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Japan Mount Fuji cherry blossom sakura spring Kawaguchiko lake reflection
Home / International / Japan
🌸 Land of the Rising Sun ⏱ Best 10–14 Days ★ 4.9 Rated

Japan

Where ancient temple culture and bullet-train modernity coexist in flawless harmony — cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, ryokan hot springs, the world's best food city and a depth of experience that rewards a lifetime of return visits

From Kathmandu
~7 hrs
Currency
Japanese Yen
Best Season
Mar–Apr Cherry Blossoms
Starting From
USD 1,100
✈️ Book Japan Trip 🗺 Plan My Itinerary
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🌸 About 📍 Destinations 🌟 Activities 🏨 Hotels 🗓 Itinerary 🍜 Food 💡 Tips 🗺 Map Book Trip →
Why Japan

A Civilisation Unlike Any Other — Where Perfection Is a Cultural Standard

Japan is consistently voted the world's most desired travel destination — and the reality consistently exceeds the expectation. Tokyo is the world's greatest food city (more Michelin stars than Paris and New York combined), Kyoto has more UNESCO World Heritage temples than almost any city on Earth, Mount Fuji is the world's most recognisable mountain, and cherry blossom season in March–April transforms the entire country into something from a dream. Japan's extraordinary culture of omotenashi (selfless hospitality), the precision and cleanliness of every public space, and the depth of craft and ceremony in everything from a bowl of ramen to a hotel check-in make Japan an experience that changes how you see the world. A visa is required — our team handles it for you.

🌸
Cherry blossom season
Late March–early April — the entire country blooms pink simultaneously. Every park, temple, riverside and mountain path covered in sakura. Considered the world's most beautiful annual natural event.
🍜
World's best food city
Tokyo has 230 Michelin-starred restaurants — more than any other city in the world. And a USD 10 bowl of ramen or sushi is often better than a USD 200 meal elsewhere.
🗻
Mount Fuji 3,776m
The world's most recognisable volcano — visible from Tokyo on clear days, reflected in Kawaguchiko lake at dawn and climbable July–September for sunrise views across Japan
♨️
Ryokan & onsen
Traditional Japanese inn with tatami rooms, futon sleeping, multi-course kaiseki dinner and private or public onsen (volcanic hot spring) — the finest accommodation experience in Asia
230+
Tokyo Michelin-starred restaurants
3,776m
Mount Fuji — Japan's sacred peak
17 UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in Kyoto alone
USD 5
Convenience store bento lunch — genuine quality
Mount Fuji Japan cherry blossom lake reflection Kawaguchiko
🗻 Mount Fuji
Kyoto torii gates Fushimi Inari shrine Japan orange
⛩ Fushimi Inari
Tokyo Japan night neon street cityscape Shibuya crosswalk
🌆 Tokyo nights
Where to Go

Japan's Top Destinations

Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Mount Fuji and beyond

Tokyo Japan night Shibuya crossing neon city lights
⭐ Must Visit
Tokyo — The World's Greatest City

Tokyo is the most extraordinary human creation on Earth — a megacity of 14 million people that somehow functions with perfect efficiency, absolute cleanliness, near-zero crime and an incomprehensible density of culture, craft and culinary excellence. Shibuya's scramble crossing (the world's busiest), Shinjuku's neon forest, Akihabara's electronics wonderland, Asakusa's ancient Sensoji temple and Harajuku's fashion subcultures — each neighbourhood is a world unto itself. The food alone is worth the journey.

📍 Capital · 14M people ⏱ 4–5 days minimum 🍜 230+ Michelin stars
Kyoto Fushimi Inari temple thousand torii gates Japan
⛩ Ancient Capital
Kyoto

Japan's ancient capital and the country's cultural soul — Fushimi Inari (10,000 vermilion torii gates climbing the mountain), Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, the preserved Gion geisha district, Nishiki Market and the exquisite Ryoan-ji rock garden. Every corner holds a temple, a garden or a centuries-old craft workshop. The most spiritually powerful city in Japan.

📍 West Japan · 2 hrs bullet train from Tokyo
Mount Fuji Japan Hakone Kawaguchiko cherry blossom sunrise
🗻 Sacred
Mount Fuji & Hakone

Japan's holiest mountain — a perfectly symmetrical volcano at 3,776m visible from Tokyo on clear days. The five lakes region (Fuji Five Lakes) offers the finest reflection views at dawn from Kawaguchiko. Hakone, a ryokan-rich hot spring resort town between Tokyo and Fuji, is the best base — arrive at your ryokan by 3pm for the kaiseki dinner and onsen evening ritual.

📍 1.5 hrs from Tokyo · Hakone is the base
Osaka Japan Dotonbori neon street food canal night
🍢 Food City
Osaka — Japan's Kitchen

Japan's most exuberant city — Dotonbori's neon canal, takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) everywhere, Osaka Castle and the vibrant Kuromon Market. Osakans are famous for being the friendliest and funniest people in Japan. The city motto is kuidaore — "eat until you drop." A 20-minute bullet train from Kyoto and the natural third stop on any Japan itinerary.

⏱ 20 min from Kyoto by bullet train
Hiroshima Japan peace memorial dome atomic bomb A-bomb
🕊 Peace
Hiroshima & Miyajima

The most moving day in Japan — Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (the most important history museum in Asia), the A-Bomb Dome preserved as a UNESCO monument, then ferry to Miyajima island with its famous floating torii gate at high tide. Allow a full day. The experience of Hiroshima — the story of the city's devastation and extraordinary resilience — stays with you permanently.

⏱ 45 min from Osaka by shinkansen
Nara Japan deer park great Buddha temple Todai-ji
🦌 Unique
Nara — Wild Deer & Great Buddha

The world's most extraordinary deer park — 1,200 wild deer roam freely through Nara's ancient temple precincts and will bow to you when you offer shika senbei (deer crackers). Todai-ji temple houses Japan's Great Buddha (15m tall, world's largest bronze Buddha). A perfect half-day trip from Osaka or Kyoto — one of Japan's most genuinely surprising and delightful experiences.

⏱ 45 min from Kyoto/Osaka
Things to Do

Activities in Japan

Cherry blossoms, volcano treks, temple walks, ramen and tea ceremony

Fushimi Inari Kyoto torii gates Japan 10000 orange path
⭐ Iconic Easy
Fushimi Inari at Dawn
The most iconic image in Japan — 10,000 vermilion torii gates climbing the sacred mountain of Inari in Kyoto, donated by businesses over centuries. Arrive at 6am before any other visitors for a genuinely spiritual and silent walk through the gates in the early morning mist. The lower gates are always crowded from 9am onward. A one-hour round trip to the first summit (Yotsutsuji) at dawn is Japan's finest free experience.
📍 Kyoto · Go at 6am Free
Mount Fuji Japan sunrise dawn Kawaguchiko lake cherry blossom
🗻 Sacred Moderate
Mount Fuji Dawn View
Stay one night at a ryokan in Hakone or at a Kawaguchiko lakeside hotel. Wake at 5am and walk to the shore — on clear mornings (most common in October and November, less common in April), Mount Fuji's perfect cone and its reflection in the completely still lake is the single most beautiful view in Japan. The combination with cherry blossoms in late April (when the lower slopes bloom) is extraordinary and unrepeatable.
Kawaguchiko lake · 5am Free
Japan ryokan onsen hot spring tatami traditional inn
♨️ Essential Easy
Ryokan & Onsen Experience
A night in a Japanese ryokan is the finest accommodation experience in Asia. Arrive at 3pm, change into yukata robe, have tea and wagashi sweets. Soak in the onsen (volcanic mineral bath) before a multi-course kaiseki dinner served in your room. Sleep on a futon on tatami matting. Wake for a Japanese breakfast of miso, fish, pickles and rice. Hakone, Nikko and Kinosaki are the best ryokan towns near Tokyo and Kyoto.
Hakone · 1 night USD 150–350 pp
Tsukiji Tokyo Japan fish market tuna sushi fresh seafood
🍣 Food Easy
Tsukiji Outer Market
The Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo is the world's greatest morning food experience — fresh tuna sashimi at 6am, tamagoyaki (sweet rolled omelette) cooked to order, fresh uni (sea urchin) on rice, live scallops grilled on the spot and the world's freshest sushi for USD 10–15. Arrive by 7am before the morning rush. This one breakfast experience in Tokyo will change your understanding of what fresh seafood can taste like.
📍 Tsukiji · 6–10am USD 10–20
Japan tea ceremony matcha Kyoto traditional cultural experience
🍵 Zen Easy
Tea Ceremony & Geisha District
A traditional Japanese tea ceremony (chado) in Kyoto — learning the precise ritual movements of preparing and drinking matcha in a tatami room — is a meditation on presence and attention that no words adequately describe. Book at En tea house in Gion. Afterward, walk the cobblestone Gion district at dusk (5–7pm) for the chance to see maiko (apprentice geisha) walking to appointments — a sight of extraordinary elegance.
📍 Kyoto Gion · 1.5 hrs USD 30–50
Where to Stay

Hotels & Ryokans in Japan

From capsule hotels to traditional ryokan inns — USD pricing

Japan ryokan Hakone traditional inn tatami onsen
★ Ryokan
Hakone Ryokan
★★★★★
A traditional Japanese inn experience is the single greatest accommodation experience in Asia. Tatami mat rooms, futon sleeping, yukata robe, kaiseki multi-course dinner (8–12 courses of seasonal Japanese cuisine) served in your room, private onsen bath and Fuji views. Yoshimatsu, Sanga and Hakone Ginyu are excellent Hakone ryokans. Dinner-inclusive rates from USD 150–350 per person — the most unique hotel experience of your life.
from USD 150pp incl. dinner
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Park Hyatt Tokyo luxury hotel Shinjuku skyscraper Lost in Translation
Tokyo Luxury
Park Hyatt Tokyo
★★★★★
One of the world's most romantic hotels — made famous by Lost in Translation, occupying floors 39–52 of a Shinjuku skyscraper with floor-to-ceiling views over Tokyo and (on clear days) Mount Fuji. The New York Bar on floor 52 with its jazz piano and Tokyo skyline view is the finest hotel bar in Asia. Rooms from USD 400–700/night. Book months ahead for Fuji-view rooms.
from USD 400/night
Book
Tokyo business hotel mid-range Shinjuku Asakusa Japan
Mid-Range
APA / Dormy Inn Hotels
★★★★
Japan's excellent business hotel chains — APA Hotels and Dormy Inn offer clean, efficiently designed rooms (USD 60–100/night) in every major Japanese city, often with public onsen on the top floor. Dormy Inn is consistently excellent: great location, midnight ramen service (seriously), public hot spring bath and a superb breakfast. The best value mid-range option in Japan with no compromise on quality.
from USD 60/night
Book
Tokyo Japan capsule hotel budget pod accommodation
Capsule Hotel
Capsule Hotels — Tokyo
★★★★
Japan invented the capsule hotel — a sleeping pod (200cm × 100cm × 100cm) with a mattress, TV, reading light and curtain, in a shared facility with excellent common bathrooms, lockers and onsen. Nine Hours (Shinjuku/Asakusa), The Millennials (Shibuya) and Anshin Oyado are the best. USD 25–45/night. Surprisingly comfortable for 1–2 nights and a genuine cultural experience — you cannot call yourself a Japan traveller without trying one.
from USD 25/night
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Sample Plan

10-Day Japan Itinerary

Tokyo + Hakone + Kyoto + Osaka — the classic Japan circuit by shinkansen

Day 1
✈️ Arrive Tokyo Narita / Haneda
Kathmandu to Tokyo: direct or 1-stop via Bangkok or Singapore (7–10 hrs total). Narita Express or Limousine Bus to Tokyo (1.5 hrs). Check in and adjust — Tokyo's time zone is 3.75 hours ahead of Nepal. Evening walk in Shinjuku — the world's most intense urban neighbourhood: Golden Gai (200 tiny bars in 6 alleys), Kabukicho neon district, Omoide Yokocho "Memory Lane" for yakitori skewers at tiny outdoor stalls.
Days 2–3
🗼 Tokyo — Asakusa, Shibuya & Tsukiji
Day 2: 6am Tsukiji Outer Market breakfast (tuna sashimi, tamagoyaki), Senso-ji temple in Asakusa (7am, before crowds), Akihabara electronics/anime district (afternoon), Shibuya crossing at dusk. Day 3: Harajuku and Meiji Shrine, Omotesando (Tokyo's Champs Élysées), Tokyo National Museum (Ueno), Yanaka historic neighbourhood, ramen dinner in a standing ramen counter.
🎫 Tip: Buy a 3-day Tokyo Metro pass (USD 11) for unlimited subway rides — far cheaper than individual fares. IC card (Suica) also works on every train and can be used at convenience stores.
Day 4
🌆 Shinjuku + Teamlab Planets
Morning: teamLab Planets digital art museum in Toyosu (book ahead — one of the most extraordinary art experiences in the world, you walk through rooms of projected light and water). Afternoon: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observatory (free, 202m, best free city view). Afternoon shopping: Loft or Tokyu Hands for the most interesting Japanese design products. Evening: Kabukicho bar area or jazz bar (Tokyo has the finest jazz bar scene outside New York).
Tokyo Budget (4 days)
Hotel (4 nights)USD 100–1,600
TeamLab PlanetsUSD 35
Metro 3-day passUSD 11
Food (4 days)USD 60–200
4 days totalUSD 206–1,846
Day 5
🗻 Train to Hakone — Ryokan Check-in
Take the Romancecar (scenic special train, USD 12) from Shinjuku to Hakone (1.5 hrs). Check into your ryokan by 3pm — change into yukata, have tea and wagashi. Afternoon: soak in the onsen (the minerals in volcanic hot spring water are extraordinary on tired travel muscles). Pre-dinner walk to the ryokan garden or the nearby Hakone Shrine on Lake Ashi. Kaiseki dinner served in your room from 6pm.
Day 6
🌅 Mount Fuji Dawn + Hakone Exploration
5am: Kawaguchiko lakeshore (30 min bus from Hakone) for dawn Fuji reflection if weather clear. Return for Japanese breakfast. Morning: Hakone Open Air Museum (outdoor sculpture park with Picasso pavilion, one of the finest art museums in Japan). Afternoon: Owakudani volcanic valley steam vents and the famous black eggs boiled in sulphur springs (local legend: one egg adds 7 years to your life). Late afternoon shinkansen to Kyoto (2 hrs from Odawara).
Hakone Budget (2 days)
Ryokan (1 night incl. dinner)USD 200–350pp
Romancecar trainUSD 12
Hakone Open Air MuseumUSD 15
Shinkansen to KyotoUSD 40
2 days totalUSD 267–417pp
Days 7–8
⛩ Kyoto — Temples, Geisha & Bamboo
Day 7: 6am Fushimi Inari gates at dawn (essential — magical silence before tour buses at 9am), Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion (USD 5), Ryoan-ji rock garden (meditative), Nishiki Market "Kitchen of Kyoto" lunch. Evening: Gion district at dusk for maiko sightings, tea ceremony experience. Day 8: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (7am), Tenryu-ji garden (UNESCO), Philosopher's Path cherry blossom canal walk, Nanzen-ji aqueduct, Maruyama Park evening.
Days 9–10
🍢 Osaka + Nara Day Trip + Fly Home
Day 9: Morning in Nara (45 min from Kyoto/Osaka) — wild deer at Todai-ji Great Buddha temple (unmissable). Afternoon in Osaka: Dotonbori for takoyaki, okonomiyaki and the electric canal atmosphere. Osaka Castle gardens. Day 10: Last morning ramen breakfast at a standing counter, Kuromon Market for fresh food shopping. Kansai International Airport and fly home — ideally via Tokyo Narita for efficiency of connection to Kathmandu.
Kyoto & Osaka Budget (4 days)
Hotel (4 nights)USD 100–1,200
Temple entriesUSD 25–40
Tea ceremonyUSD 35
Nara day tripUSD 15
Food (4 days)USD 80–200
4 days totalUSD 255–1,490
Japanese Food

🍜 What to Eat in Japan

Ramen, sushi, yakitori, matcha, takoyaki and the 7-Eleven onigiri

Japan ramen bowl Tokyo tonkotsu shoyu pork noodle
Ramen
Japan's most loved comfort food — slow-cooked broth (tonkotsu/pork bone, shoyu/soy, miso or shio/salt), handmade noodles, soft-boiled egg, chashu pork belly and nori seaweed. Every city has its specialty style: Tokyo shoyu, Sapporo miso, Fukuoka tonkotsu. At USD 8–12 a bowl at a specialist ramen shop, you are eating one of the world's great dishes prepared by someone who has dedicated their career to perfecting it.
📍 Every city USD 8–15
Japan sushi platter Tsukiji Tokyo fresh tuna salmon
Sushi
The undisputed greatest fish cuisine on Earth — the world's freshest tuna, salmon, sea urchin (uni), yellowtail, scallop and eel over hand-pressed vinegared rice. Eat standing at Tsukiji Outer Market for USD 5 per piece of the world's finest fish, or spend USD 200+ at a Michelin-starred counter where the chef knows each fish by name. Conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi) for USD 1–2 per plate is excellent for lunch.
📍 Tsukiji · everywhere USD 5–200+
Japan convenience store 7-Eleven onigiri bento rice ball food
Convenience Store Culture
Japan's konbini (convenience stores — 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson) serve the world's finest convenience food: fresh onigiri rice balls (tuna mayo, salmon, pickled plum) for USD 1.20, hot nikuman pork buns, freshly-brewed drip coffee for USD 1, seasonal sandwiches, hot udon noodle soups and the world's best-value bento boxes. Open 24 hours everywhere. Eating konbini meals at every opportunity is not budget compromise — it is authentic Tokyo life.
📍 Every 100m · 24hrs USD 1–6
Insider Tips

Tips for Japan Travel

Visa, JR Pass, cherry blossom timing, cashless and cultural etiquette

🌸
Top Tip
Cherry blossom timing requires planning 3–4 months ahead — book everything early
Japan's cherry blossom season (sakura) runs late March to mid-April and varies by region — Tokyo peaks around March 25–April 5, Kyoto around April 1–10, and northern Japan (Tohoku, Hokkaido) in late April–May. This is Japan's most popular travel period — hotels in Kyoto book out in January for March travel. If cherry blossom is your goal (and it should be), contact us in November–December to lock in ryokan and hotel reservations. The reward is the single most beautiful natural event you will ever witness — every park, path and temple covered in pink and white petals for 10 brief days.
🛂
VISA
Nepali citizens require a Japan visa — we handle the application
Nepal passport holders require a tourist visa for Japan — applied for at the Japanese Embassy in Kathmandu. Application requires a visa form, passport photos, bank statements (3 months), employment letter, return flight booking and hotel reservations. Processing time: 4–5 business days. Fee: USD 20 approximately. Our team prepares the complete application package — contact us 6 weeks before your intended travel date.
🚄
TRANSPORT
JR Pass — buy before you travel (not available inside Japan)
The Japan Rail Pass gives unlimited shinkansen (bullet train) travel on JR lines for 7, 14 or 21 days. A 14-day pass (USD 460) covers Tokyo–Hakone–Kyoto–Osaka–Hiroshima–Nara and back. Critical: the JR Pass must be purchased OUTSIDE Japan — buy it before departure. Also buy a Suica IC card at the airport for all city metro travel (not covered by JR Pass). The shinkansen connecting Japan's cities at 320km/h is one of the world's great transport experiences.
💴
MONEY
Japan is still largely cash — withdraw yen at 7-Eleven ATMs
Japan remains significantly cash-based compared to other developed countries — many small restaurants, temples, vending machines and local shops accept cash only. 7-Eleven ATMs (and Japan Post ATMs) accept international cards and give excellent exchange rates (better than airport exchange). Withdraw JPY 20,000–30,000 (USD 130–200) at a time. IC cards (Suica/Pasmo) work for transit and convenience store purchases and are loaded with cash. Credit cards are increasingly accepted but never reliable for small purchases.
🙇
ETIQUETTE
Japanese etiquette — quiet trains, no eating while walking
Japan has profound social courtesy norms that are worth knowing: never eat or drink while walking (eat standing at a stall or sitting is fine), maintain near-silence on trains (phones on silent, no calls), sort rubbish into correct recycling bins (Japan has almost no public rubbish bins — carry a bag), never tip (it is considered rude — service is excellent because it is genuinely valued, not because of gratuity), and remove shoes in ryokans and temple interiors. These aren't difficult rules — they're what makes Japan function so beautifully.
📅 Best Time to Visit Japan
Spring cherry blossoms (Mar–Apr) and autumn foliage (Oct–Nov) are the two peak seasons
Jan
Cold
Feb
Cold
Mar
Sakura ★
Apr
Sakura ★
May
Good ★
Jun
Rainy
Jul
Hot
Aug
Hot
Sep
Good
Oct
Foliage ★
Nov
Foliage ★
Dec
Cold
Mount Fuji Japan cherry blossom
Japan Expert Available

Japan will change
how you see everything.

We handle your Japan visa, Japan Rail Pass, cherry blossom timing, ryokan bookings and a pre-trip guide that answers the 50 questions you didn't know to ask. Japan requires more preparation than most countries — let us do it for you.

Japan visa application handled completely
JR Pass, cherry blossom timing & ryokan bookings
Full pre-trip Japan guide + 24-hr support
Plan My Japan Trip

Expert calls within 2 hours · Visa handled · No pressure

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Irasshaimase! Japan awaits!

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Japan on the Map

East Asia — Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto and the Kansai region

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Japan from USD 1,100
Visa + flights + JR Pass + ryokan
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