Tours & experiences

Tours in Japan

Small-group tours, day trips, cooking classes and multi-day adventures. Every tour vetted for traveller reviews first.

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Calligraphy Class for Beginners in a Century-old Japanese House

★ 5.0 (19)

🛕 Culture & History

Japan

Calligraphy Class for Beginners in a Century-old Japanese House

Learn brush techniques in a historic wooden house whilst crafting kanji connected to Beppu's famous hot springs. This one-hour class guides you through writing characters like 'onsen' and 'jigoku' under instruction from a local calligrapher. You'll discover the precision and discipline behind the strokes, handle proper tool use, and walk away with a framed piece you've created yourself—a genuine memento rather than a souvenir.

Japanese Tea Tasting & Shochu Experience in Osaka

Spend 75 minutes exploring how Japanese people actually drink tea at home, moving beyond matcha ceremony into the everyday brews. In Osaka, you'll steep several tea varieties using traditional iron kettles and whole leaves, then discover how flavour shifts between first and second infusions. The session finishes with a shochu pairing inspired by izakaya culture, plus traditional sweets. You'll leave with techniques to replicate this at home.

Takayama Half Day Tour (Private Guide)

A four-hour private guided tour of Takayama where you work with a certified local guide to build an itinerary that suits your interests. From your hotel pickup, your guide shares knowledge of seasonal festivals, weather patterns, and neighbourhood secrets, adjusting the route as you go. You're in control of the pace and stops—whether that's sake breweries, morning markets, temple grounds, or backstreet cafés.

Hike Japan Heritage Hakone Hachiri (Half Day)

Walk a 2–3 hour stretch of Japan's historic Tokaido highway between Hakone Yumoto and Lake Ashi, combining restored cobbled sections with quiet forest trails. Skip the steepest pitches by bus and stop at a 400-year-old teahouse for traditional amasake before descending to the lake shore. A National Mountain Guide leads the way, finishing at Hakone's famous checkpoint—a fortified station that once controlled movement along this vital trade route. The half-day outing wraps by early afternoon, leaving time to catch onward transport.

Private Ramen or Gyoza Cooking Class in Kyoto with Chef Midori

Spend two-and-a-half hours in Midori's Kyoto cooking studio learning to make ramen or gyoza from scratch. Choose from five set menus and work through straightforward recipes using seasonal ingredients sourced locally. You'll cook alongside your host, pick up insider knowledge about Kyoto's food scene, and sit down to eat what you've prepared. The class suits home cooks after practical skills they can recreate in their own kitchen.

Kamakura Full or Half Day Historical and Memorable Tours

A guided walking tour of Kamakura's temples and gardens led by a local who navigates transport and logistics so you focus on the sites. Over eight hours, you'll visit the Great Buddha, Hase-dera Temple with its bay views, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, and a bamboo forest garden. The guide suggests lunch spots and handles all entry fees. Expect a mix of walking and public transport with time to absorb each location without the usual navigation stress.

Tokyo Fishing Adventure with Fresh Catch Cuisine

Spend a full day fishing Tokyo Bay with experienced instructors who specialise in newcomers and overseas visitors. You'll be picked up from your accommodation, taken out on a charter boat to productive grounds, then your catch gets transformed into traditional Japanese dishes by the onboard chef. The 12-hour experience combines the physical satisfaction of landing fish with coastal views of [Mount Fuji](/places/mount-fuji) and Enoshima, finishing with a meal made from what you've pulled from the water.

12 hoursfrom AUD $627

Tokyo Private Half-Day Highlights Tour by Car with Guide

★ 5.0 (19)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Japan

Tokyo Private Half-Day Highlights Tour by Car with Guide

See Tokyo's essential sights in four to five hours via private car with a knowledgeable local guide. You'll visit the Imperial Palace's Nijubashi Bridge, Meiji Shrine's forested grounds, Asakusa's historic Senso-ji Temple, and the frenetic [Shibuya Crossing](/places/shibuya-crossing). Hotel or cruise terminal pickup means no navigating trains or taxis. The guide shapes the route to match your pace and interests, offering cultural context that maps alone can't deliver. Designed for first-timers and time-pressed travellers who want comfort without rushing.

4 hours – 5 hoursfrom AUD $536

4 Day Tour - Mount. Fuji, Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Yokohama

★ 5.0 (19)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Japan

4 Day Tour - Mount. Fuji, Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Yokohama

A four-day private car tour linking Japan's iconic landmarks: Tokyo's temples and back-street finds, [Mount Fuji](/places/mount-fuji)'s sacred cone, Hakone's mountain retreats, plus the temple-rich towns of Kamakura and Yokohama. Your bilingual driver handles logistics and local knowledge while you tick off the classics without the train-station chaos. Roughly ten hours of driving per day, door-to-door from your accommodation.

Osaka Castle Haunted Walk (Night & Day)

When Tom from our team did this evening walk around Osaka Castle, we got the full blend of samurai history and local ghost folklore. You're roaming the castle grounds—one of the prefecture's supposedly most spiritually charged spots—with a guide who weaves together battlefield tales, cursed stones, and yokai stories across two hours. The castle itself is imposing and atmospheric after dark, and the park draws a quiet mix of locals and visitors curious about Japan's supernatural side. It's history told through the lens of spirits rather than a dry museum approach.

Tokyo Fukagawa Odori Ozashiki Experience / Meal & Matcha Options

Step into a traditional wooden house on Tokyo shrine grounds, six minutes from Tokyo Station, for an intimate encounter with classical Japanese hospitality. Choose from three tiers: a quick matcha-and-sweets session, a hearty local clam-rice lunch with dance, or a full kaiseki dinner paired with geisha performance and interactive arts. Each experience unfolds in an authentic ozashiki setting where a resident dance master and performers guide you through time-honoured traditions.

30 min – 1h 10mfrom AUD $108

Okinawa: Kayak & Snorkel, Private Tour in Yanbaru

★ 5.0 (19)

🐠 Water Activities

Japan

Okinawa: Kayak & Snorkel, Private Tour in Yanbaru

Paddle through Yanbaru's quieter northern reaches on this three-to-four-hour private kayak and snorkel tour. Launch from a protected lagoon, navigate shallow reef passages, and drop anchor at spots matched to your group's confidence level. The route hugs an undeveloped coastline where few tourists venture—expect gin-clear shallows, white sand flats, and reef fish in their natural habitat. Includes kayaks, snorkelling gear, wetsuits in cooler months, and light refreshments.

3 hours – 4 hoursfrom AUD $224

Private Koto Lesson in Kyoto with a Professional Koto Performer

★ 5.0 (19)

🛕 Culture & History

Japan

Private Koto Lesson in Kyoto with a Professional Koto Performer

Learn to play the koto, Japan's elegant 13-string plucked instrument, from a working professional in Kyoto. Over 80 minutes, you'll master the basics and play 'Sakura', the iconic cherry blossom melody. All equipment—instrument, picks, sheet music—is provided. This works for ages three to ninety, making it genuinely family-friendly rather than just a solitary tourist tick.

Matcha & Tea Ceremony Experience in Kamakura (60 Minutes)

A sixty-minute tea ceremony workshop in Kamakura where you'll prepare matcha under guidance from an English-speaking instructor. Set in an intimate space capped at six people, the session walks you through both technique and the Zen philosophy underpinning each gesture. You'll learn why the ritual matters before mastering how to perform it, finishing with fresh sweets and tea. Located seven minutes' walk from JR Kita-Kamakura Station.

Kyoto Satoyama Cycling with Lunch and English Guide

Cycle through Kyoto's rural heartland on an e-bike, guided by locals who know every shrine and back lane. This 4–5 hour tour from Sonobe village brings you past farmland, historic temples, and the hillside that inspired Super Mario's creators. Pick your meal: hands-on soba-making with lunch, or a spread of seasonal vegetables in a traditional timber house. English-speaking guides handle all the routing; you just pedal at an easy pace and soak in birdsong and river sounds, all within 30 minutes of the city.

4 hours – 5 hoursfrom AUD $134

Okinawa Miyako Jungle&Starry Sky tour Free Pick up and Drop off

★ 5.0 (19)

🌿 Nature & Wildlife

Japan

Okinawa Miyako Jungle&Starry Sky tour Free Pick up and Drop off

A two-hour nocturnal expedition through Miyako Island's jungle, timed to catch the starry sky when conditions allow. Your English-speaking guide navigates the dense forest after dark, pointing out nocturnal wildlife like giant coconut crabs whilst sharing local knowledge you won't find in standard guidebooks. Free pick-up and drop-off from anywhere on the island, rain or shine—cloudy nights pivot to focused jungle exploration instead.

Osaka Premium Kimono Experience – Kyoto or Nara

Dress in an authentic kimono and explore Osaka's streets styled by professionals. This eight-hour experience lets you select from over 100 kimonos in varying sizes, then get fitted with traditional accessories and hair styling by a skilled makeup artist. A multilingual team guides you through the process at budget-friendly rates, so you can wander the city in full regalia before returning to change back into everyday clothes.

Make your own kitchen knife with a master blacksmith in Shimanto

Learn traditional Japanese blacksmithing in Shimanto over eight hours, forging your own kitchen knife or scissors using centuries-old metalworking methods. Work alongside a master craftsperson to shape raw steel over fire, then personalise your creation with custom engraving. This hands-on encounter with kaji—the ancient art of blacksmithing—offers a genuine connection to Japanese artisanal heritage, far removed from digital convenience.

Sushi Making with Interactive Samurai Experience at JIN-ASAKUSA

Step into the Sengoku period at this Asakusa venue where you'll craft nigiri and rolled sushi alongside a live chef demonstration, all whilst dressed in full samurai regalia. Set within a newly renovated space bristling with period armour, weapons, and battlefield scenery, this three-hour experience blends culinary technique with theatrical immersion. Conducted in English with Japanese support, it's designed for anyone keen to learn sushi fundamentals whilst channelling warrior-era Japan.

3 hoursfrom AUD $134

Nagoya: all-inclusive car tour to Korankei valley

★ 5.0 (19)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Japan

Nagoya: all-inclusive car tour to Korankei valley

Escape Nagoya's urban sprawl with a private minivan tour through Korankei valley and the riverside town of Asuke. Over six to eight hours, your guide—a long-term Japan resident—navigates you past Toganji temple and through Edo-period streets, offering genuine insights into Japanese culture without the tour-group crowds. You'll walk quiet lanes, wade in the river if you fancy it, and tackle an easy forest trail at your own pace. The minivan does the heavy lifting; you simply soak it in.

6 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $242

Best of Tokyo Private Tour for Yokohama Cruise Passengers

★ 5.0 (18)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Japan

Best of Tokyo Private Tour for Yokohama Cruise Passengers

Craft your own Tokyo itinerary with a private guide who meets you at Yokohama cruise terminal. Spend eight hours exploring three to four major landmarks—the Imperial Palace, Ginza's shopping district, Shibuya's frenetic crossing, or other Tokyo favourites—using local trains and taxis to hop between sites. Your guide customises the route to your interests and pace. Return to the ship by bullet train if you wish, completing your day with a thrilling 15-minute Shinkansen ride.

1-Day Togakushi Tour: Soba making, Ninja Town, and Hidden Shrines

A full day in the forested mountains north of Nagano, combining hands-on soba-making, ninja history, and shrine walks. You'll roll and cut buckwheat noodles under a craftsperson's eye, explore the Togakure school's 12th-century hideout with its trick house and shuriken range, then trek through a cathedral of ancient cedars to reach the secluded Okusha Shrine. Eight hours, guided throughout, with transport between sites included.

8h 15mfrom AUD $228

Nikko Private SightSeeing Day Tour With Guide (From Tokyo)

★ 5.0 (18)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Japan

Nikko Private SightSeeing Day Tour With Guide (From Tokyo)

A 10-hour private guided tour from Tokyo exploring Nikko's layered blend of sacred architecture and alpine scenery. Visit the ornamental Toshogu Shrine and Rinno-ji Temple, take the Akechidaira Ropeway for views over Lake Chuzenji, see Kegon Falls, and step inside Tamozawa Imperial Villa. Your own driver and guide navigate you through UNESCO-recognised temples and dramatic landscapes at your own rhythm, with air-conditioned transport, onboard WiFi, and complimentary water included.

10 hoursfrom AUD $1075

Daikoku Car meet & Tokyo Private JDM Night Tour in 700HP R34 GT-R

★ 5.0 (18)

🏔 Adventure & Sports

Japan

Daikoku Car meet & Tokyo Private JDM Night Tour in 700HP R34 GT-R

Ride shotgun in a 700-horsepower R34 Skyline GT-R through Tokyo's underground JDM scene. This three-and-a-half-hour private tour takes you to Daikoku PA, Japan's premier late-night car meet where modified machines gather, then cruises the neon streets alongside a convoy of tuned Skylines. You'll stop at a sprawling parts retailer to scope the latest aftermarket gear, then experience the raw engine note and precision handling of one of Japan's most iconic performance cars—all from the passenger seat.

Tokyo Street Food Tour - 7 Japanese Foods

Graze through Togoshi Ginza, Tokyo's longest shopping arcade, sampling seven distinct Japanese street foods across two hours. Your guide unpicks the culinary history woven into each dish—from crispy karaage to silken Japanese pudding—while you navigate the 400-plus shops that line this working-class neighbourhood. A free drink rounds out the experience, leaving you with both a full belly and the backstory behind what you've eaten.

Tokyo Toilet Tour

Walk through Shibuya's reimagined public restrooms, designed by Japan's leading architects including Tadao Ando, Shigeru Ban, Fumihiko Maki and Kengo Kuma. Over three and a half hours, you'll explore how these masters approached functional design, moving between neighbourhood pockets you'd likely miss solo. The tour doubles as an informal primer on Tokyo's train and subway networks, with short rides woven through the itinerary.

Calligraphy & Digital Art Workshop in Kyoto

Learn brush and digital art techniques in a Kyoto studio over 90 minutes. Work with traditional Japanese calligraphy and explore iPad-based creation, including etegami (picture letters). Led by Ami, a digital artist with a substantial YouTube following, and her team. You'll work in an authentic setting with refreshments provided, whether you're solo, with mates, or bringing family along.

Kyoto Sushi Making Experience with a Professional Sushi Chef

Learn to hand-shape nigiri and roll maki under a master sushi chef in Kyoto, then sit down to eat what you've made alongside his tempura. The 3.5-hour experience kicks off at a traditional wagashi shop, moves into the sushi kitchen for hands-on instruction, and wraps up in a Kyoto garden where you'll whisk matcha and pair it with the sweets you selected earlier. Three sake varieties feature throughout, chosen to complement each dish.

Little EDO Sushi Making workshop in Kawagoe

Roll sushi alongside a trained Japanese chef in a 140-year-old Kawagoe building that once dealt rice wholesale. Over 90 minutes you'll master the fundamentals of sushi rice preparation and hand-rolling techniques in this intimate, English-friendly workshop held in a cherished local café. Walk away knowing how to recreate what you've made at your own table, plus the historical backstory of nigiri sushi's invention three centuries ago.

Shinto Shrine Tour: Explore Japanese Culture in Tokyo

Step inside three of Tokyo's significant Shinto shrines to understand how this spiritual practice has shaped Japanese life for millennia. Over three hours, a local guide walks you through the origins of shrine worship—how ancient communities built sacred spaces to honour the spirits they believed governed nature's forces. You'll move between locations via public transport, seeing firsthand how these sites remain woven into daily Tokyo life. Entrance fees and professional English guidance included.

Ancient Katana Training in Kyoto with Local Students

Train in Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu at Kyoto's Asayama Ichiden Ryu Hyōhō dojo, a 400-year-old martial tradition. You'll work through wooden-katana basics alongside actual students under qualified instructors over three hours. This isn't a performance or photo op—it's genuine practice in a working training space where discipline and technique matter.

Tokyo Sunset Boat Party with Music Drinks and Vibes

Three-hour floating dance session on Tokyo Bay where you'll catch the sunset from the water with live DJs spinning tracks from the city's top clubs. The boat glides past Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge as they light up against the darkening sky, while you've got a drink in hand and the city skyline as your backdrop. It's nightlife that works best on the water—the music, the crowd, the views all hit differently when you're floating rather than stuck on land.

Easygoing Nature Walk in Hakone Tour

Spend three-and-a-half hours exploring Hakone's distinctive lowland terrain with a certified naturalist guide. This walk focuses on accessible, relatively flat ground, giving you proper time to notice seasonal plants found nowhere else in Japan, resident and migratory birds, insects, local fish, and potentially larger wildlife like deer, foxes, and weasels. You'll carry binoculars throughout to examine distant geological formations and spot creatures across the landscape. The region's unique geology and biodiversity create an entirely different natural world from most places you've visited.

Hiroshima:Private lacquer workshop experience tour(gift included)

Spend two hours in the studio of Naoya Takayama, a master lacquerware artist in Hiroshima, learning the centuries-old techniques that once adorned Buddhist altars. Under his guidance, you'll discover how traditional craftsmanship translates into functional tableware using only natural materials, then apply lacquer yourself and take home a piece you've created. Takayama's work has been gifted at the G7 Summit and draws on refinements he's made to Kyoto lacquer traditions.

Tokyo : Ghost and Dark Tales, Urban Legends & Cemetery Night

This 2-hour night walk trades Shibuya's neon for Tokyo's shadowed quarters, threading through urban legends and into Aoyama Cemetery under moonlight. A storyteller guides you through folklore, spectral histories, and the quieter layers of the city where spirits linger. Small groups keep the experience intimate, perfect for those drawn to Japan's ghost narratives and the peculiar stories woven into its urban fabric.

Explore Maidreamin Akihabara Walking Tour

A three-hour walking tour through Akihabara, Tokyo's epicentre of anime, gaming, and tech culture. You'll navigate neon-soaked streets lined with towering screens, hunt through specialist shops for rare collectibles, and experience the quirky charm of a maid cafe. Your guide steers you past the obvious tourist traps to reveal how this neighbourhood pulses with genuine otaku passion—a place where Japanese pop culture devotion feels almost tangible.

Luxury Tokyo Sake, Cocktail, Whisky and Pairing Tour

Spend three hours navigating Tokyo's drinking culture with a local guide, starting in Shimbashi's after-work district. You'll visit four carefully chosen venues sampling sake, craft beer, Japanese whisky, and inventive cocktails, paired with small plates and bar snacks along the way. Each stop reveals a different facet of Tokyo's beverage scene—from standing bars with modest crowds to high-end cocktail lounges serving world-class drinks. No two nights hit the same spots; your guide adapts the route based on venue availability and mood.

3 hoursfrom AUD $456

Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Lively One-Day Walking Tour

★ 5.0 (18)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

Japan

Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Lively One-Day Walking Tour

A seven-hour guided walk through Osaka's layered past and present. Start at Osaka Castle to trace samurai history through museum exhibits, then stride down Japan's longest shopping arcade where locals actually browse. Finish in Dotonbori's neon-lit food quarter, where street stalls and restaurants explain why the city claims culinary supremacy. Your guide handles all entry fees and queues, plus navigation on local transport.

Sokoiko Cycling Through History The Beginning of Japan

Pedal through Japan's foundational era on this three-hour guided ride around Asuka, where ancient burial mounds and historical landmarks reveal the country's earliest cultural layers. You'll cover ground on electric bicycles with a local guide who unpacks the significance of each stop—from kofun earthworks to temples that shaped Japan's trajectory. A straightforward way to absorb historical context without the museum walls.

Nagano Snowshoe Hiking Tour

Strap on snowshoes and trek through Togakushi's winter landscape, where centuries-old cedar avenues guide your path and frozen lakes stretch beneath your feet. This five-hour Nagano experience follows in the footsteps of mountain ascetics who've sought spiritual practice here for generations. You'll navigate both forest and ice, moving through terrain that reveals itself differently in snow than any other season.

5 hoursfrom AUD $125

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