Best of Japan by Contiki – 13-Day Tokyo to Osaka Tour – Reviews & Prices

Japan’s big contrasts are the point here: one day you’re crossing Shibuya’s famous scramble, and a few days later you’re joining a morning Buddhist service on Mount Koya. I like that the route pairs headline sights with quieter stays, including a ryokan, hot springs and Takayama’s old streets. I also like that you get free time in Tokyo and Kyoto, rather than being shepherded through every hour.

The trade-off is pace. Thirteen days cover a lot of ground, and the tour is limited to ages 18 to 35. You’ll also need to budget for international flights, insurance and optional activities, so the advertised starting price is only part of the total.

At a glance

• A Tokyo-to-Osaka route links Tokyo, Hakone, Matsumoto, Takayama, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto and Mount Koya.
• Two special stays bring a ryokan night with kaiseki dinner and hot springs, plus a Buddhist monastery stay with vegetarian food and morning prayers.
• Japan’s fast trains are part of the journey, with rail travel between several cities and luggage forwarded separately on some train legs.
• Guided highlights and free time share the schedule, including guided visits in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto, with open days in Tokyo and Kyoto.
• The group is for ages 18 to 35, with a stated group size of 1 to 30 and an English-speaking Trip Manager.
• The starting price is $3,748, with eight breakfasts and two dinners included. Flights, insurance and other meals are extra.

Tokyo starts with temples, fashion and neon

Your first evening is open, a sensible arrangement after an international flight. You can get dinner, rest, or take a gentle first walk near the hotel. The listed hotel is Daiichi Ryogoku Hotel or a similar property, and you’ll make your own way there from Narita or Haneda. The train journey from either airport can take one to two hours, so allow time after landing.

On the second day, the tour links Asakusa Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Nakamise Street and Shibuya Crossing. This is a good introduction to Tokyo’s range: temple grounds and shrine paths sit alongside fashion shops, street food and a crossing that feels like a citywide group project. The guided structure helps you get oriented, while the stops leave room to notice what interests you.

Day three is yours. That freedom matters in a city where one person’s ideal afternoon might be anime shops in Akihabara and another’s could be a museum or a park. Optional activities include a robot café experience and a Maid Café visit. The robot café described for this trip uses robots to deliver drinks and table avatars operated by people with disabilities who cannot work in a traditional setting. These extras cost more, so check the current price and details before you decide.

The practical tip is simple: top up your transport card before heading out. Tokyo is easy to explore by public transport, but an open day goes better when you can make small trips without stopping to sort out each ride.

Hakone brings a slower night and a Fuji chance

Day four begins at Tsukiji fish market. The tour offers an optional sushi-making class, listed at 9,300 yen, or you can use the time for one last Tokyo wander. Then you travel south to Hakone, trade city streets for mountain scenery, and take the Hakone Ropeway. Mount Fuji views depend on conditions, so treat them as a bonus rather than a promise.

That evening is one of the trip’s most appealing changes of rhythm. You stay in a ryokan, soak in hot springs and have a Japanese kaiseki dinner. The meal is included, and the traditional multi-course format makes this more than a convenient overnight stop. It gives you a taste of Japanese hospitality and dining in a setting that differs from the city hotels.

The itinerary describes the ryokan soak as included, while the general extras list also gives an onsen price. Since the information does not clearly explain which bathing experiences that fee applies to, confirm the details for your departure before budgeting.

Matsumoto and Takayama show a different side of Japan

On day five, the route leaves the ryokan and heads into the mountains. A seasonal fruit farm visit gives you a hands-on pause, followed by Matsumoto Castle, known as the Black Crow for its dark exterior. The castle offers a tangible link to samurai-era Japan, and its Alpine setting makes this stop feel quite different from the dense city visits.

The day also includes a quick convenience-store lunch before the coach continues to Takayama. That is efficient, but it is not a leisurely food stop. If sampling local dishes is a priority, save your appetite for the optional Hida beef dinner, listed at 6,500 yen.

Takayama gets a full day. You can cycle through town, with its dark wooden buildings and old-style signs, then unwind at an onsen. This is a welcome breathing space after several travel days. The town’s traditional streets are especially rewarding at an unhurried pace, though the schedule still asks you to keep moving between destinations overall.

Hotels listed for these nights are Takayama Green Hotel or a similar property. The accommodation rating is strong, and the tour’s hotel stays are generally practical rather than a luxury feature. Expect the special experiences, not lavish rooms, to carry much of the trip’s character.

Hiroshima gives the journey its most serious pause

Day seven is a long-distance travel day to Hiroshima by train, including a ride on the Shinkansen. A local guide leads a private city tour, and entry to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is included. The museum and Peace Park ask for time and attention; this is not a stop to rush through for a photograph. The guided visit gives context, then you have time to explore on your own.

Hiroshima changes the mood of the tour. After several days of temples, food and city scenes, the memorial sites provide a clear, sobering account of the atomic bombing and its human cost. I would keep your evening plans flexible rather than packing the day with more activities.

The next day takes you by tram and ferry to Miyajima Island. You’ll see the Great Torii Gate, visit temples and walk through forested areas where deer roam. The island offers a quieter counterpoint to Hiroshima’s urban centre, and the sea approach gives the shrine gate its famous setting. Breakfast is included that morning; dinner is not listed as an included meal.

Kyoto combines famous sights with a day of your own

The train to Kyoto leads into a full guided sightseeing day. Fushimi Inari Shrine’s long paths of vermilion torii gates are an obvious highlight, while Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, gives you a very different kind of beauty: formal gardens and a gold-covered pavilion reflected in its pond. Both are popular landmarks, so expect company, especially at the best-known photo spots.

The following day is open for your own Kyoto plans. Options named for the tour include wearing a kimono, visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, photographing Yasaka Pagoda and exploring Gion. You cannot fit every Kyoto sight into one free day, so choose an area or two instead of trying to collect them all. The hotel is listed as Ibis Styles Kyoto Station or similar, a useful base for reaching the city by train.

This balance of guided visits and independent time is one of the tour’s strengths. You get help with the major sights, but can also set your own pace for a day. If Kyoto is your main reason for visiting Japan, though, two nights may feel brief.

Mount Koya trades city lights for monastery rhythms

After a relaxed morning in Kyoto, you travel by train to Mount Koya for a night at a Buddhist monastery. The stay includes traditional vegetarian food, an introduction to temple life and a mindfulness or meditation experience. The next morning, you can attend the Buddhist service before travelling onward to Osaka.

This is not simply a hotel with unusual décor. The temple stay offers a look at religious practice and daily customs, with the head monk and local guide explaining the setting and its traditions. It is also a welcome change from the constant movement of the previous days. If you are uncomfortable with an early start, shared customs or a quieter evening, this may be the least familiar part of the trip, but also one of its most distinctive.

Accommodation is listed as Henjoko-in or similar. The tour describes this as a special stay, but does not give room specifications, so ask the operator about the exact sleeping arrangements if that matters to you.

Osaka finishes with food and a free evening

Day twelve starts early on Mount Koya, then shifts back to the city for Osaka. The final afternoon and evening are a chance to explore the local food scene, shop in Americamura or visit a Pokémon store. Osaka is known for its food culture, but most meals are not included, which gives you freedom to choose while adding to your daily spending.

The final night is at Ibis Budget Osaka Umeda or a similar hotel. Day thirteen is departure day, with no farewell sightseeing listed. Kansai International Airport is around 45 minutes from the hotel by bus, according to the tour information. The bus is recommended over a taxi, which can be expensive.

What the $3,748 price covers, and what it does not

The tour starts at $3,748, based on the cheapest room option. Included are 12 nights of accommodation, eight breakfasts, two dinners, the listed transport between destinations, selected sightseeing and the services of an English-speaking Trip Manager and local guides. The two special stays, ryokan and monastery, add value that is hard to replicate with a standard city-hotel itinerary.

But this is not an all-inclusive price. International flights and insurance are not included, and you’ll pay separately for most lunches and dinners, plus optional activities such as sushi-making, the robot café experience and Hida beef dinner. Check what your chosen departure includes before booking, particularly for onsen access, as the tour details list both included bathing experiences and an optional onsen fee.

Japan’s rail and hotel costs can add up, so having transport and accommodation arranged is a genuine convenience. The tour also handles luggage forwarding on certain train legs. You’ll travel without your main suitcase on some journeys and need a small overnight bag for Hiroshima and Mount Koya. The stated luggage limit is one main bag up to 20 kilograms, plus carry-on luggage.

The booking information gives a $200 deposit, with the balance due 65 days before departure and interest-free fortnightly instalments available. Cancellation fees apply from 60 days before departure, so read the current terms and arrange insurance that suits your plans.

The guide and group shape the experience

Contiki’s Trip Manager is central to the tour, helping with the schedule, transport and free-time suggestions. The supplied tour information includes praise for guides named Tom, Fi or Fiona, Sam and Shannon, with particular appreciation for their organisation, restaurant tips, warmth and ability to include people in the group. These are examples from past departures, not a promise that any particular guide will lead yours.

That personal help can be valuable if this is your first trip abroad or you are uneasy about navigating Japan alone. It can also make the group feel like part of the adventure. Group sizes are listed as up to 30, with typical groups described as around 20 to 30 people. You’ll spend many days together, so expect a social, shared-trip feel rather than a private tour.

The pace is energetic, even though the physical rating is low intensity. You’ll walk at temples and shrines, change cities often and follow early starts, including the Mount Koya service. The age range is strict: Contiki trips are for people aged 18 to 35. If you are travelling with someone outside that range, this tour will not fit; the supplied information names Costsaver and Trafalgar as all-ages alternatives.

Should you book this Japan tour?

Book it if you are 18 to 35, want a ready-made route through Japan’s best-known sights, and like meeting people while travelling. The combination of Tokyo, Takayama, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Mount Koya is broad without being only a checklist: the ryokan and monastery nights give the trip two memorable changes of pace.

Think twice if you want several unstructured days in each city, prefer to set every detail yourself, or need a slower schedule. Before paying, compare the starting price with flights, insurance, meals and the optional activities you actually want. If the total works for you, this is a practical way to see a wide slice of Japan without planning every train and hotel yourself.

FAQ

How long is the Best of Japan by Contiki tour?

The tour lasts 13 days, starting in Tokyo and ending in Osaka.

What is the starting price?

The listed price starts at $3,748, based on the cheapest room option. Prices may vary by departure and room choice.

What age range can join?

Contiki limits this tour to people aged 18 to 35.

Are international flights included?

No. You book and pay for your international flights separately.

What meals are included?

Eight breakfasts and two dinners are included. The listed dinners are Japanese kaiseki at the ryokan and a traditional vegetarian meal at the monastery.

Is the tour fully guided?

No. It is partially guided. An English-speaking Trip Manager accompanies the tour, with local guides for selected visits, while some time is left for independent exploring.

How much luggage can I bring?

The stated allowance is one bag or suitcase up to 73 by 50 by 25 centimetres and 20 kilograms, plus one piece of carry-on luggage.

Will I have my main luggage on every train journey?

No. The tour information says your main luggage is forwarded by truck on some train legs. You’ll need an overnight bag for Hiroshima and Mount Koya.

Is a Japan Rail Pass included or needed?

A Japan Rail Pass is not included, but the tour’s transport is covered, so the information says you will not need one during the trip.