Duration
About 2.5 to 3 hours
Tokyo · experience
Yakatabune dinner cruise, Tokyo Bay
A traditional houseboat dinner cruise past the Rainbow Bridge and a lit-up Skytree — a full Japanese course meal with unlimited drinks, from Shinagawa.
About 2.5 to 3 hoursShared seating; tables of up to 6From €104
The experience
A traditional houseboat dinner on Tokyo Bay, with the Rainbow Bridge and Skytree lit up along the way.
Yakatabune are Tokyo’s traditional houseboats, and this cruise is the long-established way to see the night skyline from the water rather than from a landmark deck: a course of Japanese dishes, prepared fresh that day, served over roughly two and a half to three hours as the boat moves between Shinagawa, the Rainbow Bridge, the Sumida River and Odaiba.
Dinner runs to a full course — appetisers, a sashimi boat, tempura fried on board, rice, vegetables, noodles and dessert — with unlimited beer, sake, shochu, wine, whisky and soft drinks included throughout. Seating is either at low tables over a sunken floor, in the traditional style, or at standard tables with chairs, and shoes come off in favour of slippers once aboard.
The upper observation deck is where the views are best taken in, with Skytree and the bay skyline passing on either side; departures run in the early evening, between roughly 5pm and 7pm depending on the season and day of the week.
Group
Shared seating; tables of up to 6
Languages
Confirmed with the option
Format
A traditional yakatabune houseboat cruise around Tokyo Bay and the Sumida River
Meeting point
Funasei Boat Pier, Shinagawa
Pickup and drop-off
Optional one-way hotel transfer within Tokyo’s 23 wards, booked in advance and limited to 4 passengers per vehicle.
Who this suits
A good choice when it matches the way you want to use the city.
- An evening on the water rather than another rooftop bar or observation deck.
- A first, easy introduction to a full Japanese-style course meal.
- Travellers happy to share tables with other guests, up to six per table.
Itinerary
The route at a glance.
The guide and exact sequence are confirmed on the day. Times below are a useful indication of how this visit is normally structured.
- 130 minutes before departure
Check in at Funasei Pier, Shinagawa
- 2Evening, between 5pm and 7pm depending on the day
Board and depart
- 3About 2.5 hours
Dinner cruise around Tokyo Bay and the Sumida River
A full course meal with unlimited drinks, and time on the upper deck for the skyline.
- 4End of cruise
Return to Funasei Pier
What the visit includes
The practical detail before you choose a date.
Highlights
- A full Japanese course dinner, prepared fresh and served on board
- Unlimited drinks — beer, sake, shochu, wine, whisky and soft drinks
- Night views of the Rainbow Bridge, Sumida River and Tokyo Skytree
- An upper observation deck for photographs of the skyline
Included
- ✓ Yakatabune houseboat cruise
- ✓ A full Japanese-style course dinner
- ✓ Unlimited drinks: beer, sake, shochu, wine, whisky, plum liqueur and soft drinks
Not included
- • Hotel transfer, unless booked as an add-on in advance
- • Dietary substitutions — the set menu cannot be adjusted for dietary requirements
Before you go
A few essentials for the day.
- The exact departure time is confirmed by email roughly three days before the cruise, within the stated 5pm–6:30pm window.
- Guests may share a table with others, up to six per table.
- Shoes are removed on boarding on some boats, with slippers provided.