Uncover the best of Imperial Palace the local Way

"We were lucky enough to be shown around by Kennedy. It was our first day in Tokyo and we had no clue what to expect. First off we went to the train station and Kennedy explained how to purchase a train pass. one of our party did not have the Suica card on their phone (as he left it at home, sore subject!). We hopped on a train and soon had a much better understanding of how the underground system worked. We went to a shrine and had a lovely walk. We walked through the lanes with pop culture shops. It was very interesting. Kennedy found a great place for us to have lunch and helped us with the menu. Kennedy is a very intelligent and interesting guide with a great sense of humour, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with her and would highly recommend her!"

"My 22-year-old son and I stayed in Akasaka for the first leg of our Japan trip, and someone recommended that we book a private walking tour. I am so glad we listened! Finding "Withlocals" and especially our guide, Sheilina, gave us exactly the authentic experience we were hoping for. We scheduled the tour for our second full day in Tokyo, which turned out to be perfect. By then, we had already figured out the subway system and met Sheilina at the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. From the moment we met her, she was warm, knowledgeable, and incredibly easy to spend time with. Throughout the five-hour tour, we visited beautiful temples and shrines, explored local shopping areas, learned fascinating history and fun facts, and picked up so many practical tips that made the rest of our trip easier. She even showed us how to exchange currency at 7-Eleven (best exchange rates) and tipped us on getting prepackaged cooling towels for our neck. One of the highlights was lunch. She took us to an affordable local restaurant where we enjoyed wagyu beef that we cooked ourselves at the table. It was an experience we never would have found without her and became one of our favorite meals of the trip. The tour finished in Shibuya, where Sheilina gave us a great orientation to the neighborhood and pointed out highlights to explore on our own. We ended up spending another four hours wandering the area because we felt so comfortable navigating it after her introduction. Looking back, my son and I both agree that this was one of the best experiences of our entire Japan vacation so far. If you're visiting Tokyo and want more than just checking off tourist attractions, book a tour with Sheilina. You'll leave with a much deeper appreciation of the city and the confidence to enjoy the rest of your trip. Highly, highly recommended!"

"We had an amazing experience with Gulay in Tokyo! She was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and flexible throughout the entire tour. She took the time to understand what our family wanted to see and perfectly adapted the itinerary to our interests. She was especially wonderful with our children, keeping them engaged and making sure everyone had a great time. Her local knowledge, recommendations, and insights made us discover places we would never have found on our own. If you’re looking for a guide who is professional, warm, and truly cares about giving you the best possible experience, we can highly recommend Gulay. Thank you for making our time in Tokyo so memorable!"

"I opted for a private tour which Gerald created based on my interests. He could not have been friendlier - a very nice guy! The day passed quickly and was exactly what I was looking for. I would highly recommend. "

"Gulay was an awesome guide. She contacted me to see if I had any special interests and I told her I wanted to learn about the history of Tokyo. Gulay met me with maps and photos in hand and all of them were informative and helpful. We went from the Shogun Castle, through the history of the Emperors and the Imperial Palace up through World War II and into modern Japan. Fascinating information from an enthusiastic, well informed local guide. We even visited a fascinating shrine to the Japanese war dead. Gulay customized the tour to suit my interests and prepared an itinerary that fulfilled all I was looking for - and more. If you want a personalized tour of Tokyo, Gulay is the perfect choice for you. I recommend you take a tour with this very personable and well informed local guide for an outstanding experience. "

"Our experience with Gerald was AWESOME!! Gerald is very responsive and super helpful. Even before our tour began, he responded rapidly to my questions and provided information that truly helped me design an efficient itinerary for our family of 6 (husband, kids ages 13 and 11, grandparents and me). Gerald has a fantastic personality - he is warm, down to Earth, friendly and fun with a great sense of humor. He is very easy to relate to and he connected well with everyone in our group which was made up of 3 generations. He was very patient with us and flexible. He showed us sites and sides of Tokyo that we would never have discovered on our own. He also shared insights about Japanese culture and the way of life in Tokyo that added a deeper perspective. We were fortunate to have Gerald for not only one, but for TWO tours so we not only had an excellent tour experience, we feel we truly have gained a new friend in Tokyo!! Our tours were on June 6 (Withlocals Your Way! - Tokyo City Tour) and June 10 (Family Friendly Tokyo Pop Culture Adventure in Akihabara) 2026. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND booking a tour with Gerald! "

"We were lucky enough to have Sheilina on our first day in Tokyo. It was an incredible experience and we could not have hoped for more. Sheilina went the extra mile for us, from accommodating us at short notice to blending a deep knowledge of history and culture to the latest food trends. It was a fantastic way to start our first day in Tokyo."

"Had a fabulous 5 hour Tokyo tour with Maruf. He liaised with me over itinerary and my interests in advance and he put together a really great tour. Maruf was engaging, friendly, interesting and fun to be with. Highly recommended!"

"Gulay was awesome. She has been living in Tokyo for years and knows the city inside and out. Has a great deal of knowledge and very personable. Highly recommend. "

"Kennedy is very smart and well spoken. She shepherded our family through busy train stations to the relative peace of Ueno park and Asakusa. She provides deep historical context for places visited as well as very practical, helpful advice on shopping and getting around Tokyo. We had to end early as some of our group got tired, but Kennedy was on track with our original itinerary and poised for more. Her pre-tour communications were thoughtful and helpful - a very good guide."