What Makes it Special?
- Watch Tokyo’s skyline glow from a rooftop bar in Shinjuku.
- Sip matcha in a peaceful teahouse tucked away in Meiji Shrine’s sacred forest.
- Visit the Great Buddha of Kamakura, towering peacefully above temple grounds.
- Soak in a traditional onsen before feasting on a kaiseki dinner at your local ryokan.
- Walk under the orange torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine.
- Explore Kyoto’s geisha district, where wooden lanes take you straight back to old Japan.
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.
We’ve designed this 9-day Japan holiday to be perfect if you’re a little short on time. This compact itinerary follows Japan’s ‘Golden Route’ on a whistlestop journey through the country, all whilst making sure you’re taking in the highlights and never compromising on experiences. It's also just the start; no two holidays we design are the same. This is just to give you a taste of what's possible over a quick 9-day holiday to Japan, we’ll tailor it until it’s just right for you.
Your adventure begins in the busy metropolis of Tokyo, straight to the heart of Japan’s magic. Next, you’ll stop in the hot-spring resort town of Hakone, experience traditional Japanese hospitality with a stay at a traditional ryokan inn, and finish with time spent in ancient Kyoto. Take full advantage of the excellent railways on this Japan holiday as you use bullet trains to fly across huge distances of the country. We can recommend some alternative options to Hakone if you’d like to divert from the ‘typical’ route between the two major cities – as always, we'll chat to you about your interests and make sure we find something that suits your budget and timescale perfectly.
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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Direct flights from London will get you to Tokyo in around 12 hours, arriving early the following morning ready for your whirlwind adventure to begin.
Welcome to Japan! You'll be met at the airport by our local team, who will provide you with all the information and documents you need for your quick holiday to Japan. They will help get you to your hotel, where you'll be free to relax or explore the city at your own pace. There's plenty to do this evening - why not embrace the chaos and hit the alleyways on a street food tour? Delicious, eye-opening, and the perfect way to get to grips with the flavours of Japan the first chance you get!
We have an action-packed day planned for you, as your own private guide will lead you around some of Tokyo's best-loved attractions. The green lawns of Hamarikyu gardens, encircled by skyscrapers, and the tranquil park of Meiji Shrine, all existing alongside the multicoloured madness of Harajuku, it might sound cliche to describe Tokyo as a city of contrasts, but it really is.
Today is free to do as you choose. We'd recommend a journey out to Kamakura, where you can visit impressive temples and the iconic Great Buddha statue. Alternatively, spend the time exploring more of amazing Tokyo. We can suggest lots of trips, activities and excursions for you, so just let us know what you fancy doing - everything we do is tailor-made to your preferences.
Grab a train and leave Tokyo behind this morning before connecting to a quaint mountain railway to the steaming, volcanic landscape of Hakone. There's plenty to see and do here, so make the most of a full day in the region. Check out the sculpture parks, ride pirate ships and, if you're lucky, catch a glimpse of elusive Mt. Fuji! Spend the night enjoying a delicious multi-course kaiseki meal at your traditional ryokan and a soak in some mineral-rich hot springs.
Take some more time to soak up the onsen town tranquillity of Hakone before continuing by shinkansen (bullet train) to one of the real gems of Japan, Kyoto. This city is brimming with sights - ancient temples, shrines, palaces and historical neighbourhoods. We'd suggest a stroll this evening through Gion, one of Kyoto's geisha districts, where you can enjoy great local food behind the walls of ancient wooden buildings.
With your own private guide, explore some of the city's most memorable sights and learn all about Kyoto's fascinating past today. From the grandiose Nijo Castle and the shimmering gold pavilion of Kinkakuji temple, to the winding steps of Higashiyama that lead to beautiful Kiyomizudera - you'll end the day understanding completely why Kyoto is considered one of the top highlights of Japan.
With one full day remaining in Japan, we've left it up to you how to spend it. Maybe you'll journey to Nara, Japan's ancient capital - a city that boasts vast Buddhist temples, parks full of friendly deer, and plenty of opportunities to pick up great souvenirs to take home with you. On the way back, be sure to stop at the vermilion torii gates of Fushimi Inari shrine, one of the most photographed locations in Japan... It's popular and often quite busy, but it's more than worth a visit!
Today, your short Japan holiday has come to an end. Head to the nearby Kansai Airport to hop on your flight back to London, or choose to extend the adventure with a journey back to Tokyo, or onto another one of Japan's incredible destinations. Your holiday will always be tailored to your wishes and timescales!
Places you'll visit
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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