East Asia

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.

See Japan packages
Mar–Apr, Oct–NovBest months
8–10 daysIdeal trip length
₹1,69,999Packages from, 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.
Where to go

Where to go in Japan

Tokyo

Tokyo

Senso-ji and Asakusa, Shibuya crossing, teamLab, Shinjuku at night, day trips to Nikko or Kamakura. Three to four nights.

Kyoto & Nara

Kyoto & Nara

Fushimi 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.

Hakone & Mount Fuji

Hakone & Mount Fuji

A ryokan night, an onsen, the Hakone ropeway over Owakudani, and Fuji from Lake Ashi if the weather cooperates. One or two nights.

Osaka

Osaka

Dotonbori 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.

Sample itinerary

Ten days on the Golden Route

  1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 5
    Day 9 — Osaka

    Osaka Castle, Kuromon Ichiba for lunch, Dotonbori after dark. Universal Studios instead if you are travelling with teenagers.

  6. 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 Japan

WindowWhat it's likeWorth knowing
Late Mar – mid AprCherry blossom, 10–18°CThe busiest and most expensive fortnight of the year. Book five to six months out.
May – JuneGreen, mild, then the rainy seasonGood value before mid-June. Fewer crowds, comfortable walking weather.
July – AugustHot, humid, festival seasonGion Matsuri and fireworks nights. Hokkaido stays pleasant while the main island bakes.
October – NovemberAutumn colour, crisp and dryOur favourite window. Kyoto in mid to late November is the peak, and it is spectacular.
December – FebruaryCold, clear, snow in the northSkiing in Hokkaido and Nagano, illuminations in the cities, and the lowest fares of the year.
Tour packages

Japan holiday packages

Read the Japan travel guideSearch all Japan holidays
Before you go

Travel tips

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.

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.

See packages
Keep exploring

More destinations

South Korea
South Korea

Six centuries of palaces and the most switched-on street culture in Asia, an hour's flight from a volcanic island.

Philippines
Philippines

Island-hopping through limestone lagoons — and one of the few places left in Asia where the postcard actually undersells it.

India
India

Mughal monuments, Himalayan hill towns and holy rivers, most of them a train ride or a short drive from Delhi.

Bhutan
Bhutan

The world's only carbon-negative country — monasteries on cliff faces, empty mountain roads and no visa queue for Indian travellers.