Japan
Temple bells at dawn, neon by midnight.
- Best time
- Late March to May, and October to November
- Good for
- First-time visitors to Asia, food lovers, design lovers
- Language
- Japanese
- Currency
- Japanese yen (JPY)
Why go
The Short Version of Japan
Japan rewards curiosity at every scale, from the sweep of a Tokyo skyline to the placement of a single stone in a Kyoto garden. Its trains make it easy to move between both worlds in an afternoon.
We balance the great sights with slower days: a night in a ryokan, a morning in a neighbourhood market, and time set aside for wandering.
Plan a Trip to Japan
Highlights
Where We'd Start
- 01
Kyoto
Former imperial capital of temples, gardens and wooden townhouses, best explored early in the day.
- 02
Tokyo
A city of many villages, from the old lanes of Asakusa to the towers of Shinjuku.
- 03
Hakone
Hot-spring inns and lake views, with Mount Fuji appearing on a clear day.
- 04
Kanazawa
Samurai and geisha districts, plus Kenroku-en, one of Japan's most celebrated gardens.
On the ground
Moments Worth Building a Day Around
- A night in a traditional ryokan
- Walking the torii gates of Fushimi Inari at first light
- A counter seat at a neighbourhood sushi bar
- Riding the Shinkansen past Mount Fuji
Start from here
A Signature Journey in Japan
How does planning a trip with you work?
Send us a short brief through the trip planner or by email. We reply with questions, then a first draft itinerary. You mark it up, we refine it, and only once it feels right do we talk about confirming anything.
Are the journeys on this site fixed?
No. Each signature journey is a starting point showing a route we think works. Days, hotels, pace and stops can all change. You can also ask for a place that isn't listed here.
Why don't you show prices?
The cost of a trip depends on your dates, party size, hotel level and how you want to move around, so a headline price would rarely match what you actually pay. You receive an itemised quote for your own trip before you commit to anything.
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