The 4 BEST Night Tours in Tokyo, Japan
Are you looking for the best night tours in Tokyo? Get ready for neon lights and good times because below we have four fantastic ones to share with you!
Tokyo is massive and all of the best bars and restaurants are hidden down alleys and hardly marked. It also doesn’t help that everything is in kanji! So it’s easy to miss the best spots if you don’t have a guide. That’s where tours come in!
We’ve been all over Tokyo and and below are our favorite night tours we’ve taken. They make getting to local spots easy, offer a fun cultural experience, delicious food, and plenty of opportunities to drink sake with locals.
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our personal FAVORITE tour for a memorable night in Tokyo is this bar hopping tour in Shinjuku District. It visits back-alley bars that only the locals know about with food and drinks included! You can book this 5-star tour here as well as read 1,800+ reviews from other travelers.
Tip: Book online ASAP. This is a POPULAR tour that often sells out. It has free cancellation 24 hours before the tour starts, so secure your spot now!
1. Bar Hopping Tour in Shinjuku (Best Overall Tour)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Area of Tokyo: Shinjuku District
- Highlights: Drink and eat at three local bars, visit Omoide Yokocho alleyway, Kabukicho District, and Golden-Gai District
- Inclusions: English-speaking guide, your choice of 4 traditional Japanese dishes, 4 drinks of your choice, pictures from the night sent to your phone
- Rating: 5 Stars (Read the 1,800+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before the tour starts
- Price: Check price here!
We loved exploring the back alley bars of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district while drinking with regulars and yelling “Kanpai!” (cheers in Japanese) on this awesome night tour. If making new friends and tapping into Japan’s intoxicating (literally) nightlife culture sounds like fun, you’ll want to book this tour immediately!
The night started in Omoide Yokocho, an atmospheric alleyway that formed while Japan was still recovering from WWII. Think iconic old-school Japan and that’s exactly what this area is! Once we reached the first bar, we began our night of enjoying amazing sake, a delicious Japanese rice wine.
Next up was the Kabukicho District, a brightly lit bustling area that would have been impossible to navigate without our guide Takashi. The well-hidden bar we stopped at served us some fantastic dumplings and sushi while we clanked our mugs of Sapporo beer with locals. With some translation help from our guide, making friends here was one of the highlights of the night. This tour was such a great way to not only make friends, but also learn important cultural etiquette when eating, drinking, and ordering.
The last stop was in the Golden-Gai District, which has a total of six alleys and over 200 bars. Walking the chaotic neon-lit alleys to the final bar was half the fun, but the cocktails we had there were definitely better. It was the perfect end to a perfect night and a tour I think everyone should take!
Book our FAVORITE night tour in Tokyo here!
2. Small Group Food Tour in Shinjuku District (Best Foodie Tour)
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Area of Tokyo: Shinjuku District
- Highlights: Eat and drink at three local restaurants, visit Kabukicho District, Golden-Gai District, and Omoide Yokocho alleyway
- Inclusions: English-speaking guide, 7+ traditional Japanese dishes, alcoholic drinks
- Rating: 5 Stars (Read the 500+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: No, it’s non-refundable
- Price: Check price here!
Without a doubt, this food tour was one of the best ways to participate in Japan’s delicious food and drink culture. If you’re a foodie who loves hitting lesser-known spots, this tour is for you.
We love that this tour hits the ground running in one of our favorite food and drink areas of Tokyo, Kabukicho District. The neon lights and packed alleyways are a sensory delight in themselves. We also liked that you spend a decent amount of your time in Kabukicho District, so you get to see some off-the-beaten-path areas other tours don’t explore.
The first two restaurants involved several rounds of sake and some delicious yakitori (chicken) skewers, dumplings, sushi, and other staple Japanese foods. But our favorite dish of the night was something we had never had, okonomiyaki. Think savory pancake with various meat and vegetable toppings, it was incredible! We always appreciate it when a tour surprises us with something we haven’t seen anywhere else.
The evening continued with a quick walk down the WWII-era Omoide Yokocho alleyway and our guide gave us a brief history lesson about the area. Not just a tour for foodies, but history lovers too!
The night ended in the Golden-Gai District, a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. What we enjoyed however was the lack of other tourists at the restaurant we went to. It was super authentic! After some Japanese cocktails and a dessert of yuzu sorbet, we were stuffed. Be sure to come hungry when you book this tour!
Book this exact food tour we took here to guarantee your spot!
3. Shibuya Bar Hopping Tour (Best to Find Hidden Gems)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Area of Tokyo: Shibuya
- Highlights: Eat and drink at three local bars, Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Center-Gai, Dogenzaka
- Inclusions: English-speaking guide, 4 drinks, 3 traditional Japanese dishes (vegan menu included), photos from the night sent to your phone
- Rating: 5 Stars (Read the 700+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before the tour starts
- Price: Check price here!
While most bar-hopping tours take place in more popular parts of Tokyo, we loved that this night tour took us to a lesser-visited side of the city. Shibuya is missed by most travelers and we found that each stop on this tour felt hidden and incredibly authentic.
With two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya is a bustling, culture-filled place to soak in the neon-filled streets of the city. A visit here isn’t complete without seeing the iconic and wildly chaotic Shibuya Crossing so we were pumped that this was the first stop of the night!
After witnessing the madness that is Shibuya Crossing, we went to three local spots so tucked away that I couldn’t lead you to them if my life depended on it. Each was a culturally enriching experience as we chatted with locals, laughed with our guide, and drank plenty of sake. And even though this is a bar-hopping tour, don’t count out the food. We loved getting to pick from a variety of Japanese staple dishes at each stop that had our mouths watering.
But the highlight for us was the last bar of the night in Dogenzaka, a district of Shibuya. Surprise, surprise, it was karaoke time! While we didn’t sing, it was so much fun drinking with locals as they belted out their favorite tunes. Honestly, if you want a local experience like no other in Tokyo, this tour delivers in ways few do.
Book here to access FREE cancellation for this bar hopping tour in Shibuya!
4. Sumo Show with Hot Pot Dinner (Best Entertainment!)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Area of Tokyo: Asakusa Taito City
- Highlights: Sumo Wrestling, authentic hot pot dinner
- Inclusions: English-speaking moderator, sumo show, all-you-can-eat hot pot, 1 drink, photos with sumo wrestlers
- Rating: 5 Stars (Read the 130+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before the tour starts
- Price: Check price here!
I feel like the name of this tour sells itself, but just in case you need any more convincing I’ll break down all of the fascinating and tasty details of this dinner with a sumo show. If you’re at all curious about what an evening like this is all about, don’t hesitate to book this tour. It was one of our favorites that we did in Tokyo!
With origins that go back over 1,000 years, sumo wrestling is still a large part of Japan’s culture. We loved that right from the moment we stepped into the building, the hosts and wrestlers themselves made us feel at home. It was never too serious and we had plenty of laughs throughout the night. If you’re traveling with kids, this tour is a fantastic way to spend the evening.
The highlight is the wrestlers demonstrating their martial art and learning about the training that goes into doing it. You can even go into the ring and go toe to toe with a sumo wrestler if you dare! It’s lighthearted and an absolute blast.
Accompanying all of this is the delicious hot pot dinner made by former sumo wrestlers. It’s all you can eat and they offer chicken and vegan options. We definitely ate a ton of the chicken hot pot and if it wasn’t for the show ending, we would have left looking like wrestlers ourselves!
All in all, this tour was so unique from anything else we have done in Japan and a must-do experience.
Book tickets for the sumo show and dinner here!
Where to Stay in Tokyo, Japan
Accommodation in Tokyo can be expensive – there’s no simple way to put it! However, there are a lot of great options in terms of quality, location, and amenities. To help narrow down your choices, I’ve picked out three fantastic stays for those looking for a luxury, mid-range, or budget place to stay.
Luxury – $$$
Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier is a luxury stay featuring rooms with balconies and city views. It’s conveniently located in the heart of Tokyo, so you’re close to the trains and top sights, but it’s still a relaxing and quiet stay. The rooms are modern and spacious, and you can enjoy the onsite restaurant and gorgeous garden area.
Prices start around $250 USD per night and can be booked online here.
Mid-range – $$
OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka has a fabulous location in the Minato area, and close to the trains so you can get anywhere in the city easily. The hotel itself is very comfortable for a moderate price point, offering double or twin rooms with cozy sitting nooks in each room. There are plenty of restaurants and convenience stores around the hotel, and you can walk to some of Tokyo’s top sights.
Rooms start around $150 USD on average. You can check prices and reserve this stay online in advance.
Budget – $
If you’re looking for a budget friendly stay, the Plat Hostel Keikyu Asakusa Karin is your best bet. Located in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, you’ll be near top temples and activities and a short walk to the train station. The rooms are basic, but clean and provide a comfortable place to rest and you can get a private room or a dorm room. Private rooms start around $50 USD and a dorm is about $20 USD – not bad for Tokyo!
Check availability and book this budget stay on Booking.com.
For more options, check out all of the hotels in Tokyo here!
Renting a Car in Japan
Japan’s trains are great, but if you want to explore rural areas, scenic routes, or off-the-beaten path hidden gems, renting a car offers unmatched flexibility. Driving in Japan is generally safe, with well-maintained roads and clear signage, though there are some unique rules and customs to be aware of.
We always book with Discover Cars and can’t recommend them enough. It’s super easy to compare multiple provider prices, check company ratings, filter for the type of vehicle you want, and add affordable full coverage insurance. If you want a full breakdown, check out our Discover Cars review here.
Tips for Renting a Car in Japan
- Drive on the left: In Japan, vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road. The driver’s seat is on the right, and you’ll need to adjust to roundabouts and different road layouts. Take some time to get comfortable before hitting busy roads.
- Know the local rules: You must come to a full stop at “止まれ” (stop) signs, and pedestrians always have the right of way. It’s also mandatory for all passengers to wear seatbelts, even in the back seat. It’s also a good idea to brush up on the Japanese road signs before you go. They are mainly symbol based, and being able to recognize them will make your journey a lot smoother!
- Insurance is essential: We always recommend full coverage rental insurance—especially in Japan, where tight city parking, narrow village streets, and even wildlife on roads (like deer in Hokkaido) can lead to unexpected dings or damage. Discover Cars makes it easy (and affordable) to add this peace of mind when you book.
- Choose the right car: Roads and parking spots in Japan can be tight, especially in cities and older towns, so a small or mid-sized car is usually best. Discover Cars makes it easy to filter by transmission, fuel type (like hybrid), luggage space, and more, so you can find exactly what works for your trip.
- Watch for toll roads: Japan has an extensive network of toll roads (expressways). Tolls can be paid by cash or card, but it’s worth checking if your rental car comes with an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) card for convenience.
What You Need to Rent a Car in Japan
- A valid driver’s license from your home country.
- An International Driving Permit (IDP) under the 1949 Geneva Convention. This is a must—it’s the only version Japan recognizes, and you’ll need to get it before arriving.
- A credit card in the driver’s name for the deposit.
- Most companies require you to be at least 18 years old, and some may require you to have held a license for at least one year. Drivers under 25 may face additional fees.
Ready to hit the road? Book your car with Discover Cars here and discover the freedom of exploring the Japan on your own terms!
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
If you’re looking for a memorable night in Tokyo, look no further than one of these tours! We really enjoyed each one as it meant we didn’t have to plan a fun night out ourselves and waste time trying to figure out what to do. All the details were taken care of – all we did was show up and have a great time!
If you’re planning that dream trip to Japan, have a look at all our blogs about traveling to Japan! After our first visit, we knew we would be back and now we want to share all the tips we’ve picked up over the years.
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