Small group hosted journey with World Journeys

18 Days / 17 Nights

Departs March/April 2028

Pricing on release — register your interest

Japan is the destination our clients ask about more than any other, and this 18-day small group hosted journey is built around it at its best-known moment: cherry blossom season. Tokyo, the snow monkeys of Yudanaka, the Japanese Alps, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and Mt Fuji, timed for the March and April bloom. The tour is operated by World Journeys, the New Zealand tour company we book these tours through: a host travels with the group from New Zealand and back, and the group is capped at 18. The next departure is March/April 2028. Pricing has not been released yet, so the practical step today is registering interest, which costs nothing and puts you up the list.

Where the tour goes

The route makes a full loop of Honshu, mixing the famous stops with places most first visits miss.

• Tokyo. Three days to start: the Tsukiji fish market with a sushi-making experience, the Imperial Palace, Ueno Park under blossom, Meiji Shrine and Asakusa.
• Yudanaka and the Alps. North to Jigokudani Monkey Park, where wild monkeys bathe in steaming hot springs, with a night in a traditional ryokan. Then Zenkoji Temple, Matsumoto Castle and the mountain town of Takayama.
• Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa. The UNESCO-listed villages of thatched farmhouses over 250 years old, then Kanazawa's Kenrokuen garden, one of Japan's three great gardens, and a preserved samurai house.
• Kyoto and Nara. Two days across Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Kiyomizu temples, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and Nijo Castle, then Nara's Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine.
• Osaka, Kobe and Hiroshima. Osaka's Kaiyukan Aquarium and Umeda, a Kobe sake brewery, then the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the floating torii gate of Miyajima Island.
• Hakone and back to Tokyo. Cable car over Mt Owakudani with views to Mt Fuji, a cruise on Lake Ashi and the Open Air Sculpture Museum, then two final Tokyo days and the farewell dinner.

What is included

Included: economy airfares from Auckland, a World Journeys host with the group throughout, 4 star hotels plus the ryokan stay, train journeys within Japan, transfers, sightseeing and entrance fees as itineraried, airline taxes and meals as shown in the full itinerary.

Not included: travel insurance (mandatory), personal spending and any premium cabin upgrades, which are available at additional cost. Worth knowing before you pack: on the train legs your main luggage travels separately by courier, so you carry a small overnight bag for three nights between Osaka and Tokyo. We make sure you know exactly what to pack where before you leave.

What it costs

World Journeys has not yet released pricing for the March/April 2028 departure, and as with every tour on this page the published figure will be indicative once it lands, moving with seasons and exchange rates. Register your interest with us now and we will send you the pricing the day it is released, then talk through the trip from there.

Who this tour suits

Cherry blossom season is Japan at its busiest and most beautiful, and that is the case for the group format: accommodation and rail in sakura season book out far ahead, and the hosted structure locks all of it in with one booking. You need to walk at least 4 kilometres unaided, with some days totalling around 8 kilometres across temples and gardens, so the tour is not suited to travellers with mobility issues. Tipping is neither required nor expected in Japan, and New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa, though an online form may be required closer to travel.

How booking through YOU Travel Napier works

Booking through us costs what booking direct costs, with a local agent at 86 Tennyson Street handling the details: the mandatory insurance, any pre or post nights, and the practical briefing that makes a first Japan trip run smoothly. If a set 2028 departure does not fit your plans, our example Japan itinerary shows what an independent trip can look like, and our custom itineraries service builds one around your dates.

Frequently asked questions

When will 2028 pricing be confirmed?

World Journeys releases pricing closer to the departure window. Register your interest with us and we will contact you the day it lands, ahead of general release.

Why book a group tour for Japan rather than going independently?

Sakura season is the hardest fortnight of the year to book: hotels, rail and guides sell out months ahead, and the hosted tour locks the whole route in one booking. Independent Japan travel works well outside that window, and we build those trips too. Which one fits depends on your dates, your budget and how much organising you want to own.

How does luggage work on the rail days?

Your main suitcase travels ahead by courier on train legs, and you carry a small overnight bag for three nights between Osaka and Tokyo. It is standard practice in Japan and we brief you fully before departure.

Do I need a visa for Japan?

New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa. An online entry form may be required closer to travel, and we confirm the current requirements before you fly.

Japan in pictures

Presented by YOU Travel Napier, 86 Tennyson Street, Napier. A small group hosted journey operated by World Journeys. Last updated August 2026.