Osaka Tours in September 2026

The Splendors of Japan tour offers a beautiful and widely scoped experience starting from the busy, metropolis that is Tokyo, right down to the wonderful introspective serenity that can be found in smaller spaces like Japan's Kotohira area. This is contrasted further by somber and sobering moments in places like Hiroshima, while time spent in Mt. Fuji helps us reflect on the brightest things in life. Japan and this tour is truly a unique introductory experience to the country that ensures we'll return there one day to enjoy even more that this unique place offers its visitors.

Had a fantastic trip to Japan with Explore!. The itinerary was excellent. Covered a lot of ground in an efficient way managing to visit a wide range of different locations/ sights without being exhausting as there was a balance of travelling and stays of more than one night in some locations. Our guide (Henrick) was great. He was extremely professional and knowledgeable. Henrick went out of his way to communicate and ensured that everyone felt included. He provided optional tours in the free-time days and lots of suggestions for restaurants, etc. Really liked traveling by public transport and the balance of free time and group tours. All the accommodation was excellent. Very impressed by the organisation of the whole trip.

Thhis was an exceedingly enjoyable trip from start to finish. There was good variety in the places visited and the types of accommodation. The stays in the monastery and ryokan were fascinating, not least the onsen experiences. Our tour leader, Henrik Roslef, gave us exactly the right amount of information about the history and culture of Japan and was always willing to answer questions. He provided additional tours on free days which was much apreciated - despite the early starts. It was a great trip.

Mike the tour guide was Excelent! Always prepared, had lots of maps so we won’t get lost, good knowledge of Japan’s history and what to see on our itinerary. Many of our fellow visitors had issues and was very accommodating. Only one hotel was substandard. On Sept 11 we stayed at the Aqua Hiroshima Center. The bathroom had mold, the carpet needed cleaning.

Wonderful trip - perfect amount of time for every place. Goes to places I would never have been solo - takayama was a highlight and the special stays were a super cool experience. Lots of free time in this trip - which is nice to pick where you want to go. Time add ons were great, however not too many included experiences and dinners compared to other trips, which was a small downside. The TM we had was stella - lots of recommendations and perfect amount of information.

A tremendous trip that combined urban and rural Japan so that one had an overall feel of the Japanese way! Toyko, Kyoto and Osaka were as buzzy as I expected. The time on the trails in the countryside was a very meditative experience. Overall a great experience.