From
NZ $4,999

14 Day Best of Japan Golden Route Tour Package

14 days
From Tokyo to Osaka
3.0
1 traveler review
From
NZ $4,999
Find this price
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Payment plan $2,025 now + easy payments of $235 Learn More

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Plan your adventure:
In-depth Cultural
Immerse yourself in rich history and local traditions
Partially Guided
Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
Guided in English
Group Size 1 - 50
Age range 1 to 99
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

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

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 Arrival in Tokyo
  2. Day 2 Tokyo
  3. Day 3 Free Day in Tokyo
  4. Day 4 Tsukiji Fish Market & Culture
  5. Day 5 Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi
  6. Day 6 Nikko
  7. Day 7 Morning bullet train to Kanazawa
  8. Day 8 Shirakawa-go
  9. Day 9 Train to Kyoto
  10. Day 10 Kyoto & Nara
  11. Day 11 Train Transfer to Osaka & Food Tour
  12. Day 12 Hiroshima & Miyajima
  13. Day 13 Osaka
  14. Day 14 Departure
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • 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
  • Meals
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

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...

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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
    Average
    3.0
  • Itinerary
    Average
    3.0
  • Guide
    Good
    4.0
  • Transport
    Rather poor
    2.0
  • Accommodation
    Average
    3.0
  • Food
    Excellent
    5.0
  • 3.9
  • JM
    · April 8th, 2025
    Let 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 more
    Trip date: March 2025

Dates & Availability

14 days
14 Day Best of Japan Golden Route Tour Package
From Tokyo to Osaka

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  • From Thursday
    19 Jun, 2025
    To Wednesday
    2 Jul, 2025
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
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    From:
    $5,295
  • From Friday
    20 Jun, 2025
    To Thursday
    3 Jul, 2025
    English
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    21 Jun, 2025
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    English
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    From Sunday
    22 Jun, 2025
    To Saturday
    5 Jul, 2025
    English
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    From Monday
    23 Jun, 2025
    To Sunday
    6 Jul, 2025
    English
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    From Tuesday
    24 Jun, 2025
    To Monday
    7 Jul, 2025
    English
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    From Wednesday
    25 Jun, 2025
    To Tuesday
    8 Jul, 2025
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
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    From:
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  • Instant Confirmation
    From Thursday
    26 Jun, 2025
    To Wednesday
    9 Jul, 2025
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
    Guaranteed departure
    Multiple Room Types
    From:
    $5,295
  • Instant Confirmation
    From Friday
    27 Jun, 2025
    To Thursday
    10 Jul, 2025
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
    Guaranteed departure
    Multiple Room Types
    From:
    $5,295
  • Instant Confirmation
    From Saturday
    28 Jun, 2025
    To Friday
    11 Jul, 2025
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
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    From:
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From
NZ $4,999
Find this price
Save and compare this adventure
Payment plan $2,025 now + easy payments of $235 Learn More

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Plan your adventure:

What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • J

    Jonathan

    Asked on April 18th, 2025

    Would like to know which departure dates currently has the fewest travellers booked, as they prefer to avoid travelling in a large group

    Group size
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2025

    Are 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.

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2025

    Can I book this tour with single accommodations? How does that affect the price?

    Price / Availability
    Single supplement
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2025

    We would like to stay at traditional Japanese hotel in kyoto.

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2025

    private bathrooms/rooms? Ability for geisha/maiko show? Sumo and/or samurai options?

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2024

    Is 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?

    Transport
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2024

    Does 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?

    Accommodation
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten August 2024

      Correct, it means 3, 4 and 5. It would be the standard double room.

    • C

      Christine

      TravelerWritten August 2024

      Would 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 JourneyOperatorWritten 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

      TravelerWritten August 2024

      One 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 JourneyOperatorWritten 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

      TravelerWritten August 2024

      Would 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 JourneyOperatorWritten 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

      TravelerWritten September 2024

      Can 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 JourneyOperatorWritten 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.

    • C
      8 more answers
  • H

    Harry

    Asked on August 17th, 2024

    looking all inclussive 15day tour of japan including air fare, all meals, stay, transportation, including tickets to events etc for four adults (couple)

    Accommodation
    Flights / Transfers
    Meals
    Tour Details
    Transport
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2024

    What 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?

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    Transport
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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, 2024

    How many people would be expected on the 14 day best of japan tour is the same tour guide with you trough out the tour

    Group size
    Tour Details
    • Tourist JourneyOperatorWritten 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.

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Reach out to the experts at Tourist Journey with your enquiry, they usually respond within 1 day.

Good to Know

Tour ID: 283764

  • 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 July 21st, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after July 21st, 2025, a minimum payment of 35% is required to confirm your booking with Tourist Journey. 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 35 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 Tourist Journey will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Tourist Journey" 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
  • 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.