What Makes it Special?
- Explore the best bits of Tokyo, from neon lights to peaceful shrines, with a local leading the way.
- Discover Kanazawa's historic streets, pristine gardens and try a taste of gold leaf ice cream.
- Visit the postcard-perfect farm village of Shirakawago, sip sake and stay in a traditional ryokan.
- Discover Kyoto's World Heritage sites with your guide before slowing down at a traditional tea ceremony.
- See Miyajima's floating torii gate before learning about Hiroshima’s moving past and resilience.
- End your journey with a guided tasting of Osaka's most celebrated dishes in Japan’s foodie city.
Your tailor-made holiday will be as unique as you are. These itineraries are just a starting point, a bit of inspiration to show what’s possible. Your own trip all starts with a conversation with one of our Japan experts, who’ll take the time to understand what matters most to you and design the perfect Japan holiday to match.
This two-week Japan holiday gives you the chance to experience a little bit of everything that the country has to offer. It’s an action-packed introduction to this diverse and fascinating country, ideal for anyone looking to experience a little further afield than just the major cities.
Your adventure begins with a few days in hectic, neon-lit Tokyo, before you journey to the rich, cultured city of Kanazawa and the mountain town of Takayama. Continue onward for a few nights in beautiful and iconic Kyoto, and then to Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima. Your time in Japan finishes with a night in the fun and wonderfully Japanese, Osaka – a city that really knows how to have fun, though you could also return to Kyoto or Tokyo again if preferred. Every single holiday we design is bespoke, but this itinerary is a great framework to start building your own fortnight in the Land of the Rising Sun. As always, we’re at the end of the phone with all of the first-hand knowledge needed to make sure your Japan holiday is the perfect fit for you.
14 hours from London
When to go
- High season: October to April, July to August
- Low season: May to June & September
Average temperature
- January: 0°C
- August: 30°C
Average rainfall
- December: 50mm/month
- June: 240mm/month
Itinerary at a Glance
Day by Day
Here's a summary of what you might get up to day-to-day on this Japan holiday. As always, this is just an idea. Every single day of your holiday will be tailored to suit you.
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Your journey kicks off with an overnight flight from the UK to Tokyo, either direct from London or via another city if flying from a regional airport (as always, we'll help figure out the best option to suit you). You'll arrive the following day in this buzzing mega-city, ready for your Japan holiday to begin.
Welcome to Japan! You'll be welcomed at Tokyo airport by our friendly, local team, and given all the documents and tickets you'll need for the next few weeks. They're brilliant at helping you get to your starting hotel, where you can relax or choose to head straight out into the city for some fun under the neon lights.
After breakfast, you'll meet your very own private guide for a day of exploring the sights of the city. From skyscraper-filled, crowded streets to quiet, tranquil parks and shrines, Tokyo is a diverse and exciting introduction to modern Japan. We can tailor the specifics of today's touring if you have any particular interests or must-see attractions, just chat to us about what's important to you.
With a full day free today, it's up to you what you fancy doing with your time. We have plenty of recommendations for great sights, photo locations, top restaurants and hidden spots - both within the city limits, and easily reachable by train as a day trip. We'll work together to plan out the perfect way to spend your day in Tokyo.
Hop on the Hokuriku bullet train and head to Kanazawa - a city known as 'Little Kyoto' due to its cultural treasures, well-preserved historical neighbourhoods and carefully crafted local cuisine.
This morning, why not take a stroll around the beautiful Kenrokuen gardens, or while away a few hours in one of the world-class museums nearby. This afternoon, your friendly guide (who will be bursting with knowledge!) will take you around the captivating streets of the city, teaching you all about the traditional crafts of the region, such as gold-leaf work and kimono-dying as you go. Don't miss the gold-leaf ice cream!
Today, take a bus to the picturesque village of Shirakawago and spend a couple of hours exploring this archetypal Hida farming community. It's a bit like walking through a postcard. Continue onto the ancient town of Takayama, your home for the next few nights. This beautiful town has a lot to offer visitors, including mouth-watering cuisine, welcoming ryokan (inns) to spend the night, and an old town filled with wooden houses that feels like a living museum.
Take a morning tour around town to try the local food for yourself, and enjoy a taste of the local sake (rice wine) that this region is famous for. Your afternoon is free to relax at your ryokan, soaking in the hot baths, or exploring the area further.
Today you'll take the scenic train to Nagoya before hopping on a Shinkansen (Japan's iconic bullet train) through to Kyoto. This modern and iconic city has a rich heritage and boasts more than a dozen designated World Heritage monuments and countless temples, so get exploring!
This morning, you'll meet your own private guide and spend a morning visiting a selection of Kyoto's many wonders. All of our guides are so brilliant at bringing the history and culture of places you visit to life, so this Kyoto city tour is sure to be a memorable one. This afternoon, you'll dive further into Japan's culture as you experience a traditional tea ceremony and try your hand at getting creative at a local craft lesson.
We'd recommend venturing out of Kyoto today to explore the ancient capital, Nara, which is tantalisingly close by. As well as being home to the famous wooden temple of Todaiji, Nara Park is filled with friendly, wild deer, all keen to make your acquaintance. The widespread Japanese politeness has rubbed off on them, it's not unusual to see them bowing to visitors!
Back on to the bullet train today to fly across the country towards Hiroshima – a city with a dark past. Top tip: Hop off the train and break up the journey in Himeji to see the famous 'White Heron' castle, before continuing to Hiroshima for the next few nights.
Your final stop is Osaka, the yin to Tokyo's yang. This laid-back and down-to-earth metropolis is famed for its hedonistic nightlife, indulgent cuisine and easygoing outlook. This evening we'll organise a culinary adventure to get you sampling lots of the celebrated food for yourself, the perfect foodie end to your two-week Japan holiday. Be sure to come hungry!
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but it's time to fly back to the UK today. Choose a convenient return flight from Kansai Airport, or, if your time is more flexible, add some more nights in Osaka (or back in Tokyo) to keep the adventure going. We know what we'd choose!
We have hundreds of partner hotels across the world, with our tailor made trips you can pick from our range of beautiful hotels
What You're Saying
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A highly knowledgeable and professional company that looks after you and your particular needs from beginning to end. Japan was my third trip through them and their team in the office, Fenton in particular, their local guides and their on the ground back up staff were brilliant. Faultless is the one word that springs to mind and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Judith Young
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Emma planned our trip to Japan with us expertly. We explored Tohoku and had some wonderful guides. The travel, the hotels, and the advice and support we were given was just what we had hoped for. The adventure was truly memorable and totally enjoyable. A truly superb experience. Thank you!
David Price
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Just back from an amazing time in Japan. Fenton looked after us brilliantly during the initial discussions, all the way to checking-in once we were back to see if there were things that could have been improved. The key thing for us was that Fenton listened to us, and asked about the things that interested us and would make the holiday special. He was able to use his experience and knowledge to guide us - including tweaking some of our initial ideas that would not have worked. Then he crafted an itinerary that really delivered on the promises. Proper small business service levels - highly recommend.
RD
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Japan was our second trip arranged by Holiday Architects and like the first was a huge success, Emma helped us organise a wonderful three week itinerary, eight stops all connected by trains, Japans trains are a revelation and run perfectly. Everything from hotels, which were well located and comfortable, our well planned tours and excellent tour guides and Japan and the Japanese people made for a wonderful memorable trip.
Steve Ausden
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We recently returned from an incredible trip to Japan, arranged by Holiday Architects, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. From the start, Fenton was attentive and professional, sharing his personal experience and expertise about Japan. He took the time to understand what we wanted from our trip – combining cultural experiences, visits to historic buildings and serene gardens, and the excitement of bustling city life – and created a tailored itinerary that suited us perfectly.
Maggie and Mark
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I booked a holiday of a lifetime for myself and my daughter to Japan. Fenton at Holiday Architects organised everything to the finest detail. When we arrived in Tokyo, we were met by someone who had all our tickets prepared with full instructions on how to use them, where and when. Each hotel was chosen with us in mind, each within the vicinity of the main sights. Guided tours showed us the culture of Japan and its history. Fenton has great knowledge of the country, if you don’t. He can advise. Thank you Fenton!
Ian
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Emma planned and organised an amazing trip to Japan for myself and a friend, which was just what we wanted. The quality of her advice and the tours organised for us were first class. We would definitely use Holiday Architects again. Thank you.
Jill Carnie
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I could not have planned such a memorable adventure to Japan with my 19 year old son without Emma’s extensive and invaluable knowledge. She really listened to my brief, with the end result that we had a trip of a lifetime. We felt we were experiencing Race Across the World but in a good way and armed with all the information we needed. The App was brilliant which detailed our itinerary day by day including train times and local information. Excellent.
Cathy Stafford
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Holiday Gallery
Meet our Japan experts
We offer tailor-made holidays to suit a wide range of tastes. Our experts Emma and Fenton are dedicated to all things Japan and are here to help you plan your perfect trip.
Emma Higgins
Destination Manager
A self-confessed ramen lover and hiking enthusiast, Emma fell hard for Japan’s food and lush countryside. She’s full of ideas for getting off the well-trodden trail and soaking up the quieter, greener side of this one-of-a-kind country.
Fenton
Destination Manager
Fenton’s passion for Japan runs deep, he’s studied the language, explored all corners of the country from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and even named his cat Kyoto. If you want an expert who lives and breathes the place, he’s your guy.
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