Best of Japan 15 day tour

Planet

All journeys between the major stops are via local trains or Japan’s bullet train – the Shinkansen. Reducing the use of cars and eliminating internal flights significantly lowers carbon emissions during your visit – and it means you can make most of your time in Japan in a way that is both sustainable and respectful of Japan’s environment.

Private transfers by private car are arranged for shorter journeys, however, shared shuttles can be arranged to reduce carbon impact further.

Throughout your trip, it helps to be as environmentally conscious as possible, seeking out recycling bins (or waiting until you are back at your hotel), turning off accommodation air conditioning or heating as you’re leaving your room, and declining towel and bed linen changes when not required.

Behind the scenes, every booking supports the ITG Impact Fund, backing long-term work that sits alongside how trips are designed, from nature restoration and community-led conservation in our destinations to wider system change across travel and aviation.

It’s an approach rooted in long-term thinking – helping to protect ecosystems, support local livelihoods, and ensure the places we love remain special for years to come.

People

We hate the idea of travelling in a ‘tour bus bubble’, talking only to fellow travellers and not interacting with the communities we pass through. Hopping on the Hiroshima trams and the Tokyo subway and sitting next to commuters on the bullet train gives you plenty of opportunity to experience everyday life, as it is truly lived.

By exploring with expert local guides in places such as Miyajima, Hiroshima and Kyoto, your journey directly supports employment opportunities within the tourism sector, preserving local knowledge, traditions, and skills, shared by those who know them best. Travelling with a local expert also ensures that the way you visit particularly busy sights is regulated. Gion, for example, has become very busy in recent years. The guides we use take routes that limit the impact on local residents and communities, while still giving visitors an insider’s look into one of the most culturally interesting areas of Japan.

While this tour features some of Japan’s headline sights and cities, it also includes quieter, more rural stops. The cycling tour in the Japan Alps is away from Takayama town in the smaller town of Furukawa. More people booking cycle tours benefits local communities and economies.