Private Tour

Private Shinjuku Nightlife Walking Tour & Golden-Gai Bar Crawl

Overview

Available languages

Japanese

English

French

Spanish

2 hours

Mobile ticket

No trip to Tokyo is complete without experiencing its rich nightlife. This walking tour throws you deep into the heart of late night Shinjuku! This unique tour aims to deliver a genuine Japanese experience by giving you the opportunity to rub shoulders with the locals in a few carefully selected bars where the friendly owners and regulars personally know me and love socializing with newcomers. We will also visit Piss Alley, but don't worry, its days as a spot for people to relieve themselves has long gone - instead it houses a series of small shops. Shinjuku at night might seem a little intimidating and confusing to explore on your own, however accompanied with me, learn some interesting facts and will be guaranteed to have a night to remember.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Please ensure punctuality. The tour will end on time at 9:00 pm even if you arrive late. Please note that the tour will be canceled without a refund if you fail to arrive by 7:15 pm, regardless of the reason.

Please note that if you wish to enter a bar during the tour, you must pay for all drinks and table charges on the spot, including the tour guide's ones.

All bars and izakaya pubs in this area require ordering at least one drink per person who enters or sits at the bar, even when a customer or the tour guide doesn't want to eat or drink anything.

For smooth meeting, we kindly request that you share a photo of yourselves with us. This will help your guide recognize you at the meeting point.

As many of these bars only accept cash payments we would like to remind you to bring enough cash to cover for all charges.

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What‘s Included

Professional guide service

Alcoholic Beverages

Food & Drinks

Guide's Food & Drinks (please cover)

Table charges

What To Expect

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Golden Gai, an area crammed with hundreds of intimate bars that hold only a handful of drinkers.

1 hour • Admission Not Included

Kabukicho District

Kabukicho, red light district, where you can take in the buzzing atmosphere and vibrant neon lights,

Admission Not Applicable

Options

Shinjuku Nightlife Walking Tour & Golden-Gai Bar Crawl

Reviews

4.90

48 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

A must in shinjuku! Thank you Satoko.
Maura T,
Oct 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
An amazing evening with Satoko! Her knowledge of the history of the area and recommendation of special bars and eateries made for a one of kind experience. We felt like we were locals for the evening and her navigation on a very busy Friday night allowed us to cover the district in depth. Satoko is both knowledgeable and personable and we feel we have a new friend in Tokyo.
Dozens of small bars to choose from.
Mariocmuniz,
Mar 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Dozens of small bars in a few hundred square meters, with a variety of offers and options. Wide influx of tourists and a quiet and picturesque atmosphere.
Inside Tokyo from a local’s perspective
M1336VCrayg,
Dec 9, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I asked for more of an authentic Japanese city tour where I can see places frequented predominantly by locals as opposed to tourists. We got exactly that and then some with an announced traditional Japanese dance at an exquisitely crafted temple. Walking around small neighborhoods with local street fare and food was simply awesome. Meeting the friendly locals who were warm and welcoming gave us exactly the kind of experience we were looking for and something that money can’t buy. Major proposals to our tour guide Pedro who did an amazing g job of catering to our needs and showing us a side of Tokyo that we will never forget.
Great tour to visit Tokyo’s bars
338josetomasm,
Nov 27, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The bar crawl with Pedro was great! He was very knowledgeable of the area and of how Tokyo’s nightlife in that part of the city is. We visited three bars and we had a great time. Highly recommend if you want to explore a little bit of Tokyo’s bar scene.
Great experience!
gsivadas,
Nov 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Satoko was a great guide for our Golden Gai tour! She explained bit of the history behind the area and took us to a variety of bars that we would not have discovered on our own. We had a great time with her and the tour.
The only way to appreciate Japan.
portmacquarieaustral,
Apr 28, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The tours are a must. they give a more authentic picture of the culture and spectacular streets. The tour guides are locals and provide excellent information and directions.
Fantastic tour that took us into hidden spots we never would have found
Mkr2222,
Apr 22, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My husband and I booked the private tour of Golden Gai bars and izakayas because we thought realistically we would not really be able to find spots that weren’t extremely touristy and crowded, or wouldn’t really be able to figure out the etiquette in places that WEREN’T for tourists. That turned out to be exactly the right decision because our tour guide Celeste took us to three spots that were off the beaten path, not crowded (it was also pretty early, which suited our jet lagged selves), and were extremely interesting and cozy in their own ways! They were places you definitely needed to know were there you wouldn’t end up in them— one was in an unmarked door down an alleyway I think. The staff there were the best!! Celeste was a wonderful guide and answered all our questions, and did a great job of customizing the tour as needed to our interests and our comfort level. This is a great option for anyone wanting to experience Golden Gai and Shinjuku nightlife but who maybe isn’t the “drink all night with strangers” kind of person.
Great tour for a Golden Gai first timer
Elizabeth H,
Apr 22, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Golden Gai is the highlight here. Our tour guide Ryuto was great. He did a little tour for us through Piss Alley, we went to an Izakaya bar for skewers (not sure the name), and then to Open Book in Golden Gai for lemon sours, and last to Bar Asyl for wasabi vodka shots and cherry blossom whisky. It was so much fun. I can't wait to go back to Tokyo again to spend more time here. While I'm sure anyone can figure Golden Gai out on their own, it was really nice to have a guide as this place could feel super overwhelming for a first timer.
Great tour! Great drinks!
Alyssa K,
Apr 21, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a wonderful tour with Celeste. She was very knowledgeable about the area and took us to a handful of incredible local spots that we wouldn’t have found otherwise. Would highly recommend !
Memorable tour!
Christine B,
Apr 4, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had so much fun doing the pub crawl! Celeste was the best guide - very knowledgeable & she took us to some unique bars we would never have found on our own! Definitely recommend if you’re in Tokyo!