I am enquiring about single room bookings - I understand that there will be one night in shared rooms, but I would love to book a single room for the other nights. Can I also understand the extra add on activities I can do on this tour?

As we are now close to the date of departure for this tour the tour itself and the single room would be on request. At this stage I am unsure as to if we would be able to confirm a single room for you until we created a booking and sent it off to check with our suppliers. They would then be able to let us know if all of the hotels have another single room available for you. This tour is classed as full on with a jam packed itinerary not leaving much time for optional activities, but everything listed in the itinerary is included in the price already.

How far do you have to walk each day?

As the group explores Japan, we'll be getting our step count in. Whether we're exploring a city on a walking tour, visiting a local temple or simply getting from the metro or train station to our next hotel, we'll spend a lot of time walking and on our feet - comfortable shoes are a must.

Do you have single rooms for solo travellers and if so, what is the single supplement charge.

Single rooms are available, these are available from NZ$490. Please note that the single room is not available on night 4 where you stay in a traditional family Minshuku Iwatakan so they will be twin rooms with shared bathrooms.

A Taste of Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka

12 days

•

From Tokyo to Osaka

4.8

3 traveler reviews

View all
A wonderful exploration of Japan! We liked the mix of urban and rural environments.
VR
Victoria, traveled in May
5.0
View all

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:

Gold Operator: Explore!
Food & Culinary: Savor the world one bite at a time
Group Tour: Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Fully Guided: An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Medium Intensity: Travelers should be comfortable with somewhat-demanding activities
Guided in English
Group Size 10 - 16
Ages 16+

Places You’ll See

Tokyo
Takayama
Kanazawa
Kyoto
Osaka

Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

Explore Tokyo's historic temples and neon lights
Sample fresh sushi at Tsukiji Outer Market
Cook your own okonomiyaki in Tokyo
Stay in a traditional minshuku in Takayama
Visit the UNESCO site of Shirakawago

Itinerary

Expand All

Introduction

Day 1 Join tour in Tokyo, konnichiwa!
Day 2 Tokyo seafood market, sushi lunch, Hamarikyu gardens, kitchen town and street food dessert
Day 3 Tokyo - Meiji Jingu Shrine, Okonomiyaki lunch and trendy Harajuku district
Day 4 Train to mountain town Takayama, afternoon Hida no Sato folk village museum
Day 5 Bus to Kanazawa via Shirakawago UNESCO village
Day 6 Visit Kenrokuen Garden. Temaki sushi lunch. Japanese traditional sweets (wagashi) making
Day 7 Visit Omicho market. Train to Kyoto. Visit Nijo Castle and Gion geisha district. Izakaya dinner
Day 8 AM - Visit Uji green tea growing capital. Try matcha sweets and ice cream. PM - Private tea ceremony in Kyoto
Day 9 AM free in Kyoto. PM visit Fushimi Inari Shrine. Sake Museum and Tasting. Teppanyaki dinner
Day 10 Train to Osaka. Osaka castle visit. Dinner in Shinsekai district
Day 11 Visit Namba Yasaka Shrine and neon Dotonburi District. Views from Umeda Sky Tower. Free afternoon. Shabu-Shabu hot pot dinner
Day 12 Trip ends in Osaka

What's Included

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Accommodation
Guide
Meals
Additional Services
Transport
Free eSIM
TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

Flights
Insurance
Optional
Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Asakusa View Hotel
Hotel
Days 1, 2, 3
Minshuku Sumire-so
Hotel
day 4
Hotel Torifito Kanazawa
Hotel
Days 5, 6
Via Inn Prime Kyotoeki Hachijoguchi
Hotel
Days 7, 8, 9
Shin-Osaka Washington Hotel Plaza
Hotel
Days 10, 11
Karaksa Hotel Grande Shin-Osaka Tower
Hotel
Days 10, 11

Operated by

Explore!

4.5

(8,590 reviews)

Number of tours

544

Age Range

16 to 85 years old

Response time

within 1 day

Response rate

92%

Explore is a global adventure travel company with 42 years’ experience in...

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
Excellent
4.8
Itinerary
Excellent
5.0
Guide
Excellent
5.0
Transport
Good
4.0
Accommodation
Excellent
5.0
Food
Excellent
4.5
Tour Operator
Explore!
4.5

A
Jay
· September 8th, 2023
Oh, so many! Tepanyaki dinner was delicious, the last dinner in Osaka was an incredible meal. The homestay was incredible (beyond expectations). The guide was so helpful and caring. Tokyo sightseeing was incredible (and Shirakawa-go!).
Show more
Trip date: August 2023
Review collected by Explore!
A
Christine
· September 20th, 2023
The food, the places we saw
Show more
Trip date: August 2023
Review collected by Explore!
VR
Victoria
· May 26th, 2023
A wonderful exploration of Japan! We liked the...
Show more
Trip date: May 2023

What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.

All questions

J
Juan
Asked on August 28th, 2025
I am enquiring about single room bookings - I understand that there will be one night in shared rooms, but I would love to book a single room for the other nights. Can I also understand the extra add on activities I can do on this tour?
Accommodation
Single supplement
Tour Details
- Explore!Operator•Written August 2025
  As we are now close to the date of departure for this tour the tour itself and the single room would be on request. At this stage I am unsure as to if we would be able to confirm a single room for you until we created a booking and sent it off to check with our suppliers. They would then be able to let us know if all of the hotels have another single room available for you. This tour is classed as full on with a jam packed itinerary not leaving much time for optional activities, but everything listed in the itinerary is included in the price already.
- J
  Juan
  Traveler•Written August 2025
  Since I will be traveling by myself I won't be able to fully commit to this tour unless I would be able to get a single room. Thank you for confirming that there are no option activities!
- Explore!Operator•Written August 2025
  The solo room needs to be requested, for us to do this we must put together a booking option with your details which in turn means that we require the request from you. When we have the booking request on here, we can then hold the option in with your details and check to see if there is a solo room available. If there is, the balance would be required to be paid immediately, however of course if it came back unavailable, we would advise you of this.
A
Allan
Asked on April 28th, 2025
How far do you have to walk each day?
Tour Details
- Explore!Operator•Written April 2025
  As the group explores Japan, we'll be getting our step count in. Whether we're exploring a city on a walking tour, visiting a local temple or simply getting from the metro or train station to our next hotel, we'll spend a lot of time walking and on our feet - comfortable shoes are a must.
G
Gloria
Asked on February 15th, 2023
Do you have single rooms for solo travellers and if so, what is the single supplement charge.
Accommodation
Single supplement
- Explore!Operator•Written February 2023
  Single rooms are available, these are available from NZ$490. Please note that the single room is not available on night 4 where you stay in a traditional family Minshuku Iwatakan so they will be twin rooms with shared bathrooms.

No departure dates available

No dates, no problem! Subscribe to our newsletter to receive:

Travel inspiration for similar adventures
Alerts of the newest adventure deals

Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 234965

Currency
¥
Yen
Japan
Plugs & Adapters
Vaccines
- These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
- Hepatitis A - Recommended for Japan. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
- Hepatitis B - Recommended for Japan. Ideally 2 months before travel.
- Japanese B encephalitis - Recommended for Japan. Ideally 1 month before travel.
Visa
- Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
- Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
Payment information
- For any tour departing before December 24th, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after December 24th, 2025, a minimum payment of 10% is required to confirm your booking with Explore!. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 75 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
- Some departure dates and prices may vary and Explore! will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
- The following cards are accepted for "Explore!" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
Cancellation Policy
- Your money is safe with TourRadar, as we only pay the tour operator after your tour has departed.
- TourRadar is an authorized Agent of Explore!. Please familiarize yourself with the Explore! payment, cancellation and refund conditions.
Accessibility
Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.
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