Self-Guided Adventure
Tailor-made
Gastronomic Adventure
14 Nights: from AU$6930 per person (twin share) Trip Code: GADC
This 14-night trip will give you a whistle-stop tour of all the best food and culture hotspots across Japan. From the buzz of Tokyo and Osaka, to rural mountain towns, to historical Kyoto and the serenity of Mount Koya – this trip is a cultural and culinary journey. Read more >
Travelling and food go hand-in-hand and Japan is the place for a cultural and gastronomic adventure. From top class restaurants to backstreet noodle bars, Japan's kitchens have something for every palate - and its cities are sure to slake the hungriest of appetites for impressive sights and new experiences.
With tens of thousands of restaurants and more Michelin stars than Paris, Tokyo is a foodie's dream and the perfect place to start your trip. One of our Insider experts will take you out to an izakaya or traditional Japanese gastropub for a night of eating and drinking side-by-side with the city's salarymen.
The adventure continues as you make your way to the mountains of Nagano, home to the castle town of Matsumoto where the imposing "Black Crow" castle sits amid the towering peaks. Here you'll learn how to make the regional speciality: soba buckwheat noodles at an historic soba shop.
Leaving Matsumoto you'll take a bus journey through the mountains to Hida Furukawa, the smaller but equally charming cousin of nearby Takayama, which has boomed in popularity in recent years. Hida Furukawa has a great local food scene and a local knowledgeable guide will take you to the best dining spots to try out the regional specialties: hoba-miso and Hida beef.
Kenrokuen gardens and old teahouse districts of Kanazawa are the precursor to complete cultural enlightenment in Kyoto: home to the secretive world of the geisha and literally thousands of shrines and temples. In Kanazawa, you can also enjoy the fruits of the sea at Omicho Market, famed for its freshest of fish.
In atmospheric Mount Koya you'll have the opportunity to join in morning meditation with the monks and try traditional shojin ryori at a Buddhist temple lodging before visiting the haunting Okunoin mausoleum. It's said that the founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kobo Daishi, has been sitting in meditation here for more than 1,150 years.
The serenity of Koya will be stark contrast to your final destination, Osaka - often referred to as the "Kitchen of Japan". Known for a range of food specialties and for its straight-talking, down-to-earth inhabitants, a guided street food tour will be a real treat!
Dietary requirements: We know that not everyone likes or can eat the same food. The good news is that we can adapt the itinerary to suit various dietary requirements, so let us know in advance. It's worth noting that some dietary restrictions might mean that certain accommodation won't be the best choice for you, but we have plenty of alternative suggestions up our sleeves.
Please note: This trip is designed to start in Tokyo (either at Tokyo Narita or Tokyo Haneda Airports) and finish in Osaka with a departure from Osaka Kansai Airport. For this you will need an "open-jaw" flight ticket into Tokyo and out of Osaka Kansai. Alternatively if you would prefer to fly home from Tokyo we can tailor the itinerary to take you back to the capital - please contact us for more details.
What's included
- 14 nights' accommodation (three nights Japanese style)
- Breakfast every day, two lunches and four evening meals
- Transport between all destinations in Japan
- Airport transfers
- Manaca transport card with 2,500 yen credit for city transport
- Insider foodie night tour in Tokyo
- Soba noodle making class
- Evening food experience in Hida Furukawa
- Shojin ryori vegetarian dinner at Mount Koya temple stay
- Night-time food safari of Osaka
- Eight-hour private guide service in Tokyo and Kyoto
- InsideJapan Tours' restaurant reservation service
- Pocket WiFi device
- Your personalised InsideJapan Tours Info-Pack
What's NOT included:
- International flights
- Local transport (subways, buses, taxis) unless otherwise specified
- Entrance fees unless otherwise specified
- Baggage handling and luggage forwarding
Trip Highlights
- Dine at an izakaya
- Go on an evening gastronomic exploration of Hida Furukawa
- Learn to make soba noodles in Matsumoto
- Take a street food tour of Osaka
- Discover Buddhist shojin ryori cuisine at Mount Koya
For more information email us: info-aus@insidejapantours.com or call: + 61 7 3186 8800
What, where, when and how...
Gastronomic Adventure - 15 Days

Destinations
Trip Reviews
Self-Guided Adventure Gastronomic Adventure
Read more >Very good and knowledgeable advise from Katrina. Together, we prepared a unique itinerary which enhanced the positive experience for my wifes special event.
Tour Gallery
Trip Reviews
Self-Guided Adventure Gastronomic Adventure
Read more >Very good and knowledgeable advise from Katrina. Together, we prepared a unique itinerary which enhanced the positive experience for my wifes special event.
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