Tokyo Studio Ghibli Museum Afternoon Tour

Tokyo, Japan

If you're traveling with your family, or you are a fan of Japanese Anime, this afternoon tour to the renowned Studio Ghibli Museum is for you. You'll soon see why Studio Ghibli is famous for creating the best quality Anime around, and is known as the Disney of the East.

You'll join other animation lovers and take a local train to Mitaka, where the Ghibli Museum stands on a 4000-acre site in a green park. The museum houses various exhibits describing the animation process, a play space, a movie theater showing a short film by director Hayao Miyazaki, a restaurant and gift shops. Children are specially catered for, and the Ghibli characters feature in a fun way throughout the museum.

USD $75.33

Review by: Lisa O	March 2012
This is a wonderful museum and is a must for any Studio Ghibli fans. I really enjoyed the guided tour as Maiko(?) was very nice and told us so much about the museum that we would not have understood from the signs. As this was one of the big highlights of the trip I am very glad we opted for this tour as it was well worth it. The only suggestion I would make it have everyone meet at the bus station as we found the meeting places confusing. Other then that wonderful :)

Review by: Tom J	March 2012
Perfect arrangements from pick up to finish

Review by: HECTOR J G	November 2011
Travelling in subway it is not what I expected, also there is needed more time to enjoy the museum and not to be in a hurry. the guide was ok, and was very polite. But almost 90 dollars doesn't worth it. Thanks you.

Review by: Rachel B	November 2011
The Studio Ghibli Museum itself is fabulous, and I booked a tour in order to guarantee admission. I'm not sure what the cost for ticket only would be, but I did feel that although the lady guide was lovely and helpful, the guided element of the trip was unnecessary. The pickup from my hotel took an hour, whereas I could have walked it in less time, and taken local transport in even less. Then we didn't get as much time at the Museum as we would have liked. Anyone used to traveling independently, who is confident with public transport, doesn't need to book this tour - unless it's the only way of getting into the Museum!

Review by: Nidelvia D	October 2011
The Ghibli Museum was a breathe of fresh air. It was whimsical and detailed. You can watch a 15 minute movie and eat at the cafe. We were there when they had the cat bus. It was such a treat. Had a great old english 18th/19th century feel to the place. My favorite tour in Japan.

Review by: Kathleen C	October 2011
Our guide Yoko was excellent. She translated the signs and explained the director's life story and the workings of the Studio. The children had seen so many of the movies that they were thrilled to go there.

Review by: tutut	September 2011
I didn't expect Studio Ghibli to be that magical. Every nook and cranny of the museum brings new surprises. My husband and I were lucky to have experienced being in the neko bus as this was the feature on the second floor. The feature movie also is so nice. Mei-chan is so kawaii!!! Special mention to our tour guide Hiromi San. It was on this day when the strong typhoon struck Tokyo but that didn't matter. Aside from the wonderful tour of the museum, Hiro San ensured that we got back to our hotel safely. Thanks Viator, Sunrise Tours and Hiro San! This tour is highly recommended!

Review by: Elizabeth D	September 2011
This rating refers to the package, not to the museum, which is amazing and well worth a trip. The tour was not worth it though as we had to get public transport which we could have easily worked out ourselves. We thought we would get a tour bus but no. The guide was very nice but didn't really seem to know more (and often less) than we did about Ghibli. She actually asked if we had heard of Spirited Away or knew who the director was. She didn't give any more information than you can get just by looking. We were also very pressed for time as we had to wait 20 minutes for a late comer. To be honest, even with that extra time, we would still have been pressed. _br/_ In conclusion: Definitely go to the museum, but skip the package. Make your own way there, the bus and train system is very simple.

Review by: Elizabeth D	September 2011
This rating refers to the package, not to the museum, which is amazing and well worth a trip. The tour was not worth it though as we had to get public transport which we could have easily worked out ourselves. We thought we would get a tour bus but no. The guide was very nice but didn't really seem to know more (and often less) than we did about Ghibli. She actually asked if we had heard of Spirited Away or knew who the director was. She didn't give any more information than you can get just by looking. We were also very pressed for time as we had to wait 20 minutes for a late comer. To be honest, even with that extra time, we would still have been pressed. _br/_ In conclusion: Definitely go to the museum, but skip the package. Make your own way there, the bus and train system is very simple.

Review by: Isabel W	July 2011
Incomparable - literally like nothing else I'd ever seen. My 15 year old daughter was enchanted. The pre booking system keeps numbers manageable so it was relaxed and comfortable and we had plenty time there. We didn't feel rushed at all. It was lovely.

Review by: Luke G	February 2011
Our pickup point wasn't visited by the tour company despite featuring on the Viator voucher we needed to print off. If we didn't ask the staff at Tokyo Station whether they were expecting anyone to arrive, to which we found they weren't, we would have probably missed the tour entirely. Fortunately, the staff kindly instructed us of the right station to go to (presumably by phoning the company), which was only a few stops away. Upon arrival, we were told that we were going to travel to the museum by public transport, which surprised us because usually you'd expect a coach/people carrier of some sort (this would explain why they couldn't pick us up from the agreed meeting point). Nevertheless, transport was inclusive. The tour guide was friendly and informative of not only the museum and of Studio Ghibli, but also of Japan in general (although you did sense that her knowledge of the studio derived from theory rather than being a fan herself). She possessed a good understanding of English (effectively fluent). Once in the studio, our time was extremely limited. I appreciate that the tour guide didn't have much control regarding this, since the museum allocates a set time for each ticket holder to ease congestion inside, but after watching the screening, we only had around 45 minutes to see the rest of the museum before having to return. We decided, once arriving at the station, that with the ticket she provided, we would make our own way back, to which she obliged. Overall, while the tour could have been better, the main purpose was to visit the museum (which would have proven difficult otherwise), and the tour guide was friendly enough

Review by: Ruth H	January 2011
A great tour to a really amazing museum that is a testament to the imagination of those involved in Studio Ghibli! Not only that but our guide was wonderful. She asked us all our favourite ghibli movie, gave us a tour of the museum and some free time. She even helped us all navigate to our respective destinations at the end of the tour and gave us tips of where to go next. Including an observation deck near our hotel we didn't even realise existed! All in all a fun tour. Added bonus each ticket contained a unique film cell from a ghibli movie!

Review by: Michael C	December 2010
A joy for fans of movies produced by Studio Ghibli. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. All of the museum's exhibits are in Japanese, so it was helpful to have an English-speaking guide. I'd rate it 5 stars, but the process of being picked up at our hotel was confusing and somewhat chaotic.

Review by: Jose O	December 2010
This is a must! And hopefully you get your tickets before showing up at the entrance there as I believe they don't sell the tickets at the actual location. This place was magical! Brought out our inner-child. Highly recommended!

Review by: Michael F	November 2010
Great tour! I would fully recommend it. Guide was so friendly. One thing I have been confused: during booking you´ve been asked for a hotel to pick you up. I chose one out of the pull-down menu, the ;Grand Palace Hotel which was situated near the hotel I had. – But checking the booking confirmation for the pickup-timetable there was no Grand Palace Hotel; anymore listed. Instead a Palace Hotel which exists but is closed for renovation actually. So I went to Grand Palace and it was the right decision. So: tour 5 stars BUT Viator, do your homework please.

Review by: Duncan P	October 2010
The guide we had for this knew the museum inside out and was so passionate about Ghibli it made the tour really informative. We were given the option to wonder around on our own or stick with the guide for a short tour and then have some free time after, we chose to stick with the guide and she gave a brief but detailed tour of the museum. We found this really useful as there isn't much English signage in the museum so an explanation of the exhibits was invaluable. Good details on how to get back to hotel were given also.

Review by: Kathy M	September 2010
did alot for the money

Review by: Kathy M	September 2010
had a great time

Review by: Nina A	August 2010
It was great going on the train and local buses with a guide. Having a guide was invaluable at the studio as all the signs were in Japanese.We had a journey back on the trainbus and were back in town to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Review by: Joshua M, United States of America	July 2010
I went on this tour for my niece. I know nothing about this company. But the guide did a good job, she made it interesting for me as well and in addition to being knowledgeable she was funny. I really enjoyed this tour.

Review by: Adrian L, Australia	July 2010
Online registration was easy, thanks to Viator. We were collected from the hotel lobby, and since the bus was late, we were taxied to another hotel lobby which was covered by the pick-up guide. Then we were aboard a bus to the JTB office to register. Our tour guide, Haru-san, was tremendously helpful with her explanations, directions and enthusiasm. On the train she asked each of us about our favourite Miyazaki movies, and made sure that each of us arrived at our desired stations afterwards. Her comments throughout the tour were a great help for those who didn't understand Japanese, and she pointed out many things about the museum that were not evident at first glance. And the museum itself ... fantastic. The amount of work that Miyazaki and his team put into that place is unbelievable. From the gorgeous stained glass windows to the mysterious staircases and the animation displays, everything had a wonderful look and feel. A series of rooms showed artists' tables and sketches, mirroring real studios. Upstairs was a massive Neko-bus that children could play in, and a giant totoro greeted us from a mock ticket window as we entered. I was disappointed that we were not allowed to take photos, but the gift shop had some real treats including original film cels that made up for it. I also would have liked a bit more time in the museum to walk around, but we still saw and bought what we wanted. Well worth the money and time, and totally recommended for any Miyazaki or general anime fan. I plan to return one day, to get another look and perhaps some more museum-only goodies. Thank you to Haru-san, big thumbs up for JTB Sunrise Tours, and thank you Viator for making this available to other countries.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	July 2010
Magical afternoon, fantastic museum, enchanting tour guide. A gift for the initiated and uninitiated alike

Review by: Stephen G, United States of America	June 2010
If you like Miyazaki, this isa must see. Very cool place. Definately a great place to take kids! The tour guide was wonderful as ell!

Review by: Alexis K, United States of America	June 2010
So charming! A must see for Ghibli fans!

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	April 2010
This is the perfect way to see Studio Ghibli without having to figure out all the logistics yourself. Even better, the guide takes you to each exhibit and explains it in English, since all the info is only available in Japanese. We wouldn't have gotten nearly as much out of our visit if we hadn't been on this tour. Our guide was wonderful - she spoke excellent English and displayed a true fan's appreciation for Miyazaki's movies and characters. She also took great care to be sure everyone knew how to get to their destination after the tour. The only thing I would suggest is extending the tour so that guests have more free time - one hour at the end of the day was not enough.

Review by: Leon K, United States of America	April 2010
Excellent guide, very helpful and considerate.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	April 2010
This tour was very enjoyable and I would love to go there again and see all the amazing things there again.

Review by: Jonathan L, United States of America	April 2010
I really enjoyed the tour. The guide spoke English beautifully and was really knowledgeable about the entire Studio Ghibli phenomenon. If you're going to Japan, you really should put this museum on your itinerary, and Viator's tour makes transportation easy. As long as you're not with a large group, you should have no problem with the amount of time given.

Review by: Sylvie E	April 2010
This is a tour for kids only! And it was so expensive to do it. I would have been better by myself. I did not need to have someone to take me there in the subway like kids.

Review by: Chandler W	April 2010
We walked through the museum and had a docent. We were not allowed to actually look at anything because then you would lose the docent and therefore, the tour. In addition, the docent did not wait until all members of the tour were present to begin talking about the next exhibit.

Review by: LEON K	April 2010
Excellent guide, very helpful and considerate.

Review by: Martha W, United States of America	March 2010
This is a simply amazing tour! It's a lot of fun and I enjoyed it much.

Review by: Denis B, Australia	January 2010
We had a great afternoon, meeting point was easy to find and the whole trip went as planned. The guide could not have been more enthusiastic and knowledgeable. It was obvious that she was a Ghibli fan and this spilled over into her enthusiasm for the trip.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	January 2010
The museum was really special, and having a guide to explain everything made the experience much more enjoyable! It is also very difficult to get tickets from convenience stores in Japan, I recommend this tour if you want to go. The only downside was that it took a long time to get to the museum from the hotel pickup.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	December 2009
Studio Ghibli was great, and having a guide along to explain the sign's and comments that were in Japanese was very useful.

Review by: Nicole A, Australia	November 2009
If you are a Ghibli fan - this is a MUST do trip!!! The ride on the JR lines are great and you get to see some scenery along the way The museum is just so fantastic....you get lost in another world.

Review by: Fee Leng C, Australia	October 2009
A great tour and a great tour guide!

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2009
If you are a fan this is a must-see. I would recommend the tour because English signs are not common around the museum.

Review by: Chun Chong L, United States of America	October 2009
This is the best trip ever. The tour guide is super friendly and helpful. She is awesome and did an amazing job in leading us throughout the entire experience. On top of that, she was super helpful in helping us find places to go.

Review by: Chun chong L	October 2009
This is the best trip ever. The tour guide is super friendly and helpful. She is awesome and did an amazing job in leading us throughout the entire experience. On top of that, she was super helpful in helping us find places to go.

Review by: Sebastian S, United Kingdom	August 2009
Excellent highly rated and the staff were so kind. the only thing that would make it better is if the coach took you straight there rather then following the guide onto a couple of trains and then the bus. I think we were there for just over 2 hours which was just about right prob, I went round myself as I'm an animator n new a lot of the history etc. but definitely recommend if you don't want to try and get your own tickets over there which you have to get from a lawson store and its all in Japanese and supposedly they sell out weeks in advance, so this Viator tour was perfect for me and so simple to book.

Review by: Sarah T, United Kingdom	August 2009
Studio Ghibli was a fantastic tour! The museum itself is covered in so many intricate little details that you may only notice some on the second walk around. There are many extraordinary exhibits, all fun and many hands on. It is a great place for children and adults alike, and if you enjoy drawing you are sure to be inspired. The tour was very well organized and we were taken care of from the word go. Nothing is neglected and our fabulous tour guide made sure every arrangement was taken care of. Our tour guide spoke very good English and knew a lot about the museum, so we could ask questions. We were given different options for walking round the museum, and chose to stay with our guide as she was so helpful. I would recommend this tour to everyone as it is a fascinating and crazy place. Even if you haven't seen any of the films you will enjoy it, but it would make a great deal more sense if you have seen at least some of the films, so I recommend seeing Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Laputa at least before you go.

Review by: Anonymous, Thailand	August 2009
The place is magical, especially if you are Ghibli (pronounced the Japanese way ji-bu-ri) fans. It was impossible to find tickets locally at Lawson during the time we went to Japan because of the Obon festival school holidays but we were lucky we found a blog where Viator was recommended. Unless you know your way around Tokyo, use the metro. There are tickets available at Lawson ticket machines. The most important factor is that entrance tickets are not for sale at the museum and must be purchased in advance. This tour is the only way to get into the museum during high season.

Review by: VLADIMIR N. M	July 2009
The tour was well organized, but the essence of the "museum" is of limited value and interest. It's all about one particular animation studio, and not the most sophisticated one. Maybe for the family of the producer it'd be interesting, but we're not his family. Kind of boring.

Review by: Fraser M, United Kingdom	January 2009
The Studio Ghibli Museum is a unique and wonderful place, and an essential visit for any family or individual visitor to make. We had a really excellent tour guide who was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. It was a real highlight of my first visit to Tokyo.

Review by: Christine A, United Kingdom	November 2008
The museum is unlike anything you have ever seen before. The place is designed firmly with children's imagination in mind. The design is to deliberately get you lost so you can discover small bits of whimsy. What ever they paid our guide it wasn't enough, She worked hard throughout to keep us informed and even personally escorted us to our relevant platforms at the end of the day. She was extremely knowledgeable about the museum, and animation. The only minor drawback is that it was two hours at the museum which isn't long enough to take it all in, and in the winter it gets dark while at the museum. A must see if you are in the area.

Review by: Anonymous, Sweden	August 2008
Going along on a guided tour was really worth it since all the signs inside the museum were in Japanese. The guide had very good English and I can really recommend this tour!