Online booking for tour guides
Your customer is in another country, reading in English, at eleven at night, planning a trip for March. They will pay before they fly or they will book somebody else.
Half-day and full-day event types, paid online in yen, bookable a year ahead, with a tiered refund policy and the meeting point in the confirmation message.
Every booking is a stranger, once#
There is no relationship to fall back on. If the page does not answer the question, they leave. If the booking is unpaid, half of them evaporate. If the meeting point is unclear, your morning starts with phone calls to somebody who is lost in a station with eleven exits.
The setup to start from#
Half-day and full-day tours booked weeks ahead by visitors in another country, who pay before they arrive and will never be repeat customers.
| Duration | Half day (4 hours) and full day (8 hours) as two event types |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Bookable up to | 365 days, because people book with their flights |
| Max bookings per day | One tour a day |
| Location | In person, meeting point and a map link in the description |
| Payment | Paid online in yen — an unpaid booking from overseas is not a booking |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before, 50% inside 72 hours, none inside 24 |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many people and their ages · Which country are you visiting from? · Where are you staying? · Any mobility needs or dietary restrictions?
Your customer is reading in English at 23:00 in another time zone and sees your times converted to theirs automatically. Put the meeting point, what to wear and whether transport is included in the confirmation message, because it is repeated in every reminder.
Paid in yen, at booking#
Through your own Stripe account, confirmed only when the card clears. An overseas guest who abandons the checkout releases the day rather than holding it. Connecting Stripe
Put the meeting point where it is repeated#
The confirmation message appears in the confirmation email and in every reminder. Name the exact exit, add a map link, say what you will be holding and what to wear. It is the single highest-value paragraph on the page.
They see their own time#
Your availability stays in Asia/Tokyo and the booking page converts it automatically. Their confirmation shows their time zone; yours shows Tokyo.
Ask what changes the tour#
Group size and ages, which country they are visiting from, where they are staying, and any mobility or dietary needs. Four questions that decide the route.
Getting started#
- Sign in at app.marubox.jp with Google or Microsoft. There is no card and no trial clock.
- Create an event type with the settings above. Event types explained
- Connect your calendar so your touring days never gets double booked. Google · Outlook
- Set your real hours, and close Japanese public holidays in one tick. Availability
- Put the link in your bio, or the widget on your site. Adding it to your website
Common questions
Can overseas visitors pay for a tour in advance?
Yes — by card in Japanese yen through your own Stripe account, from any country. The tour is confirmed only when the payment succeeds.
Do guests see tour times in their own time zone?
Yes, automatically, which matters when they are booking months ahead from another country.
How do I make sure guests find the meeting point?
Put it in the event type’s confirmation message with the exact exit and a map link. It appears in the confirmation and is repeated in every reminder.
What cancellation policy should a tour have?
Tiered works best: full refund seven days out, fifty per cent inside 72 hours, none inside 24. It is shown before booking and the exact amount before cancelling.
Set this up in about ten minutes
Business Box is free for as long as you like, with no card required — booking pages, Google and Outlook calendar sync, availability, Japanese public holidays and the website widget. Taking card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month, tax included, with no commission on what you sell.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.