Tokyo Cat-Themed Walking Tour: Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple and Harajuku Cat Cafe

Explore Tokyo's Gotokuji Cat Temple and a Harajuku cat café on a guided, family-friendly cat-themed tour, available weekdays and weekends.

Getting started

Begin your guided tour of cat-themed attractions with your guide, who leads you along the route at a relaxed and easy pace. Use the included train fare between Harajuku Station and Gotokuji Temple Station to travel across the city without extra planning. From Gotokuji lucky cat temple station, expect about a 10-minute walk to Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple, so consider this if walking longer distances is challenging.

What to expect

Gotokuji Cat Temple

Gotokuji Cat Temple is famous for its thousand lucky cats and is a key stop on this family-friendly route. You arrive here after your train ride and short walk from Gotokuji lucky cat temple station.

Features

• The guided tour of cat-themed attractions brings you into Gotokuji Cat Temple, where you can see the rows of maneki-neko, or lucky cats, that have made this site so well known. Your guide keeps the pace relaxed so families and younger guests can comfortably enjoy the visit.
• A visit to Gotokuji Cat Temple and the nearby cat-themed shop is included, so you have time to explore a charming space filled with unique, original cat items. This timing is planned so you can arrive before the lucky cat temple store closes at 12 PM.
• Train fare between Harajuku Station and Gotokuji Temple Station is included for this part of the journey, which simplifies moving between neighborhoods and keeps the focus on the experience rather than ticket machines.
• Guests must be at least 3 years old due to the age restrictions of the cat café later in the tour, so this stop is planned with younger travelers in mind.

Harajuku/Shibuya cat café

Later in the tour you head to Harajuku/Shibuya for a break at a cat café from Japan's largest chain. This is where you can sit down, rest, and spend focused time with the cats.

Features

• Cat café admission with a 30-minute stay and free drink bar is included, giving you a defined window to interact with the cats without worrying about extra charges. The 30-minute visit also keeps the schedule on track so earlier stops, such as the cat-themed shop, fit comfortably into the morning.
• Inside the cat café, you can relax while enjoying a drink from the drink bar and watching the cats move around the space. The environment is designed to be an easy pause in the middle of the guided tour of cat-themed attractions.
• The family-friendly structure of the tour, combined with the cat café age policy of 3 years and above, helps ensure that all participants can safely and comfortably enjoy their time here.

Cat-themed shop and cat-shaped sweets

Along the route, you stop at a cat-themed shop and have the chance to try local cat-shaped sweets. This part of the tour focuses on playful, cat-inspired items and treats.

Features

• A visit to the cat-themed shop is part of your guided tour of cat-themed attractions, so you can browse shelves packed with original cat items without needing to search for these spots on your own. Your time here is coordinated with the Gotokuji Lucky Cat Temple stop so the shop is open when you arrive.
• Cat-shaped sweets that are popular with locals are highlighted during this section, giving you a chance to see and, if you choose, purchase these Instagrammable treats. This ties the visual theme of the tour together, from lucky cats at the temple to snacks that continue the motif.