BACKPACKING JAPAN

BACKPACKING JAPAN

Travel with us through major towns, top rated destinations, sites and off-the-beaten-locations to discover countless hidden gems. Travel by high speed JR train & local trains, sleep in premium hotels, sing your heart out at karaoke bars with the locals, stock up on sushi and sake, visit Japan’s quirky cafes and immerse yourself in Japanese culture.

Every day you’ll see a different side of Japan on our epic budget trip to this fascinating country. The daily contrast makes travelling here completely unique and – if done the right way – very ‘doable’ on a budget.

Highlights of the trip
• JR high speed train journeys
• Season of Divine Autumn gold
• Unesco Village: Shirakawa
• Red Light District
• Snow Monkey Park
• Heritage Sites
• Ancient shrines
• Instagammable Spots
• Edo era architecture
• Offbeat locations

Book early as the rooms are limited (Thanks to Autumn Season)

Itinerary :

Trip Dates : 15th November to 25th November

Day 1: Osaka Arrival (15th November)
• Meeting point in Osaka will be your hotel in the city centre & meeting time will be in the afternoon
• Connect with other travellers as you are going to be with them for the next 11 days
• Complete check in formalities
• Evening visit to the famous Dotonbari
• Night walking tour of the Red Light District
-Overnight stay at your hotel in the heart of the city

Note : If you are arriving early then you can walk to “kuromon ichiba market” for local delicacies (Vegetarian options are limited here)

Day 2: Nara Deer Park & Shinsaibashi
•Enjoy Japanese breakfast at your hotel
•Board your train to Nara
•Click Selfies at the Nara Deer Park
((over 1200 sika deer roam around the park freely)
•Feed a deer if you want (deer food is available here)
•Evening visit to Shinsaibashi-suji
•Try a standing bar in your free time
•Back to the hotel with your new friends

Day 3: Fushimi-Inari
We will change the hotel today to get better connectivity with Shinkansen rail route.

We’ll rise before dawn and take the JR train to the Fushimi-Inari Shrine. We arrive around noon to escape the throng of tourists and work our way through the mountain exploring corridors of never ending red gates

➡️ it’s not mandatory that you have to walk all the way up ! You walk as much as you want (20 minutes or 1 hour or 2 hours)

Spend the evening at your own pace after your Summit to Mount Inari is complete!

Make the most of your JR pass in your free time :
• Hop some cute Kyoto cafés in Kyoto
or
• visit Arashiyama bamboo forest (can be crowded)

Go back to your hotel whenever you want using the JR pass!

Day 4:Hiroshima & Miyajima
•Post breakfast take the Sakura line
•Visit the Atomic Bomb Dome
(Peace memorial is optional & those interested can do this in their free time)
•Ferry to Miyajima
•Itsukushima Shrine
•Evening leisure time to try an IZAKAYA
•Overnight stay at your hotel

Day 5: Kyoto Baby

Board the short train to Kyoto prefecture (island of Honshu)
• Visit the Nishiki market
• Capture the true essence of the historic food market
• Walk towards Gion street. (You might even see a Geisha walking in this area if you’re lucky)

Note : It’s prohibited to click a picture of a Geisha

• Tatami Starbucks is trending & you might want to stop to click or grab a coffee
• Kimono dresses are available for rentals here if you’d like to dress up
• Return to the hotel at your own pace after enjoying the sunset or coffee at the vintage looking Starbucks. The evenings are very pretty in the Gion district and we highly recommend you to explore all of it on
foot!
• You can even enjoy the autumn colours near the riverside and or near the Tatsumi bridge across the Kamo river (highly recommended)

Day 6: Takayama

It’s our favourite alternate city to Kyoto without the crowds. An alpine city with dark brown wooden buildings, narrow streets of the old town, pretty hillside temples with tree lined canals.

We will explore the old town today on foot 👣 & your Onsen Tax is included which you’ll enjoy at your hotel

Overnight stay at your hotel

Day 7: Shirakawago & Nagano
• Post breakfast visit to Unesco village of Shirakawago
• Transfer to Nagano
• Overnight stay at your hotel

Day 8: SNOW MONKEY PARK
• Post breakfast visit SNOW MONKEY park
• You’ll need to hike a little after the bus journey
• Afternoon transfer to Kawaguchiko station
• Overnight stay at your hotel in Kawaguchiko

Day 9: Mount Fuji
• Leisure time to enjoy Mount Fuji views
• Enjoy photography in the morning (wake up very early to capture Mount Fuji)
• Leisure time for shopping at the grand gotemba factory outlet (you can use the JR pass to reach your hotel if you want to spend time here)
• Afternoon train to Tokyo
• Experience ‘Shibuya Crossing’ in the evening
• Statue of Hachikō for the dog lovers.
• Overnight stay at your hotel in Tokyo

Known as Tokyo’s fashion capital, Shibuya is home to many high end stores.

Day 10: Tokyo!

Full Day on the busy streets of Tokyo with lots of street food!!

•Visit Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for a peaceful time (Capture Autumn colours here)
•Capture the Godzilla at Shinjuku
•Capture the 3D cat at Shinjuku

You get time to shop today & if you want to buy souvenirs then we will show you the cool spots (buy last minute cheap souvenirs if you like for those friends that don’t really matter to you )

Boys can even rent a girlfriend , girls can rent a boyfriend or even an old man if they want to talk to someone !

Ample of Anime and Manga attractions in Tokyo if you are a fan!

& Tokyo’s night life is talked about everywhere so One last Party with your new friends maybe ?

(Overnight Stay at your hotel in Tokyo)

Optional Tour : TeamLabs Borderless for an immersive digital art experience (book this 1 month before your arrival)

Day 11: Sayonara !
• Last breakfast together
• Check out (Trip ends here)
• Time for a group hug
• Fly from Tokyo to India or extend your stay in Tokyo if you can manage more leaves

Trip Fees : INR 175000 + 5% GST + 5% TCS
(TCS is fully refundable)

Please note ::
* You have to walk a lot in Japan so get a good shoe (but if you don’t want to see a lot of places you can definitely take it slow without the group on some days)
* Toilets can be really fancy in Japan but read the instructions properly or you’ll end up burning your back side
* Many Indians complaint about the food in Japan because the Japanese food you get in india is completely different to what you’ll get in Japan so be prepared for a basic Japanese / Western style breakfast to start your day
* Indian restaurants are available (if you need) in the major cities but not in the small towns
* All Premium Hotels : located close to the JR stations (ask for Hotel names)
* Rooms are small almost Everywhere in Japan
* JR Rail pass valid for 7 full days
* Airport pick up/drop is not included as people would arrive at different intervals & there are trains available from the airport
* Backpack is not mandatory ! Your usual trolley bag is also good to go