Tokyo is a vibrant city, full of life and energy, thousands of people who simultaneously cross roads, intersections and stations, almost without touching despite the small spaces. It’s a city to explore, slipping into the alleys, down the stairs of the basement, climbing floors in the elevator…. It’s a huge anthill, intersections and levels, where you lose without losing the way and where you find yourself following unknown paths.

And when the sun goes down, when the neon lights and the izakaya lanterns light up, this swarm of souls becomes even more intense. Salary man in uniform, groups of trendy guys, tourists… the pulsating center of Tokyo by night are the areas of Shinjuku and Shibuya, with their thousand bars, restaurants and izakaya, where spend the night with friends.

Bar Hopping means to move from one place to another, have a drink and eat some yakitori, then move to the next place, another beer and sashimi, and so on, to discover the night soul of the city.
A way to experience part of the life of Tokyo, to knowing also this aspect that blends and mixes with Tokyo diurnal.
MagicalTrip offers exactly that: a bar hopping guided tour through the most famous areas of Tokyo, such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Asakusa, guided by a local guide able to explains the food and the nocturnal habits of the Japanese capital.

Shibuya Bar Hopping Tour with Magical Trip

The appointment is at 19.00 in front of the Statue of Hachiko, the classic meeting point when we meet in Shibuya!
A ritual photo and ready to go, crossing with a myriad of people the Shibuya Crossing, the most famous and busy pedestrian crossing in the world. Immediately you dive into the mood of Shibuya: young, full of life and yes, incredibly touristy.
Our guide Kento easily guides us through this maze of neon and human beings, while telling us about the Japanese customs. Shortly after, we arrive at the first bar, an izakaya where we can choose among a wide choice of yakitori, sashimi and other delicacies, and our first drink of the evening: a frozen beer !!
Frozen Beer is a beer with a froth crystallized in ice… the taste of beer is the usual one, but this strange compact foam will surprise you so much, to try absolutely!

Then we continue the Shibuya Bar Hopping Tour in the heart of youth nightlife, in a building that I had always avoided because I thought it was only a disco… but I was wrong!

On the third and fourth floors there is Niku Yokocho (Niku = meat, Yokocho indicates small streets of shops and izakaya), a succession of izakaya and bars serving a multitude of meat dishes all delicious! Of course there are also other typical dishes and snacks from izakaya, such as the inevitable cabbage or edamame … and tonpeiyaki: a mix between an omelette and the delicious okonomiyaki, that I tasted (and discovered) for the first time thanks to this Bar Hopping Tour with MagicalTrip.
Unmissable Sakè, or rather call it Nihonshu, served in the characteristic ampoule and drank from small ceramic cups, a drink to be tasted in a trip to Japan and definitely very popular with the Japanese.

The evening ends after about 3 hours and 3 bars, and returns to the starting point with a greater awareness of Tokyo nightlife and Japanese evenings. An evening made of talk, lanterns hanging to the ceiling, alcohol, laughter and good food, in short, a special experience  to experience a bit of Japanese life during your trip!

Useful Information

It is possible to book the Bar Hopping Tour in Shibuya directly from the site up to the day before.
The confirmation is immediate and at the same tour other people could participate, it is not a private tour, I did it together with a New Zealand couple.

The tour costs 55 Dollars, payable with Paypal.
In each bar you must order a dish and a drink, to be paid at the moment, for about 1000-2000 yen. Some izakaya may require 400 / 500yen of table charge and they’ll give you small snacks.

In addition to Shibuya’s Bar Hopping Tour, MagicalTrip also offers tours to Shinjuku, Asakusa and Osaka and other guided experiences for your evenings in Japan.

Thanks to Magical Trip for this experience.