Tokyo Bus Tour Guide: Make the Most of a Day in Tokyo

Post date: Friday, July 4, 2025

While Tokyo is perfectly safe to walk around in, the city’s size and crowds sometimes make sightseeing difficult. Fortunately, there are many Tokyo bus tours that cater to international customers. Keep reading to find out what’s available and which popular landmarks you can see along the way.

Tokyo Bus Tour Pricing

Tours can be as short as four hours or take up the whole day. They also vary greatly in terms of price — some are up to ¥20,000 while others can be as low as ¥4,000.

If you only have a little time in Tokyo, you might want to try one of the inner city tours. In just a few short hours, you can see many areas of Tokyo and decide which ones you want to investigate further on foot.

If you’re spending more time in Tokyo, try one of the longer tours that take you out into the neighboring countryside. With magnificent views (and often a delicious lunch included), full-day tours are a great way to get out and explore without doing all the leg work yourself.

Additionally, it’s important that you find a tour that’s fitted for you and anyone else you may be booking for. Older couples or those with mobility issues may want a more leisurely drive, while young families with little ones unable to sit for too long might be better off with a shorter “hop-on, hop-off” style tour.

Recommended Tokyo Bus Tours

SkyHop Bus Tours

Website: https://skyhopbus.com/
Price: Tickets are sold in either 12 or 24-hour unlimited use packages.

The SkyHop Bus is a hop-on, hop-off bus tour operating throughout downtown Tokyo and Tokyo Bay. You can get on and off the bus at any stop as often as you like during the validity period of your ticket. There are no assigned seats, so you can sit wherever you prefer (on a busy day, seats may be limited).

There are multiple routes available:

Red Route: Stops include Tokyo Skytree, Ryogoku (home of sumo and the Edo-Tokyo Museum), Asakusa, and Ueno.

Blue Route: Stops include Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Teleport Station in Odaiba, Tsukiji, and Ginza.

Green Route: Stops include Shinjuku and Shibuya.

These routes cover many popular tourist destinations, and you can transfer between routes freely.

SkyBus Tokyo Tours

Image from SkyBus Tokyo Tours

Website: https://www.skybus.jp/

SkyBus Tokyo offers short guided tours around notable areas of Tokyo in open-air double-decker buses. These tours are designed for those who prefer to avoid crowded trains and sidewalks. Each tour is approximately 50 minutes in duration.

Available Courses:

Imperial Palace / Ginza / Marunouchi Course

This course showcases the luxurious downtown boulevards of Tokyo's city center. It operates on weekdays.

Tokyo Tower / Rainbow Bridge Course

This tour winds through the famous skyscrapers of Ginza toward Tokyo Bay. Crossing the Rainbow Bridge offers a striking vantage point. It operates daily.

Oedo Tokyo Course

This course is available on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.

Special Seasonal Tour:

Night View & Hanami Course

Offered between late March and early April, this 60-minute ride takes you along some of Tokyo's most famous cherry blossom spots, including the north side of the Imperial Palace and Shiba-koen. The tour also includes nighttime views of Tokyo Tower and Hibiya Park.

Hato Bus Tours

Website: https://www.hatobus.com/

Hato Bus offers full-day guided tours to major scenic areas around Tokyo. All tours include lunch, making them a stress-free way to explore Tokyo and its surroundings.

The Mt. Fuji / Hakone Tour takes you to the scenic hot spring town of Hakone and includes a cruise on Lake Ashi.

The Mt. Fuji / Lake Kawaguchi Tour guides you around Lake Kawaguchi and the beautiful flower gardens of Oishi Park, all set against the stunning backdrop of Mt. Fuji.

The Experience Tokyo Tour features a boat ride on the Sumida River and a journey through historic parts of old Tokyo.

The Nikko World Heritage Tour takes you into the famous forests north of Tokyo, where you can see the majestic Kegon Waterfall and visit Nikko Toshogu Shrine, one of Japan’s most beautiful shrines.

Make the Most of Your Time in Tokyo

No matter which tour you pick, we know you’ll love getting to see Tokyo’s many highlights. If you would to learn more about Regular events held around Tokyo or become an expert in Traveling throughout the city, we offer a wealth of information to help you make the most of your time with our comprehensive Living in Tokyo Guides.