Get Your Real-Life 'Mario Kart' Kicks on This Go-Kart Tour of Tokyo

If the news that you can get sub-$400 roundtrip tickets to Japan has you in a tizzy to toss together an itinerary of stuff to you can do there (besides scoping out the penis festival and exploring the country's jaw-dropping natural beauty), here's something else to add to the list: a go-kart tour of Tokyo that lets you dress up in costume and zoom around the city streets like a real-life video game character.

Unlike a traditional bike or bus tour, MariCAR's wacky and wild sightseeing excursions take you through the busy streets of Japan's largest city in go-karts, which you not only get to drive yourself, but can do so in a costume of your choice. Essentially, it's like getting to cruise through traffic like a real-life Mario Kart character. The best part? It only costs about $70 for a two-hour tour.

Before you hop into your tiny whip, you can browse the company's diverse selection of costumes -- which includes everything from iconic Mario Kart characters to classic superheroes -- and slip into one for the duration of ride. And for those freaked out about being squashed by actual cars driving beside you, each cart is made specifically for this touring purpose, and comes decked out with safety features (it's totally equipped to handle the inner city's roads at speeds over 35 miles per hour). MariCAR also makes it easy to document the experience POV-style and will supply you with a 4K action camera to use if you'd like. 

While the carts are only designed to carry one person each, you can easily communicate with others on the tour thanks to some walkie talkie-esque devices (each cart comes packed with Bluetooth speakers too, so you can curate your own personal soundtrack if you want).

The one big catch here is that you'll need to prepare ahead of time and apply for an International Driving Permit, since MariCAR (wisely) only allows qualified drivers to participate. And since it's super popular with tourists, you'd be smart to book your tour in advance, which you can easily do on its website. 

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