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Top 10 things to do on a Japan tour

With so many must-see attractions in Japan it can be hard to pick out the best for your holiday. Here are our ten highlights of Japan to see on a small group tour, from seasonal delights like cherry blossom colours to wildlife encounters with snow monkeys.

 

1. See the cherry blossom

Cherry blossom season in Japan runs from around mid-March to early-April, with the full bloom at the beginning of April. The cherry blossom trees burst with colour, their hues complementing vibrant temples and colourfully-clad locals. Read our blog to discover

An alternative to visiting in the cherry blossom season is to go in autumn when the trees are like fire, exploding with bright oranges and deep reds.

Did you know this about cherry blossom season?
A wooden boat carries people through a cherry blossom-lined canal. In the background, a traditional Japanese castle sits atop a hill, and a red arched bridge crosses the water.

2. Feast on sushi and local Japanese food

Sushi is now available in many Western supermarkets and restaurants, but it doesn’t compare to eating freshly-made, authentic sushi in Japan. With so many different variations available in different regions, you won’t get bored of eating this delicious food. You may even get to try your hand at making it yourself on a sushi-making class.

As well as sushi you’ll also have plenty of other unique and enticing local dishes to try too – check out our 11 must-try Japanese food and drink dishes.
View our Japan food tour
Chopsticks hold a sushi roll filled with avocado, crab stick, and cucumber, positioned on a slate surface with blurred sushi rolls in the background, under soft lighting.

3. Stay in a ryokan

Experience Japanese living with a stay in a ryokan, a type of inn that features traditional furnishings such as tatami mats, futon beds and sliding doors. Many of our Japan tours feature at least one night in a ryokan, where you’ll learn about Japanese etiquette such as taking your shoes off and sitting on the floor to eat. During your stay you’ll wear a yukata, a Japanese robe, and get to sample authentic Japanese food and teas.
View Japan tours including ryokan stay
Futons are laid out on tatami mats in a traditional Japanese room with shoji doors. A small sitting area with wicker chairs faces a window overlooking greenery.

4. Travel by bullet train

Experience travel Japanese style on our Japan small group tours. All our itineraries include journeys on the famous high-speed bullet trains, called shinkansen in Japanese. These will see you darting between destinations at speeds of up to 320 kilometres an hour, making it the fastest way to cover the distance between the must-see sights. And there’s none of the delays that are the norm in the West – punctuality is very important in the Japanese culture and the trains typically leave on time, down to the second. So make sure you’re on time!
A white bullet train speeds along tracks in the foreground. It passes fields and electrical lines with a snow-capped mountain rising majestically against a clear blue sky in the background.

5. Bathe in an onsen

Onsens, traditionally, are hot springs that Japanese people bathe in, usually communally (although men and women bathe at separate times or in separate pools). They can be natural hot spring pools, as Japan is very volcanically active, or pools fed by hot springs. Onsens are believed to have healing properties and the minerals are thought to be good for your health. You must wash before you enter the water and if you’ve got tattoos, check the signs as they sometimes have rules forbidding you to use the onsen.

Positioned in the south of the country, Kyushu Island is a haven for hot springs. Visit Beppu and Kurokawa onsens, where you can relax in theraputic waters before enjoying a tranquil ryokan stay in a picturesque riverside town. 
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Steam rises from a tranquil hot spring, surrounded by trees and rocks. Wooden posts support a rustic shelter. Sunlight filters through foliage, creating a serene natural atmosphere.

6. Meet snow monkeys

You don’t usually see monkeys in the snow, which is what makes Japan's snow monkeys so special. These indigenous macaques come down from the hills to bathe and play in hot springs; a joy to watch. Take a pleasant walk along a forest trail to the hot springs on our Simply Japan trip to see the monkeys.
Snow monkeys relax in a steaming hot spring, surrounded by snow-covered rocks and a wintry landscape, with steam rising around them.

7. Attend the Sapporo Snow Festival

There's snow place like Sapporo - just remember to wrap up warm! Located on the northern island of Hokkaido, the city is renowned for its annual Sapporo Snow Festival. Take an ice-breaker cruise across the Sea of Okhotsk before continuing onto Sapporo, where you can admire huge snow sculptures and intricate ice carvings at its world-renowned snow festival. It's easily one of Japan's top festivals.
View our Sapporo Snow Festival tour
A large snow sculpture resembling a castle is illuminated with colorful lights. People stand around observing, surrounded by tall buildings during night in an urban setting.

8. Visit Hiroshima

Hiroshima is known worldwide for the atomic bombing in 1945 that destroyed the majority of the city and killed tens of thousands of people. Today you can visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park which is dedicated to the memory of the victims. A symbolic landmark in the park is the A-Bomb Dome, the skeletal remains of the one of the last buildings left standing closest to where the bomb dropped. Whilst the Park is a poignant reminder of the nuclear bombing, the overwhelming message is of hope that it won’t occur again.

The city has been built back up to a thriving metropolis with many attractions to discover. Just off the coast of Hiroshima is Miyajima Island, where tame deer roam freely through the streets. On the ferry over we see the famous floating torii gate, a vibrant red gate that appears to float on the water.
A park features a curved monument over a narrow reflecting pool. People walk nearby, surrounded by manicured trees. In the background, an old structure contrasts with modern buildings.

9. Hike the Kumano Kodo Trail

Discover Japan in a different way on our Walk Japan tour. On this tour you’ll get to explore Japan on foot, reaching out of the way places and wonders. The trip includes four days walking on the Kumano Kodo Way, an ancient pilgrimage trail connecting Buddhist shrines on the mountainous and rainforest-covered Kii Peninsula. Hike through dense forest thick with giant camphor trees up to ridges looking down over the blanket of mist covering the valley below. And along the way you’ll stay in traditional lodges and ryokans where you’re rewarded with delicious local food and scenic mountain views.

We finish the way at Nachi Taisha, the last of the shrines, which sits beside the impressive Nachi-no-Otaki, Japan’s tallest waterfall.
A three-tiered red pagoda stands amidst lush greenery. Visitors climb adjacent stone steps. A tall waterfall cascades in the background, framed by dense forest, with cherry blossoms nearby.

10. Take the ferry to Miyajima Island

Whilst in Hiroshima, take a small ferry to Miyajima. This tiny island has a very relaxed feel which is enhanced by the deer that roam freely through the streets. As we arrive we get a great view of the floating torii gate. Considered to be one of the most beautiful sights in Japan, the red gate appears to float on the water at high tide with the hills of the island forming a spectacular backdrop.
A deer stands on sandy ground near water, with a red torii gate and distant mountains in the background, suggesting a serene, scenic setting by a lake or sea.

 

Explore Japan on a small group tour

From tours of the highlights on a cultural trip to walking ancient pilgrim routes, there are many different ways to discover Japan. Whichever trip you choose, your holiday will immerse you in Japanese culture and create lifelong memories.
View all Japan tours
An arched red wooden bridge leads to a traditional pagoda, surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage in a serene garden setting.

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