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Best price guarantee Learn More
- Silver Operator
- Tourist Journey
- In-depth Cultural
- Immerse yourself in rich history and local traditions
- Group Tour
- Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
- Partially Guided
- Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
- Guided in English
- Group Size 1 - 50
- Age range 1 to 99
Places You’ll See

Highlights
- Trace the Golden Route with experts and high-speed trains
- Visit Tokyo’s wonders, including the Imperial Palace and Tsukiji Market
- Admire Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from 5th Station
- Discover Kyoto, Nara, and Nikko like a local
- Enjoy inclusive high-speed train tickets, food tastings, and more
Itinerary
- Introduction
- Day 1 Arrival in Tokyo
- Day 2 Tokyo
- Day 3 Free Day in Tokyo
- Day 4 Tsukiji Fish Market & Culture
- Day 5 Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi
- Day 6 Nikko
- Day 7 Morning bullet train to Kanazawa
- Day 8 Shirakawa-go
- Day 9 Train to Kyoto
- Day 10 Kyoto & Nara
- Day 11 Train Transfer to Osaka & Food Tour
- Day 12 Hiroshima & Miyajima
- Day 13 Osaka
- Day 14 Departure
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Guide
- Additional Services
- Transport
- Free eSIMTourRadar 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
- Meals
- Optional
- Additional Services
Where You'll Stay
Hotel The Celestine Tokyo Shiba
HotelDays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6Pullman Tokyo Tamachi
HotelDays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6Sakura Sky Hotel
HotelDays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6HOTEL AMANEK Kanazawa
HotelDays 7, 8KOKO HOTEL Premier Kanazawa Korinbo
HotelDays 7, 8Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
HotelDays 7, 8Hotel Wing International Kyoto - Shijo Karasuma
HotelDays 9, 10Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Ekimae PREMIER
HotelDays 9, 10Kyoto Brighton Hotel
HotelDays 9, 10Hotel Code Shinsaibashi
HotelDays 11, 12, 13Hiyori Hotel Osaka Namba Station
HotelDays 11, 12, 13Centara Grand Hotel Osaka
HotelDays 11, 12, 13
Adventure Type
- Group AdventuresJoin a group and forge lifelong friendships.What to expect
- Group of 50 travelers max.
- Fast booking confirmation
- Carefully planned itineraries
- Travel with like-minded people
- Personalized AdventuresCustomize an existing itinerary or create your own.What to expect
- Travel with your own group of min. 1 travelers
- Choose your preferred dates and duration
- Upgrade your accommodation
- Customize the itineraries

Operated by
Tourist Journey
Number of tours
56
Age Range
1 to 99 years old
Response time
within 1 day
Response rate
100%
We are travel enthusiasts, redefining the way journeys are experienced. Our...
Read moreCustomer Reviews
- Overall RatingAverage
- ItineraryAverage
- GuideGood
- TransportRather poor
- AccommodationAverage
- FoodExcellent
- JMJobelle· April 8th, 2025Let me begin my feedback on the 14-Day Best of Japan Golden Route Tour Package by saying that, overall, the experience was mixed. In hindsight, I believe I may have simply booked with the wrong local operator. While TourRadar is a reputable platform known for offering a wide range of tours, they partner with various local providers to carry out the actual itineraries and the quality of the experience can vary depending on which operator is assigned. Although the booking process through TourRadar was seamless, the delivery of the tour on the ground unfortunately fell short of my expectations. We stayed in four hotels during the tour. The hotel in Kyoto was excellent — spacious, clean, and even offered a public bath open until 2pm, which was a lovely bonus. However, the hotels in Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Osaka were all very small and quite basic. Considering the cost of the package, this felt a little underwhelming. The destinations themselves were beautiful, and I genuinely enjoyed the sightseeing. However, I found there were too many gaps in the daily itinerary. Since I didn’t want to spend extended periods sitting in the hotel, I ended up booking several additional activities on my own to make the most of the trip. These included: teamLab Planets, Tokyo Skytree, Sanrio Puroland ,Disneyland Tokyo,Kimono Experience and Tokyo Tower These extra activities cost less than what I estimate was paid as an agency fee, but they really helped fill in the empty parts of the itinerary and made the trip more fulfilling. Itinerary Concerns Although the tour was marketed as a 14-day experience, in reality, it felt more like a 9-day tour. Here’s a breakdown of the inactive days: Day 1: Hotel check-in only — no activities scheduled. Day 4: Entirely a free day — nothing organised. Day 7: No scheduled tour, even though the transfer from Tokyo to Kanazawa only takes about three hours. Day 9: No activity — just a hotel transfer. Day 14: Check-out day — no activities. So, in total, 5 out of 14 days had no planned or included activities. Considering the total cost of £5,200 for two people as it was a busy period, this felt quite excessive. After reviewing costs, I estimate that booking everything independently — including hotels, transport, and core tours — would have cost around £3,200, meaning roughly £2000 of the total went toward the agency’s booking fee. For the level of service and the number of “empty” days, that feels a bit steep. I also looked up similar itineraries on Viator, Klook, and GetYourGuide, and many were nearly identical — and often more affordable or at least similar in price without the gaps. They even have tour the next day for last minute itinerary My Advice I usually plan my own trips and have previously done 10 days in Korea, 12 days in Israel, and 14 days in New York — all DIY and tailored to how I like to travel. This time, I thought I’d try something different and book a full package where everything was arranged for me. While it was a nice idea in theory, I’ve realised that it’s just not for me, and I probably won’t book this kind of tour again. If you’re comfortable with planning and booking your own travel, I would suggest using this itinerary as a reference and arranging everything yourself. You’ll likely save a significant amount and have greater flexibility and control over your schedule. That said, if you prefer the convenience of having everything arranged for you and don’t mind paying a premium for that ease, this type of tour could still be suitable — just be aware of what you’re getting. Tour Guide Experience Most of our tour guides were great — friendly, knowledgeable, and well-organised. However, I had issues right from the first day of the tour when I struggled to get in touch with our guide due to the lack of a WhatsApp contact. Since WhatsApp is my main form of communication while travelling, this was quite inconvenient and caused some stress at the beginning. The most disappointing part of the trip was the Kyoto–Nara tour, led by a guide named Panda. She regularly left the bus without ensuring everyone had disembarked and would walk ahead at a fast pace, making it hard for the group to keep up. That day, she also changed the planned route and gave us only 30 minutes to explore Fushimi Inari Shrine, even though it took over five minutes just to walk from the bus parking area one way. As a result, we couldn’t make it back to the bus on time. One traveller in the group had mobility difficulties, yet no consideration was given to seat them near the front of the bus or offer additional support. This lack of awareness and empathy was disappointing and left a negative impression in contrast to the otherwise well-run parts of the tour.Show moreTrip date: March 2025
Dates & Availability
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- From Thursday19 Jun, 2025To Wednesday2 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- From Friday20 Jun, 2025To Thursday3 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Saturday21 Jun, 2025To Friday4 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Sunday22 Jun, 2025To Saturday5 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Monday23 Jun, 2025To Sunday6 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Tuesday24 Jun, 2025To Monday7 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Wednesday25 Jun, 2025To Tuesday8 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Thursday26 Jun, 2025To Wednesday9 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Friday27 Jun, 2025To Thursday10 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
- Instant ConfirmationFrom Saturday28 Jun, 2025To Friday11 Jul, 2025EnglishThis departure date is available and will 100% departGuaranteed departureMultiple Room TypesFrom:$5,295
Best price guarantee Learn More
What our customers ask about this tour
The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.- J
Jonathan
Asked on April 18th, 2025Would like to know which departure dates currently has the fewest travellers booked, as they prefer to avoid travelling in a large group
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written April 2025
Unable to provide exact number of travelers booked for each departure date. All listed departure dates (June 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, 2025) are currently scheduled to go ahead as planned.
- C
Chloe
Asked on March 25th, 2025Are we to check into Hotel The Celestine Tokyo Shiba tomorrow March 26 and the tour starts March 27 when we meet outside of Exit 1 of Tsukiji Station? Please confirm.
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written March 2025
According to your booking, tomorrow, March 26, you are scheduled to check in to Hotel The Celestine Tokyo Shiba. Your first tour starts on March 27th from Tsukiji Station, Exit 1.
- C
Connie
Asked on March 3rd, 2025Can I book this tour with single accommodations? How does that affect the price?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written March 2025
You are welcome to see the price for a solo traveler when selecting the number of travellers. You will also be able to see the final price there. If you don't manage, please contact the TourRadar customer service.
- K
Kathryn
Asked on March 3rd, 2025We would like to stay at traditional Japanese hotel in kyoto.
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written March 2025
We would be happy to arrange an overnight in a Ryokan for your family. On which date would you like to start the package? Including tourist, boutique or superior class hotels?
- J
Juan
Asked on March 2nd, 2025private bathrooms/rooms? Ability for geisha/maiko show? Sumo and/or samurai options?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written March 2025
Our packages only come with private rooms/bathrooms. You will see Geishas in the Gion evening tour in Kyoto after the bullet train. We can add both options, a Sumo Experience and a Samurai Experience. However, we might need to remove another two tours or add extra days to the itinerary.
- C
Cheryl
Asked on November 25th, 2024Is travel between cities by private bus or do we have to get to the place on our own from hotel? Also will luggage be handled by tour company or ourselves?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written November 2024
For travel between cities, we use bullet trains (Shinkansen), and you will need to take your luggage with you. If you'd like, you can also arrange a special luggage forwarding service at your hotel to send your luggage directly to the next location.
- C
Christine
Asked on August 29th, 2024Does standard, boutique and premium refer to 3, 4 and 5 star hotels respectively? What "class" of a room would be assigned as within a hotel itself there would be lesser and more expensive rooms?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
Correct, it means 3, 4 and 5. It would be the standard double room.
- C
Christine
Traveler•Written August 2024Would it be best if we book flights to arrive in tokyo on the very first day of the tour as you will be arranging hotel acommodation for that first night? When do you recommend arriving to the destination to begin the tour?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
Day 1 is reserved for Arrival. So you will only have an overnight in a hotel for said day, and you will start touring on the next one.
- C
Christine
Traveler•Written August 2024One of our travellers is an elder lady (84 yo). We have some concerns about the amount of walking she will have to do. Is this particular tour slower paced as we have concerns of her being left behind or becoming too tired? Are there any special requests for accessibility you can offer, for e.g. a wheelchair?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
We can check the pace of the tour to be slower and more relaxed. In some cases we can arrange to attend a group tour itinerary in form of a private tour, ensuring that she won't feel rushed or left behind. Narita and Haneda airports both offer wheelchair rentals. You can arrange this in advance through your airline or the airport's customer service.
- C
Christine
Traveler•Written August 2024Would this particular tour be suitable for her? Could you provide some more information about transport from hotel to and from the start of the guided tour aspects?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
We do not offer pick-ups and drop-offs to and from hotels. Our tours start from centralized locations, and clients typically use public transport to reach these starting points. If you require more convenient transportation directly from your hotel, a private tour might better meet your needs, though it would be a higher cost.
- C
Christine
Traveler•Written September 2024Can you clarify where the centralised locations for each day of this tour would be so I may plan accordingly to get my elderly traveller to each location? Can you also clarify whether the days with activities listed on days that aren't considered "free days" there will be a tour guide with us throughout? Will we be travelling as a group on the bullet trains to each major city? And will this particular tour be slow enough paced for my elderly traveller or do you recommend a different one?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written September 2024
Typically locations are at the train central station of each city or close by. I highly recommend to use public transportation or taxis to get to the meeting points, if they are older. All of our tours include a tour guide. If it says "free day" it means there isn't an activity that day planned by us, therefore, it doesn't include a guide. You won't be traveling with the rest of the people in the bullet trains since everyone have different itineraries. Each day there will be different participants in the tours. I would recommend to avoid the "walking tours" since it's many hours of walking.
C8 more answers - H
Harry
Asked on August 17th, 2024looking all inclussive 15day tour of japan including air fare, all meals, stay, transportation, including tickets to events etc for four adults (couple)
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
we do not provide air fare or meals (just breakfast for meals and tastings in our food tours). We can assist with guided tours, transportation, entrance fees, hotels, pick up and drop off from the Airport.
- K
Kim
Asked on August 13th, 2024What does it mean Transportation from centralized pick up locations & Bullet trains? What kind of transportation do you provide for this tour, buses, bullet trains? does any transportation to bullet trains is provided or you have to 'shlep' with luggage to train station? Could you also provide samples of hotels that group usually stay in?
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
It means that our group package has fixed points for the tour to start. So you will need to reach from your hotel to that point, after that, we will take care of the transportation of the tour. Yes, for the tours, busses. There are some walking tours that of course does not include any vehicle. We include bullet trains / trains from city to city. Yes, there are bullet trains included. Which category are you planning to include? we have 3. The basic is 3 stars hotels, boutique is 4 stars, and the last one is 5 stars.
- N
Nathan
Asked on August 3rd, 2024How many people would be expected on the 14 day best of japan tour is the same tour guide with you trough out the tour
- Tourist JourneyOperator•Written August 2024
The amount of people depends on the season and each specific tour. We have small-group tours like our walking experiences or our food tours; and other tours (where the sightseeing is the most important) that we have the capacity of a bus - 40 people. Usually we can have 20-25 people, except for high season.
Good to Know
Tour ID: 283764
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