Day 1 – Tokyo:

On the first day of your 19-day budget Japan tour, you will meet your Adventure Leader in the lobby of the Tokyo hostel in the morning. You’ll drop off your luggage, have a briefing to discuss the itinerary, and get to know your fellow travellers.

After your briefing, we’re off to the Asakusa District to visit the Sensō-Ji temple, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple.

At lunchtime, you will feast on the freshest sashimi you’ve ever eaten! This will take place at Tokyo’s iconic Tsukiji Outer Market, where you’ll also be amazed by the variety of fish on offer and catch a glimpse of the famous blue-fin tuna. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, don’t worry – your Adventure Leader will let you know where you can grab a bite to eat.

After lunch, soak up the incredible views from the top of the Metropolitan Government Building and then take part in some optional activities – you can either experience one of Japan’s national obsessions (baseball, at a local batting cage) or kick back and relax with a drink – or bathe with the locals at a nearby bathhouse.

Day 2 – Tokyo:

In the morning, you’ll discover the Japanese art of sushi-making with an unforgettable lesson from a sushi chef, and then sample your creations for lunch!

Later, you will visit Akihabara, Japan’s ‘Electric Town’ and hub of Anime, which is also home to Japan’s most famous J-pop group, AKB48. You will find venues specialising in manga and games such as the Tokyo Anime Center. Here, you can take part in an optional ‘Made in Tokyo’ experience at one of the Akihabara’s maid cafes.

If you’re up for something fun and different, you’ll also have the option to bring your favourite video game to life with Street Kart! This activity allows you to choose a costume- such as Mario or Luigi-  and race down the streets of Tokyo! (Please note: to participate, you must secure an international driver’s permit valid in Japan before the start of the trip).

In the evening, you can head to Golden Gai and experience Japanese nightlife!

Day 3 – Tokyo:

Start the morning with a trip to the unmissable Tokyo Imperial Palace – an abundance of gardens and galleries, with guided tours and castle ruins. Surrounding the home of the Emperor, the grounds are perfectly maintained and are a top attraction for visitors to the capital. Here, you’ll learn more about why Japan’s Imperial Family is so unique.

It’s another afternoon of traditional-modern contrast in the Harajuku area of Tokyo. Your first stop will be Harajuku, which is Tokyo’s fashion district, you will encounter punks, goths, technicolour hair – anything goes in Harajuku. Take in the industrial vibes – and if you want, grab some hair dye and get involved!

After this, you will make your way to Shibuya to visit the Meiji Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.

Then, you’ll head to the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world and iconic landmark, Shibuya Crossing. This is where you will find the Hachiko Statue. After, why not stop by the Cat Café MoCHA to make some furry friends while enjoying a cup of tea and slice of cake?

If you want to experience some more nightlife, you can explore the streets of Roppongi. If not, you can have a relaxing evening at the hostel.

Day 4 – Tokyo:

First thing in the morning, you will head to Ryōgoku to discover Tokyo’s fascinating history at Edo-Tokyo Museum. If you want, you will also have the option to visit the Sumo Museum, as Ryōgoku is known as Tokyo’s Sumo District. Why not learn about the history of the Japanese sport?

In the afternoon, you can also have the option to visit the Touken Museum, where you’ll be able to see exhibitions of Japanese swords.

Day 5 – Tokyo & Kamakura:

Off to a new destination: Kamakura! After brunch in Tokyo, it’s time to say goodbye to the modern capital and hop on a train to Japan’s medieval centre. Kamakura is a seaside Japanese city south of Tokyo. Once the political center of medieval Japan, today, Kamakura is a resort town with many Buddhist Zen temples and Shinto shrines.

Upon arrival, you have the option to rent a surfboard and head to the beach, as the hostel is moments away from the coast – or, you can make the most of this opportunity to sunbathe. There are beachside bars where you can relax with a drink.

Later on, you’ll explore some of the town’s many ancient shrines, and then hike over to Kotoku-in Temple to marvel at the solid bronze Great Buddha statue, which stands at nearly 45ft tall – even after a tsunami! Afterwards, you will travel to Enoshima, a small offshore island where you can spend some time exploring the temples, or you can kick back in one of the many seafront bars to watch the sun go down.

Day 6 – Hakone:

Say goodbye to Kamakura as you hop on a series of trains and buses to Hakone station. When you arrive, we’ll hike along the Old Tokaido and enjoy lunch near Moto-Hakone. Hakone used to be a checkpoint to control traffic along the Tokaido, the highway which linked Tokyo with Kyoto during the feudal Edo Period, and today, a passage of the old Tokaido is located along the shore of Lake Ashi.

Later, climb aboard a sightseeing cruise with a twist – it’s a pirate ship! From the deck of this ship, you’ll cross the Lake Ashi’s clear blue waters and, on a cloudless day, get an unforgettable view of the famous Mount Fuji.

After, you’ll take the Hakone Ropeway for a great cable car journey that drops you at Owakudani, an active volcanic zone where you can try black eggs – a local delicacy coloured by the sulphuric water they’re boiled in.

Spend the evening soaking in the sulphuric water of a traditional Japanese outdoor bath, called an ‘Onsen’. (Please note: those with tattoos may not be able to enter an ‘onsen’ in Japan as tattoos are associated with gang culture – you can read more about it here)

Change into your kimono after a long hot bath, and you’re ready to learn about the art of Japanese rice wine during a sake tasting session! You’ll listen to an introduction about how sake is made, the different varieties and top it off with tasting opportunities to truly understand the art.

Day 7 – Kyoto:

Next, you’re off to Kyoto via bullet train. You’ll zoom across the country, covering around 273 miles in two hours, leaving plenty of time to experience Kyoto later in the day and evening. In the afternoon, wander the hillside streets to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari.

In the evening, you will have the option to attend a live geisha performance, which also features a tea ceremony, puppet show, traditional music, and more. For something quintessentially Kyoto, you can also wander through Pontocho Alley, full of lanterns and intimate wood-panelled restaurants – here, you can quietly sip on sake and look out for geishas wandering past!

Day 8 – Arashiyama, Kyoto:

You’ll start the day with a two-hour boat trip down the Hozugawa River. In a traditional wooden raft, driven by guides, you’ll cruise through rocky ravines and experience the rush of rapids as you meander through the Arashiyama Hills. Later, you’ll head across to the Arashiyama Monkey Park. It’s a tough climb up, but at the top, you can feed monkeys or simply enjoy the panorama of Kyoto below.

After, you’ll visit the Tenryu-Ji Temple, one of the most important Zen temples. You’ll walk around the temple’s showstopping gardens, which were designed in the 14th century. Finally, you’ll take a hike through Arashiyama’s famous Bamboo Forest.

In the evening, you can let your hair down and enjoy some Japanese karaoke with the rest of your group!

Day 9 – Kyoto:

You’re halfway through your 19-day budget Japan tour, so today you can take a breather and relax your vocal cords after the previous night’s exertions – you have a free day to that’s yours to enjoy!

If you have the energy, we suggest taking a look at the majestic temples that adorn the Philosopher’s Path. Alternatively, you could check out the International Manga Museum.

Day 10 – Kyoto & Hiroshima:

Today, you’ll cycle around Kyoto like a local! First, you’ll ride over to a Zen temple where you can discover your inner peace with meditation led by a Buddhist monk. Then, we’ll continue our Kyoto adventure and head off to admire an iconic image of Kyoto: the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-Ji. Walk around the mirror pond, and prepare to be mesmerised by the shimmering golden reflection of the pavilion on the water.

After lunch, jump on your bike and cycle around to the Imperial Palace, before bidding farewell to this magical city. In the afternoon, you’ll take another bullet train and venture further west for Hiroshima.

Day 11 – Hiroshima:

Hiroshima, a modern city on Japan’s Honshu Island, was largely destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. Today, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park commemorates the 1945 event. Here, you will find out how this city came to suffer the consequences of the world’s first atomic bomb, but you will also learn that Hiroshima is now the standard- bearer for a peaceful and nuclear-free world.

After a train ride and a short ferry trip to Miyajima Island, you’ll reach the Itsukushima shrine. To avoid angering the gods on the island, the main temple buildings were built on stilts on the shores of the island. Just offshore, you will see an enormous torii gate standing in the sea, and at low tide, you can walk across the sand to take a closer look.

Finally, you’ll make your way back to the hostel, and you can enjoy a relaxing free evening.

Day 12 – Osaka:

Today, another bullet train will take you to Osaka – you’ll arrive in time for lunch in the Shinsaibashi area.

After enjoying your typically Japanese lunch of yakitori, ramen, sushi or whatever takes your fancy, it’s a short subway ride to the Osaka Castle. The castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks, as it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the 16th century. Take a stroll around the castle that rises above the moat, and don’t forget to check out the nine-level dungeon.

Afterwards, it’s time for a free afternoon! You can choose to explore more of Osaka on your own, have the ultimate Japanese shopping experience in Shinsaibashi – or, you can have a rest.

This, evening, you’ll start the night off by competing to become the Dragon Trip Arcade Challenge Champion. You’ll eat, drink, game, and enjoy the endless Dotonbori and Namba night scenes.

Tonight, you will sleep at a capsule hotel – small, private, and quintessentially Japanese.

Day 13 – Mount Koya:

This morning, say goodbye to Osaka before heading to Mount Koya. Here, you will explore Okunoin Cemetery, one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot. As the largest cemetery in Japan, with over 200,000 tombstones, there are many people laid to rest here, including prominent monks and feudal lords.

In the evening, enjoy a complementary traditional Buddhist vegetarian meal at your Shukubo Temple lodging. After dinner, you have the option to return to Okunoin Cemetery for a night tour.

Day 14 – Shirakawa-go:

Wake up early to experience a peaceful Buddhist morning prayer before having a complementary, traditional Buddhist breakfast inside the temple lodging where you can enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Following this, we’ll arrive in Shirakawa-go and check into your ‘gassho-zukuri’ farmhouse lodging – just in time to explore the village as the sun sets over the valley. After this beautiful sight, enjoy an authentic Japanese dinner inside the farmhouse.

Day 15 – Kanazawa:

Today, you’ll wake up to another traditional Japanese breakfast inside your gassho-zukuri lodging. Next, you’ll get the chance to explore more of Ogimachi Village, including a visit inside a farmhouse-turned museum to learn about its history. Then, you can go for a short hike to a nearby viewpoint for a truly breathtaking view of the valley.

Later, you will head to Kanazawa by bus and check-in to your new hostel. Kanazawa is known for its Edo-era districts, art museums and craft stalls. In the evening, enjoy the night scene at a nearby street filled with great restaurants and izakaya.

Day 16 – Kanazawa:

This morning, you will visit Kenrokuen, Japan’s most celebrated landscape garden, with ponds and streams that date back to the 17th century. You will also visit the adjacent Kanazawa Castle which was built in the 1580s, along with a visit of Higashi Chaya, as well as taking a trip through a former Samurai District by bike.

After this, you’ll return to the accommodation. You’ll need to pack an overnight bag for tomorrow, as your luggage will be sent independently to the next hostel.

Day 17 – Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route:

Today, you will spend the full day crossing this magnificent mountain sightseeing route. Along the way, you’ll see the highest dam in Japan, as well as the stunning Shomyo Falls – a waterfall that boasts Japan’s longest drop of 350 meters. After hiking the surrounding peaks, you’ll see mesmerising views along Japan’s longest one-span ropeway.

If you take the our tour in May, you’ll have a chance to see the snow corridor, a span of road carved through walls of snow as high as 19 metres! In September, you will have the opportunity to see beautiful autumn colours as the foliage in the mountains begins the change.

You’ll complete the Alpine route in Nagano, a town famous for the winter Olympics, and then head to the nearby village of Yamanouchi. After a long day of travelling, you have the option to relax in the atmosphere of a 200-year-old onsen with an outdoor bathing area.

Day 18 – Yamanouchi:

Today, you’ll pay a visit to the Snow Monkey Park. Next, enjoy a spot of paddle boarding, where you’ll be able to appreciate some incredible views. Afterwards, you’ll set off on a hike in the nearby hills, where you can immerse yourself in wonders of the Yamanouchi.

In the afternoon, you have some free time to take part in some local activities. You might enjoy a trip to a picturesque teahouse, or a craft brewery with excellent local brews on tap, sample some Sake, or take the train into town to explore the city of Nagano.

This evening, you will sit down for a group dinner at the Hakko Restaurant. All the items on the menu feature ingredients that have been fermented in some way, an inspiration from the local cuisine. Afterwards, you have the option to take some time to relax in a 200-year-old onsen – a Japanese hot spring.

Day 19 – Return to Tokyo:

This morning you will take part in some miso tasting – a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji, and sometimes rice, barley and seaweed.

After this, you will say goodbye to your fellow Dragon Trippers and catch your train back to Tokyo to finish your 19-day budget Japan tour – or, continue on your travels!