Skip to main content
&
Search
&
Search
Simply Japan, a tour by Explore Worldwide

Tour · 13 nights · with Explore Worldwide

Simply Japan

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.

Duration
13 nights
Departures
100 dates
Choose a month below
Countries
Japan
Operator
Explore Worldwide
From
£3,695
per person

Highlights

What makes this one worth it

  1. Senso-ji Temple and Fukagawa Fudo-do fire ceremony in Tokyo

  2. Jigokudani snow monkeys bathing in hot springs

  3. Castle and samurai district in Kanazawa

  4. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and museum

  5. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Miyajima torii gate

About the trip

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.

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.

34°N36°N38°N
The route in outline: places are joined in the order visited, not by the roads or sea lanes taken.
  1. 1 Tokyo
  2. 2 Matsumoto
  3. 3 Nagano
  4. 4 Kanazawa
  5. 5 Takayama
  6. 6 Hiroshima
  7. 7 Kyoto
  8. 8 Miyajima

Itinerary

The route

  1. Tokyo

  2. Matsumoto

  3. Nagano

  4. Kanazawa

  5. Takayama

  6. Hiroshima

  7. Kyoto

  8. Miyajima

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

When to go

Departures and prices

Lowest price each month, per person.

Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.

Need to know

Before you book

Price based on
Per personThe operator confirms the exact basis when you book.
Travelling alone
Check with Explore Worldwide
Flights
Not included: you book your own to the start
What’s included
Check with Explore Worldwide
Accessibility
Check with Explore Worldwide

For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site

Questions people ask

How long is Simply Japan?
Simply Japan is a 13 nights tour holiday.
Who operates Simply Japan?
Simply Japan is operated by Explore Worldwide.
How much does Simply Japan cost?
Prices for Simply Japan start from £3,695, subject to availability.

The operator

Explore Worldwide

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.

New to Japan? Our Japan guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.

Journeys

Reading for the trip

If this appeals, so might these

Search all holidays

Tour · 5 nights

Japan: Castles & Cuisine

Japan · G Adventures

2 departures · Oct 2026 – Dec 2026

from£853.30per person