Update 3: Sale $15 Amazon Explore Experiences

Amazon has recently launched virtual tours and there are currently 19 on sale for $15.

Each tour is private, and live with just you and your guide. You can see the guide but the guide can't see you. It's two-way audio.  Along the way you can ask the guide to stop so you can take a photo and you can ask any questions you want. 

We've done two explore tours of Tokyo as part of our homeschool-one architecture tour and one rickshaw tour where the camera was in the rickshaw while the guide ran around town and both tours were terrific with wonderful guides. On both of ours so far, if we wanted to see something up close or whatever, the tour guide would take us over there. Since it was for Matthew's school, he got to basically direct and of course what interests a 10 year old is different than what interests and adult and both guides adapted to what he wanted to see. He loved seeing the mascots on all the signs for different buildings and landmarks-not on the "scheduled" agenda. The rickshaw guide took him to a racoon statue and rubbed it for good luck and then "high fived" it in to the camera, which Matthew thought was so fun.

Tonight we're doing a cultural experience one that came with a box Amazon mailed to us featuring smells and tastes of Tokyo. There are strict instructions not to open the box before the tour-we'll open it with the guide as he goes to various landmarks. I haven't seen the box but I gave it to my mom to inspect to make sure nothing was damaged and she says it's cool. On some experiences, you can actually shop with the guide as he visits local merchants and you direct him on what to purchase and then it's mailed to you.

Here is a link to the sale experiences. They drop to $15 at checkout, no code necessary. (Disclaimer: affiliate link). 

Update: Our sights and smells tour was tonight (not one of the $15 tours). I'll post a spoiler below of what was in the box.  This tour was led by the same company that led the rickshaw tour. The guides had clearly talked to each other because she said "Sou told me that you saw this and that and I believe you're familiar already with..."  It was really cool and personal. She took us to the temple, we got to hear the monks chanting, she showed us some of their worship practices, took us to a market, let Matthew pick something from a vending machine that she then toasted him with, took him down a market street--all very fun!

Update 2: During the tour I asked about another tour they offer. Within half an hour, I had an email from the company giving me more information and offering to let me book with the same guide we just had. That's amazing service!

Update 3: With August, there's a new batch of $15 experiences link
We also just did our fourth experience, this time in Israel (feedback below)

Tokyo box spoiler below




Non affiliate link here