Osaka Tours in December 2026

This was a well-paced trip with an excellent itinerary and more free time than I've been used to on previous tours, allowing us to seek out the areas which appealed to us. To that end, I highly recommend getting an eSim on your phone so that you can navigate around using google maps without racking up a huge bill. Going in mid November, I wasn't prepared for just how cold the weather was, in particular the wind. Hat and gloves and a winter jacket were essential. We decided to use our free day in Tokyo to visit Nikko which was worth the trip but we only thought to book the train the day before and the early morning trains had sold out. Fortunately we were luckier when booking a bullet train from Osaka back to Tokyo at the end of the trip, allowing us a fabulous view of Mt Fuji and another day in Tokyo before catching our flight home. Overall, we loved the travel on various forms of public transport throughout the whole tour - a great way to get around, much better than being stuck on a coach. We were also very fortunate in having an excellent, very patient, tour guide in Kerique who gave us a great insight into the country.

Outstanding and very varied tour. Too many highlights to mention but we were particularly lucky to be there for the peak of the autumn colour in the amazing Japanese gardens. Our tour leader Irene went above and beyond and greatly added to our enjoyment of the trip.

This was one of the best trips I have been on! Varied itinerary that included all the main sites but also included places off the beaten trail. Very smooth travel between cities and well-organised luggage facilities/transfers enabling us to get the most out of our day. Well-situated , comfortable hotels. David Lam was an excellent tour leader, anticipating any potential issues, and calmly ensuring everyone was happy. His local knowledge meant he was able to advise us of the best places to eat and give us tips for local independent journeys on our free days. Can’t recommend him highly enough!

Great trip. Lots of variety - cities and country. Lots of walking around the sights. Hotels close to the stations and only had to carry small bag anyway as main luggage forwarded to and from hotels as described in trip notes. David, our guide, was really knowlegable and organised meals at a wide variety of restaurants and always had suggestions for cafes or bakeries when needed! Overall a fantastic holiday.

This was my first holiday with Explore and it certainly wont be my last ! The tour guide Karique was simply brilliant, so charismatic, caring, thoughtful and organised with a wonderful personality. He made the packed tour of Japan even more memorable !!

Simply Japan gave us just what we wanted - experience of Japanese culture, history and the natural environment. Yes, you are on your feet for most of the day, but it pays dividends as you make the most of the opportunities presented to you with lots of information and advice from a knowledgeable Group Leader. For example, during the day-and-a-half in Kanazawa within the Group we visited the Normura Samurai House, visited the Kenrokuen Gardens, then during the free time, we took part in a tea ceremony, visited the Museum of Artisan Skills, went to ‘Meet the Geiko (geisha)’ and saw some traditional dancing and music when returning to the hotel through the station. The hotels are all comfortable and there is a vast range of eateries to choose from (or simply follow your Leader’s recommendations). Marco, our Group Leader, was very good - knowledgeable, enthusiastic, helpful and keen to ensure everyone had the best possible experience. His insight into Japanese youth culture was very illuminating. Advice for Potential Travellers: Google Translate & Google Maps are invaluable. Get an esim, portable wifi or a local sim if possible. If you cannot, there are lots of free wifi (in the museums, eateries, or a municipal service) to help out, if necessary The trip notes advice on umbrellas is very apposite The initial impression of public transport is rather daunting, but there are English signs, colour coding and the underground stations are numbered. Finally, people are happy to help. Tokyo & Kyoto railway stations are massive. Make a note of which entrance you used for when you return Marco, our tour leader, was good (see above), but we found some aspects of Explore’s ‘back office’ a bit disappointing: We booked our trip almost 18 months in advance (something we had never done before!), received our booking acknowledgement and downloaded the trips. That was the only communication we had until the final trip notes. No prompting on key dates e.g. providing a copy of the main passport page for the rail pass, despite the trip notes saying a reminder would be sent. The initial information gives details of qualification for free airport/hotel transfers, but the only confirmation from Explore comes in a paragraph entitled ‘Arrival Instructions’ in the final trip details. I had already chased confirmation that we were eligible by phoning, but when the final details arrived they stated that we did not have the free transfers. After several more attempts to get a written confirmation of eligibility, I finally received revised final details. Several members of the Group also had trouble, especially for leaving Osaka, so they had to pay and reclaim when they returned to the UK. Finance Japan was cheaper than expected. Food & drink was cheaper than in the UK. Public transport was very cheap Credits cards were widely accepted, but there were instances where only cash was accepted Discounts were available in some places for foreign over 60s