Destinations · Japan
Tokyo, Kyoto & beyond
The most rewarding country in the world to travel well in.
Japan repays planning more than almost anywhere. The trains are exact to the minute, the country is extremely safe, the food at every price level is better than it has any right to be, and the cultural depth goes as far down as you want to dig. Tokyo is thirteen distinct cities pretending to be one; Kyoto is temples, gardens and the machiya townhouses; a ryokan night with a private onsen and a kaiseki dinner is one of travel's great experiences. A Japan Rail Pass makes the whole country reachable for a fixed price, and a good advisor earns their fee here on reservations alone — the best restaurants, the tea ceremonies and the sumo tickets are not bookable by a visitor from a website.
What a week actually costs
Indicative shapes, not quotes — an advisor verifies real prices for your exact dates before anything is offered.
Under $4,000 for the week
Two people, business hotels or a good apartment in Tokyo and Kyoto, a rail pass, one ryokan night as the splurge, and eating superbly in places with no English menu because someone wrote down what to point at.
$15,000–35,000
A family or group, excellent hotels, a private guide in each city, two ryokan nights with private onsen, a sushi counter booked six weeks out, a tea ceremony, and Hakone or Kanazawa added.
$80,000+
Suites throughout, private cars rather than trains where it helps, a ryokan buyout, access arrangements at temples outside public hours, and a private dining counter for the party.
What to watch for
- Cherry blossom cannot be booked. It moves by up to two weeks with the weather, and hotels in blossom season sell out six to nine months ahead at double rate. We are honest about the gamble.
- Cash still matters in small restaurants and temples despite the country's reputation for technology. Carry some.
- Tattoos are still refused at many onsen and public baths. If that affects your party we pick properties with private baths, and we ask the question in advance rather than letting you be turned away at the door.
- A legal marriage in Japan by two foreign nationals is possible but administratively heavy. Symbolic Shinto ceremonies are widely arranged and are what most couples actually want.