Featured destination

Japan Holidays

The country that runs on time — sakura in spring, koyo in autumn, and a train network that makes a ten-day trip feel effortless.

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Mar–Apr, Oct–NovBest months

8–10 daysIdeal trip length

₹1,69,999Packages start at, per person

~7h 45mDelhi to Tokyo, non-stop

Japan rewards planning more than almost anywhere else. Get the dates right and you are standing under cherry blossom in Ueno Park or maple in Arashiyama; get them wrong and you are looking at bare branches in the same spot. The good news is that everything else — trains, hotels, signage, safety — works so well that once the calendar is settled the trip more or less runs itself.

A first visit almost always means the Golden Route: Tokyo, Hakone or Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. Eight to ten days does it without rushing. Return visitors go north to Hokkaido for snow, south to Hiroshima and Miyajima, or into the Japanese Alps for Takayama and Shirakawa-go.

The case for it

Why Japan

Two seasons worth flying forSakura from late March into April, and koyo — autumn colour — through November. Both move a week or two each year, and both are worth building the whole trip around.

The trains change the tripTokyo to Kyoto in about two hours and twenty minutes on the Shinkansen, to the minute. No internal flights, no airport transfers, no wasted half-days.

Safe, clean, and easy to travel soloLow crime, immaculate public transport and convenience stores on every corner. It is the destination we most often recommend for first-time solo travellers.

Building the route

Where to go

TokyoSenso-ji and Asakusa, Shibuya crossing, teamLab, Shinjuku at night, day trips to Nikko or Kamakura. Three to four nights.Find Tokyo hotels →Kyoto & NaraFushimi Inari's torii gates at dawn, Kinkaku-ji, the Arashiyama bamboo grove, Gion in the evening — and Nara's deer park an hour away. Three nights.See Kyoto packages →Hakone & Mount FujiA ryokan night, an onsen, the Hakone ropeway over Owakudani, and Fuji from Lake Ashi if the weather cooperates. One or two nights.See Fuji itineraries →OsakaDotonbori and Kuromon market, Osaka Castle, and the easiest base for Universal Studios or a Himeji day trip. One to two nights, often the exit city.Find Osaka stays →

Sample shape

Ten days on the Golden Route

1
Days 1–3 — Tokyo
Land at Narita or Haneda. Asakusa and Senso-ji, Shibuya and Harajuku, teamLab, a day for Nikko or Kamakura, an evening in Shinjuku.
2
Day 4 — Hakone
Romancecar out of Shinjuku, the ropeway and pirate ship loop, a ryokan with a private onsen and a kaiseki dinner.
3
Days 5–7 — Kyoto
Shinkansen to Kyoto. Fushimi Inari early, Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji, Arashiyama bamboo and the monkey park, Gion at dusk. One day held for Nara.
4
Day 8 — Nara or Hiroshima
Todai-ji and the deer park, or a longer run to Hiroshima and Miyajima's floating torii if the pass covers it.
5
Day 9 — Osaka
Osaka Castle, Kuromon Ichiba for lunch, Dotonbori after dark. Universal Studios instead if you are travelling with teenagers.
6
Day 10 — Home
Fly out of Kansai or take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo for a Haneda departure.

Season by season

When to visit

Window	What it's like	Worth knowing
Late Mar – mid Apr	Cherry blossom, 10–18°C	The busiest and most expensive fortnight of the year. Book five to six months out.
May – June	Green, mild, then the rainy season	Good value before mid-June. Fewer crowds, comfortable walking weather.
July – August	Hot, humid, festival season	Gion Matsuri and fireworks nights. Hokkaido stays pleasant while the main island bakes.
October – November	Autumn colour, crisp and dry	Our favourite window. Kyoto in mid to late November is the peak, and it is spectacular.
December – February	Cold, clear, snow in the north	Skiing in Hokkaido and Nagano, illuminations in the cities, and the lowest fares of the year.

Practical

Good to know

Money. Japanese Yen (JPY). Cards are widely accepted in cities, but shrines, small restaurants and rural stops still want cash. 7-Eleven ATMs take Indian cards reliably.
The JR Pass. Worth it only on the right route — a Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka trip with a Hiroshima leg usually justifies a 7-day pass, a Tokyo-only trip never does. We run the maths for your actual itinerary instead of selling it by default.
IC cards. Suica or Pasmo for local trains, buses and convenience stores. Load it once on arrival and stop thinking about tickets.
Luggage. Use takuhaibin forwarding between cities — your bag meets you at the next hotel. Shinkansen luggage space is limited and oversized bags need a reservation.
Food. Vegetarian and Jain travellers need planning: dashi (fish stock) is in almost everything. We book restaurants that cater properly and flag Indian options in each city.
Connectivity. Pocket Wi-Fi or an eSIM. Free public Wi-Fi is patchy outside stations.

Mount Fuji beyond the torii on Lake Ashi — Mount Fuji from Lake Ashi, Hakone

Deer beneath autumn maples in Nara Park — Nara Park

Neon signs above the canal in Dotonbori — Dotonbori, Osaka

Japan: common questions

When is cherry blossom season in Japan?

Broadly late March to mid April, moving south to north — Tokyo and Kyoto usually peak in the first week of April, Hokkaido in early May. The forecast firms up only a few weeks ahead, so we book flexible hotel rates for blossom trips.

How many days do I need in Japan?

Eight to ten for a first visit covering Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka. Under seven days, drop either Kyoto or Tokyo rather than trying to fit both around the travel time.

Is Japan expensive?

Less than its reputation. Hotels and trains are the real costs; food is excellent at every price point, and a good bowl of ramen still costs less than a cafe lunch in Delhi. Our packages start at ₹1,69,999 per person including flights.

Do I need to speak Japanese?

No. Station signage, ticket machines and major restaurants are bilingual, and translation apps handle the rest. Our itineraries include the Japanese address of every hotel to show a taxi driver.

Is the JR Pass worth buying?

Only for the right route. Two or more long Shinkansen legs usually pays for it; a trip that stays around Tokyo does not. We calculate it against your itinerary before recommending one.

Can vegetarians eat well in Japan?

Yes, with planning. Shojin ryori (Buddhist temple cuisine), Indian restaurants in every major city and a growing number of vegan ramen shops. Tell us at booking and we build the food stops into the day plan.

Get a Japan itinerary built around your dates

Blossom, autumn or snow — tell us when you can travel and we will tell you honestly what you will see, then price the trip around it.

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