Tours in Japan

5 hours – 6 hoursfrom AUD $215

Private Local Hiking to enjoy the nature and culture of Mt.Fuji

Explore Mt. Fuji's foothills with Yuki, a seasoned mountain guide and local hunter, on this 5–6 hour private trek. Walk past a centuries-old shrine, crater lakes, and a lava-carved cavern through forests sculpted by volcanic eruptions. The moderate trail climbs for an hour, then descends in thirty minutes, making it accessible to most. Finish with Yoshida udon and matcha in a traditional garden. Gear rental and transport from Kawaguchiko or Fujiyoshida townships are included.

★ 5.0 (30)

🛕 Culture & History

5 hours – 6 hoursfrom AUD $121

Shamisen Discovery in Kyoto 【Group】

Pick up a shamisen for the first time in this relaxed Kyoto session. Rather than getting bogged down in classical technique, you'll spend an hour learning to coax actual sounds from the three-stringed instrument under a professional player's watch. No prior music experience needed, no formal dress code—just show up ready to have a go. Tea and a photo with your instrument wrap things up.

Mochi Matcha Gluten Free Japanese Sweets Class near Shibuya area

Make four beloved Japanese sweets in a traditional home near Shibuya over two hours. You'll craft strawberry daifuku, mochi ice cream, matcha pancakes and dango under Sakura's guidance—a certified confectionery instructor who covers the cultural roots of rice cake traditions. Each recipe gets written down so you can recreate them at home. These treats are naturally low-fat and gluten-free, and the intimate setting in an authentic wooden house feels like visiting a Japanese grandmother's kitchen rather than attending a class.

Handmade Japanese Glass Art Sandblasting Workshop in Tokyo

Work directly with Master Nakagawa, a professional glass artist, to create your own sandblasted piece in Tokyo. This 90-minute workshop skips the usual assistant-led formula—you'll handle the industrial sandblasting equipment yourself, apply traditional Japanese motifs, and walk away with a finished, functional artwork. The intimate group size means genuine feedback from someone who's spent years perfecting the craft. Your creation becomes a souvenir rooted in authentic technique, not mass production.

Hike Japan Heritage Hakone Hachiri (Half Day)

Walk a 2–3 hour stretch of Japan's historic Tokaido highway between Hakone Yumoto and Lake Ashi, combining restored cobbled sections with quiet forest trails. Skip the steepest pitches by bus and stop at a 400-year-old teahouse for traditional amasake before descending to the lake shore. A National Mountain Guide leads the way, finishing at Hakone's famous checkpoint—a fortified station that once controlled movement along this vital trade route. The half-day outing wraps by early afternoon, leaving time to catch onward transport.

Private Ramen or Gyoza Cooking Class in Kyoto with Chef Midori

Spend two-and-a-half hours in Midori's Kyoto cooking studio learning to make ramen or gyoza from scratch. Choose from five set menus and work through straightforward recipes using seasonal ingredients sourced locally. You'll cook alongside your host, pick up insider knowledge about Kyoto's food scene, and sit down to eat what you've prepared. The class suits home cooks after practical skills they can recreate in their own kitchen.

Fushimi Inari - Arashiyama: Torii Gates, Bamboo, Monkeys & Secret

A 5–6 hour guided walk through Kyoto's most atmospheric sites: start at [Fushimi Inari Taisha](/places/fushimi-inari-shrine), threading through thousands of vermillion torii gates on a moderately strenuous hike, then pivot to Arashiyama's gentler pleasures—Tenryuji's manicured gardens, a towering bamboo stand, and the viewpoint at Togetsukyo Bridge. Your bilingual guide reveals tucked-away corners and local anecdotes. Train fees and lunch are separate; the itinerary suits solo travellers, couples, and small groups with moderate fitness.

Snow Monkeys, Hokusai & Sake: A Perfect Day in Nagano

★ 5.0 (29)

7 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $222

Snow Monkeys, Hokusai & Sake: A Perfect Day in Nagano

A seven-to-eight-hour circuit through Nagano combining macaques in their natural hot springs, a sake brewery in the artist's town of Obuse, and optional temple visits. Depart Nagano Station in a small group of six to eight travellers with a local English-speaking guide. You'll walk forest trails, taste regional cuisine made from local ingredients, and sample premium sake—all designed to move smoothly between highlights without feeling rushed.

Mount Fuji, Hakone, Owakudani, Chureito Pagoda and Oshino Hakkai

★ 5.0 (29)

Mount Fuji, Hakone, Owakudani, Chureito Pagoda and Oshino Hakkai

When Alex from our team ran this Mount Fuji day tour from Tokyo, it packed five major stops into ten hours — a proper full-on effort to see Japan's iconic peak from multiple angles. You're driven past Hakone's volcanic valley, take the ropeway over Owakudani's sulphur vents, hunt for the perfect shot of Fuji framed by Chureito Pagoda's red shrine, and wander the reflective ponds at Oshino Hakkai. The route mixes nature, a touch of history, and landscape porn. Crowds are heavy, especially at the pagoda, and you're chasing good light across moving targets — so timing and weather matter.

10 hoursfrom AUD $73

Private Tour of Shirakawago from Kanazawa (Half Day)

★ 5.0 (29)

Private Tour of Shirakawago from Kanazawa (Half Day)

A 4-hour private drive from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go, the UNESCO-listed mountain village famed for its steep-roofed farmhouses. Your English-speaking driver collects you from your hotel and takes you deep into the Japan Alps to explore this remote settlement on your own schedule. Choose morning or afternoon timing to suit your pace. Perfect for those who want flexibility without the constraints of group tours or public transport logistics in mountain terrain.

Private Tour: Tokyo's Oldest Sake Brewery and Riverside Walk

Head west from central Tokyo to visit the city's oldest sake brewery in the Tama river valley. This eight-hour private tour pairs brewery education and tastings with a traditional riverside lunch and forest temple visit. Your guide walks you through fermentation techniques, rice varieties and the drink's cultural place in Japan, while you sample several brews throughout the day. All food and drink included.

Buddha, Bamboo & Zen - Bespoke Kamakura Private Walking Tours

A six-hour private walking tour through Kamakura that bends to your preferences. Visit the Great Buddha, wander the Bamboo Temple's green grove, explore samurai heritage at historic shrines, and discover the yagura cave tunnels. Your Australian guide steers you through this coastal town's temples and history at a pace that suits your group—stop early if you've had your fill, or add spots you want to see. An escape from Tokyo's sprawl into genuine quiet.

Tokyo Soba Making Experience – Easy & Fun! Make Your Own Soba

Roll up your sleeves and learn to hand-pull soba noodles in Tokyo using traditional techniques and equipment. Over two hours, you'll work through the full process under patient guidance, from dough to finished noodles. The small-group setting means you get proper instruction tailored to your pace, whether you've cooked before or not. You'll taste your own soba immediately after—a revelation compared to dried supermarket versions—and walk away with genuine insight into how Japanese cooks have crafted this dish for centuries.

Miyajima Small Group Tour from Hiroshima Station

When Ben from our team ran this Miyajima small-group tour out of Hiroshima Station, we got a proper snapshot of what makes the island tick in just four hours. You'll catch the famous floating Torii gate from the ferry, walk through Omotesando's shopfronts, poke around Daishoin Temple, and see Itsukushima Shrine standing on stilts above the water. The island draws plenty of day-trippers, so you're never alone, but a guided group keeps things focused. Fair warning: train and ferry fares aren't in the price, and you'll need to pay separately to enter the shrine.

Asakusa Geisha Performance and Tea House Experience

When Ben from our BugBitten team caught this Asakusa experience, he stepped into a proper tea house where a geisha performed classical dance to live shamisen music. It's 75 minutes of the real deal — no tourist theatre, just you, a handful of others, seasonal sweets, whisked matcha, and a chance to play an old parlour game the way locals do. The tea house sits in Asakusa, Tokyo's older quarter, where narrow streets still feel a world away from the neon and crowds. You're there for the performance itself, the ritual of it, and the chance to see geisha as working artists rather than photo props.

Tokyo: Matcha Tea Ceremony Experience at Japanese room in Shibuya

Spend an hour in a traditional Shibuya tea room learning the precise movements and philosophy behind matcha preparation. A Japanese instructor guides you through whisking your own bowl, tasting premium leaf varieties, and understanding the meditative discipline woven into each gesture. You'll walk away with working knowledge of ceremony etiquette, photographs of your session, and a tangible sense of why this ritual has endured for centuries.

Tokyo Meiji Shrine and Shinto Culture Walking Tour

When Jake from our team did this Meiji Shrine walk, we found it sits somewhere between tourist tick-box and genuine cultural insight—depending on your guide. You're spending two hours in one of Tokyo's most serene pockets, learning how to actually bow at a Torii gate, rinse your hands properly, and make an offering that doesn't look clumsy. The shrine itself is tucked into a 100-year-old forest that feels genuinely removed from the city's chaos, even though you're minutes from Shibuya's madness. It's small-group stuff, quiet, and deliberately paced—not a race through photo ops.

2 hoursfrom AUD $32

7 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $175

Discover Kyoto by Bike Full Day Tour

Pedal through Kyoto's mix of celebrated temples and hidden neighbourhoods on this seven-to-eight-hour guided cycle. You'll visit the Silver Pavilion and Gion alongside quieter spots like HonenIn Garden and Miyagawacho's narrow lanes—places coach tours never reach. A small group rides at an unhurried pace with a local guide who knows where the real city hides. E-bike provided, water included, lunch left to you.

🛕 Culture & History

Kyoto : Okada Tea Ceremony & Kimono

Spend two-and-a-half hours in Kyoto dressed in authentic silk kimono while learning the fundamentals of Japanese tea ceremony. After selecting your garment and receiving basic styling, you'll participate in a guided tea session where a practitioner demonstrates matcha preparation and serves traditional sweets. You'll then have the afternoon free to wander the local streets in full dress until early evening, experiencing how locals moved through their day in traditional wear.

Tokyo - Shinjuku's Most Underrated Eats (3 stops, 3 drinks)

Navigate Shinjuku's backstreet food scene with a witty local guide across three neighbourhood gems, sampling dishes most visitors miss. This 3-hour ramble through Tokyo's most frenetic district includes proper meals and three drinks, revealing why locals eat where they do rather than where guidebooks point. Spanish-language tours run Wednesdays.

Daikoku Car meet & Tokyo Private JDM Night Tour in 700HP R34 GT-R

Ride shotgun in a 700-horsepower R34 Skyline GT-R through Tokyo's underground JDM scene. This three-and-a-half-hour private tour takes you to Daikoku PA, Japan's premier late-night car meet where modified machines gather, then cruises the neon streets alongside a convoy of tuned Skylines. You'll stop at a sprawling parts retailer to scope the latest aftermarket gear, then experience the raw engine note and precision handling of one of Japan's most iconic performance cars—all from the passenger seat.

Private Food & Sake Tour in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

A three-hour private evening with Kenji, a sake sommelier, visiting two to three neighbourhood bars across central Kyoto. You'll taste carefully paired drinks—sake, craft beer, or non-alcoholic options—alongside traditional pub fare. Kenji draws on years spent at a Hyogo brewery, where he tasted over a thousand sakes. This is nomi aruki, the Japanese bar-hopping experience, stripped of tourist crowds and built around what actually appeals to your palate and stomach.

Discover Real Osaka: A Cultural Walk with Food & Drink

Walk Osaka's quieter quarters with a guide who's spent years sketching its streets and learning local rhythms. This 4-hour ramble threads through neighbourhoods most visitors skip, stopping for takoyaki and okonomiyaki at spots regulars know. You'll taste sake or a non-alcoholic alternative, hear stories tied to specific corners and people, and leave with a curated map for exploring beyond the tour. Groups or solo travellers welcome.

Japanese home cooking class in Osaka Umeda

Master everyday Japanese home cooking in Osaka's Umeda district over two hours. You'll prepare a complete meal using supermarket staples alongside an instructor who walks you through technique and ingredient selection. Choose from five set menus ranging from ginger-grilled pork with miso soup to takoyaki and bento boxes. The class focuses on recipes you can replicate in your own kitchen, with practical guidance on navigating Japanese supermarkets to source what you need.

Private Sushi Experience with Master Chef near Osaka Kyoto & Kobe

Learn to craft nigiri and hand rolls from a sushi master in a private three-hour session near Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. You'll work one-on-one (or with your group alone) to select fish, master knife technique, and prepare over 20 pieces to eat straightaway. Choose a morning slot around 11:00 AM for lunch or evening around 5:00 PM for dinner, starting anytime between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. All equipment provided; Japanese tea and water included.

3 hoursfrom AUD $163

Mount Fuji Private Tour from Shimizu Port | Shore Excursion

5 hours – 8 hoursfrom AUD $1267

Mount Fuji Private Tour from Shimizu Port | Shore Excursion

When Tom from our team booked this private Mount Fuji shore excursion from Shimizu Port, he got exactly what he needed: a customisable day with a local guide who actually knew the quieter corners. Rather than chasing crowds at the famous viewpoint, you'll hit a mix of lakes, forest walks, lava caves, and tea fields around the Fuji area — the itinerary bends to your pace and interests. The 5–8 hour window gives real breathing room; your guide contacts you beforehand to lock in what matters to you, and routes shift on the day based on weather or traffic. It's the anti-tour-bus experience.

Tokyo Ultimate Daikoku & JDM Experience (R35 GTR Private Tour)

🏔 Adventure & Sports

2 hours – 3 hoursfrom AUD $117

Tokyo Ultimate Daikoku & JDM Experience (R35 GTR Private Tour)

Tour Tokyo's JDM heartland in a modified R35 GTR with a knowledgeable local guide who speaks fluent English. Spend 4.5 hours exploring the Wangan expressway, Bayshore, and the legendary Daikoku Parking lot where Japan's car enthusiasts gather nightly. You'll learn the stories and significance behind each location from someone who knows the scene intimately—not a generic sightseeing run.

Try Mindful Calligraphy Near Kanazawa's Ninja Temple

When Alex from our BugBitten team tried this calligraphy class in Kanazawa, it was a proper slow-down moment. You're in a 100-year-old townhouse near the Ninja Temple, learning brush strokes from a local master—no frills, just ink, washi paper, and your hands finding their way. The experience runs about an hour, and you'll walk away with either a hanging scroll or fan you've actually made yourself. It's the kind of thing that feels small until your brush hits the paper and something clicks.

Osaka: Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy, and Kimono Experience

Spend three hours in central Osaka learning tea ceremony, calligraphy, and wearing a kimono in one private session. You'll dress in traditional garb with help from staff, practice brush painting under guidance, and participate in a proper matcha tea ritual with sweets. The indoor studio stays comfortable year-round, and English speakers walk you through each activity. Perfect for first-timers wanting to try Japanese cultural practices without the rush of group tours.

Mt. Fuji Ukiyo-e Japan Blue Indigo Dyeing Experience

When Ben from our team tried this Ukiyo-e indigo dyeing workshop near Mount Fuji, we got hands-on with traditional Japanese textile techniques in a compact, welcoming space. You'll learn the basics of indigo dyeing (called Nihon-ai locally), apply shibori patterns to a tenugui hand towel, then silk-screen print a Mount Fuji design onto a hanging scroll to take home. It's a proper two-hour craft session with a certified guide, held in a facility that also runs a rescue cat sanctuary — which adds unexpected charm if you're a cat person, though there are considerations if you're allergic. The whole experience feels intimate rather than touristy, and you walk away with something you've genuinely made.

Make Your Own HANKO Stamp in Tokyo — A Unique Cultural Souvenir

When Sarah from our BugBitten team tried this hanko-making workshop in Tokyo, she came away with a genuinely personal souvenir — not the usual postcard-and-fridge-magnet kind. You'll spend 90 minutes at a traditional seal shop learning why these stamps matter culturally in Japan, then carve your own name or characters into a wooden or stone hanko under guidance. It's hands-on, unhurried, and the finished stamp comes in a proper case. The shop sits within reach of public transport, so you can slot it into a Tokyo itinerary without drama.

Lake Kawaguchi Explorer: E-Bike Guided Tour

Explore Lake Kawaguchi's shoreline and surrounding villages on a pedal-assist e-bike, guided by someone who grew up in Mt. Fuji's shadow. Over 2–3 hours, you'll cover terrain that would exhaust you on a regular bike, stopping at landmarks and lesser-known spots where your guide unpacks local history and the cultural layers of this region. Small groups mean real conversation, not rushed photo stops.

Shinjuku Chopstick Making and Local Food Walking Tour

★ 5.0 (27)

🍜 Food & Cooking