Guided tours to Japan

With a maximum group size of 12, the trip is both more personal and memorable.
Choose from a selection of cultural and off-the-beaten track trips, or see Japan from a different perspective by walking and hiking the backroads. Walking trips are graded easy to strenuous. We also offer winter trips which offer a lovely view of Japan under a blanket of snow!
Our tours draw upon our combined years' of experience travelling the length of the country. Each tour is lead by a qualified Japanese-speaking tour leader. We work with local Japanese guides to enhance the experience through their local knowledge of certain regions.

New tour! - Nakasendo Trail

For practical information covering our trips in Japan click here. For some background information on the history and culture of Japan, see our Japan resources page.

1. Sitting in an open hot spring bath next to a cold rushing river
2. Sleeping in a futon on tatami mats in a small ryokan
3. Wearing our yukata (cotton kimono) to stroll through the town after dinner
4. Eating cold buckwheat noodles on a hot day
5. Seeing the dance of light on terraces of freshly-planted rice fields

We have a range of trips scheduled for 2009, including the classic Shoguns and Samurai from Tokyo to Kyoto. Our walking tours include Mountain Spirits which travels from Tokyo to Tohoku (northern Japan) to visit mountain-top temples and some of Japan's most spectacular national parks. We also offer the Land of Fire tour, which travels to the the southern island of Kyushu, the new Nakasendo Trail tour from Tokyo to Kyoto which involves lovely village-to-village walking, Imperial Pilgrimage, where you can experience an ancient pilgrimage route, and the vigorous Mountains of Central Japan which involves some classic walks in the Japan 'Alps'. Our walking trips are graded from easy to strenuous.

Our Snow Country trip is ideal for those who want to combine time spent in Tokyo or Kyoto with a journey into the winter landscape of central Japan. The tour offers bathing in natural hot springs, and visits to the historic towns and villages of this mountainous region. Experience the stillness and beauty of the snow-covered mountains on snow-shoes and then relax in a natural onsen (hot spring bath)!

View comments from previous tour participants.

Please view the below trip comparison chart (click on a trip title to see details) and contact us if you have any questions.

Japan 2009 Scheduled Trips
Dates	Name	Activity	Length (days)	Highlights
02 - 15 November 2008	Land of Fire		14	Kyoto and Nara, Beppu hot spring, Kuju Highlands, Mount Aso volcano, Takachiho gorge, pottery and weaving in Aya, Kagoshima, Ibusuki hot sand baths
16 - 30 November 2008	West Japan Explorer		15	Walking and hiking in Honshu and Kyushu. Japan Sea coast, volcanes of Mount Aso, and the beautiful island of Yakushima.
18 - 27 January	Snow Country		10	Winter trip to the mountains and towns of central Japan, visiting hot springs and historical towns.
15 - 24 February	Snow Country		10	Winter trip to the mountains and towns of central Japan, visiting hot springs and historical towns.
25 March - April 7 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
05 April - 18 April 2009	Land of Fire		14	Kyoto and Nara, Beppu hot spring, Kuju Highlands, Mount Aso volcano, Takachiho gorge, pottery and weaving in Aya, Kagoshima, Ibusuki hot sand baths
08 - 21 April 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
12 - 23 April 2009	Nakasendo Trail		12	4 days of lovely village-to-village walking along the Nakasendo trail, sacred Mount Koya, imperial Nara and Kyoto, Tokyo, natural hot spring baths
13 - 26 May 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
03 - 17 May 2009	Imperial Pilgrimage		15	Walking and hiking in the Kii Peninsula of western Japan, along the Kumano pilgrimage route.
1 - 12 June 2009	Nakasendo Trail		12	4 days of lovely village-to-village walking along the Nakasendo trail, sacred Mount Koya, imperial Nara and Kyoto, Tokyo, natural hot spring baths
3 - 16 June 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
28 June - 12 July	Mountains of Central Japan		15	Classic mountain walking in the Japan 'Alps', Matsuyama, ancient capitals of Kyoto, Nara and Asuka
12 - 24 July 2009	Mountain Spirits		13	Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine – Oze Marshlands – joining the pilgrims to climb the three sacred peaks of Dewa – staying in temple lodgings – Yamadera – gentle cycling and walking in the Tono Valley – hot spring baths
15 - 28 July 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
19 - 30 July 2009	Nakasendo Trail		12	4 days of lovely village-to-village walking along the Nakasendo trail, sacred Mount Koya, imperial Nara and Kyoto, Tokyo, natural hot spring baths
19 August - 1 September 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
23 August - 4 September 2009	Mountain Spirits		13	Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine – Oze Marshlands – joining the pilgrims to climb the three sacred peaks of Dewa – staying in temple lodgings – Yamadera – gentle cycling and walking in the Tono Valley – hot spring baths
13 - 25 September 2009	Mountain Spirits		13	Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine – Oze Marshlands – joining the pilgrims to climb the three sacred peaks of Dewa – staying in temple lodgings – Yamadera – gentle cycling and walking in the Tono Valley – hot spring baths
13 - 26 September	Mountains of Central Japan		15	Classic mountain walking in the Japan 'Alps', Matsuyama, ancient capitals of Kyoto, Nara and Asuka
27 September - 08 October 2009	Nakasendo Trail		12	4 days of lovely village-to-village walking along the Nakasendo trail, sacred Mount Koya, imperial Nara and Kyoto, Tokyo, natural hot spring baths
10 - 23 October 2009	Land of Fire		14	Kyoto and Nara, Beppu hot spring, Kuju Highlands, Mount Aso volcano, Takachiho gorge, pottery and weaving in Aya, Kagoshima, Ibusuki hot sand baths
13 - 27 October 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya
18 - 29 October 2009	Nakasendo Trail		12	4 days of lovely village-to-village walking along the Nakasendo trail, sacred Mount Koya, imperial Nara and Kyoto, Tokyo, natural hot spring baths
18 October - 01 November	Imperial Pilgrimage		15	Walking and hiking in the Kii Peninsula of western Japan, along the Kumano pilgrimage route.
27 October -10 November 2009	Shoguns and Samurai		14	Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya

You can now see some of tours in Google Earth, a free program from Google that allows you to zoom in to any place in the world and see stunning satellite imagery. See our Google Earth page for more information.

We can also arrange tours to suit your dates or even put together a trip customised to your needs, with or without an element of walking or hiking. See our custom tours page for more details.

Our resident naturalist Mike leads birdwatching trips to Kagoshima in Kyushu and also Hokkaido to see the Japanese (Red-crowned) Crane, Hooded Crane, Steller's Sea Eagle amongst others. These trips are normally on-demand only, so please get in contact to discuss your preferred dates.

Four times a year we send out an email newsletter with information about new trips, stories from past trips, and general news about our destinations. If you would like to receive this newsletter please enter your email address on our newsletter page.

Nakasendo Trail
Tokyo to Kyoto 12 days
2009:
12 - 23 April
1 - 12 June
19- 30 July
27 September - 8 October
18 - 29 October

Mountain Spirits
Tokyo and Northern Japan 13 days
2009:
12 - 24 July
23 August - 4 September
13 - 25 September

Shoguns and Samurai
Tokyo to Kyoto and Nara 14 days
2009:
25 March - April 7
8 - 21 April
13 - 26 May
3 - 16 June
15 - 28 July
19 August - 1 September
13 - 26 October
27 October -9 November

Land of Fire
Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Kyushu 14 days
2009:
5 - 18 April
10 - 23 October

Snow Country
Tokyo to Kyoto via Takayama and Kanazawa 10 days
2009:
18 - 27 January
15 - 24 February

Imperial Pilgrimage
Kyoto, Nara and the Kii Peninsula 14 days
2009:
3 - 17 May
18 October - 1 November

Mountains of Central Japan
Japan Alps and Kyoto 14 days
2009:
28 June - 12 July
13 - 27 September

Custom trips
The above tours can be offered to suit your dates, or we can tailor a trip to your requirements, including birdwatching and botanical tours. Details

See our tours in Google Earth!

Practical Information

Time: GMT +9 hours
Visas: Not required for British, US, Canadian, Australian, NZ and most EU citizens

Click here for more practical information covering our trips in Japan

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Trip comments:
We saw more places and met more people on our trip than we ever dreamed. Rural Japan, hot springs resorts, cute little towns and bustling megapolises alternated with a kaleidoscopic exuberance.
Thank you again for the well organized trip, divers itinerary and your thoughtful support!
Svetlana P, USA

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