take one or two of our tours as a way to get acquainted with Tokyo when they have recently moved here.

+ All of your Tokyo tours sound interesting so I am not sure which one to take. If I take more then one will I get the same information on each?

No, all of our Tokyo tours have different content so you do not have to worry about hearing the same information twice. We do cover a few basic facts about Tokyo on each tour but the vast majority of the content is different. In fact, we recommend taking more than one Tokyo tour to give you a real insight into Tokyo.

+ How do I book a Hello Tokyo tour?

Please use our online booking system to book your tour. Follow the ‘click here to book’ buttons on the page of the website for the tour that you would like to take or use the ‘Quick Book’ page. Once you have booked a Hello Tokyo tour you will receive an email confirming all of the details of your tour. This will include a reminder on what to wear and details, including a map, to the meeting point. It will also include our contact details should you have any issues on the day.

+ What happens once I have booked a tour?

Once you have booked a Hello Tokyo tour you will receive an email confirming all of the details of your tour. This will include a reminder on what to wear, what to bring and your Japanese tour guide picture and contact details.

+ What should I wear?

On all tours, you should wear comfortable flat shoes. In the summers Japan gets very humid and hot but in the winters it gets cold so dress accordingly. We have the daily and weekly weather of Tokyo up on our "Know before you go" page to check for the weather in advance. It does rain often in Tokyo so have an umbrella handy with you.

+ Do I need to bring anything with me?

The main thing you need to bring is yourself in a good pair of comfortable shoes! We recommend that you bring some cash in case you want to stop off and buy a drink from a convenience store and your camera to take pictures. Make sure that you have an umbrella on raining days, your hotel should be able to lend you one, if not we can show you where to buy one cheaply. And bring water! At least one litre per person. In the summer, especially on day tours of Tokyo you will sweat a lot in Japan so it is essential that you stay well hydrated.

+ Can I take pictures on the tour?

We actively encourage picture taking on Hello Tokyo walking tours, we want you to go home with as many memories as possible. We are always happy to take pictures of you for you.

+ What happens if the weather is bad on the day of my tour?

Come rain or sunshine, our Tokyo walking tours continue and we always have a great day no matter what the weather. Just bring an umbrella! However, if there is a severe typhoon advisory (red or purple on the Japan Meteorogical Agency page) then tours will be canceled.

+ Does the tour end at the same place as it starts?

If you have a booked a Private Customised Tour we will come and pick you up at your hotel and drop you off there at the end of the tour. If you have booked onto a Small Group Tour it will not start and end in the same place. Once the tour has finished we can give you directions back to your hotel or to any other location that you would like to go to. We recommend always carrying a few cards with your hotel name and address on as this will make it easier to take a taxi. Once you have booked your tour we will email you directions to the meeting point.

+ Do I need to tip the tour guide?

If you have enjoyed your Hello Tokyo walking tour and think that the guide has provided a good service it is common practice to tip. The standard tipping is 10 – 15%. Whilst our guides greatly appreciate gratuities they will NEVER ask for them.