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Small Group Tour ●IJT Classic
Classic Japan (2027)
from AU$8980 per person
Classic Japan combines the famous cultural sights of Japan with a trip through the mountain towns and villages of central Japan. Read more >
You'll visit the “golden route”: Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone, but also spend time in undervisited, coastal Toyama, and the old merchant town of Takayama.
You’ll travel between regions on the Shinkansen bullet train, and we’ll keep things comfortable with carefully chosen three- and four-star hotels along the way. Your Insider guide will unlock experiences with local historical and cultural experts in each destination.
In Tokyo, stroll through the calm and beautiful Hamarikyu Gardens, almost hidden in one of the capital’s skyscraper districts. Stopping in Hakone, set sail on a pirate ship ride across Lake Ashi with a backdrop view of Mount Fuji on a clear day.
Speed by Shinkansen to Osaka for a nighttime street food hop: feasting on okonomiyaki pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls and kushikatsu skewers. In Kyoto, you’ll be joined by a local expert guide for a tour of the city and meet a trainee geisha (maiko) over tea and games.
Then, it's time for the rural, more mountainous highlights of the tour. Starting in Takayama, you’ll spend a morning at a riverside market and explore the region's famous thatched farmhouses. Then its onto coastal Toyama, surrounded by national parks and mountains and famous for its dedication to traditionsal crafts and the “Taste Queen of Toyama Bay”: Red Snow Crab.
Speaking of food, you’ll eat well on this tour. From melt-in-the-mouth Hida beef in the alpine regions to quick bites from street vendors in Osaka.
Accompanying you throughout will be your tour leader (Insider). They’ll introduce history and culture, guide you on excursions, demystify the local etiquette and generally make sure you get the best from your Classic Japan tour.
Is this trip for you?
What's great
- A mix of cultural cities and quieter regional heartlands - you get the best of both worlds
- Hands‑on cultural experiences in rural Japan, including a visit to UNESCO‑listed Gokayama and a traditional washi paper‑making workshop
- The pace - it's an evenly paced tour with two-night stays in all stops, with one last night in Tokyo at the end
- It's one of only three of our tours that go to Osaka - known for its excellent nightlife and streetside food stalls
- Solo travellers will have their own room throughout
Things to consider
- A single supplement is payable for solo travellers
- All accommodation is 3*-4*. This tour uses accommodation with western-style beds throughout.
- With an ‘Active’ activity rating, this tour is for those confident spending a substantial amount time on foot every day.
- You'll need to be able to carry your own luggage.
If this sounds good and makes you want to see even more, why not extend your tour in Japan?
Important Tour Information
Travelling with family? Under 18s get 10% off the tour price.
The accommodation listed is for 2027 departures. Please note that accommodation is subject to change. Final details of the accommodation will be included in your Info-Pack, which will be sent out approximately four weeks before departure. If you would like to know more, please speak to your travel consultant.
Group Size: 4 - 14
Single Supplement: Single rooms are guaranteed at all night stops on this tour through payment of a mandatory single supplement.
Fitness: Even when not using public transport, sightseeing in Japan often involves walking between sights, climbing up steps in temples and being 'on the go' for much of the day. To enjoy any of our Small Group Tours you should be of moderate fitness, able to walk and climb stairs without difficulty and able to maintain a pace that is comfortable for the majority of the group.
Check-in: Upon arrival you will probably be tired after a long international flight. Please note that rooms at the Tokyo hotel are only available from 3pm.
Hotels in Japan operate strict check-in policies. If you have an early arrival you can either book an extra night for any-time check-in, or the hotel will be happy to securely store your luggage for you whilst you go for a drink or explore the local area.
We recommend booking at least one extra night to check in and relax before the tour begins.
Transport: Please note that most transfers are by public transport making use of Japan's first-rate transport network. This tour uses a mixture of trains, taxis, public buses, boats, as well as private coaches for some transfers and sightseeing.
Luggage: We highly recommend that to make your stay more enjoyable you pack reasonably light. Large suitcases will be an inconvenience to you. A small case or bag with wheels or a rucksack are most appropriate for this tour as you will have to carry your bags for short distances and some stations do not have escalators or elevators/lifts. You will also need a small overnight back-pack (for up to two nights) for use when we forward our main bags to the next location.
Accommodation: Culturally, communal bathing is common practice in Japan. Please note that in some traditional accommodations fully private en suite facilities may not be available. We will do our best to secure rooms on tour with private toilet and sink however some accommodations are not able to offer private bathing facilities. Shared facilities (when included) will always be separated by gender.
Please note that in Japan, twin rooms are very much the norm, and there are far fewer double rooms available. Please understand that on this tour we are not able to offer double rooms at any of the locations.
International Flights: This tour starts and finishes in Tokyo for arrivals and departures at Tokyo, Narita or Haneda. Please note that the included meet-and-greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available from these two airports.
What's included
Your comprehensive InsideJapan Info-Pack
Arrival and departure transfers by shared shuttle bus
IC transport card with 5,000 yen credit for city transport
Hakone Free Pass for local transport in Hakone
Full time services of your expert InsideJapan tour leader
13 nights' accommodation
Breakfast every day, seven evening meals and one lunch
Selected entrance fees & local transport at most destinations
Entrance to Osaka Castle
Audience with an apprentice geisha at a Kyoto teahouse
Full day private guide in Kyoto with private bus
Entrance to Takayama Hida Folk Village
Entrance to the Hakone Open-Air Museum
Entrance to Iwaseke House and Folklore Museum in Gokayama
Traditional paper making experience in Gokayama
Return trip to Iwase port town by river cruise and light rail from Toyama
Shared portable Wi-Fi access throughout the trip
Luggage forwarding from Tokyo to Osaka and from Takayama to Tokyo
What's NOT included:
International flights
Any local transport unless covered by the included transport passes
Any entrance fees (including temples, shrines and museums) unless otherwise specified
Baggage handling and luggage forwarding unless otherwise specified - you will be expected to carry your own luggage.
- Tour Price: From AU$8980
- Single Supplement: From AU$2300
- Pre-Tour: Twin Share From AU$260 pp Single From AU$500 pp
- Post-Tour: Twin Share From AU$380 pp Single From AU$700 pp
View full price information
Tour Price Information
2027
Extra Nights
Tour Highlights
- Take in the peace of Tokyo's Hamarikyu Gardens, encircled by towering skyscrapers
- Optional day trip to Nara: visit the famous “Big Buddha” at Todai-ji Temple and meet the friendly local deer
- Explore the thatched roof gassho-zukuri houses of UNESCO-designated Gokayama village
- Sail across Lake Ashi by pirate ship in Hakone
- Explore Kyoto, the “city of a thousand temples” and meet a trainee geisha
- Visit Hakone's mountain-side Open-Air Museum, featuring pieces by Henry Moore and Picasso
- Zip across the country by Shinkansen bullet train
- Try your hand at traditional washi Japanese paper-making
- Eat your way through street-food capital, Osaka. Try takoyaki (deep fried octopus balls), yakitori meat skewers and okonomiyaki – a delicious savoury pancake
- Take a river cruise to the port town of Iwase – explore merchant houses, sake breweries and traditional sweet shops
Ready to plan your trip?
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 61 7 2104 5561
What, where, when and how...
Classic Japan (2027) - 14 Days
Classic Japan (2027) - 14 Days - Day by Day
Classic Japan (2027) - 14 Days - Accommodation
Classic Japan (2027) - 14 Days - Booking
Single supplement from AU$2300
-
Day 1-2
Explore Japan's capital city, from Hamarikyu Gardens to the Shibuya district.
Touch down in Tokyo, Japan's capital and one of the most populous metropolitan areas on the planet. You'll get to know your group over dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants.
Tokyo is an international byword for hyper-modernity, so you may be surprised to find that there are still little pockets of history left for those who look. Your guide will lead you to Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, sit the group down for a quiet cup of green tea in Hamarikyu Gardens, and lead you across Shibuya's scramble crossing.Overnight: Asakusa View Annex Rokku
-
Day 3-4
Just a short ride on the bullet train will bring you to Hakone, part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and one of Japan's most popular hot spring towns.
Here you'll stay very close to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. With works by Picasso, Miro, Rodin and Henry Moore set amid stunning mountain scenery, this is sure to be a real highlight for any art fans.
Besides art, Hakone is a nice spot for exploring quaint traditional buildings, a pirate ship cruise across Lake Ashi, and some of the best views of Mount Fuji when the weather is clear. Your Insider guide will lead the way.
Dinner is included both nights at the hotel restaurant, overlooking the mountain range. And don't forget to try out the hot spring baths, too, an integral part of Japanese culture.Overnight: Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika
-
Day 5-6
Eat your way through the “kitchen of Japan” in Osaka and take the train for an independent day trip of your choice.
Today you will make your way by local train and Shinkansen bullet train to Osaka, a modern city known for the down-to-earth attitude of its inhabitants and its street food (takoyaki octopus balls and okonomiyaki savoury pancake are firm favourites – trust us!).
Visit Osaka Castle, a huge reconstruction of the original building, with your Insider guide, then spend some free time exploring. Perhaps the Dotonbori district known for the towering, neon-lit Glico Running Man, the famous animatronic crab, and, of course, some of Osaka's best street food.
On your day trip, you may choose to visit Himeji Castle, the ancient imperial capital of Nara or somewhere completely different. Your Insider guide will be on hand to make suggestions.Overnight: Cross Hotel Osaka
-
Day 7-8
Explore Kyoto, capital of Japan for over a millennium – and meet a trainee geisha.
It's not for nothing that Kyoto is known as the “City of Ten Thousand Temples”. There are dozens of sights to explore: your tour leader will create the best itinerary for your group based on the group's interests and the weather.
An expert local guide will join you for a day of sightseeing, including a visit to Sanjusangendo, famed for its hall of 1,001 statues of Kannon.
And, often a Classic Japan highlight, you'll meet a maiko (trainee geisha) for a private afternoon tea in the wood-panelled geisha district of Gion – an exclusive meeting that few manage to arrange when visiting Kyoto.Overnight: Mitsui Garden Shinmachi Bettei
-
Day 9-10
Wander traditional streets, eat succulent Hida beef, and pop into sake breweries in the alpine craft town of Takayama.
High in the Japan Alps, Takayama is historically known for its craft shops, sake breweries and a riverside morning market.
A little outside the city, Hida no Sato folk village, is an open-air museum showcasing the region's traditional thatched farmhouses. Or, for a quirkier alternative, there's the world headquarters of cult/new religious movement Sukyo Mahikari, a gold-toned temple-like complex complete with a giant fish tank at the altar.
For dinner, we recommend trying Hida beef – just as tasty as its famous Kobe cousin.Overnight: Hotel Wood
-
Day 11-12
Head through Japan's mountain-fringed interior to coastal Toyama.
An undervisited and underloved region, Toyama Prefecture is our newest stop on Classic Japan.
You'll visit the UNESCO-designated Gokayama region, stepping inside the Iwaseke residence, the largest gassho-zukuri thatched roof house in Japan, before getting hands-on making traditional washi paper.
Based in Toyama City, cruise further towards the coast, disembarking at Iwase, a beautifully preserved port district that once played an important role in the region's trade. Today, the area is known for its relaxed atmosphere, lined with small shops, cafés, sake breweries, and traditional sweet shops.
Toyama has some of country's freshest seafood. We recommend trying some of the city's sushi or Red Snow Crab.Overnight: DoubleTree by Hilton Toyama
-
Day 13-14
A final night in the big city. Time to check off any last-minute must-see sights.
Return to Tokyo by direct Shinkansen bullet train, arriving in just over two hours. The afternoon is free for any last-minute sightseeing, shopping, or izakaya bar hopping, before the group's farewell dinner and your journey home.
Overnight: Shinjuku Prince Hotel
-
Day 1-2
Explore Japan's capital city, from Hamarikyu Gardens to the Shibuya district.
Touch down in Tokyo, Japan's capital and one of the most populous metropolitan areas on the planet. You'll get to know your group over dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants.
Tokyo is an international byword for hyper-modernity, so you may be surprised to find that there are still little pockets of history left for those who look. Your guide will lead you to Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, sit the group down for a quiet cup of green tea in Hamarikyu Gardens, and lead you across Shibuya's scramble crossing.Overnight: Asakusa View Annex Rokku
-
Day 3-4
Just a short ride on the bullet train will bring you to Hakone, part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and one of Japan's most popular hot spring towns.
Here you'll stay very close to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. With works by Picasso, Miro, Rodin and Henry Moore set amid stunning mountain scenery, this is sure to be a real highlight for any art fans.
Besides art, Hakone is a nice spot for exploring quaint traditional buildings, a pirate ship cruise across Lake Ashi, and some of the best views of Mount Fuji when the weather is clear. Your Insider guide will lead the way.
Dinner is included both nights at the hotel restaurant, overlooking the mountain range. And don't forget to try out the hot spring baths, too, an integral part of Japanese culture.Overnight: Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika
-
Day 5-6
Eat your way through the “kitchen of Japan” in Osaka and take the train for an independent day trip of your choice.
Today you will make your way by local train and Shinkansen bullet train to Osaka, a modern city known for the down-to-earth attitude of its inhabitants and its street food (takoyaki octopus balls and okonomiyaki savoury pancake are firm favourites – trust us!).
Visit Osaka Castle, a huge reconstruction of the original building, with your Insider guide, then spend some free time exploring. Perhaps the Dotonbori district known for the towering, neon-lit Glico Running Man, the famous animatronic crab, and, of course, some of Osaka's best street food.
On your day trip, you may choose to visit Himeji Castle, the ancient imperial capital of Nara or somewhere completely different. Your Insider guide will be on hand to make suggestions.Overnight: Cross Hotel Osaka
-
Day 7-8
Explore Kyoto, capital of Japan for over a millennium – and meet a trainee geisha.
It's not for nothing that Kyoto is known as the “City of Ten Thousand Temples”. There are dozens of sights to explore: your tour leader will create the best itinerary for your group based on the group's interests and the weather.
An expert local guide will join you for a day of sightseeing, including a visit to Sanjusangendo, famed for its hall of 1,001 statues of Kannon.
And, often a Classic Japan highlight, you'll meet a maiko (trainee geisha) for a private afternoon tea in the wood-panelled geisha district of Gion – an exclusive meeting that few manage to arrange when visiting Kyoto.Overnight: Mitsui Garden Shinmachi Bettei
-
Day 9-10
Wander traditional streets, eat succulent Hida beef, and pop into sake breweries in the alpine craft town of Takayama.
High in the Japan Alps, Takayama is historically known for its craft shops, sake breweries and a riverside morning market.
A little outside the city, Hida no Sato folk village, is an open-air museum showcasing the region's traditional thatched farmhouses. Or, for a quirkier alternative, there's the world headquarters of cult/new religious movement Sukyo Mahikari, a gold-toned temple-like complex complete with a giant fish tank at the altar.
For dinner, we recommend trying Hida beef – just as tasty as its famous Kobe cousin.Overnight: Hotel Wood
-
Day 11-12
Head through Japan's mountain-fringed interior to coastal Toyama.
An undervisited and underloved region, Toyama Prefecture is our newest stop on Classic Japan.
You'll visit the UNESCO-designated Gokayama region, stepping inside the Iwaseke residence, the largest gassho-zukuri thatched roof house in Japan, before getting hands-on making traditional washi paper.
Based in Toyama City, cruise further towards the coast, disembarking at Iwase, a beautifully preserved port district that once played an important role in the region's trade. Today, the area is known for its relaxed atmosphere, lined with small shops, cafés, sake breweries, and traditional sweet shops.
Toyama has some of country's freshest seafood. We recommend trying some of the city's sushi or Red Snow Crab.Overnight: DoubleTree by Hilton Toyama
-
Day 13-14
A final night in the big city. Time to check off any last-minute must-see sights.
Return to Tokyo by direct Shinkansen bullet train, arriving in just over two hours. The afternoon is free for any last-minute sightseeing, shopping, or izakaya bar hopping, before the group's farewell dinner and your journey home.
Overnight: Shinjuku Prince Hotel
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