Published on Jun, 2024
We loved our full day tour with Beth! :) Great tour for those who love more underrated/less crowded places and want to do relaxing yet rewarding sightseeing through older, cultural parts of Tokyo. There was a good mix of outdoor strolling and indoor museums. We started the morning by meeting Beth in front of Ueno Station, and we had a wonderful stroll through Ueno Park where we did a brief "highlights" tour of National Museum of Nature and Science, and then afterwards saw a really beautiful "hidden gem" temple as well as red torii gates and bronze Buddha.
Lunch was at a nearby famous busy shopping street with lots of stores and restaurants. Beth helped us find a nice soba noodle place and taught us how to order food using a ticket machine :)
Afternoon was my favorite part, as we explored the Yanaka district. The home of the famous Yanaka sculptor was such a unique museum that we'd never have discovered on our own. It was getting to appreciate art + explore a traditional Japanese home all in one. The cat sculptures were so cute! The rooftop garden was very scenic as well.
Yanaka Ginza is a much more unique and "local" shopping alternative to the more touristy regular Ginza. I've been on a hunt for nice matcha bowls in Japan and we discovered them here, made by local artisans and very very reasonably priced. Beth picked out the best stores for us. Very satisfied with our souvenirs! We also got to sample some delicious street snacks as well on the same street! Plus, the street is cat themed...!
Finally, we ended with a stroll through Yanaka Cemetery, where we visited a serene temple with one of the nicest Buddha statues I've seen around. You can walk inside the temple if you take off your shoes.
Beth was just a lovely tour guide, and she created the whole itinerary on her own. Her passion for what she does clearly shows through. We're so grateful that she shared her cultural knowledge with us! She also gave us some wonderful recommendations for our last remaining days in Tokyo. We can't wait to be back and take another tour! :)
