Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:

Discover Shinjuku, Tokyo’s entertainment town. This is where the locals go to grab a bite and a drink after dark. As the sun goes down, be introduced to local nightlife with your guide who knows all the best spots for drinks, snacks, karaoke and chats.  

Meet your group at Hanazono Shrine, where your adventure kicks off at the iconic red Torii gate. This shrine was established in 1590 and is the perfect spot to learn about Shinto, the Indigenous faith of the Japanese people, which remains the major religion here alongside Buddhism. In the heart of the bustling Shinjuku ward, this is considered the most important shrine in the area, and you'll see it colourfully light up as night falls. Right next to the shrine is Golden Gai, where you'll explore the maze of alleys and tiny bars that writers and artists often frequent. This neighbourhood can usually only seat six to eight people at a time and as Shinjuku's most popular drinking spot, you'll pop into one of your guide’s favourite bars and say kanpai (cheers!) over a drink. Head to Kabukicho (Shinjuku's red light district), an area full to the brim with over 3000 shops, restaurants, nightclubs, karaoke and the like. Awash in bright neon lights, Kabukicho is one of Tokyo’s most photogenic areas and you'll learn about the history of the place as you explore.

Meet the life-size statue of Godzilla that lives here, then carry on through Omoide Yokocho, also full of tiny bars and eateries. Get a peek into the different types of food joints the locals usually eat at, from yakitori restaurants and soba shops to cafes and bars. Your guide will choose a Japanese izakaya-style eatery, a favourite after-work spot, where you can indulge in homemade dishes, udon noodles and sake or shochu as the Japanese pop music blares. Get to know your group here as you feast, then head to a Snack Bar to end the night. These tiny bars are a nostalgic pastime for the locals that began in the 1970s. A comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, here you can clock off, sit on the sofa, talk with Mama San (the owner of the bar) and enjoy the nightlife. This is where the salarymen (the Japanese term for white-collar workers who work a classic 9 to 5) mingle with the gaijin (a Japanese term for foreigners, mainly Westerners visiting Japan). You'll celebrate the night with an included drink here and end the tour with an hour of karaoke with your group, the perfect way to end a fun evening in Tokyo!

We reserve the right to change both the route and places visited within the tour. Food inclusions are subject to change, dependent on availability on the day.