Japan small group holiday by bullet train
This guarantees a single room throughout the tour.
Single supplement from £960.
Description of Japan small group holiday by bullet train
This Small Group Tour combines the famous cultural sights of Japan with the staggering natural beauty of its mountainous region. You'll visit the “golden route”: Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone, but also spend four days in and around the beautiful Japan Alps – including Kamikochi National Park, a place we think is a contender for one of the most stunning on Earth.
With our Insider guide connections and know-how, you can see the best of Japan's ancient culture, modern-day cities, and stunning nature all in a two-week trip.
•Tokyo – Begin in the electric capital, using historic Asakusa as your base. Explore modern districts, ancient temples, and old Edo charm.
•Hakone – Cruise Lake Ashi on a pirate ship with Mount Fuji on the horizon, and try eggs boiled in volcanic hot springs.
•Kyoto – Share tea with a maiko (trainee geisha) in a rare, Insider-only cultural encounter.
•Osaka – Feast on street-food favourites like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and kushikatsu. Optional day trip to Nara and its friendly deer.
•Takayama, Japan Alps – Wander an extensive preserved merchant district, sample local sake, and discover master woodcarving traditions in this mountain-shielded historic town.
•Kamikochi – Hike one of the most beautiful alpine valleys on Earth, with snow-capped peaks, glacial rivers, macaque monkeys, and fresh mountain air. Stay in nearby Hirayu Onsen for outdoor hot-spring views.
Two nights at every stop means you can truly soak in each destination without rushing. By the end, your idea of “Classic Japan” may be forever changed.
Dietary requirements
We can cater for vegetarian diets on all of our Small Group Tours. Vegan diets can usually be accommodated, though options may be more limited on certain itineraries—particularly in remote areas where meals are provided by local accommodations. In these cases, vegan travellers should expect simpler meals than the standard offering, but we’ll always do our best to make it work.
Price information
This guarantees a single room throughout the tour.
Single supplement from £960.
Check dates, prices & availability
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Reviews
8 Reviews of Japan small group holiday by bullet train
Reviewed on 22 Oct 2025 by Thomas Keegan
Overall, our holiday was excellent. Akemi is one of the best guides we have had on any trip anywhere. She made sure everything ran smoothly, kept us well informed of the daily agenda and handled everything with a smile and endless energy. She really made the trip extra enjoyable! Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Nov 2019 by Stuart Ackley
The most memorable part of the holiday was the train travel and scenery. Read full reviewReviewed on 03 Jun 2018 by John Harlow
The most exciting elements were the cultural differences and beauty of Japan. The most memorable was the stunning 'Japanese Alps' at Kamicochi. Read full reviewReviewed on 26 Nov 2016 by Ann Caroe
Autumn colours were wonderful and the temples were most interesting. Excellent, with attention to detail, which made the tour very easy for the group. Hotels very good. Read full reviewReviewed on 14 Aug 2016 by Andy Goodenough
Very good itinerary that included cities and countryside and a variety of types of accommodation. There was plenty of optional free time to explore one your own if you wanted. Brian, the tour leader was conscientious and helpful, we were particularly impressed that he met us at our hotel on arrival in Japan in spite of the very late hour. Read full reviewReviewed on 31 Oct 2016 by Geoff Wright
We particularly liked Takayama. We had the experience of staying in Ryokan and were fully exposed to Japanese breakfasts...Very good itinary, Good logistics. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Oct 2015 by Catherine Atkinson
A ten plus. The whole trip was fantastic, from the neon lights of Tokyo to the countryside around Takayama. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Jul 2015 by Michelle Rademeyer
It was fabulous and everything and more than we expected! Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Japan is probably most famous for its cities; neon-spangled skyscrapers, crowded zebra crossings, the bullet trains and human-esque robots. But on this tour we also head for the countryside, particularly the unspoiled landscape of Kamikochi National Park high in the Japanese Alps.We’ll be following in the footsteps of Banryu, a priest who was the first person to scale the Kamikochi mountains to worship nature according to the Buddhist doctrines. On our tour we’ll continue in this tradition, respecting the Kamikochi country code: not to disturb animals, not to damage wild plants and not to leave any litter.
Since 1909 regulations for the preservation of mountain plants in Kamikochi has been enforced and the Japanese rock ptarmigan, antelope and char are all protected animal species. In 1965 the local community established “Kamikochi Preservation”, a volunteer group. By behaving in a responsible manner during our visit in Kamikochi, we’ll be supporting the group’s work and helping to maintain the virgin nature of the national park for future generations.
People
We hate the idea of travelling in a ‘tour bus bubble’, talking only to your fellow travellers and not interacting with the communities we pass through. That’s why this tour is conducted mainly by public transport. Hopping on the Hiroshima trams and the Tokyo subway, or sitting next to commuters on the bullet train gives you plenty of opportunity to talk to local Japanese people. The Japanese are excellent hosts; polite, welcoming and proud of their traditional culture. So why not ask a local how to write your name in Japanese or fold an origami crane?On this tour we’ll spend 4 nights in traditional accommodation known as ryokan or minshuku. Here we’ll experience authentic Japanese living. Taking our shoes off at the door, we must wear slippers around the inn and just socks on the tatami mat floors in our guestrooms. Our beds are thick futon mattresses laid on the tatami. In the Japan Alps there are communal baths available (men and women separately). Etiquette dictates that you must wash yourself fully before climbing into the big tub for a soak. And strictly birthday suits only! But don’t worry, the tour leader will explain all these social rules and the reason behind them to deepen our understanding of Japanese culture.
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