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My popular Japan city tours and day trips for all primary destinations

The famous deer of Nara Park, close to Kyoto and Osaka.

This page was designed to give you an overview of my tours of and day trips from major Japanese cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka), summaries of and links to detailed overviews of each of Japan's islands (Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku) and other key information for planning your next trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. This is great for planning a trip and also for understanding what's possible and what I can do for you! The overviews of Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Osaka-KIX, Sapporo-Chitose, Nagoya-Central, and Fukuoka (currently in-progress; ready for end of November 2022) will include arrival airport information, onward connections from these airports, weather and expense summaries for these cities, and city tours & day trips for each destination. I will also provide tips on how to avoid all these cities on arrival if you want serene Japan first and city Japan later. For example, on arrival at Narita or Haneda you can be on a surfing beach on the coast of Chiba's Boso Peninsula less than two hours after landing!

My Japan private tour clients have travelled all over Japan (since 1990!) but all arrivals enter the country via one of these five airports: Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Osaka-KIX, Sapporo-Chitose, Nagoya-Central, and Fukuoka. But remember your arrival airport and the city it is in can been experienced later or not all. For first time visitors, the Golden Routes from Tokyo to Kyoto, which can pass through Mount Fuji or the Izu Peninsula, Takayama, and Kanazawa or alternately Kamikochi, Toyama and Kanazawa, is the most popular by far. However, since about 2016, more and more Southeast Asian clients are going off the beaten track. This is especially true for families and couples from Singapore and Australia who have already toured the worlds of Tokyo and Kyoto. And my personal favorite tour package designs are trips that weave old, tranquil Japan with busy contemporary scenes that many expect and come for.

My 100% tailor-made private Japan tour packages (self-guided and or guided) along the Golden Route generally include these stops. 1. Tokyo (plus day trips to Kamakura, Hakone | Mount Fuji, and Nikko or the Izu Peninsula). 2. Takayama | Shirakawago in the central Japanese Alps. 3. Kanazawa & the remote Noto Peninsula. 4. Kyoto (and excursions to Nara, Osaka night tours, and Himeiji Castle, Naoshima Art Island and frequently Hiroshima). 5. And then back to Tokyo. This route can easily be done in 10 days. If you only have 7 days then focus on Tokyo and Kyoto only. And don't forget the spiritual Buddhist wonders of Mount Koya or Koyasan as a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka or for one night in a "luxury temple setting." (which is highly recommended!).

Look for this Japanese thumbnail image on my YouTube channelMy YouTube channel's growing video playlist, created from my huge Japanese digital photo collection, is also a way to plan for your trip in a mental and emotional way, sort of. Presently, there are 3 videos that showcase: 1. Portraits of Japanese people in daily life (5 min.). 2. The Japanese Shinto religion: images, scenes and symbols (2.66 min.). 3. Japanese Buddhism in daily life: images, scenes and symbols (5 min.). Go to my YouTube channel.

The other areas of Japan that are becoming more and more popular with foreign travelers are Hokkaido (year round), Kyushu (spring and autumn), Shikoku (year round) and the many sides of the Japanese Alps (Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Toyama). For these off-the-beaten track locations, my self-guided tours of Japan & travel services are the preferred method of travel. I have over 30 years of experience with clients from all over the world who have traveled all over Japan. It’s what I do, and I love my work! Follow the links below to learn more about my most popular city and country tours.

Guided tour FAQs (start time and location; itinerary design; expenses; tips . . .). Self-guided tour FAQs (design; delivery; types; expenses . . .).

Tokyo city tours & popular day trips from Tokyo

Edgy nightlife image of Tokyo full of energy!

My 100% tailor-made Tokyo private tours, are designed to experience the best value places in the metropolis. Between morning rush hour and the crush of trains in the evening, Tokyo is an outstanding place to tour. And the options are almost infinite: from the very old to the newest new, Tokyo has it all! My most popular Tokyo tours include most these gems: the old outer Tsukiji wholesale food market, Asakusa | Ueno | Yanaka, the modern buzz of Harajuku, Omotesando and Aoyama, new-world Daikanyama and the classic eye candy of the Ginza district. I like to mix old & new in a full day tour.

I also offer “specialty” tours for clients with a deep interest in gardens, architecture, manga | anime | cosplay, and foodie tours too! No matter your passion, my tour itineraries can be adjusted for your special interests. Naturally, this also includes traditional and high end shopping days. The choices are all yours!

Tokyo is also an excellent base camp for day trips to amazing places. My most popular day trip is Kamakura (12th century) by the sea which also offers exceptional views of Mount Fuji across the bay. The bullet train can zoom you to the Japanese Alps in an hour. Or you can zip to the coastal wonders and charming hot spring towns of the Izu Peninsula. A 30-minute shinkansen ride can also put you in the heart of the Hakone | Mount Fuji. Nikko is also a popular destination both for it’s main historical zone and the wonders of Lake Chuzenji and the waterfalls beyond.

And then there’s the nightlife of Tokyo which is not to be missed. Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any city on earth and this means the food worlds of Tokyo are simply beyond. My most popular Tokyo night tour combines the amazements of Tokyo MidTown (Roppongi) and the sacred and profane back lanes of Shinjuku. Odaiba, on the waterfront, is especially popular with families with kids. More information about my Tokyo area tours.

Kyoto city tours & popular day trips from Kyoto

Gion Matsuri float textile as seen on a private guided tour of Kyoto

Kyoto is by far the most popular city in Japan for foreign tourists. The city was the Imperial Capital of Japan for nearly 1,200 years (794-1868) survived WWII untouched. I know the city from many, many angles and have worked with all kinds of people interested in Kyoto. I was the Editor-in-chief of the now-defunct (during Covid) Kyoto Visitor’s Guide from 1995-2009. I like to go as local as possible in my popular Kyoto tours: walking tours, craft tours, adventure tours.

Kyoto is more like a big town and natural landscapes are to be found in the city and on the northern and western flanks of the valley.

In super peak season spring and autumn (mid-March-early May and mid-October to late November), Kyoto is different! There are nearly 300,000 domestic Japanese tourists in the city every day (much more on weekends) and between 12:00 noon and 18:00 moving around in a taxi or van can be an enormous waste of time. My tour itineraries for super peak Kyoto travel periods are carefully designed to save time with smart planning. If you are dreaming of a tranquil serene time in Kyoto you have to plan carefully in super peak travel times. I have incredible tour ideas and options. Learn more! Email me today!

My most popular custom Kyoto city tours generally follow itineraries that include two or three major districts in an 8-hour period. For example, my Kyoto east side tour, which can be a full day or a great half day or two half days, can include Shisendo Temple and the Shugakuin area in the north, the Silver Pavilion | Path of Philosophy area in the middle and the southern gems to be found between Maruyama Park and Kiyomizu Temple.

I advise against jumping around the city too much in a given time period. It is better to explore one area well and then explore another. Less really is more when it comes to memorable travel experiences . . . but in the end I only provide what you have signed off on (i.e., given your final OK).

Because Kyoto is so unique around the clock, I also provide tour options for the early morning hours (dawn) and the period between sunset and bedtime. For spiritual travelers and avid photographers, the early morning hours are always extraordinary in Kyoto. Areas of interest include Mount Yoshida, the backside of the famous bamboo forest, and Zen meditations followed by relaxing strolls and or picnics in scenic historical settings. From sunset to about 23:00, Kyoto offers a wide range of locations that are very special. The main and back lanes of the Gion geisha district. The mysterious 24/7 dimly lit worlds of Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine (often preceded by a stroll in the “secret” corners of Sennyu-ji Temple).

Outstanding day trip and excursion destinations from Kyoto are also part of most clients’ travel itineraries. Nara Park | Horyu-ji Temple for a full day. A full day that combines the splendor of Himeiji Castle with the charms of Kurashiki or the contemporary fascinations of Naoshima Art Island. Quite a few North American clients choose to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park and Miyajima Island. And my Osaka night tours popular with most of my clients (Dotonbori Canal, Shinsaibashi, Shin Sekai and Abeno Harukas). Another area that is becoming increasingly popular is Lake Biwa and a number of key historical and cultural gems (The Miho Museum, Ishiyama-dera Temple, Hikone Castle, Omi Hachiman). More information about my Kyoto area tours.

Osaka city tours & popular day trips from Osaka

Our private Osaka tours take you to where the Japanese shop and work

My private tours of Osaka and the surrounding area are something that many of my Southeast Asian clients appreciate and many of these clients make Osaka a base camp for a few days. Mostly for the modern shopping opportunities and the attractions of Universal Studios | Tempozan.

Osaka (Naniwa) served as Japan's first Imperial Capital in 645 AD and then again in 744 AD. Unfortunately, the city has always been a merchant and industry powerhouse. And in World War II it was almost entirely destroyed by fire bombs. The post-war reconstruction was fast and generally speaking ugly and concrete. While Osaka can in no way be compared to Kyoto, it’s people and culture are probably the most open and “Asian”. Great nightlife and also a gourmet capital for centuries . . .

The places and locations I use in my most popular Osaka tours include the Kuromon Ichiba fresh food market, the liveliest and most outrages parts of Namba, Shinsaibashi and American Village, and Osaka Castle. And then there are the ever rising and expanding forest of buildings that characterize the mega shopping worlds of Umeda | Chayamachi and Tennoji. More information about my Osaka area tours.

The Japanese Alps region in summer and fall and winter!

The majestic natural views over the Japanese Alps

The Japanese Alps region, in late spring, summer and autumn, is an extremely popular destination for Southeast Asian travelers. The natural landscapes and stunning vistas of the Japanese Alps are well known and much more diverse than most foreigners realize. I have designed many tour days in the areas near Takayama | Toyama | Kamikochi | Nagano.

As these areas are hugely popular with Japanese domestic tourists (about 75 million people!) they are also extremely well serviced by trains, buses, cable cars and ropeways. Trips into and across the Japanese Alps are easy once you arrive at the start point or trail head.

Getting to the start point often requires some initial travel on JR and private rail lines and this should be taken into consideration (unless you plan to rent a car). I plan and design all tours into these stunning landscapes with a high degree of logistical precision, and I always provide options and point out key issues for the route for that day. For your next trip to the Japanese Alps, consider my expert customized tours, itineraries and services. Learn more!

Hokkaido: A year-round nature and seafood paradises

Furano flower fields Hokkaido

Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest island and the wildest and least populated part of country. It is a huge landscape and time must be taken to reach the far southeastern corner (5 hours from Sapporo one way!).

Until only recently, Hokkaido was a wild world known as Ezo or Yezo, and way off the beaten track for all Japanese people except the military and traders. The Ezo people's lived from hunting and fishing and got rice and iron through trade with the Japanese.

The primary people of Hokkaido were the Emishi who, like the Ainu, were not of the dominant Japanese bloodline (Yamato descent). These peoples were driven ever further north by the evolving civilization of the "Japanese". Today, Hokkaido is home to about 30,000 Ainu concentrated into primary areas south of Sapporo and many tourists visit their “villages”.

Like the Japanese Alps, Hokkaido has enormous appeal for private travel clients from Southeast Asia (and Australia). The finest powder in Japan is always in Hokkaido and the snowy landscapes are by far the most impressive. You can go snowshoeing or dog sledding in Hokkaido!

Hokkaido is also a favorite for late cherry blossom viewing, summer activities of all kinds, watching wildlife (the most famous being the dancing cranes) and outstanding seafood. All of these unique attractions, compared to the steamy, over-populated realities of Southeast Asia, make Hokkaido popular for most of the year. Learn more! Email me today! More information about my Hokkaido tours.

Kyushu: Off-the-beaten track nature, cuisine, spiritual roots

Kurokawa Onsen is one of the finest places in Kyushu

Kyushu Island, the 3rd largest island in Japan, is considered to be the oldest part of Japan and strongly linked to South Korea. Japan's primary Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, is said to have descended from heaven in Kyushu.

Fukuoka International Airport is directly connected to many of the big centers in Southeast Asia and most of the foreign tourists visiting Kyushu are from Asia. But in recent years, adventurous Europeans and North Americans have also added Kyushu to their cross-country tours. Many of these clients combine the best of Shikoku Island (an hour or two east by ferry) with Kyushu.

Central Kyushu Island is extremely mountainous and home to Japan's most famous active volcano, Mount Aso. For this reason, many of Japan’s top hot spring towns are to be found in Kyushu (Kurokawa, Yufuin especially). The Kuju Mountains and Mount Yufuin offer excellent hiking trails. The Takachiho Gorge is also popular for a day trip from the Kurokawa | Yufuin area. In the end, the choices are all yours! Learn more! More information about my Kyushu tours.

Learn more! Email Ian today!

Shikoku: Spiritual journeys, coastal and inland walking tours

The spectacular rice terraces of Shikoku

The island of Shikoku is only a few kilometers off the coast from Kansai International Airport and offers a world famous temple pilgrimage route (88 temples in all) as well as art centers, old village settings in the remote Aya Valley, and some of the finest coastline in all of Japan.

Much of the island is accessible by rail and tourist-focused bus companies. Some of my clients from Europe have driven all over Shikoku (and Kyushu) with my deep local guidance and driving tour itineraries. From Kansai International Airport you can be on the beach watching families in the surf in less than 3 hours! And that’s just the beginning.

Shikoku is also known for some of the finest rice and mandarin orange terraces in the world and the low-key city adventures in and around Matsuyama. The island is well linked by ferry to Kyushu, Hiroshima, and Osaka | Kobe. Learn more! Email me today! More information about my Shikoku tours.

Learn more! Email me today!