Japan Budget Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

Highlights

• Learn the tricks of the trade when you take part in a hands-on sushi-making class in Tokyo, pick local produce from the market before a cooking class in Kanazawa and make your own okonomiyaki in Osaka.
• Meet local farmers during a day trip from Kyoto to the Uji region, the home of green tea production. Tour the green tea and matcha farms, enjoy a hot cuppa, then walk the streets of Uji city, stopping on the way to see the Ujiami Shrine.
• When you’re not busy eating, enjoy iconic experiences like wandering the streets of Tokyo, Kenroku-en garden in Kyoto, the glowing signs of Osaka’s Dotonbori district, learning Buddhist history in Koya-san and walking through Kyoto’s Gion district.
• Feast on delicious Japanese cuisine, from street food to restaurant favourites – including ekiben, sushi, matcha, takoyaki, okonomiyaki and fresh seafood.
• Sip on sake, the national drink of Japan, during a visit to a local sake brewery in Kyoto. Learn how sake is made and maybe even pick up a bottle (or two) to take home.

Highlights

• Soar high above Lake Ashi and (on a clear day) get a glimpse of glorious Mt Fuji on a ride on the Hakone ropeway.
• Be impressed by the efficiency and ultra modernity of Japan’s bullet trains as you zip from place to place.
• Explore traditional Japanese culture in Edo-period Takayama and visit a folk village, tour a 600-year-old market and a enjoy a sake brewery tasting.
• Visit the Peace Park for moving insight into the devastation of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, then cruise to peaceful Miyajima Island where wild deer roam the streets.
• Finish your trip with three nights in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital and home to literally thousands of temples, the Gion District where Geisha entertain the wealthy elite and renowned Kyoto sushi.

Highlights

• Cycling allows you to get closer to the real Japan – from bicycles to Pokemon, serene temples to the organised chaos of the big cities, this classic adventure has it all.
• Choose to end rewarding days in the saddle with amazing Japanese feasts of sushi, unagi, tempura or even fugu, all washed down with a traditional sake or Sapporo beer.
• Ride both bikes and trains for the ultimate change of pace.
• Cycle through peaceful landscapes that show a land far from the big city lights of Tokyo.
• By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, World Bicycle Relief. Donations provide school kids, health workers, and farmers in far-out areas with bicycles that provide access to education, healthcare, and income.

Highlights

• Soar high above Lake Ashi and (on a clear day) get a glimpse of the iconic Mt Fuji on a ride on the Hakone ropeway.
• Stay in a countryside homestay, taking you off the beaten track to experience classic Japanese hospitality. Feast on home-cooked meals over conversations with your welcoming hosts and learn about rural life in Japan. 
• Spend three nights in Kyoto, and craft your own experience in this ancient capital with loads of free time and the help of your expert local leader.
• Watch the steam coming out of the ‘hells’ (hot spring pools in Jigoku) of Beppu and enjoy a unique experience for lunch – you’ll cook and steam your food right in the hot spring steam, said to be rich with healthy minerals, then take a relaxing a soak in a traditional onsen,
• Explore the little town of Takayama that sits within the Japanese Northern Alps and take in the stunning view of the five peaks of Mount Aso from the Daikanbo Observatory.

Highlights

• Experience two of the main religions in Japan – Buddhism and Shintoism – by following the footsteps of ancient pilgrims on their quest for faith along the Koya-san and Kumano Kodo trails.
• Discover two of the major cultural hubs of Japan on foot, walking the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto and strolling through the Dotombori district in Osaka.
• Join in the morning prayers and share a traditional shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian) meal during an overnight temple stay in Koya-san, deep in mountainous Wakayama prefecture.
• Soak in an onsen after a day of trekking in Yunomine – there's no better way in Japan to relax and rejuvenate than in the natural mineral waters of a hot spring.
• Explore Kyoto on a couple of nearby hikes for a different perspective on the life and culture in this notable city, as well as visiting some sites of natural and religious significance.

Highlights

• Stay on a local tea form in Kawane, where you can enjoy a farm-to-table feast with your hosts. Then discover Hokkaido’s rich Indigenous Ainu culture at the region’s first Ainu museum, by learning about their traditions and making dumplings.
• Walk the 400 m long Mishima Skywalk for unbeatable views of Mt Fuji, then explore northern Japan’s natural wonders, from Hell Valley’s volcanic steam to Mt Asahi’s peaks and the serene waters of Lake Shikotsu.
• Ride the rails like the locals, from lightning-fast bullet trains to scenic mountain rails offering seasonal views of cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
• Stay in two local ryokan hotels and immerse yourself in the Japanese onsen experience – relaxation via natural hot spring.
• Visit a 300 year old sake brewery in Kyoto, sample street food in Osaka and savour a signature Kaiseki dinner in a ryokan.

Highlights

• Explore Japan’s amazingly diverse destinations with loads of free time to see them your way. With all the nitty gritty details and transport worked out for you, you can focus on indulging in endless sushi, katsudon and okonomoyaki.
• Immerse yourself in the varied neighbourhoods of Tokyo – from the technological subculture of Akihabara to the wild side of fashion in Harajuku and the nightlife of Roppongi – each suburb is almost like a city of its own!
• Uncover the sobering history of Hiroshima’s Peace Park and Museum – a vital destination for all Japan travellers to gain an insight into the tragic events of the nation’s past.
• Wander Kyoto with a leader-led walking tour around the Gion district – the heart of the city’s Geisha culture – then walk through the iconic Fushimi Inari-Taisha (the perfect spot for some iconic Japan photos).
• Live your Samurai fantasies in feudal-era Kanazawa – known as the birthplace of the Samurai. Then, wander through gorgeous historic gardens and hit the bars to debrief with your group.