Things to do in Imperial Palace

Brendan was really great! I saw his tour yesterday, and I’m at the Edo-Tokyo Museum today and so much makes more sense after having done his tour of the Imperial Palace. The explanations in the museum are a bit dry and dense with facts, and I don’t have a lot of connection to annecdotes which help me remember what happened and why. Brendan’s tour really helped fill in some of that for me, and provided me a much better context. I’d recommend to anyone — do his tour first, before the museum, for greater understanding!

A comprehensive look at the Palace grounds and the history, plant life, symbols, and culture that surround it. Laura was a great guide and answered all of my questions.

Our tour of the Imperial Palace and gardens was wonderful. Our guide, Hiro, was a gentleman—knowledgeable, kind, caring, and compassionate—and made the tour an absolute pleasure. Highly recommended.

Yukari was the best guide of my entire trip to Japan! And the other guide who was learning, Nana, too. I loved the experience. Everything was very well explained. Both of them were very friendly and attentive. I recommend them.

George was an excellent guide and so knowledgable of everything he showed us. He has a fun personality and makes everyone feel well taken care of!

Mai-san is an amazing tour guide! She is very helpful and informative, kind, and also very funny! She made the whole experience worthwhile, and her history, knowledge, and experience helped shape the whole tour into something we will never forget! Thank you, Mai-san!

Miwakosan was so kind and knowledgeable!! we had a nice and calm time with her. We were half and hour late but she still waited and extended time for us after the 3 hour period. The grounds should be historically explored so miwakosan did a good job at explaining everything from that angle. Taking a private tour with grounds like this is a must bcs its so huge. You would tend to get lost in large groups, so this was much needed to explore such and area. She had lamintaed booklets too!! The dedication to our understanding was so moving. We really loved her effort and personality. Thank you so very much miwakosan, we miss you already!

First and foremost, I want to express my respect and gratitude to our guide, "DAI," who led us and provided a wonderful private tour, despite our limited Japanese and English skills. We initially thought it would be a group tour, so we went without much expectation, simply hoping to enjoy the sights. However, due to the hot weather, the other team didn't show up, and it unexpectedly turned into a private tour. We were a bit flustered by the language barrier, as the guide kept explaining things, but we were deeply touched by his kind and detailed explanations, which he patiently provided as we diligently tried to understand using a translator. Thanks to him, we were so engrossed and enjoyed the tour so much that the two hours flew by, creating a memory we'll cherish forever. DAI is incredibly knowledgeable about Japanese history and possesses a great sense of duty. He also took fantastic photos for us and recommended local restaurants and attractions. Meeting him was truly a stroke of luck. Thank you once again. -Choi Hong-man

Mizuho was an amazing tour guide. Punctual, kind, knowledgeable, proficient in the English language, and an overall highlight of our time in Japan. If you want your tour guide to go into the palace with you , make sure you book the correct tour.