Japan has had a massive explosion in visitor numbers in recent years, which has meant many of its most popular destinations — particularly Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka — are becoming crowded. And while it’s an easy country to explore thanks to plentiful accommodation and super-quick shinkansen, it’s not always that straightforward to understand: whether it’s uncovering the hidden meaning behind spiritual and historic sites, learning the ins and outs of Japan’s complicated cultural etiquette (not least the proper way to bathe in an onsen), or simply getting to grips with the language, having an experienced guide can really help you get the most out of your time.
As such, Japan is a country where an organised tour definitely comes into its own. From temple visits to hiking excursions and island adventures, the right tour can help steer you away from the tourist crush to discover a more authentic side of Japan: wild trails in Hokkaido, deserted beaches on Okinawa, shukubo (temple) stays on Mt Koya or crane-filled bird sanctuaries in Kyushu. And you might just make a bunch of new friends along the way. Here are some of our favourite tours in Japan.
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1. Signature Japan — Through Temples & Time, Exodus
Lake Kawaguchiko and Mount Fuji
GETTY IMAGES
£££ | Group size 4-16
This top-end, nine-day trip puts together a tailored experience that aims to offer an exclusive look at Japan, delving into cultural treasures and insider experiences that are a cut above the norm — from gourmet dinners in a Kyoto garden to a monk-guided walk around Okunoin Cemetery on Mount Koya. Along the way, you’ll meet a hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) in Hiroshima, enjoy a kaiseki (multi-course) dinner hosted by an apprentice geisha in Kyoto, try your hand at shakyo (sutra tracing) at Saiho-ji, walk a section of the Nakasendo Trail from Tsumago, explore feudal Gifu Castle and visit Lake Kawaguchiko for a classic Mount Fuji panorama. All meals, transfers, activities and accommodation (including a memorable temple stay at Joku-in on Mount Koya) are included, but not flights.
2. Japan Uncovered, Wendy Wu Tours
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
WENDY WU TOURS
£££ | Group size 8-28
Explore some of Japan’s historical, cultural and natural wonders, including Mount Fuji and the Japanese Alps, on this extensive 17-day tour. It’s a journey that starts in buzzing Osaka and ends amid the glass and chrome of Tokyo. Along the way, hop on a bullet train to Kyoto to experience a tea ceremony in a 17th-century temple, take part in a washi paper-making workshop, browse the stalls at the morning market in Takayama, watch snow monkeys at the hot springs in Nagano, and snap photos of the stirring landscapes around Mount Fuji. The price includes international flights, hotel accommodation and most meals. You’ll spend a fair amount of time walking the sights, so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
• Discover our full guide to Japan
3. Japan Family Journey: from Ancient to Modern Times, G Adventures
Snow monkeys in Nagano
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£££ | Group size 1-20
This 11-day adventure introduces families to what are arguably Japan’s most thrilling cultural activities: sumo wrestling, ramen-making and samurai swordplay. You’ll visit the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo to experience the city’s traditional heritage, and later participate in a traditional taiko drumming class. There’s also an Okinawa cooking class, where you’ll learn how to make dishes from the Japanese island chain. In Nagano, you can watch the endearing snow monkeys, before visiting a wasabi farm where — if your taste buds can take it — you can try wasabi ice cream. The price includes accommodation, activities and some meals, but not flights.
4. Japan by Rail, Wendy Wu Tours
Kinkaku-ji — the Golden Pavilion — in Kyoto
WENDY WU TOURS/SHUTTERSTOCK
£££ | Group size 8-28
Sit back and take in that view: this 21-day, fully inclusive rail journey zooms you to the country’s most unforgettable landscapes as it travels the length and breadth of Kyushu, Honshu and Hokkaido. Arranged by Asia specialist Wendy Wu Tours, this epic trip includes stays in Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Kyoto, the opportunity to look for snow monkeys at Jigokudani Monkey Park, a tour of Himeji Castle, a hike on Mount Fuji, lake cruises and participation in a tea ceremony in the geisha district of Kyoto. The price includes flights, four-star hotel accommodation, all meals, internal transport and tours.
Times Holidays
5. Essential Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima, Jules Verne
£££ | Group size 6–18
Visit Japan for a small-group, ten-night tour that combines ancient Kyoto, Osaka and hi-tech Tokyo with Hiroshima (where restoration projects have focused on preserving its heritage after the destruction wrought by the atomic bomb in 1945). You’ll also enjoy the show-stealing cherry blossoms in spring, be whooshed through the country by bullet train and learn how to roll sushi with a head chef. The price includes flights, hotel accommodation, some meals, excursions and guides.
6. Back Roads of Japan, G Adventures
Tokyo’s Shibuya district
ALAMY
££ | Group size 12-15
This 11-day tour focuses firmly on introducing travellers to Japan’s local side away from the crowded hotspots. You’ll get a flavour of city life in Tokyo with a tour of Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku, before zipping to Nagano in the Japanese Alps to watch snow monkeys bathing in the thermal waters at Jigokudani Monkey Park. Things get toasty in Otsu, where you’ll take a dip in the healing hot springs. A trip highlight is the former castle town of Hagi, where — as part of G Adventures’ commitment to community tourism — you’ll spend two nights at a homestay in Hagi’s rural farming region. The price includes accommodation and some meals, but not flights.
7. Classic Japan Tour, Abercrombie & Kent
The Buddha statue at Todai-Ji temple in Nara
ALAMY
£££ | Group size Maximum 18 (average 14)
Indulge yourself on an eight-night luxury escorted tour of Japan with plenty of days to explore Tokyo, Hakone, Osaka and Nara. Get a taste of some of the country’s classic cultural practices with a traditional tea ceremony and relax in a ryokan at the bubbling hot-spring spot of Hakone. Then there’s the chance to browse the show-stealers at the Museum of Art in Osaka, admire the country’s largest bronze Buddha at the Todai-Ji temple complex in Nara, and tuck into a shabu-shabu dinner where beef will likely be the star of the show. The price includes five-star accommodation — including at one of Japan’s most exclusive inns, Gôra Kadan — some meals, excursions and expert guides.
8. Hidden Wonders of North Japan, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours
Colourful clothing in the Kansai region of Honshu
ALAMY
£££ | Group size Maximum of 20
This 14-day tour heads north from Tokyo to Sapporo to explore Japan’s main island, Honshu. You’ll visit old postal towns, castles and ancient temples that will easily rival any you’ll see in Kyoto. Then, tick off some less well-known spots: Lake Towoda and Oirase Stream, Bandai-Asahi National Park, Genbikei Gorge and Matsushima Bay. Finally, it’ll be time to get crafty and try your hand at taiko drumming and painting wooden kokeshi dolls. The price for this luxury tour includes flights, five-star accommodation, excursions and all meals (including fine-dining experiences).
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• Cherry blossom season in Japan: where and when to go
9. Lost Islands of Japan, YellowWood Adventures
Yakushima Island
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£££ | Group size 4-12
If you’re looking for something very different to the classic Japan tour, then this ten-night adventure explores several fascinating islands where western tourists are still a rarity. Beginning in the coastal city of Kagoshima, it starts with a speedboat trip to the wooded island of Yakushima for hiking through ancient cedar forest and the Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine: it’s supposedly the inspiration for the forests in the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke. Next comes Tokunoshima, the second largest of the Amami Islands, where you will try furicha (foamy tea), sample locally-brewed shochu, a traditional distilled liquor, and indulge in some swimming and sunbathing. Okinoerabu is a coral island spotted with sandy beaches and riddled with limestone caves including the most famous, Shoryudo, popular with spelunkers — you can do some cave-diving if you wish. Last is Okinawa, the home of karate, where you might find yourself kayaking through mangrove forest in Gesashi Bay or hiking around Cape Hedo, the island’s northernmost tip. Meals (nine breakfasts and seven dinners), transfers, boats and accommodation are included, but flights are not. It can easily be combined with one of YellowWood’s more traditional tours too.
yellowwoodadventures.com
10. Seasonal Gardens of Japan, Brightwater Holidays
The Great Buddha of Kamakura
ALAMY
£££ | Group size 6-25
Gardens in Japan aren’t simply pleasant places to look at or stroll through: they have a deep cultural resonance, encompassing everything from aesthetic beauty to the transience of the natural world. This 14-day tour is heaven for horticulturalists, visiting lots of famous gardens and many more hidden corners. It begins with the cherry blossom-filled gardens around Osaka Castle, then heads on to Kyoto for three days of Zen rock gardens, temple landscaping and the city’s lovely botanical park. In Nara, you will explore the sprawling deer park and Kasuga Grand Shrine, followed by the Great Buddha and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura and Onshi Hakone Park in Hakone. The trip concludes with the many gardens of Tokyo, from very well-known ones such as the Imperial Palace East Gardens to lesser-visited spots like Mukojima Hyakkaen and Kyu Furukawa. If you have time, don’t miss the brilliant Shunkaen Bonsai Museum. Flights, transport, accommodation and some meals are included, but a few excursions (such as a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Park) are extra.
brightwaterholidays.com
11. In Search of Ancient Japan, Bamboo Travel
Dancers in traditional dress during the twice-yearly Takayama Festival
ALAMY
£££ | Group size private tour
This 16-day private tour is aimed at first-time visitors to Japan who want to soak up as much culture and history as possible. You’ll head deep into rural Honshu and across the Japanese Alps to explore historical towns and villages, and swing by the 16th-century city of Kanazawa with its renowned Japanese gardens. Then, there’s an overnight stay in a thatched farmhouse in the traditional village of Shirakawago, a guided ebike tour of the artisanal town of Takayama, and a fabulous walk in the Kiso Valley before the trip climaxes in the ancient capital of Kyoto. Price includes flights and internal transport, accommodation in hotels and ryokans (Japanese-style inns), some meals and guided tours. Aim to travel between March and May or September and November.
bambootravel.co.uk
12. Art in Japan, Martin Randall Travel
The Shinkyo Bridge over the Daiwa River at Nikko
ALAMY
£££ | Group size 10–22
Run by the cultural travel specialists Martin Randall Travel, this high-end tour gets under the skin of Japan’s rich artistic heritage. Some of the earliest known ceramics were produced here, but Japan’s contemporary art is worth paying attention to as well and this trip will show you the ancient, the modern and everything in between. The itinerary features world heritage sites at Nikko, Kyoto, Nara and Horyu-ji, and visits to collections at museums as well as the art contained in shrines and temples, while introducing the country’s gastronomy and gardens along the way. An expert lecturer accompanies you on the tour, and the price includes accommodation in four and five-star hotels, most meals (with wine), and travel by private coach and high-speed train. Flights are excluded.
martinrandall.com
13. Wild Japan in Winter, Naturetrek
Red-crowned cranes in the Japanese snow
NATURETREK
£££ | Group size 6–12
This thrilling 12-day tour showcases Japan’s leading wildlife spectacles during the country’s snow-filled winter. With luck, you’ll see magnificent flocks of Steller’s sea eagles, Japanese macaques taking a dip in thermal springs, the rare Blakiston’s fish owl and witness the gathering of 15,000 hooded cranes on the island of Kyushu. The winter wonderland will be the perfect backdrop to any wildlife snaps, and you’ll also experience traditional Japanese culture, with stays in ryokans and local cuisine. The price includes flights, accommodation, some meals and the expert guides that you expect from this leading wildlife-focused tour operator.
naturetrek.co.uk
14. Japan Unmasked, InsideJapan Tours
On the water in the canal town of Kurashiki
INSIDE JAPAN
££ | Group size 4–14
This unique 14-day small-group tour zooms out of Tokyo by bullet train and whisks you beyond the usual tourist sights. You’ll stay at a Zenko-ji temple alongside the monks, experiencing the Buddhist way of life and eating simple shojin ryori (traditional Buddhist) cuisine, before venturing to the castle town of Matsumoto. The trip continues through the Japanese Alps, featuring visits to hot spring baths, trying local kaiseki meals and tasting saké. Stroll the gardens and samurai districts of Kanazawa, bone up on Hiroshima’s ancient and more recent history, and see the sights of Kyoto and the canal town of Kurashiki. Your expert guides will let you into a few secrets and take you to their favourite ramen restaurants, sushi bars and traditional izakaya bars. Tours depart all year and the price includes accommodation, daily breakfast and two evening meals during the tour, and guides. Flights will need to be added on separately.
insidejapantours.com
15. Hokkaido Hotspots, Gane & Marshall
Sounkyo Gorge in Daisetsuzan National Park
GETTY IMAGES
££ | Group size Minimum of 2
This 12-day tour reveals the fascinating culture of Hokkaido in the far north of Japan, where vibrant cities shine alongside equally stirring sleepy rural corners. After tours of Toyko, you’ll travel to the old harbour city of Hakodate, and then on to Shikotsu-Toya National Park, home to some of the island’s very best scenery. Expect to call in at Sapporo, the bustling capital of Hokkaido, before the pace eases with time in the farming settlement of Furano, with its lavender and snow fields. Finish things off by diving into the wilderness of Daisetsuzan, one of the country’s biggest national parks. The price includes accommodation in hotels and ryokans, some meals, tour guides and entrance fees. Flights excluded.
ganeandmarshall.com
16. Majestic Japan Tour, Luxury Gold
£££ | Group size Maximum of 24
Beginning in Osaka and finishing in Tokyo, this luxury tour — aimed at couples wanting a high-end holiday focused on cultural experiences — journeys west by bullet train to Hiroshima and to Oirase Gorge in the far north, with stays in some of the country’s top hotels on the way. The itinerary includes a foodie walking tour in Osaka, performances of traditional Japanese guitar and drumming in Hirosaki, views of Mount Fuji from the panoramic Kachi Kachi Yama Ropeway cable car, and a private cruise along Matsushima Bay. The price of this 11-day tour includes five-star accommodation, internal travel, activities and most meals, but not flights. Tours usually run April to November.
luxurygold.com
17. The Japanese Alps, Gane & Marshall
The Japanese Alps above Hakuba Valley
ALAMY
££ | Group size private tour
After exploring Tokyo, guests on this ten-day tour will wrap up for an adventure into the Japanese Alps. Stroll or cycle the colour-popping castle city of Matsumoto, fawn over the snow monkeys of Jigokudani and take the train through the Kiso Valley to Magome, where you can pick up the fabulous Nakasendo walking trail. Then, it’s on to Takayama’s old town, in the mountainous Hida region, and the Unesco-listed village of Ogimachi. After an atmospheric rail ride to Kyoto, try your hand at Japanese calligraphy or visit a private temple to take part in a tea ceremony and Zen meditation. The price includes accommodation (hotels, guesthouses and ryokans), some meals, tours with guides and internal transport, but not flights.
ganeandmarshall.com
18. Definitive Cultural Tour of Japan, Mountain Kingdoms
Himeji Castle in Hyogo
ALAMY
£££ | Group size 5–12
This in-depth cultural tour of Japan heads west from modern Tokyo through the villages of the Japanese Alps and central heartlands to Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka. It’s the perfect 16-day introduction for any first-timer, steering you to all of the big-name sights, among them the Matsumoto and Himeji castles, the snow monkeys of Yudanaka, and the 5,000 red torii gates leading to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. You’ll also have the opportunity to experience a tea ceremony, witness a sumo wrestling match and spend a night in a Buddhist temple on sacred Mount Koya. The price includes flights, accommodation, some meals, all transport and the services of a local guide, and departures are in August and November.
mountainkingdoms.com
• Most beautiful places in Japan
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Additional reporting by Imogen Lepere
We regularly reassess and refresh this list, adding the latest advice and inspiration
Have you enjoyed a memorable tour of Japan? Please share your experience in the comments below
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