- - Experience the Goma Ritual of consecrated fire at Fukagawa Fudo-do Temple
- - Visit the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo
- - Walking tour of Tokyo’s Harajuku and Shibuya districts with Trip Leader
- - Visit a sake brewery in Takayama
- - Visit the morning riverside markets in Takayama
- - Visit Takayama Jinya
- - Visit the Hida folk village
- - Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- - Visit the Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Miyajima
- - Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
- - Visit the Nishiki food market in Kyoto
- - Walking tour of Kyoto’s Gion district with Trip Leader
- - Visit Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto
- - Visit the Arashiyama bamboo forest
- - Orientation walk of Dotonbori Market with Trip Leader
- - Group karaoke experience in Osaka
Your dream trip starts here
Delve Deep: Japan
Trip Overview
Tales From Topdeckers
Trip itinerary
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Tokyo
2Down your cup of matcha – we’re off to check out the Goma Ritual of consecrated fire at Fukagawa Fudo-do Temple this morning. Your wishes could be part of this next-level experience. Ace! Then: it’s time for the Meiji Shrine to SHINE. Tokyo’s grandest Shinto shrine – take in all the spiritual vibes, make an offering and wander the blooming (or not) gardens. Important: you gotta cover that skin up when visiting this place – and any other religious site in Japan. Next, we’re heading to the quirky Harajuku district (aka cosplay heaven) with our in-the-know Trip Leader. Expect kawaii culture galore: neon tutus, rainbow-coloured wigs, bubble tea and fairy floss. We’ll also swing by the legendary Shibuya Crossing – it’s all the crazy. Then: the afternoon’s yours to wander the futuristic streets of Shibuya. And tonight? Get ready to party, Japanese-style on an optional tour of Izakaya nightlife. This is real culture in real time.
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Included Today
- Experience the Goma Ritual of consecrated fire at Fukagawa Fudo-do Temple
- Visit Meiji Shrine
- Walking tour of Tokyo’s Harajuku and Shibuya districts with Trip Leader
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Guided tour of Izakaya nightlife: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Tokyo
3It’s your last day in Tokyo – so, you do you. Been waiting for an opportunity to shamelessly wear Mickey Mouse headwear and fan over Cinderella? An optional trip to Tokyo Disneyland is calling. Book your tix in advance to high five allll your fave characters. Prefer to spend your day breathing in the fresh mountain air? Join a day tour of Mount Fuji and Hakone. Outta-this-world scenery. Gobsmacking beauty. A side of Japan you only see IRL. It’s giving allll the feels. This evening: quiz your Trip Leader on where to find the best ramen – and be prepared to order on a ticket machine with pictures of the dishes. It might be a lucky dip, but that’s what adventuring is all about.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Visit Tokyo Disneyland: prices available locally (booking in advance recommended)
- Full day tour of Mount Fuji and Hakone: prices available locally
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Meals
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Tokyo – Takayama
4Rise and shine – it’s an early start to get the iconic Shinkansen (bullet train FYI) to Takayama. Glue your face to the window as we zoom through the incredible Japanese Alps. Once we’ve pulled in, we'll check into our authentic AF accommodation: a traditional ryokan – complete with tatami-matted floors and sliding doors straight out of The Last Samurai. This arvo, sample some of the good stuff at a local sake brewery. And tonight, an optional Hida beef dinner with the gang is on the menu – vegetarians look away now.
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Included Today
- Train ticket to Takayama
- Visit a sake brewery
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Hida beef dinner: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Takayama
5Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – so we’ll kick things off traditional-style in the ryokan before visiting the bustling morning riverside markets. Tighten those Nike laces to explore Takayama Jinya – the last remaining government outpost from the time of the Samurai and Shoguns. Next up: a taste of traditional life with a visit to Hida Folk Village. And then? A free arvo to do whatever you want. Explore. It. All. The nooks and crannies. The narrow streets. The tranquil waters. Take your trip mates along for the ride. Tonight: dinner’s on you. It’s all about that beef – if you missed out last night, now’s your chance. And it’s better than any maccas. Trust us.
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Included Today
- Visit the morning riverside markets in Takayama
- Visit Takayama Jinya
- Visit the Hida folk village
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Takayama – Hiroshima
6Hiroshima: we’re coming for you. Make sure you grab a window seat for the real af views. That IRL feelin’? Ain’t nothing like it. This afternoon, we’ll make our way to the Memorial Peace Park and its museum. Here, we’ll discover the tragic events of 6 August 1945 when the world’s first nuclear bomb was dropped on the city. Later, an included group dinner's on the cards, so get ready to show off your expert chopstick skills (or drop even more stuff down your T-shirt).
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Included Today
- Visit the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park and Museum
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Hiroshima – Miyajima – Hiroshima
7All aboard the ferry to the island of Miyajima! First up, check out the incred Itsukushima Shrine. Then, we've got the whole afternoon to explore before settling in for sunset. The floating torii gate is pretty spectacular. Back in Hiroshima: use your free time wisely. Put those super-stretchy pants to the test and do as the locals do: inhale a steaming bowl of Onomichi ramen – chased with a glass of the local sake. When in Japan, right?
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Included Today
- Visit the Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Miyajima
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Hiroshima – Kyoto
8Another day of living your best life, let’s get it! Today, we’re hitting the tracks to Japan’s traditional capital, Kyoto. Home to over 2,000 temples and shrines, this place ticks all the spiritual boxes. We’ll visit the incredible Fushimi Inari Shrine – with plenty of time to hike to the top and explore the torii gates. Getting hangry? Grab some lunch before we stop by the Nishiki food market. Drool = 100% guaranteed. Then get ready to say g’day to the geishas as we head to the Gion district. Afterwards: the evening’s yours for exploring.
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Included Today
- Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Visit the Nishiki food market
- Walking tour of the Gion district with Trip Leader
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Kyoto
9Rise n shine travel besties, it’s time to see what Kyoto’s got to offer. And we’re delving in deep. First up: Kinkaku-ji. Alter ego: Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Zen vibes allll day. Ready to feel like you’re in an enchanted land? Arashiyama’s gonna make your eyes sparkle. You’ve got some free time here, so make the most of it! Get lost in the bamboo forest. Cross Tokugetsukyo Bridge. See Tenryu-ji Temple and its lush garden. After breathing in fresh Japanese air and making those calves work wonders, bellies will be ready to rumbleee. Gather the gang and hit Pontocho. Atmospheric. Traditional. Bombastic-side-eye-exclusivity. This place is where REAL Kyoto foodies thrive.
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Included Today
- Visit Kinkaku-ji Temple
- Visit the Arashiyama bamboo forest
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Kyoto – Osaka
10And 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. Let’s keep that energy with our foodie optionals for the day. Opt for a ramen cooking class OR a ramen AND gyoza cooking class. Whatever you choose, the end product will have you scribbling down recipes like there's no tomorrow. Later, we’ve got a date with Dotonbori Market. Authentic street food that slaps? Sorted.
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Included Today
- Orientation walk of Dotonbori Market with Trip Leader
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Ramen and gyoza cooking class: prices available locally
- Ramen cooking class: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Osaka
11Tuck into a traditional breakfast before heading out to do your own thing. It’s your chance to uncover the real Osaka – so make every second count. Thrill-seeker? Jump aboard an optional day trip to Universal Studios (just make sure you book in advance). Foodie? Eat your way around the city with zero regrets. Culture-fiend? Hit Shitennoji Temple – one of the oldest in all of Japan. Tonight, we’ll regroup and head to a local eatery for a send-off to remember. And later? It starts with a ‘K’ and ends with an ‘E’. Nope, not kale. K-A-R-A-O-K-E time! This has been one hell of a trip.
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Included Today
- Group karaoke experience in Osaka
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Full day tour of Universal Studios: prices available locally (booking in advance recommended)
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Included Today
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Osaka
12After breakfast it’s sayonara to the Land of the Rising Sun and our newfound travel fam. Swap Snapchats and start planning that next adventure.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Meals
What's included
Included experiences
Accommodation
- 9 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double), 2 nights in traditional ryokan
Transport
Optional activities
- FYI: these are optional activities available locally. Things might change – prices are here to give you a rough idea.
- Guided tour of Izakaya nightlife: prices available locally
- Visit Tokyo Disneyland: prices available locally (booking in advance recommended)
- Full day tour of Mount Fuji and Hakone: prices available locally
- Hida beef dinner: prices available locally
- Ramen and gyoza cooking class: prices available locally
- Ramen cooking class: prices available locally
- Full day tour of Universal Studios: prices available locally
OTHER INFORMATION
Luggage transport
On this trip you’ll be travelling like a local – including riding the Shinkansen (aka bullet train)! Because carriage space is limited on Japanese trains, we’ll transport your luggage on a few days. You’ll just need to bring a small overnight bag to cover you for these nights.
Optional activities
Pssst: optional activities are subject to availability, but there’s *always* something fun to do in Japan – trust us.
Views & Reviews
Latest Reviews
Average rating based on 16 reviews-
Naiara April 2024
This tour was so poorly organised it felt like a waste of money, I could have done the same thing myself but more efficiently & probably cheaper. Our tour guide was thrown into our tour with 1 hours notice & did his best but was lacking knowledge of the areas, lacked organisation & rushed a lot of the stops. Only having our suitcase every 2nd stop was ridiculous!! I don't see why the suitcases couldnt have been transferred to each stop instead of every 2nd stop, seemed like it was done to cut cost for top deck. None of the optional extras went ahead which is unacceptable, if you offer optional extras, I expect them to be available & I subsequently missed out on going to see mt fuji as a result.
Would not recommend, very dissapointed. -
Tamlyn Gr April 2024
Japan itself was great however I struggle to see the value in this tour. Poorly organised, we were constantly rushed amongst periods of wasting time eg. not starting early enough in the morning and then having no time to stop for lunch. Almost every lunch was a 7/11 rush job. Walking tours as per the tour description were not walking tours- we were taken to the area by the guide and then given free time. Guide taught us nothing about Japan, and sometimes had inaccurate information eg. whether there was a laundry at the hotel. It didn’t feel as though we were learning about Japan, but instead just being led around by the teacher. I booked a twin room with my friend under the same booking, and at every stop they had me listed to share with someone else. This error was raised on day 1 and not resolved. Even though I shared with my friend anyway, the continuous error was unprofessional. This toured provided almost nothing that I could not have done myself
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Brennan Ma February 2024
Overall a very positive experience, I had a lot of fun with all of the different experiences and got along well with the tour group. Our tour guide definitely played a major roll in the overall enjoyment of the trip, being very friendly and knowledgeable. One big issue with the trip was with the takayama experience. Whilst I believe the traditional type stay is necessary, the place was very run down with no water as the pipes froze and in some rooms no heating.
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