Budget Japan tour

Planet

Transport:
As you move from place to place, you’ll use public buses and series of bullet trains, a popular form of public transport in Japan and an effective way to help lower your carbon footprint, mingle with the locals and soak up the scenic views as you make your way to the next location. There is no car travel at all. You will also cycle through Kyoto – a relaxing and slower paced visit. A lot of our activities are based on walking from place to place. These cycling and walking trips will provide you with light exercise - looking after your well being, while also reducing the carbon footprint on the planet - looking after the planet’s well being!

Accommodation:
All of the places we stay in are locally run and passionate about doing their part when it comes to the environment. On this tour, we stay in hostels, guesthouses & spend 1 night in a traditional Ryokan, a great way to immerse yourself in a local Japanese tradition. Whilst you’re staying in each of these places, we encourage you to use local services on offer, this way your money goes straight into the local community and economy.

Wildlife:
If you choose to visit Arashiyama Monkey Park on this trip, we have our Adventure Leader speak to you to emphasise that there should be no flash photography, that you should not feed the monkeys and that you should not disturb or scare the monkeys. We want our travellers to see the amazing monkeys as there is much we can learn from them but at the same time we want to make sure everyone is respectful of them so that the monkeys do not feel threatened in any way.

Top Tips:
Tap water is safe to drink in Japan so to all of our travellers we suggest packing a reusable water bottle to ensure you have water on hand at all times and help minimize the trail of plastic left behind. There are lots of refill points and most restaurants will also provide water bottle refills. We also recommend packing as light as possible, to help keep your carbon footprint low.

People

Local tour guides:
By hiring local tour guides we help support the local people and provide employment opportunities.

Local experiences:
You’ll learn about the local cuisine with a sushi-making workshop and tantalize your taste buds with an intimate sake-tasting session. If you’re in the mood for some Japanese style entertainment then you can enjoy a traditional geisha show in Kyoto or experience a relaxing afternoon in a Japanese Onsen, an ancient bathing practice created in the eighteenth century.

As a sign of respect, we think that it is important for travellers to learn a few key words or phrases in the native language, so we offer a written language guide in Japan. We also offer classes to learn about the local culture including a calligraphy class.

All of our customers’ interactions are with local suppliers, and we promote integration between travellers and local people through our “unmissable” included activities and our optional activities, and opportunities for authentic cultural immersion.

Our Adventure Leaders are trained in ensuring that customers are aware of local customs and traditions, educating them on when it is appropriate to take photos and/or videos.