Japan Highlights





Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, sampling all the sake in between
Home of the sumo, geishas, sake, karaoke, onsen and izakaya – Japan is a feast for all your senses. This eight-day journey hits all the right spots, giving you a true appreciation for the land of the rising sun. Absorb the bustle of Tokyo before heading into the countryside for a farm stay with local tea harvesters and a walk along a 400-m suspension bridge with spectacular views of iconic Mt Fuji. Travel on a futuristic bullet train to Kyoto and step into this nation’s history before wrapping up your adventure in the foodie paradise of Osaka. This is THE trip to take in Japan!
4.8
161 reviewsStart: Tokyo, Japan
End: Osaka, Japan
- Duration
- 8 days
- Group size
- 1 to 12
- Minimum age
- 15 years old
- Style
Basix: Simple accommodation, local transport and lots of free time
Original: Tourist-class hotels, some meals included and a great mix of included activities and free time
Comfort: Comfortable accommodation, with a relaxed pace of travel and many included meals and activities
Premium: Our best accommodation, exclusive inclusions and our most experienced leaders
- Original
- Theme
Our themes categorise trips based on a common interest or activity, while showcasing the highlights of a destination.
- Explorer, Rail
- Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Why you'll love this trip
- Explore all the highlights of Japan in just over a week! This is a cultural and culinary whirlwind from the streets of Tokyo to the eats of Osaka.
- Experience the many sides of Shibuya in Tokyo, from busy intersections to the tranquility of the ancient Meiji Shrine and the quirky fashion of Harajuku.
- Visit a local tea farm and learn about harvesting tea leaves and making Japanese green tea, then settle into your farm stay, pick some fresh ingredients from the farm and prepare a home-cooked, farm-to-table feast with your hosts for the perfect blend of Japanese hospitality and country life.
- Ride the rails like the locals, from lightning-fast bullet trains to scenic mountain rails offering seasonal views of cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
- Veer off the busy tourist track with a visit to Mishima – a small town built on the old lava flow of Mt Fuji – then head to the cultural heart of Kyoto, where you can dive into local history and traditions among shrines, geishas and a 300-year-old sake brewery.
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2026
Itinerary
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, follow your leader on an orientation walk and perhaps a group dinner together.
If you arrive early, there is plenty to see and explore in Tokyo on your own. Maybe check out our urban adventure tours in Tokyo, take a walk down Shinjuku’s Omoide Tokocho or ‘Memory Lane’ – a crowded alley of busy restaurants and bar stalls that's now one of the best spots to try some of Tokyo’s local fast food.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Tokyo - welcome meeting and orientation walk
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
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.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Tokyo - Sensoji Temple
- Tokyo - Meiji Jingu Shrine
- Tokyo - Shibuya walking tour
- Tokyo - Shinjuku-gyoen - JPY500
- Tokyo - Yoyogi Park - Free
- Tokyo - Imperial Palace - Free
Leave Tokyo behind and jump on the train to Mishima – a city built on the lava flow of Mt 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.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Mishima - Mishima Skywalk
- Mishima - Mishima Taisha Shrine - Free
- Mishima - Rakujuen Park - JPY300
- Mishima - Kakitagawa Park - Free
Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hour.
Today, we will send one piece of luggage to Kyoto for you. You'll need an overnight bag for your essentials and valuables for your stay in Mishima & Kawane for Day 3&4 as you'll not have access to your luggage again until Day 5.
Depending on our farmstay hosts schedule, your itinerary on Day 3 and Day 4 may be swapped. This won't impact your overall experience in these destinations and your tour leader will inform you of the change at the group briefing.
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! This afternoon, visit a local tea farm and try your hand at tea picking, learn about how tea is properly brewed. After the tea experience, your host for the night will welcome you and take you to their home. Dinner will be a home-cooked feast using seasonal vegetables may from their garden, and your host will be able to teach you a thing or two about Japanese home cooking.
- Homestay (1 night)
- Dinner
- Kawane - Homestay & Home-cooked Dinner
- Kawane - Tea Farm Visit & Tea Brewing & Tasting
- Kawane - Scenic Train Ride
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Your home stay tonight is a rare chance to gain some real insight into rural life in Japan. The group may be split and stay in different houses. Up to three or four travellers may share one household, and the facilities will be shared. You will sleep on traditional futons on tatami mats tonight, just like the locals do.
The scenic train is currently suspended due to damage. While it's being restored, you'll travel by bus instead.
Tea picking season is from the end of April to October, but you can still learn how tea is properly brewed at the farm outside of this season.
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.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Kyoto - Gion District walk
- Kyoto - Nishiki-Koji Market
- Kawane - Home-cooked Japanese Breakfast
- Kyoto - Gion Corner cultural centre - JPY5500
- Kyoto - Imperial Palace - Free
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
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’.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Kyoto - Fushimi Inari-Taisha
- Kyoto - Sake Brewery Visit & Tasting
- Kyoto - Kyoto Tower - JPY900
- Kyoto - Bike hire (per day) from - JPY1200
- Kyoto - Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - JPY500
- Kyoto - Ryoanji Zen Garden - JPY600
- Kyoto - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest - Free
- Kyoto - Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku-no-Michi) - Free
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.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Dinner
- Osaka - Dotombori and Kuromon Street Food Walking Tour
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.
There are no meals included on this day.
Inclusions and activities
1 breakfast, 2 dinners
Public Bus, Metro, Local Train, Bullet Train
Hotel (6 nights), Homestay (1 night)
- Tokyo - welcome meeting and orientation walk
- Tokyo - Sensoji Temple
- Tokyo - Meiji Jingu Shrine
- Tokyo - Shibuya walking tour
- Mishima - Mishima Skywalk
- Kawane - Homestay & 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
- Tokyo - Shinjuku-gyoen - JPY500
- Tokyo - Yoyogi Park - Free
- Tokyo - Imperial Palace - Free
- Mishima - Mishima Taisha Shrine - Free
- Mishima - Rakujuen Park - JPY300
- Mishima - Kakitagawa Park - Free
- Kyoto - Gion Corner cultural centre - JPY5500
- Kyoto - Imperial Palace - Free
- Kyoto - Kyoto Tower - JPY900
- Kyoto - Bike hire (per day) from - JPY1200
- Kyoto - Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - JPY500
- Kyoto - Ryoanji Zen Garden - JPY600
- Kyoto - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest - Free
- Kyoto - Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku-no-Michi) - Free
This trip generates 53 kg of CO2-e per person per day
Learn more about our climate commitment.
When you travel with us, The Intrepid Foundation gives you more opportunities to support important causes in destinations you visit.
Before you book you should know
- Japan is best explored on foot and by public transport. You’ll need to be fit enough to spend most of each day on your feet and able to handle your luggage as you navigate busy train stations. We recommend comfortable shoes and packing light.
- Double rooms in Japanese hotels can be smaller than you may be used to (e.g. 20 sqm). Every effort will be made to accommodate double room requests. However, during busy periods, there may be occasions when we are unable to offer a double room, so a twin room will be provided.
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. Some of such properties will only give 1 key for each room so you can leave the key at the reception so that you and your roommate won't have to conform to the same schedule when you are out exploring.
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/
ICI HOTEL Ueno Shin-Okachimachi
4-23 Taito, Taito 110-0016 Tokyo Prefecture
Tokyo
JAPAN
Description
ICI HOTEL Ueno Shin-Okachimachi is conveniently located for both business and sightseeing, about 15 minutes from Tokyo Station. It is also just 10-minutes walk from the nearest JR Okachimachi Station, and 3minutes walk from Shin-Okachimachi Station on the Toei Oedo Line. There are supermarkets, convenience stores and shopping streets around the hotel, making it very convenient.
It is within walking distance of Ueno Ameyoko and a 5-minute train ride to Asakusa.
Instructions
Japan has a very efficient public transport service and there are many ways to get from the two airports in the Tokyo region (Narita Airport or Haneda Airport) to your hotel. Narita is located approx. 65 km from Tokyo and taxi fares are expensive given the distance (around JPY25,000). Haneda Airport is closer to central Tokyo and a taxi fare will cost around JPY6,000-10,000.
Arrival at Narita Airport (NRT)
From the Narita Airport (NRT) you can reach Ueno Station via Express train or Limousine bus. The most direct way is to take the Keisei Skyliner express to Keisei Ueno Station (approx. JPY2,500 and 40 mins, though there are cheaper and slighly slower options on the same line) and walk to Ueno Okachimachi Station, which takes about 10 minutes. Once at Ueno Okachimachi Station, board the Toei Oedo Line (approximately 2 mins) and get off at Shin-okachimachi Station which is 3 minutes walk to the hotel. You can also take Hibiya Line from Ueno Station to Naka-Okachimachi Station (approximately 1 min) and walk 7 minutes to the hotel.
Arrival at Haneda Airport (HND)
The most direct option is to take Tokyo Monorail to Shinagawa Station and then take JR Yamanote Line to JR Okachimachi Station. From the Station, it takes approximately 10 minutes by walking to the hotel.
Please check the transport details on the hotel's website:https://hotel-monday.com/brand/ici/ueno/access/?wovn=en
If you're having any problems finding the hotel, ring the hotel directly (you can use one of Japan's green public phones with coins of JPY10 or JPY100).
Dates and prices
Important notes
1. We are currently unable to offer a single supplement, airport transfers or additional accommodation in Japan due to limited availability.
2. It is essential that you pack light and compact for rail travel in Japan. Luggage size restrictions apply. Please review the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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