Essential Japan

Say Konnichiwa to Japan – a diverse land of culture, innovation and cuisine. You’ll get your fix of sushi and shopping in Tokyo before soaking up Kanazawa’s crazy Samurai culture (this is a great place to knock back a couple of glasses of sake, too). Wander gorgeous gardens and temples and then brush up on your world history at Hiroshima at the sobering Peace Park and Museum. Spy geishas in Kyoto’s Gion district and get your Beyonce on at an Osaka karaoke bar – this trip has it all! Perfect for the independent traveller, you’ll also have loads of free time to customise your trip with activities and extras you want to do, so you won’t miss anything on your bucket list. 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.This trip includes accommodation in multi-share dormitories, where you won't be staying in twin-share hotels but rather in cool hangouts with shared facilities. Due to the single-gender dormitories, travellers on the same booking may be split between rooms.In some destinations, you may be staying in a ryokan-style room. It’s a great taste of tradition however, not everyone finds futon mattresses on a tatami floor and proximity to other guests as comfortable as Western-style hotels.This trip is made for travellers who value their independence but also want the benefit of a local leader and a group of like-minded travellers. The itinerary has plenty of free time where your leader will offer suggestions. Please budget spending money for optional activities you want to partake in and public transport to those activities.As the trip only has limited time in Tokyo and Osaka, we highly recommend staying a few extra days before and after your trip to enjoy all these great cities have to offer.