Hidden Japan holiday
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Description of Hidden Japan holiday
If you’re keen to experience a quieter, more everyday Japan, Hidden Japan might just be your tour. The Small Group Tour that begins and ends in Kyoto, and after over a decade of running, it’s still a firm favourite: small communities, big welcomes, and cultural experiences that linger long after the trip ends.
In Kyoto’s historic Gion district, you’ll sit down for tea with a maiko (trainee geisha) – a rare, Insider-arranged meeting where you find out more about a day in the life of a maiko. From there, the journey moves gently west through temple towns, mountain valleys, art islands and villages that are hard to reach without local know-how.
Each stop uncovers a different side of Japan: through its history, art, nature or religion. On Mount Koya, walk through Okunoin cemetery among 200,000 tombstones, stay overnight in a working temple and rise early for morning prayers with the head monk. In Tokushima, watch dancers take to the stage for the exuberant Awa Odori and catch a bunraku puppet performance, a centuries-old theatre art form. On Naoshima, explore world-class art installations set in homes, shrines and even a former dentist office.
In Kotohira, soak in a hot spring onsen bath after climbing 785 steps to a mountaintop shrine. Driving deeper into the Iya Valley, you’ll cross vine bridges, cruise down a gorge river and visit a museum dedicated to Japan’s more mischievous folk spirits – yokai. Then, it’s on to Matsuyama for samurai castles and a soak at the 3,000-year-old onsen that inspired Spirited Away.
One final stop before ending, Joge – a small town where visitors are still a novelty and are warmly welcomed. You’ll join a local kendo class and meet craftspeople whose family businesses line the old high street – from lacquerware to antique shops.
For curious travellers – whether you’ve been to Japan before or not – this tour offers those behind-the-scenes, slices of local life that are hard to plan for yourself.
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Reviews
15 Reviews of Hidden Japan holiday
Reviewed on 20 Mar 2026 by Robert Hill
All good. Especially our guide Hanna who led us on this wonderful journey. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Oct 2025 by Alison Down
It was one of the best holidays I've ever had. The group was very nice and our guide Patrick was just amazing. Always organised, friendly, good humoured and very funny. He was so helpful to everyone, we felt very well taken care of. Read full reviewReviewed on 16 Dec 2024 by Noreen Barnes
Excellent. The hotel locations were perfect… plus the standard of same. Our guide Van was very good and extremely knowledgeable. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Nov 2024 by Cathy Samson
The art museums and the beautiful countryside... Brilliant. Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Oct 2024 by Liza Liddell
Fantastic. The suggestions from the operator were excellent. Their support was excellent. The experience was fantastic. Read full reviewReviewed on 19 Oct 2023 by Philip Darbyshire
Absolutely superb. Not a single quibble or criticism. We are ALREADY planning our next tour for next year with them. Read full reviewReviewed on 18 Jun 2023 by Alisoun Roberts
Extremely well organised and thought out. A wide range of interest, covering so many aspects of the area. We were extremely lucky to have a truly great guide, Kinga, who was unfailingly helpful, cheerful, knowledgeable and professional. She was the difference between a good and a great holiday. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Oct 2022 by Theodore Baker
Conversation with Make was probably most memorable. Temples/shrines, gardens, castles all interesting... Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Dec 2019 by Aine O Ceallaigh
The most memorable part of the holiday was the buddhist temples in Miyajima. Read full reviewReviewed on 20 Nov 2018 by Jane Dunphy
Absolutely wonderful; probably the best we've ever had. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Jul 2018 by Jean Burgess
It was an amazing experience; everything we hoped for and more...each day was different and a new fascinating experience. Read full reviewReviewed on 13 Jun 2018 by Lynda McCall
We had a fantastic time. The guide, Yuri, was great and the tour was varied and constantly enlightening. Read full reviewReviewed on 09 May 2016 by Susan White
Absolutely wonderful. Great to get away from the very big cities and engage with the people. Visiting Shikoku Island for over five days was brilliant. Our guide was excellent and the entire trip was hassle free. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Hidden Japan is built around places many visitors miss. Mount Koya sits in the forested highlands of Wakayama -a monastic centre active for over 1,200 years, where you stay overnight and rise early for morning prayers. Naoshima is a short ferry from Takamatsu, an island where the art is in homes, shrines and unexpected corners. Joge is a rural town in Hiroshima prefecture where stopping for the day still feels like an event.Getting there is part of it. Shinkansen between the major stops, local trains across Shikoku, ferries across the Seto Inland Sea, a private bus into the Iya Valley. The transport changes with the landscape. The route spreads time and attention beyond the usual pressure points.
Behind the scenes, every booking feeds the Impact Fund, backing long-term nature and community work linked to where we operate. We track and report where it goes.
People
Travel is as much about people as it is about place. Because it’s local knowledge, daily routines and sheer enthusiasm for culture that unlock a deeper level of meaning when you're visiting somewhere new. And on this tour, you’ll have a chance to connect with some truly interesting people.We visit Mt Koya, where we link up with a local Japanese guide who knows the area inside out. They’ll offer their own insight and angle on Buddhism, Japanese culture and history, answering any questions you may have.
Throughout your Shikoku journey, you’ll experience local art and traditions first-hand. In Tokushima, you’ll watch (and join in!) with the traditional, energetic and lively Awa Odori festival dancers. It’s a 400-year-old tradition that certainly hasn’t grown old.
In Takamatsu you’ll see authentic bunraku, a refined puppet theatre that counts as one of the big Japanese arts next to noh and kabuki. Attending these local performances will help keep these traditional arts alive, and pass this heritage on to future generations.
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