Nagoya · Day Tour
Japan's manufacturing capital, and it eats better than either of its neighbours.
From
¥30,000 per person
approx. US$190
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmation
A private Nagoya tour with a local guide. Nagoya Castle and the Tokugawa Garden, the Toyota industrial museum, the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park and the shopping districts of Osu and Sakae are the usual candidates, along with the local food that most visitors never get to.
Nagoya sits on the shinkansen line between Tokyo and Kyoto and almost every visitor rides straight past it. It is Japan's manufacturing centre — Toyota, machine tools, aerospace — and it was the seat of the branch of the Tokugawa family that held the region. Both of those are visible if you know where to look.
The castle's golden shachihoko, the mythical fish on the roof ridges, are the city's emblem. The Tokugawa Garden nearby was laid out on the site of the family's retirement residence, and the collection held there includes objects handed down within the household rather than assembled by a museum.
The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology occupies the original mill where the company began as a loom manufacturer, and the machines still run. The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park has the maglev and shinkansen prototypes. Which of them you visit depends entirely on what interests you; both are unusually good.
This is the real argument for stopping here. Miso katsu, hitsumabushi — grilled eel served three ways in one bowl — tebasaki chicken wings, miso nikomi udon. It is a distinct regional cuisine that barely travels outside the prefecture, and your guide knows which counters to use.
Meet your guide at the Starbucks inside the station.
The grounds and the golden shachihoko.
A quiet stretch in the middle of the city.
Toyota industry, or the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park.
Shopping districts, and dinner.
Starbucks Coffee inside JR Nagoya Station, by the Shinkansen south ticket gate. Your guide will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand to agree the plan.
The price covers your private English-speaking guide. Entry fees, transport and meals are paid as you go, and by convention you also cover your guide's. Bring cash.
For food and for industrial history, yes. It is a working city rather than a sightseeing one, which is exactly why a guide makes the difference here.
The plant tours are run separately by Toyota and book out far in advance. The industry museum in the city is open daily and covers the same story.
Both are outside the city and need most of a day. Tell us when you book and your guide will plan around it.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
