Highlights of Japan

Your tour :

• The prices displayed on this page may vary according to the exchange rate of the Japanese Yen.
• Unfortunately, this tour is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.
• Children and babies are welcome. From 3 to 11 years old, a child rate is offered. In each accommodation, a standard adult bed will be offered to them, and a standard seat will be allocated to them in transport. From 0 to 2 years old inclusive, a "baby" rate is offered. This price corresponds to the allocation of a cot in the majority of the accommodation of the chosen tor. However, we cannot guarantee a baby cot in each accommodation.
• Pets are not allowed.
• This itinerary is subject to change due to circumstances such as weather conditions or any other case of force majeure. Please note that due to the current circumstances, any information mentioned is subject to change or modification.
• Your travel documents will be given to you as follows:
  • Travel diary sent by email before departure, and any other electronic documents 
  • Physical/paper documents (airport transfer ticket, transportation card, Japan Rail Pass voucher) and Pocket WiFi upon arrival at the airport by our airport assistant.
• NOTE: In very rare cases, mostly in peak season, steps might be reversed. You will be informed of this in your Travel diary should it happen. We appreciate your understanding.

Your accommodation :

• Some hotels may ask you to pay a tourist tax on arrival. This depends on the city and even the hotel, as some do not include it in the booking price. Normally, it is 200¥/night/person (about £1.37/1.93$) but can be slightly higher in 4* hotels. It must be paid in cash at the hotel reception. For traditional Japan Experience accommodations, it is included in the initial tour price.
• Room size: in Japan, a densely populated country where everything is compact, 3-star luxury hotels are of very good quality but the rooms are often quite narrow (12 to 20m2/129 sq ft to 215 sq ft) depending on the hotel. Please note the size of the single room, between 10 and 16m2 (107sq ft and 172sq ft). For more comfort, you can choose our luxury 4* accommodation upgrade option. (This option is only valid for the hotel in Tokyo, not for the traditional accommodation in Kyoto).
• Double room: Rooms for two people in western hotels have 2 single beds (twin rooms) by default, which can usually be joined together. As an option, you can select a double room instead of a twin if you prefer a double bed.
• Single room: People travelling alone and wishing to book a single room must pay a supplement at the time of booking. The single room supplement is compulsory for orders with an odd number of participants. Please note that if you request more than two people in a single room, the single room supplement will be applied to all accommodation except for the ryokans (3 and 4*). In fact, as this is traditional accommodation, people with the same reservation are grouped together in spacious rooms for up to 5 people.
• 3-person room: If there are 3, 5 or more of you and you do not select the single supplement, a triple room will be allocated to you.
• In the case of a group order (> 5 people), it is possible, depending on hotel availability, that not all members of the group will be accommodated in the same hotel. Nevertheless, we aim to keep you close. 
• Names of the hotels : The names given on the site are for information only. In the event of unavailability, an establishment of equivalent standing will be provided. Hotels, corresponding to local standards, are given as an indication and may be changed on site for hotels of a similar category.
• In a ryokan, guests sleep on comfortable futons placed on a tatami mat floor. The room has a private sink and toilet. As is customary in Japanese ryokan, the onsen bathroom is shared (not mixed) unless you select the "private bathroom in the room" option.
  OPTIONAL: Enjoy a private Japanese bathroom (traditional or modern onsen) in your room. This option is recommended for mixed couples, families, people who are modest or have visible tattoos.
  The 4* ryokan (see 4* option) have comfortable futons raised on either western beds or in a traditional tatami room. The bathrooms and toilets of the 4* ryokan are always private.

Your transport :

• Flights are not included in this tour. Please contact us if you would like to include flights in your order: Flights in economy class with stopovers or direct flights, eco-premium or business air upgrades, provincial departures or abroad: we can advise you.
• The tour departure and end dates presented on this page relate to your stay in Japan. You will arrive in Japan via Tokyo (Narita or Haneda airports) and will also leave from Tokyo. You will have to leave Europe the day before and land at 6pm at the latest to make the most of the airport services of your tour (welcome and transfer to Tokyo). The return flight is on the same day due to the time difference, with a departure time of 9am at the earliest. Please consult us for any uncertainty or need for precision in the choice of international flights.
• If the flights have been purchased by you without the involvement of Japan Experience, you must to send us the details at least one month before your departure (flight number, airport, date and time of arrival) to allow us to organize your welcome and airport transfer.
• Airport Transfers: The shared limousine bus leaves from the airport and stops either in front of your hotel or at a stop within 1-15 minutes walk from your hotel. Our airport assistant in Tokyo will drive you to the platform to pick up the airport transfer. The transfer to the hotel is unassisted. If you wish to be accompanied from the airport to your hotel reception, please choose the option "Accompanied Airport Transfer". This transfer is done in a shared shuttle or bus, with other clients leaving for the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers leave between 1.5 and 3 hours after your flight's scheduled arrival and stops can be made before your hotel. If you would like a private, non-stop transfer directly after the actual arrival of your flight, feel free to take the "Private Taxi from the Airport" option. Please note: due to the many changes in flight schedules by the airlines, if the airline notifies you of a change in arrival time less than 72 hours before your departure, and if it exceeds 45 minutes, we cannot guarantee your airport shuttle. You will then have to take a taxi at your own expense, requesting a refund from your airline for abusive schedule changes. The same applies to your return journey: 72 hours before your return flight, we cannot change the shuttle schedule. Similarly, you will have to take a taxi booked with the hotel, at your own expense, with reimbursement procedures with the airline company being the only solution. Japan Experience is not responsible for last minute schedule changes.
• Included in your tour is a pre-charged transport prepayment card of ¥1,500 (around £8 / $9) (Suica or Pasmo card); a transport pass for the Tokyo Shinjuku -> Hakone route and all transport in the Hakone region (excluding taxis) and a 14-day Japan Rail Pass. These 3 cards should cover a large part of your trips during the stay. Upon expiry of the ¥1,500 Transport Prepayment Card, or if the line you are travelling on is not covered by your Japan Rail Pass, any travel will be at your own expense by recharging your pre-paid transport card (at vending machines in all stations and metro stations). 
• The Japan Rail Pass is a personal train pass for foreign travellers who wish to visit Japan. This pass allows unlimited travel for 14 consecutive days on all Japan Railways (JR) trains throughout Japan. You will receive a voucher to be exchanged at a JR office when you are welcomed at the airport by our assistant (list of locations provided in your travel guide). You will be asked to show your passport and fill in a form. During this exchange, you will select the start date of your pass. Once your Pass has been activated, it will be valid for 14 consecutive days from the date chosen. To prevent wasting time when you arrive at the airport, you are recommended to exchange your voucher upon arrival in Tokyo City. This is because exchanging it at the airport could delay your airport shuttle. With your Japan Rail Pass in hand, just go to the station, show your pass to the ticket inspector at the entrance gates and board any JR train. Trains in Japan are almost all open seating. If you are worried about not having a seat (on a Shinkansen for example), simply go to a ticket office and reserve your seat at no extra charge. The Japan Rail Pass covers all JR and Shinkansen lines in Japan. The following journeys are not covered:
  • Travel by metro and bus in the cities (payable by pre-paid transport card, included in your package)
  • Transfers from the train station to the hotels (by foot, bus, metro or taxi)
  • Travel on private train lines (other than JR)
  • Travel on Nozomi and Mizuho high-speed trains (shinkansen)
  • Trips made outside the validity period of the Japan Rail Pass
• Japan Rail Pass: It is not necessary to possess a Japan Rail Pass which covers your entire stay. This is only cost-effective if it is used for long journeys between the different stages of your stay (especially in shinkansen) which are very expensive. In large cities like Tokyo, only about ⅓ of public transport is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and getting around is relatively cheap (Tokyo Metro tickets: £1.70 / $2.40; Kyoto daily bus card: £4.20 / $5.90). Thus, providing you with a Japan Rail Pass for more than 14 days (21) would not be cost-effective and, on the contrary, would significantly increase the cost of your trip.
• If a person taking part in the tour is a Japanese national and a resident of Japan, or a foreigner with tax residence in Japan (including a student), then that person is not eligible for the Japan Rail Pass. Please contact us to get the price of the tour without a Japan Rail Pass. They will have to buy the train tickets for the tour directly in Japan. The Kansai Railway Pass is also subject to the same nationality/residency requirements. This is not the case for the Hakone Free pass. If this person is a Japanese citizen but not a resident of Japan, then he/she can benefit from the Japan Rail Pass under certain conditions (see https://www.japan-experience.com/frequently-asked-questions).

Your activities :

• The Airport Welcome is in English. Your airport assistant will be waiting for you at the customs exit holding a sign with the name of your reservation. They will give you your travel documents and take you to your airport transfer. They will not accompany you to Tokyo.
• The Shinjuku tour is a guided group tour lasting around 2 hours and departing at 7pm. Please note that the tour will be conducted in English if your group is made up of travellers of different nationalities. More details on the meeting point in your travel pack. Dinner is not included, but your guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat.
• The guided tour of Gion lasts around 2 hours and departs at 7pm. Please note that the tour will be conducted in English if your group is made up of travellers of different nationalities. More details on the meeting point in your travel pack. Dinner is not included, but your guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat.

Your meals :

• Breakfasts which are not included in your package can be added at the reception when you arrive at the hotel. However, you will find many cafés near your hotel serving good breakfasts, often tastier and less expensive than those in the hotels, which sometimes have tight schedules and are predominantly savoury. However, if you would like to add breakfast to your stay when you make your reservation, you can select it as an option.
• Traditional Japanese dinner and Japanese breakfast (mostly savoury) are included in your Hakone stay. Don't hesitate to let us know any dietary requirements you may have, we will pass them on to the ryokan so that they can take them into account when planning the meals. However if the ryokan cannot take these dietary requirements into account, we cannot be held responsible and no compensation will be issued.

Your additional services:

• A pocket wifi is included in your tour. It allows unlimited high-speed internet access. Your Pocket WiFi will be given to you at the airport upon arrival.
• It comes with a small booklet to operate your device (don't panic, it's simple to use) and a prepaid envelope to return your device at the end of your stay. Your pocket wifi will work until the last day of your trip to Japan.
• A maximum of 5 different devices can be connected to one pocket wifi at once (phone, tablet, computer).
• A single pocket wifi is provided for a tour booking of 1 to 5 people. For an order of 6 people or more, a second pocket wifi will be added automatically and at no extra cost to your reservation.