Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 4-Day Awa Odori & Naruto Customizable Tour
Join Japan's biggest dance festival in Tokushima with a reserved stand seat included, ride the Mt Bizan ropeway and see the Naruto whirlpools from a boat.
Private · your group only◆4 days◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Awa Odori in Tokushima, on the island of Shikoku, is the biggest Bon dance festival in Japan. It runs on August 12 to 15 each year. Groups of dancers called ren move through the streets to the sound of shamisen, drums and flutes, singing a well-known chant about fools who dance and fools who watch.
Your tour includes a reserved seat at one of the paid viewing stands, where the best dance groups perform. Seat tickets are included in your price. After the stands, the streets fill with dancing, and visitors are often invited to join in.
In the daytime we visit the Awa Odori Kaikan, a hall with a museum about the dance, and ride the ropeway up Mt Bizan for a view over Tokushima city. Both are included. Then we drive to Naruto and take a boat out to see the whirlpools under the Onaruto Bridge. The boat ticket is included. The size of the whirlpools changes with the tides.
Tokushima is about 650 km from Tokyo, so Day 1 and Day 4 are long driving days. You book your own hotel in Tokushima. Hotels fill very early in August.
This is a private tour. Only your group. One family or group of 1 to 6 people per van, never shared with strangers. Your driver-guide speaks English, and also Hindi and Urdu.
If the Awa Odori paid seat performance is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead see the Awa Odori show at the Awa Odori Kaikan and watch the free street dancing.
DAY 1 Hotel pickup in Tokyo and the long drive to Tokushima, crossing the Akashi Kaikyo and Onaruto bridges.
DAY 2 Awa Odori Kaikan and the Mt Bizan ropeway, then your reserved seat at the evening dance.
DAY 3 Naruto whirlpool boat in the morning, free afternoon and the street dancing at night.
DAY 4 The drive back to your Tokyo hotel.
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Reserved stand seat at Awa Odori, Japan's biggest dance festival
- Join the street dancing after the main show
- Ride the Mt Bizan ropeway over Tokushima
- See the Naruto whirlpools from a boat under the bridge
- Learn the dance story at the Awa Odori Kaikan
Said plainly
Festival dates: August 12 to 15 each year. Please choose your start date so the evening seat falls in these dates. Mid-August is very hot. Bring water, a hat and light clothes. Day 1 and Day 4 are long driving days of about 9 to 10 hours. If the Awa Odori paid seat performance is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead see the Awa Odori show at the Awa Odori Kaikan and watch the free street dancing. Dietary needs can be added in the booking form.
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Reserved stand seat at Awa Odori, Japan's biggest dance festival
Join the street dancing after the main show
Ride the Mt Bizan ropeway over Tokushima
See the Naruto whirlpools from a boat under the bridge
Learn the dance story at the Awa Odori Kaikan
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Awa Odori reserved seat ticket (one evening)
- Entry to the Awa Odori Kaikan
- Mt Bizan ropeway round trip
- Naruto whirlpool sightseeing boat
Yours — paid on the day
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Tokushima)
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
- Optional festival food stalls and souvenirs
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
Plan a custom journeyYour private Japan day
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From¥357,000
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