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Explore summer Small Group Tours in Japan
Japan in summer means Japan in full colour.
Vibrant festival floats flood the city streets. Rooftop gardens pack out; freezing glasses foam with beer. Rice fields run verdant green. Men don g-string esque fundoshi loin cloths. Families party with deceased ancestors and smash watermelons on beaches.
Hectic and celebratory, yet still with pockets of quiet and deep natural beauty, summer in Japan is at its most raw, intoxicating and unforgettable.
With this explosion of summer fun, though, also comes the quiet: Japan’s most popular sights are less crowded. Fewer people stream through Gion’s tiny backstreets, and it’s possible to find tranquil moments in even the busiest Zen gardens, sitting, undisturbed, beneath a canopy of wisteria.
We think summer is an unsung, brilliant secret in the Japan travel calendar, and the best time of year to experience Japan's most exquisite sights if you'd prefer them without the crowds.
Find out more about our Small Group Tours in June, July and August.
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Summer with sound on
Drums beat and kane bells clash. Yakitori skewers sizzle street side. Cicadas roar and frogs deafen. But with the high volume also comes quieter contrasts. Here's a sneak preview of summer in Japan.
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Small Group Tours in Summer
Summer in Japan is bold, atmospheric, and brilliantly alive. That's why we love running Small Group Tours in June, July and August. Find our summer Small Group Tour departures below.
To celebrate the season we're offering 15% off the next 50 spaces booked on summer departures in 2026. Spaces Remaining: 41
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Classic Japan
Hike the Japan Alps in Kamikochi, one of the most stunning regions in the world.
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Japan Unmasked
Cycle through verdant rice fields on the Kibi Plain as the breeze cuts through the crops.
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Hidden Japan
Visit Mount Koya, for its cool, quiet moments of serenity and a temple mountain stay.
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A Northern Soul
Explore the northern, rugged reaches of Japan, meeting local communities along the way.
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Must See Japan
Experience cities in full summer festival mode – with the biggest sights that much quieter.
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VIEW ALL DATES
Take a look at our summer tour dates. We've got availability from June-August.
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Things that might surprise you about summer in Japan
Summertime is party time
Matsuri festivals bring celebratory energy to the streets and this seeps into every part of city culture. Restaurants stretch their dining space down to rivers, rooftop beer gardens are full from 6pm and locals meet on river banks to share konbini store drinks.All across Japan, from the major metropolises to the smallest villages, locals gather in their light summer yukata robes to watch parades of tall wooden festival floats trundle through the streets (or down into the rivers). Aromas from yatai street food stalls swirl as firework displays light up the night sky.
It's the best time to head to the mountains
Over 75% of Japan is mountainous, and while the Japan Alps are snow-topped all year round, summer is one of the only times you can visit the staggeringly beautiful Kamikochi region. A Japanese hiking hotspot for good reason, you’ll find trails that follow a glassy river surrounded by soaring mountains – and it’s not an international tourist hub (yet).There’s a national obsession with cooling
Summer across most of the country gets warm and humid, but the Japanese are masters of cooling: even the bus stops are misted. You’ll find air conditioning so effective you can turn your hotel room into a walk-in fridge, and you’re never far from a vending machine selling cold drinks or ice cream.Summer tastes different here
Japan loves a seasonal flavour (walk into any Starbucks and you’ll see) and in summer this means salted lychee, strawberry and watermelon. Kakigori (shaved ice) is a summer favourite and street vendors will sell it on every corner.
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