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 combine several days of skiing and snow-shoeing with sightseeng.
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.
2009 dates now available to book! 2008 prices will be held for bookings made until the end of June.
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.
Our favourite Japan experiences: 1. Sitting in an open hot spring bath next to a cold rushing river |
2008 Trips
We have a range of trips scheduled for 2008, 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, 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 a skiing and snow-shoeing trip to the mountains of central Japan. It combines three days of either skiing or the exciting but easy to learn sport of snow-shoeing at the Nozawa Onsen ski resort with visits to historic towns and villages, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go. 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 2008 Scheduled Trips |
||||
| Dates | Name | Activity | Length (days) |
Highlights |
| 12 - 25 May 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 |
| 17 - 30 May 2008 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 01 - 14 June 2008 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 29 June - 13 July 2008 | Mountains of Central Japan | |
14 | Classic mountain walking in the Japan 'Alps', Matsuyama, ancient capitals of Kyoto, Nara and Asuka |
| 13 - 25 July 2008 | 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 |
| 07 - 19 September 2008 | 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 |
| 14 - 28 September 2008 | Mountains of Central Japan | |
14 | Classic mountain walking in the Japan 'Alps', Matsuyama, ancient capitals of Kyoto, Nara and Asuka |
| 22 September - 04 October 2008 | 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 |
| 19 September - 02 October 2008 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 12 - 25 October 2008 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 02 - 15 October 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 |
| 19 October - 02 November 2008 | Imperial Pilgrimage | |
14 | Walking and hiking in the Kii Peninsula of western Japan, along the Kumano pilgrimage route. |
| 29 October – 11 November 2008 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 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. |
| 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 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 |
| 08 - 21 April 2009 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 10 - 23 May 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 - 26 May 2009 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 3 - 16 June 2009 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 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 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 |
| 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 | |
| 27 October -10 November 2009 | Shoguns and Samurai | 14 | Tokyo, Nakasendo post-towns, hot springs, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara and Mount Koya | |
| 1 - 14 November 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 |
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.
Fully Tailored Itineraries:
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.
Birdwatching and botanical trips:
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.
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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.
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