- Tour code
JPNADV01
- Start
Osaka
- End
Tokyo
- Min. age
16 years old
- Group size
Max 6-16 travellers
- Trip style
Explorer
- Trip pace
Active
- Language
English
Japan's contrasts come thick and fast on this route. One morning you're meditating at a mountain temple, the next you're on the shinkansen to Hiroshima. You'll wander Nara among its deer, walk through Fushimi Inari's tunnels of torii, float down the Hozugawa River and sleep on futons in a Hakone ryokan.
Along the way the trip keeps putting you in the kitchen and at the table: street food in Osaka, Nishiki Market in Kyoto, a ramen class with a private chef, a kaiseki dinner with a maiko, a sushi workshop and a karaoke night with the group. Hiroshima brings a quieter, more reflective day at the Peace Memorial Park, with testimony from a survivor of the bombing or a relative.
Tokyo gets three nights, with a sumo session led by a retired wrestler, a bike ride through Fukagawa and free evenings for Shibuya and Shinjuku. Your Soca Islands Host is with the group throughout, handling the trains, transfers and timings across 12 days. Groups are kept to a maximum of 16 travelers.
Why This Journey
Japan rewards preparation: rail passes, temple hours, restaurant bookings and etiquette can all trip up a first-time visitor. Here the hard parts are arranged, and the experiences go well beyond sightseeing, from morning prayers at Shigisan to a tea ceremony led by a geisha and a night in a traditional inn with its own hot-spring baths.
It suits travelers who want to see Japan's famous sights and also understand how people live, eat and celebrate there, and anyone who enjoys food as a way into a culture.
Where You'll Stay
Osaka (1 night): Cross Hotel Osaka, next to Dotonbori. Mount Shigi, Nara Prefecture (1 night): Shigisan Gyokuzoin, a temple lodging, ready for the next morning's prayers. Hiroshima (2 nights): Hotel Granvia Hiroshima, connected to Hiroshima Station. Kyoto (3 nights): Cross Hotel Kyoto, in central Kyoto near Sanjo. Hakone (1 night): Gora Hanaougi, a traditional ryokan in Gora with hot-spring baths. Tokyo (3 nights): Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier. Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation. Rooms are based on two people sharing a double room with two beds; the temple lodging and the Hakone ryokan have Japanese-style rooms with futon bedding.
Getting There
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Fly into Osaka International Airport (ITM) or Kansai International Airport (KIX), and out of Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) or Narita International Airport (NRT); arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
What you will see and do
Step into the ring and share lunch with a retired sumo wrestler in Tokyo
A seasonal kaiseki dinner with a Kyoto maiko performing
Roll your own sushi in a private Tokyo class
What's included
All activities mentioned on the itinerary
Accommodations in double rooms
Experienced Soca Islands Host with you throughout the trip
One farewell group activity when possible
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Max 16 travellers per group
Group transportation
What's excluded
- International flights (travelers arrange their own)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Optional activities and personal expenses
- Single room supplement (single rooms on request, subject to availability)
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Group itinerary
Fly into Itami or Kansai, and a private transfer brings you to your hotel in Shinsaibashi, a minute from Dotonbori's canal and neon.
Then it's straight into what Osaka does best: a local guide leads you through the streets for okonomiyaki, tempura and genuine wagyu, the best introduction to a city that calls itself Japan's kitchen.
Swap the city for Nara, Japan's capital in the eighth century, where tame deer wander the parkland. At Tōdai-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, you'll stand before the Daibutsu, one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world.
The rest of the day is yours to explore the old capital's temples and gardens at your own pace.
Begin quietly with meditation and morning prayers at Shigisan Temple, then board the shinkansen west to Hiroshima.
At the Peace Memorial Park you'll hear first-hand testimony from a survivor of the atomic bombing or one of their relatives. Your evening is free for Hiroshima's restaurants and shopping streets.
Cross to Miyajima for Itsukushima Shrine, the UNESCO-listed shrine whose great torii seems to float at high tide.
Lunch is fresh local oysters with a glass of premier Chablis, and then you'll have time to walk the island's forests before the ferry back to the mainland and a slow afternoon in Hiroshima.
Take the bullet train to Kyoto and head for Nishiki Market, the covered street where Kyoto shops for food, for a tasting walk.
Next comes Fushimi Inari, its thousands of vermilion torii climbing the hillside. Spend the rest of the day on your own among Kyoto's temples, palaces and Zen gardens.
Drift down the Hozugawa River aboard a traditional wooden flat-bottomed riverboat, then walk among the tall stalks of the Arashiyama bamboo grove.
In the evening a private chef shows you how to build a bowl of ramen from scratch, and the night ends with the group taking turns on the karaoke mic.
Slow things down with a traditional tea ceremony led by a geisha, a quiet ritual built around care and attention to every gesture.
Tonight's kaiseki dinner is a many-course seasonal meal, with a maiko, an apprentice geisha, entertaining the table with music, dance and song.
In Hakone, a gondola carries you high above the steaming Owakudani valley, where you'll try an egg boiled black in the sulfur springs.
Tonight is spent in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn: futon bedding and a long soak in the onsen.
Cruise Lake Ashinoko, watching for Mount Fuji on the horizon, and stop at Hakone Shrine, whose red torii stands in the water.
Then it's on to Tokyo, where the evening is free for Shibuya, Shinjuku or wherever your curiosity takes you.
A retired sumo wrestler shows you the ropes today. Suit up and try a bout of your own, then share chanko nabe, the hearty hotpot wrestlers eat to build strength.
Your afternoon is open for seafood, shopping or another corner of the city.
Ride with a local guide through Fukagawa, an old neighborhood now full of coffee roasters, galleries and sake breweries.
Then roll up your sleeves for a private sushi-making workshop, and raise a farewell drink with the group.
Time to say goodbye to the group. A private transfer takes you to Haneda or Narita for your flight onward; extra nights in Tokyo can be requested.
Accommodations
Here's a glimpse of the hotels we selected for this adventure.
Cross Hotel Osaka
A contemporary hotel on Shinsaibashi-suji, a minute's walk from the Ebisubashi bridge and the neon of Dotonbori, with the Shinsaibashi shopping arcade and Namba on the doorstep. Namba and Shinsaibashi subway stations are both close by.
It is well placed for two free days in Osaka: street food, the canal-side walkways and the Kuromon market are all on foot, and the subway connects quickly to Osaka Castle and Umeda. The hotel has a restaurant and bar on site.
Hotel websiteShigisan Gyokuzoin
A temple lodging (shukubo) within Chogosonshi-ji on Mount Shigi, in the hills of Nara Prefecture west of Nara city. Staying overnight lets guests join the temple's early-morning prayers before the day begins.
Rooms are Japanese-style, with shared washrooms and a large communal bath. Dinner and breakfast are served at the temple, with vegetarian Buddhist cooking available.
Hotel websiteHotel Granvia Hiroshima
A large hotel directly connected to the shinkansen exit of JR Hiroshima Station, which makes arriving by bullet train and moving on again very simple. The Peace Memorial Park is a short tram or taxi ride away, and the ferry to Miyajima is reached by train from the same station.
Rooms are spread across standard, superior, premium and high-floor Granvia floors, with a lounge for Granvia Floor guests and several restaurants in the building.
Hotel websiteCross Hotel Kyoto
A contemporary hotel on Kawaramachi-dori, just south of Sanjo, in the middle of downtown Kyoto. Pontocho Alley, the Kamo River, Nishiki Market and the covered shopping arcades are all a few minutes' walk away, and Gion is just across the river.
The KIHARU Brasserie on the ground floor serves a buffet breakfast, and the location makes evenings easy: the group can walk to dinner rather than ride back across the city. Superior Twin rooms are available; the official site gives conflicting room sizes, so sizes are not shown here.
Hotel websiteGora Hanaougi
A ryokan in Gora, the hillside village at the top of the Hakone Tozan railway where the cable car and ropeway climb towards Owakudani. A courtesy car can meet guests at Gora Station.
Its 20 tatami rooms each have a private open-air hot-spring bath, and there are separate indoor and outdoor public baths. Dinner is a seasonal Japanese course meal, and breakfast is included.
Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier
A modern hotel on the upper floors of a tower in Ginza 8-chome, between Ginza and Shimbashi. Tsukiji Outer Market and Hamarikyu Gardens are within walking distance, and Shimbashi and Higashi-Ginza stations, about five minutes away on foot, link easily to Harajuku and Akihabara.
The Italian restaurant serves a buffet breakfast with Japanese and Western dishes, and a lounge bar overlooks the city.
Rooms are 26.3 m² (283 ft²).
Hotel websiteRooms
- Included
Shared double
Shared with the person you book with, or a fellow traveller of the same sex.
- Extra cost
Single room
A room to yourself, subject to availability.
You choose your room when you book.
Tour FAQS
Fly into Osaka International Airport (ITM) or Kansai International Airport (KIX), and out of Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) or Narita International Airport (NRT).
Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation: Cross Hotel Osaka in Osaka (1 night), Shigisan Gyokuzoin temple lodging on Mount Shigi in Nara Prefecture (1 night), Hotel Granvia Hiroshima in Hiroshima (2 nights), Cross Hotel Kyoto in Kyoto (3 nights), Gora Hanaougi ryokan in Hakone (1 night) and Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier in Tokyo (3 nights).
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
Yes. Arrival and departure airport transfers are included: from Itami (ITM) or Kansai (KIX) on Day 1 and to Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) on Day 12. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
11 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners, including the oyster lunch on Miyajima (Day 4) and the kaiseki dinner with a maiko in Kyoto (Day 7). Other meals are at your own cost.
Extra nights can be requested, subject to hotel availability; contact our Customer Experience team for a quote.
There are no scheduled activities on the final day, so feel free to book your departure at your own convenience.
We recommend arriving before 3 pm on Day 1 to make it in time for the welcome event. But don’t worry no matter when you land, we’ll have an airport transfer ready for you.
Please Refer to your government’s travel advice or consult your local consulate. Remember, passport and visa requirements can change, so make sure to stay updated.
Excluding alcohol, we suggest budgeting around USD $40.00 per day for extras.
While we’re not medical professionals, we want to help you prepare for a safe and healthy adventure. Here are some tips:
- Consult with a healthcare professional: Schedule an appointment with your travel nurse or doctor at least eight weeks before your adventure to get any necessary vaccines or medications.
- Up-to-date medical advice:
- US residents: Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- UK residents: Visit the NHS Fit For Travel website.
- Australian residents: Refer to the Smart Traveler Health website.
3. Government travel advice:
- US residents: Consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
- UK residents: Check the FCDO Travel Advice.
- Australian residents: Visit the Smart Traveler website.
4. Medication tips: If you take prescription medication, bring enough to last the entire trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays. Carry a copy of your prescription in case you need to visit a clinic abroad.
We hope this helps you prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Please keep in mind that our itinerary, activities, and hotels might change. These adjustments could happen with little notice due to factors like availability, weather conditions, seasonal shifts, or other circumstances beyond our control. Rest assured, we always aim to minimise any impact on your experience. Occasionally, we may tweak the itinerary to try out fresh ideas and keep the adventure exciting.
We believe solo travelers shouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the world. That’s why our group trips are designed around shared accommodation and do not include a single supplement. Solo travelers joining our group trips are paired in twin or multi-share rooms with another traveler of the same sex for the duration of the trip.
Some of our Independent trips are structured differently. For these itineraries, solo travelers will need to book at the single occupancy rate.
Tips are not included in the cost of this tour. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and based on what you feel comfortable with.
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