There’s something intrinsically cinematic about driving through Tokyo at night. Though to be honest, I’ve never felt much of a desire to own a car living here because Tokyo’s public transport system is so extensive and convenient.
Recently, however, I attended a tour with Sightseeing Taxi that took me around to some of the highlights of central Tokyo, including Tokyo Tower and TeamLab Planets. What I didn’t expect, however, was that taxis, such a staple of the city, could feel like such a luxury. With a personal driver taking me around through the sparkling cityscape, Tokyo became my private palace, and my hometown transformed into the backdrop of a movie. The Sightseeing Taxi tour was ultimately such a breath of fresh air. I saw my beloved city from another perspective and realized that a private taxi tour is an ideal way to see and experience the capital.
teamLab, Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space – Flattening 3 Colors and 9 Blurred Colors, Free Floating © teamLab
Big Name Must-Sees With an English Guide
Especially if you’re traveling through Japan rapid fire and really only have a couple of days to see the city, Sightseeing Taxi tours can be the perfect option for you. I always tell my visiting friends (mostly jokingly) that you could spend a whole month in Tokyo and it still wouldn’t be enough to check off everything. With Sightseeing Taxi tours, though, you can hit several must-see locations in the span of a few hours.
During my trip, we went to TeamLab Planets, walked along Toyosu’s waterfront park for an incredible view of Rainbow Bridge, which we later crossed to arrive at Tokyo Tower, and ended the night with a stop at Shinjuku’s famed Golden Gai bar district. On top of the efficiency and convenience of traveling by car that’s simply not afforded by public transit, the game changer was having an English guide the whole evening. I was incredibly impressed with my driver’s English proficiency, and he’d been witnessing the changes happening in the city from ground level. I generally consider myself as someone quite knowledgeable about Tokyo, but taxi drivers are immersed in the city to a whole new level.
Tokyo From a Different Perspective
When you live in Tokyo, it’s easy to become lost in the daily grind. I often criticize myself for mindlessly dodging the people around me as I make my way through the Roppongi area, not batting an eye at the iconic Tokyo Tower boldly standing right in front of me.
Sitting in a Sightseeing Taxi, though, I was able to completely relax and let the driver navigate. I could gaze outside the window and take in the sparkling city in front of me, passing by me à la Lost in Translation. Driving through the highway, I could almost hear the soundtrack of Tokyo Drift as the night shrouded me with the feeling of adventure.
It was the combination of the change in time and place, and the physical, slightly special act of sitting in a Sightseeing Taxi that made me see Tokyo in a whole new light. Though the tour was busy, stopping by a different spot every hour, I still found myself able to relax and let my mind roam. My final thought, at the end of the tour, was that Tokyo remains utterly divine.
Sightseeing Taxis With an Array of Options
Try Sightseeing Taxi because you can customize your own itinerary by combining standard package tours that visit popular spots and spots you want to visit. There are also a whole array of other routes and programs.
From morning courses that take you to some of Tokyo’s major spiritual hotspots that wrap up by noon, to full-day expeditions that take you on an expedition to the Tama or Kamakura areas, you’re sure to find a trip that works for you.
Whether you’ve lived in Tokyo for ages or it’s your first time visiting, discover something new about the city, and yourself, with Sightseeing Taxi.
To find out more about Sightseeing Taxi check here.
