Highlights of Japan

From Tokyo to Osaka, discover cultural wonders in the Land of the Rising Sun

Commencing in electric Tokyo, this cultural highlights adventure is the ideal way to experience some of Japan’s most iconic cities and sites in just eight days. Visit atmospheric Kyoto to delve into the heart of the nation’s cultural heritage, taste the amazing and diverse cuisine, uncover beautiful nature and Unesco World Heritage sites in Nikko, discover the historic Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima and visit captivating Miyajima. This rich journey through the Land of the Rising Sun ends in lively Osaka before we head home with memories to last a lifetime.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food, and by supporting other local enterprises.
• Guests stay in a traditional Japanese guesthouse (ryokan/minshuku) for a night in Nikko, where they eat delicious home-cooked, traditional Japanese meals prepared by local people.
• With a strong emphasis on culture and history, this trip provides plenty of opportunities to visit various museums and cultural sites. Our visits to the museums and sites benefit the locals and contribute to the preservation of their cultural assets through the money spent on entrance fees and other purchases made within the area.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste. For example, we encourage eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead encourage clients to drink the tap water, which is safe to drink in Japan. We encourage all clients to take a refillable water bottle with them on the tour.
• During the tour, our guides educate guests on how to appropriately separate and dispose of any waste, as well as encourage the use of reusable chopsticks and canvas tote bags for shopping.

 Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about Exodus Travels’ Planet Promise here, including our rewilding and carbon compensation commitments for every customer who travels.
• We choose to travel by train and public transport throughout this trip as opposed to private transport or taking domestic flights.
• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary mostly use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Vegetarian and vegan options are available at majority of accommodation and restaurants.
• Most accommodations used on this trip adhere to strict environmental policies to save water and energy and lower their carbon footprint.

 Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.

Cultural respect:

• Shoes are never worn in someone’s home or on Japanese tatami flooring (mats). There will always be a place to put your shoes. In addition, you will be given slippers to wear. There are often different slippers for the bathroom.
• It is highly inappropriate to stick chopsticks into food, especially into a bowl of rice. This practice of placing chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice is a funerary practice known as tsukitate-bashi.
• When eating soup or rice, it is acceptable to lift the bowl closer to your mouth to avoid spilling food. Generally, miso soup (which accompanies many meals) is drunk directly from the bowl, while larger soups are usually consumed by using a soup spoon.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate) and encompasses the main cultural highlights of Japan. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.  

We walk mostly in cities and towns; although not strenuous, the amount of walking each day is considerable and fast paced (good comfortable walking shoes are required). We visit some temples and shrines, most of which are built on hillsides. This will mean ascending and descending lots of steps, so a good level of fitness is essential.

All transport is by public transport, mainly using the extremely efficient train system. Therefore, it is essential all group members are punctual to ensure we do not miss any of the scheduled services.

Some of the distances covered are long but trains are very comfortable, which makes the journey pleasant. We carry our luggage with us on the trains, please be prepared for this. There may be a possibility to organise a luggage courier service (additional cost) to have your main luggage transferred between locations, which your leader can advise on locally at the start of the tour.

Please note, the order of activities in Tokyo and Kyoto may change depending on the weather conditions and other factors. Your tour leader will provide full details of the schedule during the initial trip briefing.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Japan

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include hepatitis B, tetanus, Japanese encephalitis, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

Japan

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Japan. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/japan
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/japan
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Japan.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and one dinner are included.

The cuisine is usually a highlight of any Japan trip. It is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes, usually prepared with seasonal ingredients. Seafood is common and usually comes grilled or deep fried. Sushi and sashimi aside, other staple dishes include soba, ramen or udon noodles, sukiyaki (meat, fish and vegetables cooked in broth) and yakiniku (grilled meat).

When food is not included, your leader is always available to recommend the best local eateries and arrange group meals for a full immersion in the varied and excellent cuisine of Japan.

Please note, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan, is minimal or non-existent in Japan. The group meals arranged by the tour leader are in traditional eateries where the choices of vegan dishes may be limited to simple salads or boiled rice. However, there are several vegan restaurants in Kyoto and Tokyo. It may also be a good idea to bring some foodstuffs with you or to supplement meals with snacks purchased in local convenience stores.

Weather

Japan has four very distinct seasons. Our aim has been to avoid the extremely cold winters and humid summers and settle for the more pleasant spring and autumn. In Tokyo, September and October are warm, maximum temperatures are 26C (79F) and minimum 12C (54F). September is likely to be the warmer of the two and rain is likely. April is cooler with temperatures possibly going as low as 7C (45F) with a high of 17C (63F). Kyoto is very similar climatically to Tokyo but the higher up into the mountains we venture, the colder it will become with nights being especially cold, particularly in March and November.