Most people see Narita only from the departure lounge. Ten minutes from the terminal is one of the great temples of eastern Japan and a preserved pilgrim street, and this tour is built around a long stopover: we meet you at arrivals, keep your luggage in the van, and have you back at the terminal well before your check-in time.

We meet you at the arrivals hall of Terminal 1, 2 or 3 with a name board. The van takes you into the town, and your guide walks you up Omotesando - the old temple approach, 800 metres of wooden shops selling rice crackers, pickles, folk toys and, above all, eel. Naritasan Shinshoji Temple at the top was founded in 940 and has a Great Main Hall, a three-storey pagoda painted in red and gold, a Peace Pagoda and a large park with ponds and waterfalls behind it. Goma fire rituals are held several times a day in the main hall and you can watch one.

Lunch is unagi - freshwater eel grilled over charcoal and served on rice, the dish Narita is famous for. Shops on the street butcher and grill it in front of you.

In the afternoon we drive to Sakura no Yama, a hilltop park at the end of the runway where the planes pass a hundred metres overhead, and then, if your time allows, the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences or the Boso no Mura open-air village of Edo-period houses. We return you to your departure terminal by the time you tell us.

WHAT YOU PAY IS WHAT YOU PAY
The price is one fixed amount for your whole group: the private van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide for the day. There are no per-person supplements and no booking fees. Your eel lunch and any museum entry are paid by each guest on the day. The temple is free.

GOOD TO KNOW
Tell us your arrival and departure flight times when you book; we plan the day to have you at the terminal 2.5 hours before an international departure. Your luggage stays locked in the van. Transit passengers need to clear immigration to join - check your visa situation. The tour also works as a first-day or last-day tour from a Narita hotel.