Tour overview

This 11-day journey explores Japan through its food, from market stalls to temple cuisine. A local leader travels with the group, which numbers no more than twelve, by train. You stay ten nights in hotels and a temple, with breakfast on most days, six lunches and three dinners, plus tastings along the way.

In Tokyo you walk the Tsukiji Outer Market after a welcome dinner. The train takes you to Kanazawa on the Sea of Japan, with its 17th-century Kenroku-en garden and fresh seafood, then on to Kyoto.

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From Kyoto you visit the tea town of Uji and the Fushimi Inari shrine, then spend a night at a temple on Koya-san with a plant-based shojin ryori dinner. The trip ends in Osaka, Japan's kitchen, with a food-hall visit and a farewell kushikatsu dinner.

The physical rating is low. This trip suits food lovers who want to understand Japan through its cuisine.

Trip highlights

  • A welcome dinner in Tokyo (Day 1)
  • Tsukiji Outer Market (Day 2)
  • Kanazawa and Kenroku-en (Day 4)
  • Uji tea fields (Day 6)
  • A shojin ryori dinner on Koya-san (Day 8)
  • Kushikatsu in Osaka (Day 10)

Your route

6 stops from Tokyo to Osaka

11-day route: Tokyo – Kanazawa – Kyoto – Uji – Koya-san – Osaka
  1. Tokyo Days 1–2
  2. Kanazawa Days 3–4
  3. Kyoto Days 5–7
  4. Uji Day 6
  5. Koya-san Day 8
  6. Osaka Days 9–11

Why choose this tour

Japan through its food, with six lunches. A temple stay with monastic cuisine.

Best suited to

  • Food lovers
  • Culture lovers
  • Solo travellers
  • Returning visitors to Japan
A Japanese chef preparing sashimi

Day-by-day itinerary

11 days from Tokyo, Japan to Osaka, Japan

  1. Day 1 · Tokyo Tokyo

    A welcome dinner.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Dinner
  2. Day 2 · Tsukiji Outer Market Tokyo

    A famous market.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  3. Day 3 · Kanazawa Kanazawa

    To the Sea of Japan.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  4. Day 4 · Kenroku-en Kanazawa

    A great garden.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  5. Day 5 · Kyoto Kyoto

    The old capital.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Lunch
  6. Day 6 · Uji Uji

    Tea country.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  7. Day 7 · Fushimi Inari Kyoto

    A thousand gates.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  8. Day 8 · Koya-san Koya-san

    Temple cuisine.

    Hotel
    Temple stay
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner
  9. Day 9 · Osaka Osaka

    Japan's kitchen.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  10. Day 10 · Osaka Osaka

    A farewell dinner.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner
  11. Day 11 · Osaka Osaka

    The trip ends.

    Meals
    Breakfast
Fresh seafood on sale at a market in Kyoto

Where you stay

  • Tokyo (2 nights) Hotel
  • Kanazawa (2 nights) Hotel
  • Kyoto (3 nights) Hotel
  • Koya-san (1 night) Temple stay
  • Osaka (2 nights) Hotel

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation 10 nights in hotels and a temple
  • Meals 9 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 3 dinners
  • Rail travel, including bullet trains
  • Tsukiji Outer Market walk
  • Uji tea experience and Kenroku-en
  • Temple stay with shojin ryori dinner
  • Local leader throughout

Not included

  • Flights
  • Meals not included 1 breakfast, 2 lunches and 7 dinners
  • Optional activities
  • Travel insurance and personal spending
Green tea plantations in Japan

This trip might not be for you if…

Honest disclaimer — please read

  • You have strict dietary restrictions
  • You want luxury hotels
  • You want an active holiday
  • You want flights included — they are not

Good to know

Meals by day Breakfast: Days 2–4 and 6–11 · Lunch: Days 2–7 and 9 · Dinner: Days 1, 8 and 10
Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa

In pictures

Departures & prices

From £3,088 per person, twin share, tour only. 43 upcoming departures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book this tour?

Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.

What financial protection do I get?

Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.

Do I need a visa for Japan?

No, UK citizens can visit Japan visa-free for up to 90 days.

Can dietary needs be catered for?

Many can with advance notice, though some dishes contain fish stock or meat.

What is shojin ryori?

The plant-based cuisine of Buddhist monks, served at the temple on Koya-san.

What are ryokan and minshuku like?

Traditional Japanese inns with futon bedding on tatami floors, often with shared or communal hot-spring baths.

Can I have my own room?

A single supplement is available, except at the temple.

How many people travel together?

No more than twelve travellers, with a local leader.

Can you tailor the trip?

Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.

What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.

ATOL protected 100% financially protected in a Trust bank account PTS 6035 4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.

Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary
From £3,088
See dates & prices