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Nightlife, Shinjuku

Bar hopping in Tokyo with a guide

Evenings in Shinjuku from all-you-can-drink to pay-as-you-go. Two take only guests aged 20 and over, one gives teenagers soft drinks, and one does not wait for latecomers.

Quick picks
Best of Shinjuku Izakaya Food Tour
Ninja Food Tours · 3.5 hours Best of Shinjuku Izakaya Food Tour
★ 5.0 (3,596) from $90
Book now
Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl
Travel Japan Together · 3 hours Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl
★ 4.9 (2,811) from $36
Book now
Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Free-flow Drinks, Dinner and Golden Gai
3.5 hours Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Free-flow Drinks, Dinner and Golden Gai
★ 4.9 (592) from $101
Book now
Compare all options

Guided bar hopping in Tokyo means Shinjuku: the small counters of Omoide Yokocho by the west exit, the izakaya on the east side and the tiny bars of Golden Gai. The tours here use the same streets but sell very different tickets. One includes dinner and unlimited drinks, one includes a set number of tastings and three drinks, one lets you pick between two drinks and a free-flow option, and the cheapest covers the guide alone.

Bar and izakaya tours in Shinjuku

Most-reviewed first. The drinks column ranges from unlimited to none, and that shapes the evening more than the route.

Photo Tour Meeting pointDurationFood in the ticketDrinks in the ticketAge ruleGroupIf you are late Reviews ↕ Price ↕ Book
Best of Shinjuku Izakaya Food Tour Ninja Food Tours Kirin City Shinjuku Higashi, east side 3.5 h 14+ tastings at 3 to 4 izakaya 3 drinks of your choice Not stated Up to 10 Not stated ★ 5.0 (3,596) $90 per person Book on Viator
Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl Travel Japan Together Nishishinjuku 1-2-8, Omoide Yokocho 3 h Not included, pay on the spot Not included, bring cash 20 and over only Not stated Not stated ★ 4.9 (2,811) $36 per person Book on GetYourGuide
Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Dinner and Golden Gai Black pillar by Uniqlo, Shinjuku west exit 3.5 h Dinner with 4 or more dishes All-you-can-drink 20 and over only Up to 7 No-show, no refund ★ 4.9 (592) $101 per person Book on GetYourGuide
Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Bar Hopping Japan Wonder Travel Tajimaya Coffee, west side 2 or 3 h Regional dishes at 3 stops 2 drinks, or all-you-can-drink on the 3-hour option Under 20 get non-alcoholic drinks Up to 8 Not stated ★ 4.8 (74) $95 per person Book on GetYourGuide

Prices are fetched from GetYourGuide and Viator when the page loads and include taxes and booking fees. Anything listed as paid on the spot, such as drinks on a bar crawl, comes on top.

The bar and izakaya tours in detail

Same facts for every tour, so food, drinks and age rules can be compared. Open a card for the meeting point and the fine print.

Best of Shinjuku Izakaya Food Tour
Ninja Food Tours

Best of Shinjuku Izakaya Food Tour

Three to four izakaya, more than 14 tastings and three drinks of your choice.

  • Duration: 3.5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from $90 ★ 5.0 (3,596 reviews)
Book on Viator
Full details

About this experience

Three to four izakaya in Shinjuku with more than 14 tastings, among them grilled skewers and sashimi, and three drinks of your choice (sake, beer or soft drinks), for up to 10 people.

The tour starts on the east side at Kirin City Shinjuku Higashi and ends near SoftBank Nishishinjuku on the west side; the operator may move the start and confirms it by e-mail a week ahead. Dietary requests need to reach the operator at least one week before the tour, and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are limited. A sake tasting before the tour can be added for an extra charge.

Included in the ticket

  • More than 14 tastings at three to four izakaya
  • Three drinks of your choice
  • Local guide

Meeting point

Kirin City Shinjuku Higashi, Shinjuku 3-25-9 (east side). The tour ends near SoftBank Nishishinjuku.

Know before you book

  • Dietary requests at least one week ahead
  • Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are limited
  • Up to 10 participants

Facts taken from the operator listing on the booking platform.

Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl
Travel Japan Together

Shinjuku Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl

A guide through Omoide Yokocho; you pay for food and drinks at each stop, in cash.

  • Duration: 3 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from $36 ★ 4.9 (2,811 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full details

About this experience

A guided crawl through the bars and izakaya around Omoide Yokocho. The ticket pays for the guide: food and drinks are ordered and paid for on the spot.

The operator asks guests to bring cash. Participants must be at least 20. The operator contacts guests by WhatsApp.

Included in the ticket

  • Local guide

You pay on the spot

  • Food
  • Drinks

Meeting point

Nishishinjuku 1-2-8 (Omoide Yokocho).

Know before you book

  • Minimum age 20
  • Bring cash for food and drinks
  • Contact with the operator runs through WhatsApp

Facts taken from the operator listing on the booking platform.

Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Free-flow Drinks, Dinner and Golden Gai

Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Free-flow Drinks, Dinner and Golden Gai

Dinner, all-you-can-drink and Golden Gai for up to seven guests aged 20 and over.

  • Duration: 3.5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from $101 ★ 4.9 (592 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full details

About this experience

Dinner with at least four dishes, all-you-can-drink and a walk into Golden Gai, in groups of up to 7.

Participants must be 20 or older. Arriving late counts as a no-show: the tour does not wait and there is no refund. The operator gives no allergy guarantee and the vegetarian choice is limited.

Included in the ticket

  • Dinner (4 or more dishes)
  • All-you-can-drink
  • Golden Gai visit
  • Guide

Meeting point

Black pillar next to Uniqlo at Shinjuku Nishiguchi.

Know before you book

  • Minimum age 20
  • Late arrival counts as a no-show, no refund
  • No allergy guarantee, limited vegetarian choice
  • Up to 7 participants

Facts taken from the operator listing on the booking platform.

Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Bar Hopping Tour
Japan Wonder Travel

Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Bar Hopping Tour

Omoide Yokocho, a local restaurant and a Golden Gai bar for up to eight; no diet requests.

  • Duration: 2 to 3 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from $95 ★ 4.8 (74 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full details

About this experience

An evening from Omoide Yokocho to Golden Gai, for up to 8 guests. You choose between two hours with two drinks and three hours with all-you-can-drink. The listing's route: Omoide Yokocho, a photo stop in Golden Gai, a local restaurant, then a bar in Golden Gai, where the tour ends.

The description also speaks of three drinks and six to eight foods, so check the option you book. Under-20s get non-alcoholic drinks. The operator cannot cater for vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free or allergy requests.

Included in the ticket

  • Food at the stops
  • Drinks according to the option booked
  • English-speaking guide

Meeting point

Tajimaya Coffee, Shinjuku (west side). The tour ends in Golden Gai.

Know before you book

  • Under-20s get non-alcoholic drinks
  • No vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free or allergy requests
  • Not suitable for wheelchair users
  • Up to 8 participants

Facts taken from the operator listing on the booking platform.

Golden Gai after dinner

Golden Gai is a block of six narrow lanes in Shinjuku, packed with bars so small that many seat five or six guests. GO TOKYO, the city’s visitor site, counts around 280 of them, and says most open around 20:00. Some are for members only, others take anyone. GO TOKYO also lists the house rules of the lanes: no drinking or smoking in the street, and no photos without permission. The bar-hopping tour with free-flow drinks finishes here after dinner, which is the easiest way in if you are unsure which door to open. Japan Wonder Travel spends more of its evening in the lanes: a photo stop on the way, and the last stop of the night in a Golden Gai bar, where the tour ends.

The crawl that leaves the bill to you

Travel Japan Together’s crawl around Omoide Yokocho is the cheapest ticket on this page because it pays for the guide and nothing else. You order and pay at every stop, and the operator asks you to bring cash. A German guest summed up the evening as three places: a classic gastropub to eat, a sake tasting and a karaoke bar. Guests who rated it highly mention the people they met and the guide’s tips for the rest of their trip. If a set meal and drinks in advance suit you better, the bar-hopping tour includes dinner with four or more dishes and free-flow drinks, and Ninja Food Tours includes more than 14 tastings and three drinks of your choice.

Twenty, with one exception

The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. The crawl and the bar-hopping tour take guests aged 20 and over only, with no exception for teenagers travelling with their parents. The Golden Gai tour of Japan Wonder Travel is the exception: guests under 20 can join and get non-alcoholic drinks. Ninja Food Tours does not state an age rule on its listing; ask before you book with anyone younger. Families find the alternatives on our page on food tours with kids.

Arriving on time in Shinjuku

Shinjuku Station has exits on both sides of the tracks, and the tours do not share one. The bar-hopping tour meets at a black pillar next to Uniqlo at the west exit and treats a late arrival as a no-show without a refund. The crawl gathers at Nishishinjuku 1-2-8 at the entrance to Omoide Yokocho, also on the west side, and Japan Wonder Travel starts at Tajimaya Coffee nearby. Ninja Food Tours starts at the Kirin City restaurant on the east side and confirms the meeting point by e-mail a week before, because it may change. The Shinjuku food tour comparison adds the tours that focus on food rather than drinks.

Guests on the Shinjuku bar tours

On the izakaya crawl, both low ratings come from guests who expected something the crawl does not promise. One wanted bars run by locals and found the lanes too crowded to stop in; the other describes the plain sequence of the evening: a gastropub, a sake tasting and a karaoke bar. On the tour with dinner and free-flow drinks, the critical voices are about the food: one guest went on to a fast-food chain afterwards, another found it neither fresh nor authentic. Guests who liked it most write about the company, which suits a solo traveller more than a gourmet.

“We met so many great people and Erika was super nice and knowledgeable. Trying all the different sake was a first for us and we really enjoyed it.”
Manuela · United States · October 2026 Shinjuku Bar & Izakaya Crawl · Travel Japan Together
“Would highly recommend, as a solo traveller was a very fun time for me to be able to meet people and learn a little more about Japan from Junn! Would 100% do it again when I come back!”
Damian · South Africa · October 2026 Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Dinner and Golden Gai
“Hiro was outstanding. It was very nice to get to explore in the evening with a young person that took us to several "hidden spots." He ordered a great variety of foods and had many interesting drink selections. …”
Richard · United States · June 2026 Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Tour · Japan Wonder Travel
“I felt this tour was a bit misleading. The title says Izakaya bar crawl but the only bars you go in are basically touristy bars not run by Japanese people. … just a tourist group that walks through lanes that are so busy you can't even stop to look …”
Katherine · Australia · October 2026 Shinjuku Bar & Izakaya Crawl · Travel Japan Together
“It was a really entertaining evening, the food options were great and there were a variety of drinks on offer at all of the venues. Anry was a lovely guide and made the evening fun and memorable”
Nicola · Hong Kong · October 2026 Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Dinner and Golden Gai
“Food was not very good. Went to MacDonalds after. Tour hit some pretty obvious spots.”
Joel · Canada · September 2026 Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Dinner and Golden Gai
“Crawl was very fun and our tour guide Kei was amazing. She was so helpful, kind, and made sure everyone was included and happy. Kei also shared suggestions for things to do in Tokyo and told us about Japenese culture.”
Abby · United States · October 2026 Shinjuku Bar & Izakaya Crawl · Travel Japan Together
“Such a fun tour. Hiro was a great guide!! Lots of good food and drink and information about the Shinjuku area.”
Lindsey · United States · October 2025 Shinjuku Izakaya and Golden Gai Tour · Japan Wonder Travel
“You are taken to three places: a classic gastropub to eat, a sake tasting and a karaoke bar.”
Verified traveler · Germany · September 2026 · translated review Shinjuku Bar & Izakaya Crawl · Travel Japan Together
“… Food is not authentic nor fresh. The restaurant is not clean and unpopular. The guide did his best to entertain but whole experience is not a good one.”
Verified traveler · United States · May 2025 Bar Hopping in Shinjuku with Dinner and Golden Gai

Reviews written by guests after the tour or class, from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

Are drinks included on Tokyo bar hopping tours?

On the bar-hopping tour with Golden Gai, yes: dinner and all-you-can-drink. Ninja Food Tours includes three drinks of your choice. The izakaya crawl of Travel Japan Together includes none; you pay at each bar.

Can I join a bar tour in Tokyo if I am 18 or 19?

Not on the crawl or the bar-hopping tour, which take guests aged 20 and over only. The Golden Gai tour of Japan Wonder Travel takes under-20s and serves them non-alcoholic drinks. Japan’s legal drinking age is 20.

Can I take photos in Golden Gai?

Only with permission. The rules for Golden Gai published by GO TOKYO also ask visitors not to drink or smoke in the street.

What happens if I am late for the bar-hopping tour?

The tour with free-flow drinks does not wait. A late arrival counts as a no-show and is not refunded.

Do I need cash for a bar crawl?

On the Travel Japan Together crawl, yes, because food and drinks are paid at each stop. On the tours with drinks in the ticket you only need cash for extras.

Also on this site

Shinjuku food tours compared

Dish counts, meeting points and the tours that take under-20s.

Sake in Tokyo

Where sake is poured on a tour or in a class, and what the labels mean.

Ninja Food Tours

The izakaya, Asakusa and wagyu tours of this operator.

Food tours with drinks, and without

The home page table splits food and drinks into separate columns for every tour.

Open the comparison