Asakusa & Senso-ji Walking Tour, Tokyo

Walk into old Tokyo with a local guide. You start under the giant red lantern of Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate, and follow Nakamise-dori, a lane of small stalls selling rice crackers, sweet bean buns, fans and folk toys, to Senso-ji, the city's oldest temple.

Your guide explains how to wash at the purification fountain, waft the incense smoke and draw an omikuji fortune, and tells the story of the golden statue said to have been pulled from the Sumida River by two fishermen. Beyond the main hall you see the five-storey pagoda and the quieter shrine of Asakusa-jinja.

Longer versions wander the backstreets, with craft shops, traditional sweet makers and views of the Tokyo Skytree across the river. Wear comfortable shoes; the tour is on foot and runs in any weather.