This Tokyo Tour Is Like a Real-life Mario Kart

Elizabeth Preske
Updated

In what could very well be the most fantastical way to relive your childhood, you can fully immerse yourself in Nintendo 64 nostalgia with a Mario Kart-inspired tour of Tokyo.

In Tokyo's Akihabara district, tour company MariCAR invites gaming enthusiasts to hop in a go-kart and explore the city just like Mario, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi (if Tokyo was a race course in the iconic game).

There are three different tours to choose from, each taking you to some of the city's best attractions, including Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower. And while you may not be able to take a spin down Rainbow Road, you can drive down the city's real-life Rainbow Bridge, depending on which tour you sign up for.

In true Mario Kart fashion, you'll even have your pick of costumes to wear as you cruise through the streets. You can dress up as your favorite Mario Kart character and pretend you're actually in the game — or you can mix it up and zip around Tokyo (at the appropriate speed limit) as a superhero, unicorn, or minion.

The go-karts are designed to fit one person each, but if you're in a group, you and your friends can rent communication bands to keep in touch. There's also the option to rent an action camera to record the experience.

And to cap it all off, each go-kart comes equipped with Bluetooth speakers so the Mario Kart N64 soundtrack — or whatever music you prefer — can serve as the ultimate musical backdrop to your go-kart tour.

To book your MariCAR tour, you must have a valid Japanese driver's license or an International Driving Permit, which you can get from the American Automobile Association or the American Automobile Touring Alliance. Prices start at 9,000 yen, or about $82 USD.