Self-guided adventure tour in Japan
Starting from:
3000 USD
per Adult
Make your travel personal with a self-guided adventure in Japan, designed for travelers who seek authentic, tailor-made experiences. Our Japan trips give you the freedom to shape your route, stay in carefully selected local accommodations, meet welcoming hosts, and choose cultural encounters that reflect your interests.
With practical planning tools, expert local contacts, and flexible options that suit your pace, you can create a journey that feels truly your own. Reserve your place and transform curiosity into lasting memories.
Self-guided adventure tour in Japan highlights
- Tailor-made Kyoto walking pilgrimage: Wander Kyoto's temples and backstreets at your pace, creating a tailor-made walking pilgrimage.
- Private onsen and countryside homestays: Relax in private onsen stays and countryside homestays that connect you to local life.
- Curated culinary and market discoveries: Taste seasonal izakaya fare and morning market finds on a curated culinary route.
- Flexible train routes and offbeat exploration: Hop scenic trains and explore rural towns on a flexible schedule.
- Hands-on cultural workshops with locals: Join hands-on tea, craft, or samurai workshops led by locals.
| Day | Location | Activity | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo | • Private airport transfer to Tokyo Prince Hotel • Tailor-made welcome and local orientation • Guided neighborhood walking tour • Dinner recommendations tailored to your tastes | Tokyo |
| 2 | Tokyo | • Asakusa district and Senso-ji Temple • Tokyo Skytree panoramic views • Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park stroll • Evening exploration of Shibuya and Roppongi | Tokyo |
| 3 | Tokyo to Hakone | • Express train to Hakone National Park • Cable car, ropeway, bus, and boat travel with the Hakone pass • Owakudani hot springs • Lake Ashi ropeway views and pirate ship crossing • Return to Tokyo in the late afternoon | Tokyo |
| 4 | Tokyo to Takayama | • High-speed and regional train journey to Takayama • Historic Edo period streets and sake breweries • Hida Folk Village open-air museum and farmhouse exhibits | Takayama |
| 5 | Takayama | • Takayama morning market with local specialties • Visit to a traditional sake brewery • Small batch sake tasting and brewing insights | Takayama |
| 6 | Takayama to Kyoto | • Scenic coach transfer through mountain landscapes • Hotel check-in • Tailor-made afternoon exploring Kyoto’s historic lanes | Kyoto |
| 7 | Kyoto | • Nijo Castle • Ryoan-ji rock garden • Golden Pavilion Kinkaku-ji • Sagano bamboo grove walk • Tenryu-ji Temple and Togetsukyo Bridge • Samurai Kembu show and lesson | Kyoto |
| 8 | Kyoto to Hiroshima | • Bullet train to Hiroshima • Ferry to Miyajima Island • Itsukushima Shrine and cedar-lined paths • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome | Hiroshima |
| 9 | Hiroshima to Osaka | • Express train to Osaka • Lunch on arrival • Osaka Castle and museum visit • Evening in Dotonbori with street food tasting | Osaka |
| 10 | Osaka | • Leisurely breakfast • Free time for shopping or sightseeing • Private transfer to Kansai International Airport • Personalized departure assistance | — |
Arrival in Tokyo
A private car transfer from Tokyo Airport brings you to the upmarket Tokyo Prince Hotel in the heart of the city. Your Japan travel experience begins with a tailor-made welcome and local orientation.
An English-speaking local guide will lead an afternoon walking tour of the surrounding neighborhood, sharing favorite spots and local insights. For dinner, your guide will recommend a restaurant where you can enjoy sushi, sukiyaki, or tempura suited to your tastes.
Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, and Tokyo highlights
Begin in Asakusa with a guided walk to Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest temple, then enjoy panoramic views from Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan. In the afternoon, explore Meiji Shrine and the neighboring Yoyogi Park, a forested oasis offering quiet walking paths ideal for a reflective stroll.
Conclude the day in Shibuya Crossing and Roppongi, using our specially prepared guide kit to discover tailor made spots, local dining, and authentic experiences.
Tokyo to Hakone
Take an express train from Shinjuku Station to Hakone National Park on a scenic two-hour journey. Use the Hakone transport pass to combine cable car, ropeway, bus, and boat travel throughout the day. Ride to Owakudani to view steaming hot springs, then continue by ropeway to Lake Ashi for striking views of Mt. Fuji on clear days.
Board a pirate ship across the lake to Moto Hakone, then travel by bus to Hakone Yumoto Station. Return to Tokyo by express train in the late afternoon.
Tips from Bruce
Japan
Travel Expert
Hakone’s public transport works best when treated as a loop, not point to point. The ropeway, boats, buses, and trains are designed to flow together, but only if you follow the circuit in the right order. Starting early and moving with the loop helps you avoid backtracking, crowds, and long waits, making the journey part of the experience rather than a series of connections.
Tokyo to Takayama and Hida Folk Village
Leave Tokyo by high-speed train and continue by regional rail to Takayama, a well-preserved Edo-period town in the Japanese Alps, as part of a carefully paced Japan itinerary. The journey of approximately five hours brings you to historic streets, family-run sake breweries, and opportunities to sample local Hida wagyu beef tailored to your interests.
Visit Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum of traditional thatched farmhouses, where you can learn how these homes were built to withstand heavy snowfall and explore displays of everyday tools and household life.
Takayama morning market and sake brewery
Explore Takayama’s morning market in Gifu Prefecture, known for its high-altitude vegetables and long-standing local traditions. Dating back more than 600 years, the market comes alive from early morning as local farm women sell seasonal produce and regional specialties. Browse stalls offering house-made pickles, miso wrapped in leaves, preserved fish, aromatic spices, and the fluffy owara tamaten marshmallow.
Continue to a nearby sake brewery to learn about traditional brewing methods, sample small-batch sake, and discover how the alpine climate and crystal-clear mountain water shape its distinctive flavor.
Transfer to Kyoto
Travel by coach from Takayama to Kyoto on a scenic three to four-hour journey along winding mountain roads and through fragrant forests, offering a memorable prelude to Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan.
After hotel check-in, enjoy a tailor-made afternoon exploring narrow lanes lined with traditional wooden houses. Wander at your own pace, watch for geisha moving quietly between appointments, and absorb the centuries-old atmosphere of one of the best places to visit in Japan.
Kyoto surroundings and Samurai Kembu show
Use Kyoto’s efficient public transportation to visit Nijo Castle, the renowned rock gardens of Ryoan-ji, and the golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji.
Continue to the Sagano bamboo grove to enjoy views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, then follow a gentle three-kilometer walking path to Tenryu-ji Temple. Conclude the walk at Togetsukyo Bridge, overlooking the Hozu River.
In the evening, attend a Samurai Kembu show and lesson, where you can practice traditional sword dance movements for an authentic, hands-on warrior experience.
Miyajima and Hiroshima
Travel by bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima, then continue by ferry to Miyajima Island, where you can walk along cedar-lined paths and visit the iconic Itsukushima Shrine. This experience combines striking coastal scenery and sacred Shinto architecture, with time to explore at a pace that suits you.
After lunch, return to Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome, pausing at exhibitions that reflect on the city’s history of loss, resilience, and renewal.
Hiroshima to Osaka
Check out of your Hiroshima hotel and travel by express train to Osaka, a journey of approximately one hour. After arrival, enjoy time for lunch before visiting historic Osaka Castle, set within expansive gardens and home to a museum that brings the city’s past to life.
In the evening, dive into Osaka’s energetic nightlife as you wander the neon-lit Dotonbori district and stroll along the canal. Sample local street food favorites such as takoyaki, kushikatsu, okonomiyaki, and kaiten sushi, a scene that often inspires travelers considering a culinary tour across Japan.
Transfer to Kansai International Airport
Enjoy a relaxed final morning with breakfast at your hotel and time to stroll nearby streets, pick up last-minute souvenirs, or savor one more bowl of ramen.
A private transfer will take you to Kansai International Airport with ample time for check-in and your departure flight, ensuring a smooth and personalized conclusion to your Japan trip.
