Japan Travel - Future Tour Dates

At Japan Custom Tours we run a mix of bespoke, tailored trips and some more standardized tours, particularly in the popular travel times of spring and autumn.  We organise tours year round, based on guest demand, long and short trips, and to a wide variety of locations across Japan.  If there is not a date that suits, you can start planning your own trip - we regularly organise tours for families or groups of friends.

Often we have guests requesting certain dates and we craft a tour for them based around their preferences.  However, many of these schedules are appealing to other travellers and we are able to offer these tours to a wider audience and at a lower cost than an exclusive or private tour.

If you are interested a holiday around Japan you are welcome to join one of our scheduled tours.  We periodically update this page with upcoming trips that are available for people to sign up, and not only experience the richness of Japan, but also enjoy discovering the unique charms of the places we visit with other interesting people.

You can email us direct at admin@japancustomtours.co.nz or get in touch via our feedback form. and we will get in touch (usually) within 24 hours. 

Common destinations include Tokyo and Kyoto representing the contract of new and old Japan.  Other guest favourites include Nagano (for a visit to the snow monkeys), Kanazawa (seafood, castle and famous gardens), Takayama (for a small town feel), and Hiroshima/Miyajima.  For wider variety we can take head to Kagoshima for views of the local volcano and hot sand baths, Sendai and Matsushima Bay (one of the three views of Japan), across the Tohoku region (Aomori, Akita, Kakunodate) and into Hokkaido.

Best of Japan

This two week escorted tour of Japan provides a range of highlights and experiences.  The schedule allows flexibility to include different locations, sights and activities depending on your interests or places that you want to explore.   We typically organise our "Best of Japan" trips to suit your dates.

For 2024 we have two scheduled "Best of Japan Tours" with committed departure dates (extra pre and post tour days are possible. 

• Thursday 6th June to Wednesday 19th June, and,
• Saturday 12th October to Saturday 26th October. (Sorry, this tour is fully booked.)

For a more detailed itinerary, please click here.

Cherry blossom viewing - April 2024

Hanami (literally "flower see") is the Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing.  People enjoy looking at and photographing the blooms during the daytime and also the evenings, and blossom viewing outdoor picnics are held, regardless of the cold. (Hot One Cup Sake in a can is a popular drink in the evening!) Peak viewing season is typically the first week of April for places like Tokyo and Kyoto, but we take pride in finding tranquil and uncrowded spots for our guests to enjoy the blossom season across the full March and April season.  

Japan cherry blossom tours are very popular some of our cherry blossom tours sold-out several months in advance.  For 2024 we are running our "Classic" blossom tour chasing the cherry blossom across Japan.

Please note, all of our places for cherry blossom tours during spring 2024 were fully booked months in advance.  As at January 2024 we have opened up or bookings for the 2025 season.  If you wish to book for 2025, please contact us directly.

For more information on the tours see our 2024 Sakura tours page for an indication of what you can expect for 2024.  A copy of the Spring 2024 brochure can be downloaded here.

Japan in May

For May the weather starts to warm up and it is a nice time of the year to travel before the heat of the summer kicks in.  We have hosted several interesting custom trips during May and into June, and we often re-run tours similar to the tours we have offered during May in the past. 

Those schedules included the many of the beautiful gardens of Japan as well as an excursion to the historic areas or Kurashiki and Naoshima Island.  Other locations include the historic cultural capital Kyoto, Hiroshima, Takayama in the Japanese Alps and of course the huge modern metropolis that is Tokyo. Check our May'24 Tour page for more details.  We intend to re-run this popular tour in 2025.

Autumn Leaf Viewing - November 2024

Autumn is the second most popular season to visit Japan.  With the weather more settled and warmer than early spring, the leaf viewing season (koyo) lasts a little longer and presents more vibrant colours across the parks, hillsides and mountains. We are planning two main tours across the end of October and through November based on our experiences from previous years.  Check out our current schedule for November 2024.

A Japan Grand Tour - longer trips

Previously we have organised an extended "Grand Tour" covering the 30 days of September and repeated a similar course the following year covering 35 days.  More recently we completed a 30-day trip across November 2022 following the re-opening of Japan after the pandemic had closed borders to tourists for two and a half years, and have another private month-long trip planned for spring 2024. 

We design our "Grand Tours" to include an interesting mix of locations ranging from traditional experiences through to the modern, industrial Japan of today.  This allows guests to enjoy a range of famous, historic and noteworthy sights that showcase the variety and beauty of the country. 

These extensive tours allow you to experience a wide variety of what Japan has to offer.  Customisation remains an important element for these trips so discuss with us what you would like to do.  We run our Grand Tour on request (schedule permitting) and can be a good option for a couple looking to explore more of Japan.  Contact us for options.

We are offer these trips based on guest requirements.  Check our Grand Tour page for some additional details and inspiration.

Remote Japan - Off the beaten track

The concept behind the Remote Japan tours is to head to the non-touristy places, away from the crowds and to some of the less travelled parts of the country.  Our the feedback from our guests is that these experiences provide a more intimate and genuine window into the country, culture and scenic beauty.

These tours tend to be customised based on what you want to do rather than a set schedule.  For a more information, please click here.

Introduction to Japan

We have developed this short Japan travel package covering seven days and six nights to provide a quick introduction covering selected major sights in Tokyo and Kyoto.  The schedule allows flexibility to add additional days either side of the tour to include extra features or places that you want to explore.  We can provide this tour to suit your dates (minimum four people).

For a more detailed itinerary, please click here.

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