Japan In a Week
- Duration : 9 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Hakone Mt Fuji, Kyoto
This organized trip to Japan offers you the chance to discover Tokyo and Kyoto in just over a week, including an essential visit at the foot of the majestic Mount Fuji. In a small group, you'll explore these captivating locations with an expert English-speaking guide. It's the perfect choice for a first trip to Japan!
1 week itinerary in Japan (9 days):
- Departure city/airport: Tokyo (Narita : NRT or Haneda : HND)
- Tokyo (3 nights)
- Hakone - Mont Fuji (1 night)
- Kyoto (3 nights)
- Osaka (1 night)
- End return airport: Osaka (Kansai International Airport : KIX)
Please find below the itinerary details.
Tour length: 8 nights / 9 days (+ 1 day at the beginning if you leave from Europe).
Please note that the tour departure and end dates indicated on this page relate to your actual stay in Japan. On departure, you will have to leave Europe the day before. The return flight is on the same day due to the time difference.
Example:
- Departure from Europe: January 1st
- Arrival in Tokyo (date to be selected in the tour calendar upon reservation): January 2nd
- Return flight from Tokyo: January 10th
- Arrival in Europe : January 10th (except in case of a later departure)
Why book this trip to Japan?
- Accompanied by a bilingual English-speaking guide, a specialist in Japanese culture
- Inclusive: guide, accommodation, transport, transfers
- Small group of between 9 to 15 people maximum
- Visit the must-see places for a first trip to Japan
- Stay in 3* hotels and ryokan (traditional Japanese accommodation)
- A variety of visits, activities, meals and transport (Shinkansen, minibus...)
- One free day in Kyoto, which can also be guided, if desired
- 40 years of expertise from Japan Experience, the leading European travel agency in Japan
- Phone assistance in English, from 8am to 10pm every day
Your trip in detail
Itinerary
Day 1 : Sunday - Tokyo, Here We Come!
Arrival at Tokyo airport (Narita: NRT or Haneda: HND). Welcome to Japan!
Our airport assistant will greet you in English as you clear customs.
Unaccompanied transfer from the airport to Tokyo (see details).
This transfer is by shared shuttle, with other customers departing for the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers depart between 1.5 and 3 hours after your flight's scheduled arrival time, and stops may be made before your hotel.
If you would like a private, non-stop transfer directly after the actual arrival of your flight, don't hesitate to take the ‘Private taxi from the airport’ option.
Check-in at the La'Gent Shinjuku Kabukicho or similar 3* hotel (rooms available from 3pm).
You will be met by your guide at 7pm in front of the hotel reception. The presentation of the tour will take place during a welcome dinner offered by Japan Experience, scheduled for 7pm on the day of your arrival. If your flight time does not allow you to join the group at this time, a packed lunch will be served at the hotel.
Day 2 : Monday - Exploring Tokyo
Breakfast at the hotel.
Early departure for a guided tour of Tokyo:
- Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage
- Sensô-ji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in Tokyo, and its Nakamise-Dôri, a narrow alley lined with historic shops
- A timeless moment during an authentic tea ceremony
- Hamarikyu Gardens, nestled between skyscrapers and Tokyo Bay
- The chic and elegant Ginza district
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own. Your tour guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat!
Daily travel by public transport and on foot (approximately 10 km in total).
Day 3 : Tuesday - Tokyo's Must-Sees
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continue your tour of Tokyo with your guide:
- Ueno: Tokyo's iconic park, famous for its cherry blossom trees (late March, early April) and lotus pond
- The Tokyo Sky Tree* with its panoramic view of the city
- Harajuku: the avant-garde district
- Meiji-Jingû: the imperial sanctuary
- Takeshita-Dôri: Japan's most famous street
- Omotesando: Tokyo's Champs-Élysées
- Shibuya and its famous ‘crossroads’.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own.
Day's travel by public transport and on foot (approximately 10 km in total).
* One of the three tallest towers in the world at 634m. In the event of bad weather, reduced visibility or heavy crowds, Japan Experience reserves the right to replace this visit with another observation point.
Day 4 : Wednesday - Hakone and Mount Fuji: A Day of Wonder
Breakfast at the hotel.
Luggage transfer to Kyoto organised by Japan Experience (1 piece of luggage per person).
Bring a small bag for the night in Hakone - Mount Fuji.Train journey to the centre of Hakone - Mount Fuji (approx. 1h30).
Depart for the heights of Hakone for a breathtaking view of Mount Fuji (weather permitting).- Visit to the Hakone Open Air Museum, exhibiting contemporary sculptures in an exceptional natural setting.
- Lake Ashi-no-ko and its Japanese torii portico with its feet in the water
- The incredible Owakudani** volcanic site
The Japan Experience signature: a day in a chauffeur-driven minibus to avoid the crowds on the site's buses and funiculars.
Check into your Ichinoyu Honkan ryokan or ryokan of the same category (traditional Japanese hotel). Rooms with private baths.
Meals provided (lunch and traditional Japanese dinner) by Japan Experience.**The site may be inaccessible due to volcanic activity.
Daily travel by train, bus, cable car, boat and on foot (approx. 7 km in total).Day 5 : Thursday - Journey through History
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan (predominantly savoury).
Departure on foot or by public transport to Odawara station, then departure for Kyoto by Shinkansen express train (3-hour journey).
Start of the guided tour of Kyoto:
- The Fushimi Inari Taisha sanctuary and its thousand porticoes
- Gion, Kyoto's historic district, with its Sannen-zaka & Ninen-zaka streets and the Gion district.
- Kodai-ji, Kyoto's maple and bamboo temple
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photographs in the historic Gion district.
Check-in at the Intergate Kyoto hotel or hotel in the same category.
Meals provided (lunch and dinner) by Japan Experience.Day's travel by Shinkansen to Kyoto, by public transport and on foot (approx. 6 km).
Day 6 : Friday - Exploring Kyoto's Treasures
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning tour of Kyoto by minibus, then on foot:
- Ryoan-ji Zen Garden
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
- The enchanting Path of Philosophy
The Japan Experience signature: enjoy a matcha tea while admiring the Japanese garden Murin-An.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at leisure - Your tour guide will be able to recommend the hidden addresses in Kyoto!Daily travel by minibus and on foot (about 8km in total).
Day 7 : Saturday - Free Day
Breakfast at the hotel.
Free day: Enjoy the many wonders of the ancient capital at your own pace. Your guide will be happy to provide recommendations.
Only breakfast is provided by Japan Experience at the hotel. Other meals, transportation, and visits are not organized by Japan Experience.
Feel free to contact us if you wish to book various activities for this day. We highly recommend exploring the Tea Road in Uji, a city renowned for producing the best matcha (powdered green tea) in Japan.
Day 8 : Sunday - Among Temples and Deers
Breakfast at the hotel.
Train journey to Nara (50min).
Visit to Nara, Japan's first fixed capital in the 8th century.
With your guide, discover :- Kofuku-ji temple and its delightful pagoda
- Todai-ji, with its large bronze Buddha and imposing Nan-Daimon gate
- Kasuga Taisha sanctuary and its myriad lanterns
Departure for Osaka (50 min) and check-in at the Hiyori Osaka Namba hotel or equivalent.Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own.
Day's travel by train and on foot (approximately 10km in total).
Day 9 : Monday - Sayonara and until your next journey!
Transfer to Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX) by direct train or shuttle bus, depending on the location of your hotel.
Transfer to Itami airport (ITM) is not provided by Japan Experience.
Meals not provided by Japan Experience, except breakfast.
Return flight to Europe.
Don't hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days to Osaka, Hiroshima... we can advise you.
Accommodation
- 7 nights in 3* hotels
- 1 night in a ryokan at Hakone - Mount Fuji (room with private bath)
The basic rate includes a twin room for two people.
Transportation
- Transfer airport <> Tokyo
- Prepaid public transport card
- Train ticket between Odawara and Kyoto on the Shinkansen bullet train, ordinary class - reserved
- Other transport during your stay, except on free days
- Luggage transfer (see details in the itinerary)
Experiences and meals
- Guidance from an English-speaking specialist on Japan
- Tours and activities mentioned in the programme
- Almost full package: all meals (except free days and half of the dinners during the tour)
In Japan, breakfast is traditionally savory. Western-style hotels typically offer a variety of choices, but traditional accommodation like ryokan or temple lodgings often provide a more traditional Japanese breakfast experience.
Additional services
- Unlimited Wi-Fi access, except on free days
- Complete travel diary sent to you 20 days before your departure
- Phone assistance in English, from 8am to 10pm daily; in addition to the guide's assistance during the day
Not included in the price of your trip
- Flights between your country <> Japan
- Optional insurance policies
- Personal expenses (including 4 dinners at your leisure and any expenses on your free day)
- Drinks with meals (except water and sometimes tea)
- Anything not included in the "included in your tour" section
About the risk of cancellation of your guided tour
While there is very little risk that your guided tour will be canceled, this risk does exist. It is usually 4%.
If you are unfortunately in this 4%, you will be informed 3 to 2 months in advance and we will ALWAYS offer you another tour, in the same season and most of the time on the same dates. We also offer, as an alternative, 100% reimbursement of the tour (excluding flights).
In 2024, out of our 300 guided tour customers, only 5 had to be redirected to another tour and 2 chose to be refunded.
Upon reservation Japan Experience offers you 2 types of protection:
Japan Experience Flex :
Cancellation insurance before departure (conditions apply).
Japan Experience Protect :
Pre-departure cancellation insurance and on-site assistance (conditions apply). COVID protection included.
You can subscribe to our Zero Carbon Project when making your reservation. Your contribution will help offset your CO2 emissions while supporting ecological initiatives. For more information, please visit our dedicated page.
Frequently asked questions
Our commitments as Japan Experience, Europe's No. 1 travel agency in Japan
- The guarantee of the first tour operator specialising exclusively in Japan for 40 years
- A wide range of products to let you Experience Japan from the inside
- Competitive prices thanks to a single team in the UK, Europe, USA and Japan, with no intermediaries
- Assistance available in Japan throughout your trip
- A specialist team is available 7 days a week, by phone and email
- The best advice thanks to the 3,500 articles available on our website
Our other Guided tour
Discover other guided tours like « Japan In a Week »