Delve Deep: Intro to Japan

Up to 20% off selected departures on this trip

Trip Overview

TRIP VIBE = iconic sights and in-depth adventures with a local Trip Leader. Remember when you spent that INCREDible week soaking up all the sushi, sake, soba and shrines Japan could throw at you? Huh, that wasn’t you. Then what are you waiting for?! This intro to Japan is all about the weird-and-wonderful in Tokyo, the ancient wonders of Kyoto, and the foodie delights of Osaka. Swipe right for a week’s worth of mind-blowing Japanese culture. You won’t regret it.

Worth noting…

Booking from April 2024 onwards? Day 6 = you’ll be stuffing your face on a street food tour instead of exploring Osaka Castle and Umeda. Bring on the drool!

Delve Deep: Intro to Japan map

Tales From Topdeckers

Trip itinerary

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Tokyo (Japan)

1
Seven days. Three legendary cities. And all the ancient temples, glittering skyscrapers, quirky neighbourhoods and local eats you can handle. Ready to experience this jaw-dropping country properly? You’re in exactly the right place. First: say konnichiwa to your fellow explorers. Then: prepare for your first taste of Japan – we’ve got a group dinner in the traditional Asakusa district lined up. Yep, you’re really here.
- Meals
  
  Dinner
Tokyo

2
Rise and shrine! We’re off to check out Meiji Jingu this morning – Tokyo’s grandest Shinto shrine. Take in all the spiritual vibes, make an offering and wander the blooming (or not) gardens. Next, we’re heading to the uber-kooky Harajuku district (aka cosplay heaven) with our in-the-know Trip Leader. Expect: neon tutus, rainbow-coloured wigs, bubble tea and fairy floss. We’ll also swing by the iconic Shibuya Crossing. It’s all the crazy. Later: thought you could come to Japan and not get involved in some K-A-R-A-OKE? Think again! Gather the gang and bust out some bangers at tonight’s included karaoke bar experience.
- Included Today
  
  Visit the Meiji Shrine
  
  Walking tour of Harajuku and Shibuya with Trip Leader
  
  Group karaoke experience
- Meals
  
  Breakfast
Tokyo

3
This is your day, 100% your way. But if you need some recommendations, we’ve got your back. Ready to plunge into a world of manga and anime? Explore Tokyo’s famous Akihabara district on an optional tour. Later, you can wander the futuristic neon-lit streets of Shibuya. Or join an optional full-day tour of Mt Fuji and Hakone. Fill your camera roll with scenes of Japan’s most ICONIC landscape. Check out the Oshino Ninja Village (as awesome as it sounds). Cruise across stunning Lake Ashi. And soak up the beauty of the serene Hakone Shrine. This is what you came for.
- Meals
  
  Breakfast
- Optional extras
  
  Anime & manga tour of Tokyo: from 13,200 JPY
  
  Full day tour of Mt Fuji and Hakone (with lunch): prices available locally
Tokyo – Kyoto

4
Up and at ‘em: it’s an early start to get the Shinkansen (bullet train FYI) to Kyoto. Home to over 2,000 temples and shrines this place ticks all the spiritual boxes. After lunch, we’ll visit the incredible Fushimi Inari Shrine – with plenty of time to hike to the top and explore the torii gates. Then the afternoon is yours. If you want, spend the rest of the day dressed up as a geisha or samurai (we told you it would get weird). Tonight, we’ll regroup for an included dinner – another chance to show off your chopstick skills. Or not.
- Included Today
  
  Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine
  
  Train ticket to Kyoto
- Meals
  
  Breakfast
  
  Dinner
- Optional extras
  
  Dress as a geisha or samurai: from 10,533 JPY
Kyoto

5
Time to explore this place with our expert Trip Leader. We’ll tick off the Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion before moving on to Arashiyama to visit the Tenryu-ji Temple. Grab a bite to eat then head out to explore the sprawling bamboo forest and Togetsu-kyo bridge. Then, the rest is up to you. Lose yourself, find yourself, then grab a biru at a local watering hole.
- Included Today
  
  Walking tour of Kyoto with Trip Leader (including Kinkaku-ji Temple)
  
  Visit the Arashiyama bamboo forest
- Meals
  
  Breakfast
Kyoto – Osaka

6
Just when you thought your jeans couldn’t get any tighter – today we’re headed for Osaka: the foodie capital of Japan. Here, they even have a word for “scoff till you drop”: kuidaore. Down your cup of matcha – we’ve got an intro tour to the city starting with the majestic Osaka Castle and the Umeda Sky Building. SD cards full of EPIC views over the city – the rest of the afternoon is yours for the taking. Whatever you get up to, just make sure you’re back in time for tonight’s included dinner.
- Included Today
  
  Train ticket to Osaka
  
  Visit the Umeda Sky Building
  
  Visit Osaka Castle
- Meals
  
  Breakfast
  
  Dinner
Osaka

7
Time to say sayonara to the Land of the Rising Sun. Swap those Insta handles – you’re going to need them to organise next year’s reunion trip. What’s next? We've got Delve Deep trips to Southeast Asia which you can hop straight on. Just saying...
- Meals
  
  Breakfast

What's included

Included experiences

- Visit the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo
- Walking tour of Tokyo’s Harajuku and Shibuya districts with Trip Leader
- Group karaoke experience in Tokyo
- Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
- Walking tour of Kyoto with Trip Leader (including Kinkaku-ji Temple)
- Visit the Arashiyama bamboo forest
- Visit the Umeda Sky Building
- Visit Osaka Castle

Accommodation

-6 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double)

Transport

- High-speed trains and public transport

Optional activities

FYI: these are optional activities available locally. Things might change – prices are here to give you a rough idea.

- Anime & manga tour of Tokyo: from 13,200 JPY

- Full day tour of Mt Fuji and Hakone: prices available locally

- Dress as a geisha or samurai: from 10,533 JPY

OTHER INFORMATION

Luggage transport

On Day 3 of your trip, you’re riding the Shinkansen (aka bullet train!). Carriage space is limited, so we’ll transport your luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto - just bring a small bag to cover you for this night.

Optional activities

All optional activities are subject to availability, but there’s *always* something lit to do in Japan!

Views & Reviews

Latest Reviews

Average rating based on 9 reviews

Anonymous November 2023
Anonymous November 2023

Japan is an amazing country with so much to experience.
However, the tour experience from Topdeck was not what I imagined it to be.

The tour guide did their role in guiding us from location to location, however, they did not really provide us with any historical insight or learnings into the locations or areas we explored. I don't really feel like I learned a lot about Japan's history - which was something I wanted to get out of this tour.

There was a lot of "free time" on the tour, so, when asked of what "must do recommendations" should we do with the time we had, we didn't really get a straight up answer, or any excitement over what was recommended. For example, an area/experience we heard about in Kyoto was something we really wanted to do, but when asked about it, we were told that it's not recommended as there was a hike. We decided to do it anyway, the hike was only 10 minutes, and it was an amazing experience as we got to see the whole city from a vantage point, but also got to see monkeys!
The free day in Tokyo meant that we could have done many things, but there were no suggested recommendations of what we "could do". It was up to us to decide what we wanted to do and to really just do our own research, which I found very disappointing as I've been on other tours where they give you a tonne of options/must do's and we at least had an idea of what we could have done to maximise the time.

To summarise, the small group I had was amazing, however, I felt like I could have just booked accomodation and travel in the cities we explored and maybe had a better experience.
Stephanie Lo June 2023

Amazing tour guide and top spots. Only advice would be to spend a bit more time with Kyoto and Osaka.