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Ultimate Japan

Deal number: 22675707

Intrepid

This deal expires 11 Feb 2026

Valid for select departures between 31 January and 14 December 2026

Japan

23-day tour

Price from

$11,959*

per person

Call 1300 018 390

Deal number: 22675707

Call 1300 018 390

Packed with value:

Earn from 71,754 points* with our loyalty program, World360 Rewards

23 day Intrepid small group tour

departing Tokyo

Accommodation: Hotel (16 nights), Japanese Inn (3 nights), Homestay (3 nights)

SAVE $2992*

when booking with your Flight Centre travel expert

6 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch & 4 Dinners

included in the trip price

Transport by

Boat, Public Bus, Private Bus, Cable Car, Ferry, Metro, Bullet Train, Train

Hakone - Cable car/Ropeway; Lake Ashinoko boat cruise

Takayama - Hida Folk Village; Incense making in Zenkoji Temple; Morning Market visit

Hiroshima - Peace Park & A - Bomb Dome; Peace Museum; Miyajima Island

Hagi - Hagi Castle and Samurai district walking tour, Homestay local experiences

Kyoto - Gion District walk; Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion); Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Ritsurin Garden & Sanuki Folkcraft Museum; Naoshima day trip (ferry, public bus & bicycle) & much more!

Itinerary

Discover some of the best landmarks and cultural gems on this 23-day adventure through Japan. Ride the scenic Hakone ropeway, wander through the Hida Folk Village in Takayama and learn about the sobering past of Hiroshima. See the floating Torri gate of Miyajima Island, veer off the veer off the main island of Honshu to the naturally beautiful southwest and walk through art-laden castles. Spend a night in a tranquil homestay in Usuki, relax in the steam of Beppu's onsen and soak up the peace in the caldera of Mt Aso in a traditional Japanese inn surrounded by rice terraces. See the Peace Park in Nagasaki, indulge in traditional dishes and try local sake along the way. Japan is best explored on foot and by public transport. You'll need to be fit enough to spend most of each day on your feet and able to handle your luggage as you navigate busy train stations. We recommend comfortable shoes and packing light. , On this trip, you'll spend some nights in homestays and traditional Japanese inns. These are a great taste of tradition and local life and you'll sleep on the traditional tatami floor (futons and blankets on the floor mat), just like the locals do! The facilities will be shared. , Double rooms in Japanese hotels can be smaller than you may be used to (e. g. 20 sqm). Every effort will be made to accommodate double room requests. However, during busy periods, there may be occasions when we are unable to offer a double room, so a twin room will be provided

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Japan. Your adventure begins in Tokyo with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. Bursting with contemporary urban culture, there are many sides of Tokyo to explore including fascinating museums, world-class shopping centres and neighbourhood backstreets lined with hole-in-the-wall eateries and bars. If you arrive early, maybe wander through the Hama Rikyu Garden, visit the Sumida Hokusai Museum or explore Ueno Park. After your meeting, maybe join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant.
This morning, travel to Hakone - a scenic hot spring town in the foothills of Mt Fuji. When you arrive, the day is free for you to explore at your own pace. Maybe visit the iconic red gate that stands in the water of Lake Ashi, visit Hakone Shrine, wander through modern sculptures and beautiful gardens at the Hakone Open-Air Museum or simply relax in one of Hakone's numerous onsens (hot springs). Tonight, why not find a local restaurant for dinner and try black eggs, which are cooked in the hot springs of Owakudani, paired with a local beer.
This morning, hop on a boat across Ashinoko Lake, then ride the Hakone ropeway cable car to the top of the surrounding mountains. The area around the lake offers plenty of stunning views, and you may even catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji in the distance if weather conditions are clear. The afternoon is free to further explore Hakone's mountain scenery and volcanic sites. Maybe visit the boiling sulphur springs of Owakudani, go for a walk through the hills of the famed grassland ecosystem of Sengokuhara or discover a collection of art at the Pola Museum of Art.
Travel by a local train, then a shinkansen towards Takayama - a charming Edo period town in the Japanese Alps, famous for its traditional inns, sake breweries and the Hida Folk Village. The village is your first stop - an outdoor museum where the traditional thatched-roof architecture unique to the area has been relocated to a mountain setting to preserve traditional Japanese culture. Discover the techniques used to build farmhouses that could withstand fierce winters and long periods of isolation due to snow-closed roads. The thick thatching kept in warmth, and the roofs were angled to minimise snow build-up. Each house is like its own self-contained museum, with displays of personal items and traditional tools. Tonight, maybe join your group for dinner at a local restaurant - your leader will have the best recommendations.
This morning, you'll head to the markets in Gifu prefecture - these markets have been held for over 600 years and are known for their array of high-altitude vegetables. Browse the stalls of seasonal produce that's brought in from the surrounding countryside and set up by local farm women from 7 am every morning. Look out for the unique local style of pickles, the bags of miso wrapped in leaves, genkotsu ame (soy bean candy), preserved fish, spices and the delicious marshmallow treat, owara tamaten. Then, head to Zenkoji Temple to learn how to make incense, which is believed to have purifying qualities. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the town at your own pace.
Travel by express train and shinkansen to Hiroshima today. When you arrive, you'll visit Hiroshima's Peace Park. The Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and Peace Memorial Museum stand testament to the fateful day in August 1945 when Hiroshima was chosen as target for the first ever wartime use of the atomic bomb. The dome was just metres from where the bomb detonated so it was able to retain its shape and the fact that it looks almost exactly as it did after the bombing has made it an enduring symbol of peace. The memorial park serves the same purpose, and has museums, memorials and monuments dedicated to the memory of victims. This evening, maybe head out with your leader for one of the city's signature dishes for dinner - okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake of egg, cabbage, soba noodles and meat or seafood).
Today you'll make your way to the nearby island of Miyajima with its famous 'floating' torii gate. You might like to further explore the island by climbing to the top of Mt Miyajima (or hopping on the cable car instead) for 360-degree views of the Inland Sea. Keep your eyes out for inquisitive and hungry deer that roam the streets. You have the rest of the day free to enjoy some of the other sites. You could stop by the five-storied Hiroshima Castle, which originally dates to the 1590s. It was destroyed by the bomb but reconstructed in all its glory in the 1950s and now holds an informative museum. The wonderful Shukkeien Garden, with teahouses and waterfalls, is also a perfect place to decompress.
This morning, travel to Hagi - a coastal city known for its spring cherry blossoms and forested slopes of Mt Shizuki. When you arrive, discover the Hagi Castle Ruins. Then, join a walking tour around the Samurai District. Wander through the middle- and lower-class samurai houses and merchants, then walk down the widest street and main road where the feudal lord's processions passed. Tonight, meet your homestay family and sit down to a home-cooked meal.
This morning, go with the flow and dive into the day to day life in Hagi with your host. Maybe check out their gardens and vegetables, visit the local supermarket for some shopping or walk around the neighbourhood. Each host will have their own plans. This afternoon, you'll regroup and hop on a bike to explore the countryside and coastline of Hagi. But first, visit a local sake brewery and hear about the inspiring story of the local female sake brewer and how she's broken the taboo and taken on the family business to continue brewing as one of the very few female sake brewers in the country. Then, continue your cycling tour through the countryside of Hagi, passing rice fields, along the coastline with a great view of the Sea of Japan. Later, head back to your homestay for another night with your host family.
Leave Hagi today and travel to Kyoto. Originally founded as Heian-kyo ('tranquility and peace capital') by Emperor Kammu in 794, Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years, but the emperor and government are now in Tokyo. With over 2000 temples, shrines and gardens, there's plenty to explore in this gorgeous city. Your leader will take you on a sunset walk through the Gion District (look out for wandering Geisha and Meiko!). Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner and try some traditional sushi or beef.
Start your day with a visit to the iconic Kinkakuji Temple, with its impressive Golden Pavilion, immortalised by Yukio Mishima's novel. Then, visit the red tori gates in Fushimi Inari. For the more active, hiking up the mountain following the red torii gates is a great way to enjoy the forest and the views over the city! Your afternoon is free to explore Kyoto at your own pace. Maybe head out in the evening with your group to celebrate the end of your adventure together.
This morning, travel to Osaka - the vibrant unofficial culinary capital, whose motto is 'Kuidaore' (eat until you drop). When you arrive, you'll have free time to wander the trendy streets or pick up some lunch in Dotombori, before another welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. After, maybe join your new travel companions for dinner at a local restaurant or wander the neon-lit streets for some street food and drinks.
Depart Osaka this morning and begin the journey west. Take the train across the bridge spanning the stunning Inland Sea and onto Takamatsu. This may be the largest city on the island of Shikoku (the smallest of Japan's four main islands), but it's a beautifully unpretentious town full of history, top-notch food and interesting local art. Here, you'll visit Ritsurin Garden - one of the most beautiful gardens in the country. Dating back to the Edo period, it comprises several ponds and arched bridges designed around strolling paths, tea pavilions and historic trees, with a western garden in addition to the Japanese one. The garden also houses the Sanuki Folkcraft Museum, which displays a variety of ceramics and basketwork dating from the time of the Tokugawa shoguns.
Take the ferry this morning for a daytrip to the island of Naoshima, in the Inland Sea between Takamatsu and the mainland - famous worldwide for its modern art galleries, museums, avant-garde architecture and lovely natural setting. Explore the island by public bus or bicycle to take you between the galleries and installations. Wander between artworks, hear the sound of waves lapping at quiet coves and stumble upon the wonderful outdoor sculptures. Return to Takamatsu after a full day on the island, where you'll have a free night.

Enquire to book this trip

Deal number: 22675707

Ultimate Japan

Intrepid

Valid for select departures between 31 January and 14 December 2026

Japan

23-day tour

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