Most first trips to Japan follow the Golden Route: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, often Hiroshima and Osaka. That is where almost every tour starts, and then they go their separate ways, into ryokan with private hot springs, up to the lavender and lakes of Hokkaido, down to the hot springs of Kyushu, or along the old samurai road on foot. Bullet trains, mercifully, are involved in most of them.
This guide is for anyone choosing an escorted tour of Japan. We compare every tour on our Japan tours page, from a budget trip for 18 to 35s to luxury, flight-inclusive and walking holidays, with who each suits and its honest drawback.
The quick answer
- If you want the Golden Route in nine days in a small group, pick Japan Highlights.
- If you want comfort and a ryokan with your own hot spring, pick Luxury Japan.
- If you want flights and nearly every meal arranged, pick Experience Japan with Flights, or Japan by Rail for the whole country.
- If you have seen Kyoto and want somewhere quieter, pick Northern Japan & Hokkaido or Southern Japan.
- If you want to walk, pick the Nakasendo Trail, self-guided.
Every Japan tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Golden Route in small groups | ||||||
| Japan Highlights: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima & Osaka – 9 Days | 9 | £2,560 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Japan in a week |
| Classic Japan: Kyoto, Koya-san, Hiroshima & Tokyo – 11 Days | 11 | £3,272 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Temple stay and the Kiso Valley |
| Japan: Land of the Rising Sun – Tokyo to Kyoto – 12 Days | 12 | £3,356 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Quieter towns and a homestay |
| Simply Japan: Snow Monkeys, Temples & Kyoto – 14 Days | 14 | £3,695 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Snow monkeys and the Alps |
| Japan Real Food Adventure: Tokyo to Osaka – 11 Days | 11 | £3,088 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Food lovers |
| Essential Japan for 18–35s: Tokyo to Osaka – 10 Days | 10 | £1,097 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | 18 to 35s on a budget |
| Japan Highlights Family Holiday – 8 Days | 8 | £2,595 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Families with children aged 5+ |
| Comfort and luxury | ||||||
| Luxury Japan Highlights: Tokyo, Kanazawa & Kyoto – 9 Days | 9 | £4,450 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | A short trip in quality hotels |
| Luxury Japan: Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama, Hiroshima & Kyoto – 12 Days | 12 | £5,272 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Ryokan with private onsen |
| Luxury Japan: Temples, Koyasan & the Nakasendō – 9 Days | 9 | £5,424 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Temples, Koyasan and the Nakasendo |
| With flights from the UK | ||||||
| Experience Japan with Flights: Osaka, Kyoto, Fuji & Tokyo – 11 Days | 11 | £6,290 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 28 | Yes | Short, every meal included |
| Discover Japan with Flights: Tokyo to Koyasan – 13 Days | 13 | £6,090 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 28 | Yes | The Alps, Kyoto and Koyasan |
| Japan by Rail with Flights: Kyushu to Hokkaido – 21 Days | 21 | £9,590 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 28 | Yes | Kyushu to Hokkaido by train |
| Japan’s Scenic South & the Golden Route with Flights – 16 Days | 16 | £5,759 pp incl. flights | Medium | Not stated | Yes | Kyushu and Shikoku, then Tokyo |
| Solo Icons of Japan: Kyoto, Mount Fuji & Tokyo with Flights – 10 Days | 10 | £4,939 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 35 | Yes | Solo travellers |
| South Korea & Japan: Seoul, Kyoto & Tokyo by Bullet Train – 16 Days | 16 | £8,624 pp incl. flights | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | South Korea and Japan |
| South Korea & Japan’s Scenic South with Flights – 22 Days | 22 | £8,576 pp incl. flights | Medium | Not stated | Yes | South Korea and Japan’s south |
| Ancient Empires of China & Japan with Flights – 20 Days | 20 | £7,390 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 28 | Yes | China and Japan |
| Beyond the Golden Route | ||||||
| Northern Japan & Hokkaido Adventure – 12 Days | 12 | £3,925 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Hokkaido and the north |
| Japan Adventure: Tokyo, Kyoto & Hokkaido – 20 Days | 20 | £6,545 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | The classic route plus Hokkaido |
| Southern Japan Experience: Shikoku & Kyushu – 12 Days | 12 | £3,930 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Shikoku and Kyushu |
| Ultimate Japan: Hakone, Homestays, Shikoku & Kyushu – 23 Days | 23 | £7,365 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Three weeks, homestays and the south |
| Walking and cycling | ||||||
| Self-Guided Walk the Nakasendo Trail – 11 Days | 11 | £3,789 pp | Moderate to challenging | Not stated | No | Self-guided: the samurai road |
| Self-Guided Walk the Kumano Kodo – 11 Days | 11 | £3,659 pp | Moderate to challenging | Not stated | No | Self-guided: the pilgrim trail |
| Japan: Hike, Bike & Kayak – 12 Days | 12 | £4,195 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | A bit of everything, actively |
| Cycling in Japan: Kanazawa Coast to Kyoto – 14 Days | 14 | £5,045 pp | Medium | Max 14 | No | Regular cyclists |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which Japan tour fits →
The Golden Route in a small group
Japan in nine days
Japan Highlights: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima & Osaka – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £2,560 per person
- Max 12 people
- Tokyo, Japan to Osaka, Japan
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Tokyo’s temples and neon districts, a night with a family in the green-tea country of Kawane sleeping on futons on tatami mats, Kyoto, then the bullet train to Hiroshima’s Peace Park and the island of Miyajima, finishing with Osaka’s street food. Groups are up to 12, travelling by public transport and bullet train.
Suits: first-timers with a week. The honest drawback: it is not a slow pace, and few meals are included.
Temple stays and post towns
Classic Japan: Kyoto, Koya-san, Hiroshima & Tokyo – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £3,272 per person
- Max 12 people
- Kyoto, Japan to Tokyo, Japan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Classic Japan (11 days) adds a temple stay on Koya-san and a night in a ryokan in Tsumago on the old Nakasendo road, with three nights in Kyoto and two in Hiroshima. Land of the Rising Sun (12 days) mixes famous sights with quieter towns, two nights in a minshuku inn in Hakone and a family homestay in Hagi. Simply Japan (14 days) heads into the Japanese Alps to see the snow monkeys, with temple lodgings in Nagano, Kanazawa and Takayama, in groups of ten to 16.
Suits: first-timers and rail lovers. The honest drawback: you carry your own luggage on trains, and the hotels are comfortable rather than luxurious.
Three more small-group trips suit particular travellers. Japan Real Food Adventure (11 days) explores Japan through markets, tastings and temple cuisine, with six lunches and three dinners, though it is not for anyone with strict dietary restrictions. Essential Japan for 18–35s (10 days) uses hostels, a pod hostel and a family-owned guesthouse to keep the price down. The Japan Highlights Family Holiday (8 days) is for families with children aged five and over, with a minshuku near the Fuji Five Lakes and family rooms where possible.
Comfort and luxury
Ryokan and hot springs
Luxury Japan: Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama, Hiroshima & Kyoto – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £5,272 per person
- Max 12 people
- Tokyo, Japan to Kyoto, Japan
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Luxury Japan (12 days) travels by bullet train with up to 12, staying at places such as The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon in Tokyo and a ryokan in Hakone where every room has its own onsen, or similar, before Takayama, Hiroshima and Kyoto. Luxury Japan Highlights (9 days) is the shorter version, with Tokyo, a night in a traditional hot-spring inn at Yudanaka, Kanazawa and Kyoto. Luxury Japan: Temples, Koyasan & the Nakasendō (9 days) spends four nights in Kyoto, a night at the Jōki-in Temple on Koyasan and two in a Kiso Valley ryokan, for travellers aged 18 and over.
Suits: travellers who value comfort and good food. The honest drawback: none is a budget trip, and the temple room on Koyasan is simple.
With flights from the UK
The whole country by rail
Japan by Rail with Flights: Kyushu to Hokkaido – 21 Days
- 21 days
- From £9,590 per person incl. flights
- Max 28 people
- Fukuoka, Japan to Sapporo, Japan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights included
- Departures in March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November
Twenty-one days from Fukuoka and Nagasaki to Hiroshima and Miyajima, Himeji Castle, Nara, Kyoto with a tea ceremony, Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go and on to Hokkaido, with return flights and nearly all meals included. Hotels include the Grand Prince Hiroshima, or similar. Experience Japan (11 days) and Discover Japan (13 days) are shorter versions centred on Honshu, with every or nearly every meal included, and Japan’s Scenic South & the Golden Route (16 days) starts on Kyushu and crosses Shikoku before joining the classic route.
Suits: first-timers who want meals and flights arranged. The honest drawback: groups can reach 28, days are guided, and the two shorter tours do not go to Hiroshima.
For solo travellers, Solo Icons of Japan (10 days) covers Kyoto, Mount Fuji and Tokyo with flights, including a four-star stay in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, in a group of 25 to 35. Three tours combine Japan with another country, all with flights: South Korea & Japan (16 days, all meals included), South Korea & Japan’s Scenic South (22 days) and Ancient Empires of China & Japan (20 days).
Beyond the Golden Route
Hokkaido and the north
Northern Japan & Hokkaido Adventure – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £3,925 per person
- Max 12 people
- Tokyo, Japan to Sapporo, Japan
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Twelve days north from Tokyo by bullet train: Hirosaki Castle, the port of Hakodate, a ryokan in the hot-spring town of Noboribetsu, a kaiseki dinner at Lake Shikotsu, Ainu culture in Asahikawa, Daisetsuzan National Park and the flower fields of Furano, ending in Sapporo with a day trip to Otaru. Japan Adventure (20 days) adds the classic route first.
Suits: returning visitors and nature lovers. The honest drawback: the page is clear that this is not the classic Kyoto and Tokyo route, and most meals are not included.
Shikoku and Kyushu
Southern Japan Experience: Shikoku & Kyushu – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £3,930 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Osaka, Japan
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Twelve days on the less-visited islands: the art island of Naoshima, the spa town of Matsuyama, a homestay near Usuki, lunch steamed in hot-spring vapour in Beppu, a Japanese inn near Mount Aso’s caldera and two nights in Nagasaki. Ultimate Japan (23 days) combines the classic route with Shikoku, Kyushu and several homestays.
Suits: return visitors and hot-spring fans. The honest drawback: not the classic route, and few meals are included.
On foot and by bike (bring good socks)
The Nakasendo, self-guided
Self-Guided Walk the Nakasendo Trail – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £3,789 per person
- Osaka, Japan to Tokyo, Japan
- Physical rating: moderate to challenging
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Eleven days walking the old samurai highway between Kyoto and Tokyo at your own pace, with detailed notes and local support but no group or guide. You walk from Kurama to Kibune, the classic section from Magome to Tsumago, through the Kiso Valley to Matsumoto and over the Usui Pass, staying in hotels, ryokan and minshuku inns. The Kumano Kodo (11 days) is the self-guided pilgrimage route through the forested mountains of the Kii Peninsula.
Suits: independent walkers. The honest drawback: these are not escorted, the Nakasendo is rated moderate to challenging, and the Kumano Kodo has steep paths.
For escorted active trips, Japan: Hike, Bike & Kayak (12 days) walks a section of the Nakasendo, cycles the Shimanami Kaido across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, hikes part of the Kumano Kodo to Nachi Falls and kayaks near Toba. Cycling in Japan (14 days) rides from the Sea of Japan coast through the Japanese Alps to Kyoto with a support vehicle, for regular cyclists aged 16 and over.
How to choose
By time available. A week to ten days: Japan Highlights, the family holiday, the luxury short trips, Experience Japan, the 18–35s trip or Solo Icons. Two weeks: most small-group tours and Discover Japan. Three weeks: Japan by Rail, Japan Adventure, Ultimate Japan or a two-country tour.
By budget. The 18–35s trip, Japan Highlights and the family holiday are the cheapest. Most small-group tours sit in the middle. The longest small-group trips, the luxury tours and the tours with flights cost the most, though the last include flights and many meals. Live prices are in the table above.
By fitness. Most tours are rated low or medium, but expect a lot of walking and, on small-group trips, carrying your own luggage on trains. The Nakasendo walk is rated moderate to challenging.
By travel style. Small groups of up to 12 to 16 use public transport and bullet trains; the flight-inclusive tours have groups of up to 28 or more with a tour director. Choose a homestay or temple stay if you want to see how people live, and a luxury tour for ryokan with private onsen.
When to go
Many small-group tours depart all year. The tours with flights run between March and November, several only in spring and autumn, and the luxury temples tour runs in April, May, October and November. The departure months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Japan, including entry requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Japan tour for first-time visitors?
Japan Highlights covers Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka in nine days in a small group. With more time, Classic Japan adds a temple stay and the Kiso Valley.
Which Japan tours include flights?
Experience Japan, Discover Japan, Japan by Rail, Japan’s Scenic South, Solo Icons of Japan and the tours combined with South Korea or China. The others are land-only, and we can arrange flights.
Can I walk the Nakasendo on a tour?
Yes. The Nakasendo Trail is self-guided over 11 days. Classic Japan, Hike, Bike & Kayak and the luxury temples tour include shorter sections or stays on the old road.
Is there a Japan tour for families?
Yes, the Japan Highlights Family Holiday, for children aged five and over. Some flight-inclusive tours also suit families with children aged 12 and over.
Which Japan tours go to Hokkaido?
Northern Japan & Hokkaido, Japan Adventure and Japan by Rail.
Is there a Japan tour for solo travellers?
Solo Icons of Japan is designed for people travelling on their own. Most small-group tours also list solo travellers among the people they suit.
Ready for Japan?
Tell us how long you have and how you like to travel, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Japan tours with you.
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Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
