Yes, there is a castle in the center of Tokyo. In fact, it’s the largest castle in the world.
I designed my Edo Castle Bike Tour to see the grounds on bikes so we can cover as much as possible. Of course, we’ll do some walking too, but taking the crazy side streets of Tokyo is a blast on e-bikes!
- Base price includes up to 3 people and bike rental! (plus guide, of course, lol)
- For safety reasons, I usually won’t book groups larger than three people for this.
Edo Castle Bike Tour
Explore the largest samurai castle and its environs – the heart of Edo-Tokyo.
Plus, did I mention we ride bikes?
| historical tourism, heritage tourism; castle tourism; architecture tourism, tokyo architecture tourism; bicycle tourism |
SUMMARY
My Edo Castle Tour is a hybrid walking/cycling tour of the castle environs. The castle grounds are too large to do on foot, so we’ll rent electric-assist bikes and cruise around the heart of Tokyo – seeing the best preserved remains of the shogun’s castle (now the Imperial Palace).
Edo Castle in the heart of #Tokyo was the largest castle in the world. So large you can really only explore by bike!
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Although I have a fixed route, in reality this tour never runs the same way twice. However, since we have bikes, Tokyo is our oyster. We can literally go anywhere. But in this part of town, you’ll also see one of Tokyo’s many famous skyscraper districts and her financial district. If the weather is nice, we can have a picnic near Ginza, the fashion HQ of Asia (where there are, yes, more castle remains). Did I mention we’ll be riding bikes? lol
- Destinations
- Tokyo Station
Based on Amsterdamn Station and built in 1914, this was Japan’s first world-class hub station connecting the capital with Japan’s other major cities. - Nihonbashi
The so-called Bridge to Japan where 5 medieval highways led in and out of the capital. Until the 1950s, this was considered the center of Japan. - Kubizuka of Taira no Masakado
Grave of a local 10th century samurai warlord. Said to be one of the most haunted places in all of Japan. - Edo Castle
The largest castle in the world. It’s literally impossible to see all of it on foot and pointless to go without a knowledgeable guide. Most of the castle was destroyed so the remains are spread out and aren’t often obvious to the untrained eye. - Hirakawa Bridge (Edo Castle)
One of the remaining classic, wooden bridges - Tokiwa Bridge (Edo Castle)
A must see for fans of Miura Anjin or the book/movie SHOGUN - Hanzomon Gate (Edo Castle)
Time permitting, this bridge was reserved for a famous ninja - Otemon Bridge (Edo Castle)
The original main entrance to the castle, reserved for the shogun and his entourage - Nijubashi Bridge/s (Edo Castle)
The name of this iconic “double bridge” is source of confusion to many Tokyoites. - Sakurada Gate (Edo Castle)
Site of the infamous Sakuradamon Incident – a political assassination that many consider the beginning of the end the shogunate) - Castle Tower Ruins (Edo Castle)
Standing 5 stories (51 m/167 ft), but burning down in 1657, the massive stone base gives you an idea of how impressive this tower was. - Imperial Palace East Garden (Edo Castle)
A mixture of old and new gardens that cover the former residential palaces of the shogun, his family, and his harem. - Ginza architecture
If there’s time/interest, it might be nice to cruise on over to fashionable Ginza to check out some awesome architecture and maybe even an art gallery or two.
Suggested Addons
- If you’re really interested in Edo Castle, the Imperial Palace offers an official early morning tour that goes deeper into the interior than the general public has access to. If interested, I will arrange this for us and act as an interpreter. If you want to do this, please let me know well in advance.
- Mitsubishi Ichigo-kan
1894 headquarters of Mitsubishi Corporation, but also a bank, and one the first modern real estate developments in Japan. - Anjin-cho
If there’s interest in Miura Anjin or the book/movie SHOGUN, we can visit the site of his Edo mansion. - Bank of Japan
If there’s interest, we can bike over to this 1882 building. It’s built on the site of the former gold mint and it’s a good place to talk about the early commoner districts and the Edo Period economy. - Construction Site of Tokyo Torch
This crazy 10 year project comprises 3.1 hectares and will be complete in 2027. The developers hope it was be the symbol of 21st century Tokyo. - Dinner & Drinks
Why not book postwar-style dinner and drinks under the train tracks? It’s a great way to feel like a hungry Tokyoite after a hard day’s work.
| While the Edo Castle Bike Tour visits some adjacent sites, if you’re a castle nerd and want to skip those to see more castle ruins (or to go more slowly and deliberately through the castle grounds), just let me know. That is absolutely doable – especially if there are specific sites that you are looking for (for example the Pine Hall where the story of the 47 Ronin begins, gates of the outer moats, etc. |
| I recommend this tour for people who are comfortable cycling in a big busy city. It’s not good for young children or the elderly. |
Starts at ¥65,000
If this sounds good, you might also like
- Too much castle, how about my Tokyo Traditional Architecture Tour?
- Wanna get out of the city? Maybe my Kawagoe Day Trip is better for you – includes the only structure from Edo Castle that you can actually walk through!
- My Nikko Day Trip is also pretty cool.
- But my Nikko Excursion is even better.
Custom Tours Just For You-rs!
SUMMARY
Here’s a secret. All my tours are customized in one way or another. If you need a private tour or someone to make things smoother, or if you’re gathering contents and shooting video and need a fixer, I’m sure I can help out and get you sorted.
- Services
- Fixer
- Guide
- Liaison
- Historical consultant
- Interpreter
- Wingman
- Shoulder to cry on
