
Tour · 13 nights · with Explore Worldwide
An escorted small-group tour with Explore Worldwide through Japan from the urban sprawl of Tokyo to Kyoto’s temples, including temple lodging, snow monkeys, and bullet trains.
Highlights
Senso-ji Temple and Fukagawa Fudo-do fire ceremony in Tokyo
Jigokudani snow monkeys bathing in hot springs
Castle and samurai district in Kanazawa
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and museum
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Miyajima torii gate
This 13-night tour by Explore Worldwide offers a thoughtful pace through Japan, starting in Tokyo where traditional shrines stand just steps from neon-lit streets. Senso-ji Temple and the thunderous taiko drums of Fukagawa Fudo-do provide a striking introduction to the country’s mix of the ancient and the modern.
Journeys
The route moves north to Matsumoto’s 500-year-old black castle, then to Jigokudani where snow monkeys soak formally in hot springs. Nagano’s Zenkoji Temple lodgings provide a chance to sleep much more simply than a western hotel. Later, Kanazawa reveals samurai lanes and the ‘Garden of the Six Sublimities’, while Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park reflects on more recent history.
Kyoto brings the tour to a close, with visits to Nijo Castle’s nightingale floors and a private tea ceremony. Near Kyoto, Arashiyama’s bamboo grove and its red torii gate on Miyajima Island offer quieter moments, while the final days include time to explore the city’s many temples and markets at leisure.
Itinerary
Tokyo
Matsumoto
Nagano
Kanazawa
Takayama
When to go
Lowest price each month, per person.
Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site
The operator
Small-group adventures, walking and wildlife
Small groups with local leaders, and a fondness for the places at the end of the road. Trips are graded so you know how active they are.
You book with Explore Worldwide directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.

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Hiroshima
Kyoto
Miyajima
These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.