Japan Tour from India

Yes, this Japan Golden Route itinerary can be customised for honeymoon, family travel, hotel upgrades, flight city, activity preferences, number of nights and budget.

Yes. Indian passport holders need a Japan tourist visa. It is not a Schengen visa or a visa on arrival. Apply through VFS Global or the Japanese embassy. We prepare and guide you on the documentation. The visa fee is not included in the package price. Processing usually takes five to seven working days. Reconfirm requirements before you apply, as rules can change.

No. This is a land package - hotels, Shinkansen, sightseeing tickets and transfers only. You book international flights separately, or ask us to quote them for your city and dates. The routing is open-jaw: fly into Tokyo (Narita or Haneda) and out of Osaka (Kansai International). This avoids a return Shinkansen and saves a travel day.

No. The seven-day JR Pass costs about three times as much as individual tickets for this route. This trip uses one Shinkansen ride (Tokyo to Kyoto) and a short JR train (Kyoto to Osaka), which is not enough to fill a pass built for crisscrossing the country. We buy point-to-point and include every ticket. If you add more cities, the answer can change - ask us to re-run it.

The trip runs year-round. Best value is January to March and June to September, when hotel rates are lowest and crowds lighter. Cherry blossom season (late March to mid-April) is peak for Kyoto - temples and parks turn pink, but hotels fill fast and rates spike. Autumn foliage (October to November) is equally busy. Avoid Golden Week (late April to early May) and Obon (mid-August) - trains are full and everything is booked.

Easier than it used to be, but it needs some planning. Tokyo and Osaka have dedicated vegetarian and Indian restaurants - Asakusa, Ueno and the Namba area each have several. Convenience stores carry onigiri, edamame and inari sushi that are vegetarian. Strictly Jain food (no onion, no garlic, no root vegetables) is harder - we recommend carrying a bilingual Jain food card and we can provide one. Tell us your dietary needs and we send a restaurant shortlist for each city.

This is the simplest and most affordable Japan package we sell - three cities, all the classic highlights, no expensive add-ons. The Family and Theme Parks package adds Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan and is built for families with children. The Golden Route package adds a Hakone overnight with the ropeway-pirate-ship loop and Mt Fuji views, plus Shibuya Sky and teamLab Borderless. If your trip is about the parks, choose the Family package. If you want Hakone, choose the Golden Route. If you want Japan's essentials at the best price, this is the one.

Yes. Tokyo Disneyland, DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan, teamLab Borderless, Shibuya Sky, a Nara day trip and a Hakone day trip are all available as optional add-ons priced separately in your quotation. A cooking class in Kyoto or Osaka is also available. Tell us what you want and we quote it with the package.

No. The hotels are shown by star category and area (Asakusa or Ueno in Tokyo, near Kyoto Station, Namba in Osaka), not as a confirmed booking. Your actual hotel is named in your quotation before you pay anything. If the property we want is unavailable, we book a similar-tier alternative in the same area and tell you before you pay.

No. We pre-book the Shinkansen reserved seat and load your Suica IC card. The IC card is a tap-and-go card that works on every train, metro, bus and convenience store across all three cities - top it up at any station machine. Japan's rail system is punctual and well-signed in English. We give you a step-by-step transport guide with station names, platform numbers and which train to take for every leg.

Yes. This package includes a pocket WiFi device for the full eight days - a battery-powered router that fits in your pocket and gives mobile data anywhere. Hotel WiFi is standard at every property. If you prefer a local SIM or eSIM, we can arrange that instead. Data is essential for maps, train times and translation apps.

The currency is the Japanese yen. IC cards and credit cards work on trains, in convenience stores and in most shops and restaurants. Cash is still needed at some smaller temples, street-food stalls and traditional shops - ATMs at 7-Eleven and Japan Post accept international cards. Tipping is not expected or practised in Japan, at restaurants, hotels, or in taxis. Do not leave money on the table.

Comfortable walking shoes are the most important item - most days are eight to twelve thousand steps. Layers work best: Japan's weather ranges from cold and dry in winter to hot and humid in summer. Temples require covered shoulders and quiet behaviour; shoes come off at some entrances. Bring a small towel - many Japanese restrooms do not have paper towels. A rain jacket is useful in any season.

Easily. A Nara day trip (deer park, giant Buddha) slots into the Kyoto days. Extra nights in any city extend the stay. A Hakone overnight adds a night and the ropeway-pirate-ship loop. A Hiroshima extension adds two to three days. Tell us at enquiry what you want to change and we build one revised quotation.

Japan is consistently ranked among the safest countries in the world. Violent crime is extremely rare, streets are safe at night, and lost property is usually returned. Trains are clean and efficient. English signage is standard at stations, airports and major attractions. Emergency services are reachable at 110 (police) and 119 (ambulance). It is one of the easiest countries for a first-time international traveller.

Most signs in stations, airports and tourist areas are in English and Japanese. Hotel staff and ticket counter staff generally speak basic English. In smaller restaurants and shops, a translation app fills the gap - Google Translate's camera mode translates Japanese menus in real time. The transport guide we give you has all station names in both English and Japanese characters, so you can show it to anyone.