Trip Overview
Is this trip for you? QUIRKY. DELICIOUS. BUZZING.
Too expensive...I don't have the time off...I hate sushi...
That's it, we're done with excuses. In under two weeks this 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, okonimiyaki, udon, katsu, yakatori and sake your fat pants can handle (you packed those, right?). This is your wake-up call - Japan is waiting.
Worth noting…
On this trip you'll be travelling like a local... by train! This means a bit of walking between stations and hotels so we recommend packing light with a backpack or small case.
YOUR #TOPDECKER TRAVEL MOMENTS
Trip Itinerary
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Tokyo
2Down your cup of matcha – we’re off to check out the Meiji Shrine this morning. Tokyo’s grandest Shinto shrine – take in all the spiritual vibes, make an offering and wander the blooming (or not) gardens. Then: check out the ins and outs of East Tokyo with an optional cycling tour. Later, the evening is yours to wander the futuristic neon-lit streets of Shibuya or spend your night in the Shinjuku district. With heaps of restaurants, bars, clubs and blaring karaoke joints – this place is where boredom goes to die.
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Included Today
- Meiji Shrine and Shibuya district tour
- Group karaoke experience
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- East Tokyo neighbourhood cycling tour from: 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-girl/boy over Cinderella? An optional trip to Tokyo Disneyland is calling. Or if the snow-topped peaks and gleaming lakes of Mt Fuji sound more like you - there's a day trip to the Fuji Five Lakes region on the cards too. Whatever you pick, there'll be plenty to talk about at tonight's optional show at the Robot Restaurant. You're in Japan after all.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Visit Tokyo Disneyland from: 8,600 JPY
- Day trip to Mount Fuji from: 16471 JYP
- Visit the Robot Restaurant from: 9,000 JPY
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Meals
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Tokyo to Takayama
4Rise and shine – it’s an early start to get the Shinkansen (bullet train FYI) to Takayama. Glue your face to the window as we zoom through the incredible Japanese Alps. Pay a visit a traditional Hida folk village for an insight into what mountain life was like back in the day. Then, an optional Hida beef dinner with the gang is on the menu – vegetarians look away. Later, we’ll rest our heads at our authentic AF accommodation: a traditional ryokan – complete with tatami-matted floors and sliding doors straight out of The Last Samurai.
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Included Today
- Train ticket to Takayama
- Visit the Hida folk village
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Hida beef dinner from: 4,500 JPY
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Included Today
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Takayama to Hiroshima
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. Then, strap on your Nikes to explore Takayama Jin'ya – the last remaining government outpost from the time of the Samurai and Shoguns. While we’re here you can indulge in a session of relaxation and recovery at a traditional onsen. Disclaimer: the onsen is 100% optional, nudity here is not. Round it all up with a sampling of the good stuff at a local sake brewery before jumping on the train to Hiroshima. On the menu tonight? Okonomiyaki – a local specialty.
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Included Today
- Visit the morning riverside markets
- Visit Takayama Jin'ya
- Sake tasting at a local brewery
- Train ticket to Hiroshima
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Traditional onsen experience: prices available locally
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Included Today
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Hiroshima
6You’ve seen the photos. Read the book. Now it’s time to experience the history for yourself. Take a tour of Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and Musuem – home of the A Bomb Dome. Then, it’s all aboard the ferry to the island of Miyajima. With an afternoon free to explore you just gotta visit the Itsukushima Shrine before settling in for sunset. The floating torii gate may be under construction until 2022 but the view is still pretty spectacular. Back in Hiroshima, put those fat pants to the test with 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 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- Visit Itsukushima Shrine
- Ferry to Miyajima
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Hiroshima to Osaka
7And 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. Dump your bags at tonight’s traditional Buddhist lodge and go get it! The afternoon is totally up to you. Regroup tonight for an included dinner, then head to the buzzing Uranamba district for micro bars, plenty of sake and a spot of K-A-R-A-O-K-E (the Drunken Clam is the best FY).
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Included Today
- Train ticket to Osaka
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Osaka
8Tuck into a traditional Buddhist 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. Foodie? Head to the Dotonbori district (aka Eat Street). History buff?There are plenty of temples and an awesome castle to explore. Tonight, the local experts will show us the ins and outs of Osaka’s nightlife on an optional tour.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Full day tour of Universal Studios from: prices available locally
- Osaka nightlife tour from: prices available locally
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Meals
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Osaka to Kyoto
9Ever wondered what life as a Buddhist monk was really like? Rise early and find out with a morning Buddhist ritual – complete with Goma Kito Fire Ceremony and walk around the temple with a local monk. Then 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. Then, dinner is up to you. Our suggestion? Head to Nishiki Warai for seriously good yakisoba and okonomiyaki. *wipes drool from chin*
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Included Today
- Experience the Buddhist morning rituals
- Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
- Train ticket to Kyoto
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Kyoto
10Time to explore this place with the local experts. We’ll tick off the Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion before moving on to the sprawling Arashiyama bamboo forest and the Togetsu-kyo bridge to find your zen. All the walking making you hangry? DW, we’re stopping by the Nishiki food market next. Food baby in tow – head to the Gion district to say g’day to the geishas. Then: the rest of the day is 100% up to you. If you love Katsu curry, try find a CoCo Ichibanya for dinner tonight. It’s cheap AND delicious.
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Included Today
- Visit the Kinkaku-ji Temple
- Visit the Arashiyama bamboo forest
- Visit the Nishiki food market
- Tour the famous Gion district
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Kyoto
11PSA: this is your last day in Kyoto. Get moving! Check out alllll the food options along Pontocho Street. Or for something to impress those Tinder dates with, there’s an optional ramen cooking class on offer. You can even dress up as a geisha or samurai (we told you it would get weird). Later, get the gang together and head to a local bar for a sendoff to remember. This has been one hell of a trip.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Dress as a Geisha or samurai from: 9,600 JPY
- Ramen making class from: 3500 JPY
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Meals
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Kyoto
12After breakfast it’s sayonara to the Land of the Rising Sun and our newfound family. Swap Snapchats and start planning that next adventure. We hear the ski season here is pretty sick.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Meals
What's included
Included Experiences
- Senso-ji Temple and Akihabara district tour
- Meiji Shrine and Shibuya district tour
- Group karaoke experience in Tokyo
- Visit the Hida folk village
- Visit the morning riverside markets
- Half-day tour of Takayama
- Visit a sake brewery
- Visit the Itsukushima Shrine
- Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- Experience the Buddhist morning rituals
- Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Visit the Kinkaku-ji Temple
- Visit the Arashiyama bamboo forest
- Visit the Nishiki food market
- Tour the famous Gion district
Accommodation
-3 nights in hostels (twin or double), 5 nights in hotels (twin or double), 1 night in traditional Ryokan, 2 nights in temple lodges.
Transport
High speed trains and public transport
Optional activities
-East Tokyo neighborhood cycling tour from: prices available locally
-Sushi making experience from: 8824 JPY
-Visit Tokyo Disneyland from: 8,600 JPY
-Day Trip to Mt Fuji from: 16471 JPY
-Visit the Robot Restaurant from: 9,000 JPY
-Hida beef dinner from: 4,500 JPY
-Traditional onsen experience from: prices available locally
-Full day tour of Universal Studios from: prices available locally
-Osaka nightlife tour from: prices available locally
-Ramen making class from: 3500 JPY
-Dress as a Geisha or samurai from: 9,600 JPY
Views & Reviews
Latest Reviews
Average rating based on 5 reviews
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James M February 2020
Excellent
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Jennifer Ke December 2019
It was a broad overview of Japan, it worked well to make me want more and the guide was amazing.
I can't tell you how amazing Jeff was!
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Anonymous August 2019
Best tour leader (yo) he guided around japan like a pro.
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