Transport

Public Bus , Metro , Local Train , Bullet Train

Others

Tokyo - welcome meeting and orientation walk Tokyo - Sensoji Temple Tokyo - Meiji Jingu Shrine Tokyo - Shibuya walking tour Mishima - Mishima Skywalk Kawane - Farm Stay & Home-cooked Dinner Kawane - Tea Farm Visit & Tea Brewing & Tasting Kawane - Scenic Train Ride Kyoto - Gion District walk Kyoto - Nishiki-Koji Market Kawane - Home-cooked Japanese Breakfast Kyoto - Fushimi Inari-Taisha Kyoto - Sake Brewery Visit & Tasting Osaka - Dotombori and Kuromon Street Food Walking Tour

Accommodation

RYOKANS : & MINSHUKUS: Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some establishments may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in such properties. Extra fees will be charged if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning. AVAILABILITY: The recent huge increase in tourism to Japan has put a lot of pressure on accommodation. On occasion, we may need to change accommodation from what is listed in the itinerary in order to operate your departure with minimal changes. ONSENS: We like to encourage travellers to visit traditional Japanese ’onsens’ while in the country as it is a quintessential local experience. In public onsens this means bathing naked with others of the same gender. While the experience can feel strange at first for some, most of our groups end up enjoying this activity. There is very specific etiquette for visiting onsens - your leader can give you some tips and instructions. Please be aware that travellers with tattoos may not be permitted to enter public onsens. Private onsens may also be available - talk to your leader for more information. See our guide to onsens here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/japan-onsen-guide/ Hotel (6 nights), Farm Stay (1 night)

Guide

All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. Due to Japan’s popularity it has been necessary to go outside our traditional sources for employing tour leaders. As a result, our passionate, professional and trained tour leaders may either be Japanese or long term foreign residents in Japan.

Not included:

Meals

1 breakfast, 2 dinners

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Optional

Other activities and services not included

Others

Other activities and services not included

Flights

International flights are not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Tokyo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Tokyo

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Japan. Bursting with contemporary urban culture, Tokyo has fascinating museums, world-class shopping and backstreets stuffed with restaurants and karaoke bars. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. After, you’ll have some free time to explore Tokyo’s nightlife. Perhaps take a walk down Shinjuku’s Omoide Tokocho or ‘Memory Lane’ – a crowded alley of busy restaurants and bar stalls that started in the 1940s and quickly gained infamy as a black-market quarter. Today, it’s one of the best spots to try some of Tokyo’s local fast food!
Day 2 Day 2: Tokyo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Tokyo

Dive right into Tokyo today by exploring historic Asakusa – one of the older and more traditional parts of the city. Visit the city’s oldest temple – Senso-ji – founded almost 1400 years ago when Tokyo was nothing more than a fishing village. Browse the many interesting stalls filled with tasty treats, crafts and souvenirs that line the shopping street of Nakamise Dori. Then, hop on the metro and head to the buzzing Shibuya area. Check out one of the busiest intersections in the world before heading into a depachika (underground food hall) for a mouth-watering array of tempting Japanese treats. Next, allow the city sounds to fade away as you visit Meiji Shrine, surrounded by forest. Then it’s back into the city streets to explore the Harajuku district – the home of Japan’s quirky youth pop culture. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to spend at your leisure.
Day 3 Day 3: Mishima
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Mishima

Leave Tokyo behind and jump on the train to Mishima – a city built on the lava flow of Mr Fuji. Thanks to an eruption several thousand years ago, the soil here is rich in nutrients and there’s an endless supply of fresh, filtered water that flows through the city like a natural irrigation system. As a result, Mishima is a garden city with many waterways running alongside residential streets. When you arrive, head to the longest suspension bridge in Japan – 400-m-long Mishima Skywalk – for an unbeatable view of Mt Fuji. You’ll then have free time to explore at your own pace. Maybe visit Mishima Shrine or wander along the waterways and through the many parks. When you’ve worked up an appetite, maybe try the city’s special charbroiled eel that’s said to have been prepped by filtered fuji water! If you’re lucky enough to visit during cherry blossom season, there’s nothing better than a picnic as the sun goes down.
Day 4 Day 4: Kawane Farm
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Kawane Farm

Today, you’ll hop on a local train to Kanaya station, then transfer to the scenic train that travels through the mountains and gorges of Kawane. The ride is especially beautiful during cherry blossom season in the spring and when the colours change in autumn! After disembarking at Senzu station, your hosts will welcome you and take you straight to their home. This afternoon, you’ll visit a local tea farm to try your hand at tea picking, learn about how tea is properly brewed and try some tea tempura. Your farm hosts will also show you the local seasonal vegetables they’ve got in their garden. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and help out with some farm work! Dinner will be a home-cooked feast using seasonal vegetables from the farm and your host will be able to teach you a trick or two about Japanese home cooking.
Day 5 Day 5: Kyoto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Kyoto

After a home-cooked, Japanese-style breakfast, hop on the bus and a Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. One of the Kyoto’s original names was Heian-kyo, which literally translates to ‘tranquility and peace capital’, and the thousands of temples, shrines and gardens make it clear why. In the afternoon, head to the Noshiki Market and stroll through ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’ for the perfect introduction to Kyoto’s regional specialties – from pickled vegetables hidden beneath layers of fermented rice to delicious and ornate Kyo-wagashi (Kyoto sweets) and other local produce. As the sun goes down, continue to Gion – the city’s cultural centre and most famous geisha district. You may catch a glimpse of an elegantly attired geisha or maiko moving between teahouses here, though much of this high-class world of entertainment is still off-limits to outsiders.
Day 6 Day 6: Kyoto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Kyoto

Today, you’ll head to one of the most photogenic spots in Kyoto – Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. Famous for the thousands of scarlet torii (square archways) along the path, this shrine is dedicated to Inari – the god of rice. Because foxes do his bidding, there are also plenty of fox statues along the way. Then, visit a 300-year-old sake brewery – the city’s oldest continuously run brewery. Learn about their special sake-brewing techniques and the importance of rice and water before sampling some for yourself. The rest of the day is free for you to explore at your own pace. If you’re in a contemplative mood, the Path of Philosophy might have what you’re after. Stroll beside a stream, beneath the dappled shade of blossoming trees, past the Zen temple Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion and Nanzen-ji Temple. You can keep walking south to the Old Town and explore the wooden houses, or visit Kinkakuhi Temple, immortalised in Yukio Mishima’s novel ‘The Golden Pavilion’.
Day 7 Day 7: Osaka
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Osaka

Jump back on the train this morning and head onto Osaka – Japan’s unofficial food capital. When you arrive, follow your leader on an orientation walk, then explore the city at your own pace. Meet in the evening for a street food walking tour with your group through Dotombori District and Kuromon Market and celebrate the end of this fast and furious journey in Japan with your fellow travellers.
Day 8 Day 8: Osaka
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Osaka

With no further activities planned after breakfast, your trip comes to an end today. If you would like to extend your stay in Osaka, just reach out to your booking agent ahead of time.

8 days tour

Japan Highlights

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Japan Highlights

Day 1: Tokyo

Day 2: Tokyo

Day 3: Mishima

Day 4: Kawane Farm

Day 5: Kyoto

Day 6: Kyoto

Day 7: Osaka

Day 8: Osaka

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