International · Japan
Japan
A country that has made attention a national art.
Ideal length
12–16 days
Bespoke from
₹4.8L / pax
Time zone
GMT +9
Visa
eVisa, 4–7 days
Featured packages
Featured packages for Japan.
The Place
We design Japan trips with intentional pace: three nights in a Kyoto machiya, a ryokan with a private onsen in Hakone, a kaiseki dinner you'll talk about for years, and a Shinkansen ride that ends in a tiny coastal town you've never heard of. Cherry blossom and autumn-leaf windows fill 11 months ahead — book early.
Language
Japanese
Plug
Type A · 100V
Tipping
Don't
Connectivity
Pocket Wi-Fi at arrival
Best time
March – May, October – November
Getting there
Direct flights from Delhi & Mumbai to Tokyo
Currency
JPY
Preferred · Why we go
Three reasons Japan stays on our atlas.
Preferred · 01
Ryokan & onsen
Family-run inns, tatami floors, dinners in your room.
Preferred · 02
Off the Golden Route
Kanazawa, Naoshima, the Kiso Valley, Tohoku in winter.
Preferred · 03
Seasonal precision
Sakura, koyo, snow festivals — booked 9–11 months out.
When to go
Signature experiences
The reasons you came for, and a few you didn't.
HeritageStay in a Kyoto machiya
A restored merchant townhouse, all wood and tatami, on a quiet lane.
FoodKaiseki, in season
A multi-course dinner that is also a haiku about the month you're in.
ArtNaoshima art island
Tadao Ando's Chichu, the Benesse House, and the pumpkin at the end of the pier.
WalksKiso Valley post-road walk
Magome to Tsumago — a four-hour stretch of the old Nakasendō between cedar forest and grass-roofed villages.
SlowRyokan with a private onsen
Hakone or Kinosaki — yukata at dinner, tatami at breakfast, a hot tub of your own.
FoodTsukiji outer market breakfast
Tamago, uni, knife shops, dashi stalls — without the auction tourists.
A possible shape
One way to spend your time in Japan.
Not a fixed trip — a sketch to argue with. Every Gallivant journey is rebuilt around your dates, pace, and people.
Day 1–3
Tokyo
Aman or Hoshinoya. Tsukiji breakfast, teamLab Planets, dinner at a six-seat counter.
Day 4
Hakone
Shinkansen to a private-onsen ryokan with Fuji on the horizon.
Day 5–7
Kyoto
A machiya stay. Tea ceremony, Fushimi Inari before sunrise, a chef's table in Pontocho.
Day 8
Nara · Naoshima
Morning deer at Nara, then west to the art island for two nights at Benesse House.
Day 9
Naoshima
Chichu Art Museum, Lee Ufan, the bath house. Slow lunch on the harbour.
Day 10
Kanazawa
Geisha district, Kenroku-en garden, samurai houses.
Day 11–12
Kiso Valley
Old post-road inn. Walk Magome to Tsumago, then Tsumago to Nagiso.
Day 13
Tokyo · home
One last sushi counter on the way to Narita.
Where you'll sleep
Three archetypes, one shortlist.
Sky-high contemporary
Aman Tokyo
33rd-floor zen on Otemachi. Vast rooms, the city at your feet.
Ryokan by river
Hoshinoya Kyoto
Reached by private boat up the Oi River. Old Japan, brought close.
Museum hotel
Benesse House, Naoshima
Sleep inside a Tadao Ando museum, with the collection accessible after hours.
On the plate
Food, drinks, and the rituals around them.
Sushi at a six-seat counter
We book the omakase that hand-grates wasabi and ages tuna for nineteen days.
Kaiseki in Kyoto
Kikunoi, Hyotei, or a quieter Pontocho ryotei — chosen by the season.
Ramen at Ichiran, finally
The famous one is famous for a reason. We go at 11 a.m.
Wagashi tea-sweet making
An hour with a master making seasonal confections. You eat what you make.
Which season
The year, in four moods.
Cherry · late Mar–early Apr
Sakura — booked 9–11 months out. We watch the bloom forecast and shift dates by 3–4 days if needed.
Summer · Jun–Aug
Humid and lush. Tohoku and Hokkaido stay cool; festivals everywhere.
Autumn · Oct–Nov
Koyo (autumn leaves) rivalling the cherry blossoms. Crisper, calmer, often our favourite window.
Winter · Dec–Feb
Snow monkeys, Sapporo snow festival, powder skiing in Niseko. Empty temples.
"Every day in Japan felt designed. Because it was."
— S. Banerjee, Kolkata
Field notes
Small things that change the trip.
Practical Japan knowledge from people who keep going back.
- 01
The JR Pass changed in 2023 — it is no longer always cheaper. We compute per trip.
- 02
Cash is still king in rural ryokan and small restaurants.
- 03
Tattoos are restricted at many traditional onsen; we book onsen ryokan that accept them.
- 04
Tipping is not just unnecessary — it can offend. The price is the price.
- 05
Reservations close at counter restaurants 60 days out — we book the moment they open.
Questions
What we get asked about Japan.
Pair this with
Trips we often run alongside.
Begin
Plan your Japan trip.
No instant quotes. Share a few details and one of our designers will write back within a working day with a thoughtful first sketch.
Direct line · +91 98 1010 1010
Or write · hello@gallivantjourneys.com