• Three ladies in a kimono walking under Torii gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine

Delve Deep: Japan

Trip Overview

TRIP VIBE = iconic sights and in-depth adventures with a local Trip Leader. Don’t just want to see Japan, but EXPERIENCE it? In all its ancient, futuristic, kooky, incredible glory? You’re in luck. In under two weeks, this Delve Deep trip gives you the highlights and the hidden gems. The culture and the crazy. The ultra-modern and the historic. The scenery and the cities. And all the ramen, okonomiyaki, udon, katsu, yakitori and sake your fat pants can handle (you packed those, right?). This is your insider guide. Japan is waiting.

Tales From Topdeckers

Trip itinerary

  1. Tokyo (Japan)

    1

    You ready for 12 UNbelievable days of delving deep into Japanese culture? Discovering the ultra-modern, the ancient traditions and alllll the local eats – plus the weird, whacky and totally wonderful in between? We thought so. First: say konnichiwa to your fellow explorers. Then: we’ll kick things off with a group dinner at a local restaurant. Nihon e yokoso – welcome to Japan!

    • Meals
      • Dinner
  2. Tokyo

    2
  3. Tokyo

    3
  4. Tokyo – Takayama

    4
  5. Takayama

    5
  6. Takayama – Hiroshima

    6
  7. Hiroshima – Miyajima – Hiroshima

    7
  8. Hiroshima – Kyoto

    8
  9. Kyoto

    9
  10. Kyoto – Osaka

    10
  11. Osaka

    11
  12. Osaka

    12

What's included

Included experiences

  • - 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

Accommodation

- 9 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double), 2 nights in traditional ryokan

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.

- 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 11 reviews
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  • Scott November 2023

    It was a great experience to see and feel Japan at it's core. We absolutely delved deep in to Japanese culture both modern and ancient.

  • Anonymous October 2023

    This was a great introduction to Japan. The trip was the perfect length of time to visit each location and see the best each location had to offer.
    Tokyo - wonderful! What can I say? I recommend you add on a day or two (or more!) if you want more time to explore Tokyo in more depth. I added 3 days on. Recommend: Shinjuku, Golden Gai, Shibuya, Asakusa and Harajuku.
    Takayama - a much quieter mountainous town where we stayed in a ryokan. You will be sleeping on a futon on the floor. We did so many things in Takayama it felt like a blur. Make sure you have lots of energy for the day you wake up in Takayama to travel to Hiroshima as it is a huge day of both activities and then travel.
    Hiroshima - the absolute highlight of the trip for me. Beautiful weather and a totally different feel to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Miyagima was perfection and is a must-see.
    Osaka - more gritty and nightlife-focused place. Unfortunately, I was unwell and so couldn't take advantage of all that Osaka has to offer but I made the best of it. Osaka Castle is magical. I didn't go to Universal Studios Japan but those of the group who did go loved it.
    Kyoto - absolutely loved Kyoto. We had many great things to see and do here. The only gripe is there's so much to see, and so little time! I'd recommend if you are into more traditional Japan culture to add on days at the end of your trip.
    My group was friendly and everyone got along really well with each other.
    The accommodation was good quality - with a mix of modern hotels and traditional ryokan (1 night).
    Travel was mainly by public transport, taxis where needed, and walking. Shinkansen was a great experience. Be mindful that your larger luggage will be sent on ahead of you, so that you can easily catch trains to your next destination. This is a great solution to having to carry around a big suitcase. Just make sure you bring a decent sized backpack on your trip as you will need it to store 3 days or so worth of clothes etc.
    Bring good, comfy walking shoes that you can easily take off and put back on again as there's some places you are required to take your shoes off. Bring your professional camera (if you are a more advanced photographer) or your best smartphone to take amazing photos!
    Make sure you bring as much cash (yen) as you plan to spend. Cash is king in Japan. You can pay for only some things (e.g. convenience stores) with credit card. It's just easier to bring cash - especially for meals and souvenirs.

  • Anonymous July 2023
Read all 11 reviews

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