10 Unmissable Experiences to Have in Japan: From Tea Houses to Torii Gates
Japan is a country of contrasts: ancient temples sit beneath neon skyscrapers, samurai history meets robot cafés, and steaming onsens lie hidden at the base of volcanoes.
With us, you experience it all, the authentic way: through the eyes of expert local guides, at a pace that lets you savour the details.
Read on as we reveal 10 unmissable experiences you can have on our Japan adventures.
1. Ride the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) Across Japan
The Shinkansen isn’t just transport, it’s an experience and a rite of passage for any traveller visiting Japan.
On Day 7 of our Highlights of Japan trip and Day 4 of Ancient & Modern Japan, you and your group will glide between cities at 200 mph as folded rice fields, rugged coastlines and Fuji’s snow-capped peak pass by in a flash.
It’s smooth, silent, and punctual to the second, a marvel of precision that makes even commuting feel poetic. Sit back, unwind and sip green tea from your seat, unwrap that perfectly packed bento box, and watch Japan unfold at lightning speed.
Ancient & Modern Japan
Explore Zen gardens, temples and the most iconic sights of Japan
2. Experience Japan’s Sakura and Momijigari Seasons
In Japan, the seasons aren’t just observed – they’re celebrated. Time your adventure for spring or autumn, and you join the nation in celebrating nature’s fleeting beauty.
On our Highlights of Japan and Ancient & Modern Japan trips, we have special departures for this exact reason. Both are timed to align with the sakura season (usually March-April) and momijigari (early October-early December), Japan’s autumn tradition of ‘red-leaf hunting’.
In spring, temple gardens and riversides in Kanazawa, Kyoto and Takayama transform into clouds of pink as locals gather beneath the blossoms for hanami picnics – a centuries-old tradition of flower viewing.
Come autumn, those same landscapes are painted with fiery hues of gold, orange and crimson, from Kenrokuen Garden to Kyoto’s temple gardens and the forested slopes of the Japanese Alps.
With your expert guide leading the way, you find the best spots for those picture-perfect moments that capture Japan’s rhythm of renewal.
Highlights of Japan
Uncover the cultural highlights of Japan on this eight-day trip
3. Stay in a Traditional Gasshō-Zukuri House in Shirakawa-go
In the remote mountain village of Shirakawa-go, time seems to stand still. On Day 8 of our Cycling in Japan adventure, you stay in one of the area’s famous gasshō-zukuri farmhouses – centuries-old wooden homes with steep thatched roofs built to withstand heavy alpine snow, which offers a rare opportunity to sleep inside these World Heritage homes.
Inside, you will find simple tatami-matted rooms, sliding paper doors, and the quiet warmth of family-run hospitality. It’s a glimpse of rural Japan few travellers experience, and a night that connects you directly to the country’s living heritage.
Cycling in Japan
Cycle the land of the Samurai; temples, geishas and incredible Tokyo and Kyoto
4. See the Majestic Mount Fuji
Few mountains are as instantly recognisable as Fuji-san. On Day 11 of our Ancient & Modern Japan adventure, you’ll travel to Lake Kawaguchiko, one of the Fuji Five Lakes, where Japan’s sacred peak rises in perfect reflection across the water on clear mornings.
After, your guide leads you to Oishi Park for sweeping views and to the Itchiku Kubota Kimono Museum, where art and landscape meet in vivid colour.
Whether glimpsed briefly from the Shinkansen window between Tokyo and Kyoto or seen in all its glory, Fuji-san is arguably Japan’s most enduring muse.
Ancient & Modern Japan
Explore Zen gardens, temples and the most iconic sights of Japan
5. Soak in a Japanese Onsen Hot Spring
In Japan, bathing in a natural onsen is more than just relaxation; it’s a ritual shaped by centuries of tradition.
On our Japan Adventure: Kyushu & Shikoku trip, you’ll visit Beppu, one of Japan’s most famous onsen towns, where mineral steam rises from the earth and wooden baths overlook lush hillsides.
On Day 4, you can also stop at the 3,000-year-old Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, believed to be Japan’s oldest hot spring bath, and said to have inspired generations of poets and painters.
Once the heat seeps into your muscles and the mountain air cools your skin, it’s easy to see why the Japanese have turned bathing into an art form.
Japan Adventure: Kyushu & Shikoku
Active volcanoes, steaming onsens, island-hopping by bike – this is Japan at its most beautiful and exciting
6. Experience Chanoyu, Japan’s Traditional Tea Ceremony
Kyoto is the heart of Japan’s tea culture, and if you’re curious, your Exodus leader can help you arrange a traditional tea ceremony during your free time in the city on Day 2 or 3 of our Ancient & Modern Japan trip.
In a tatami-matted tearoom, every movement is deliberate and carefully choreographed: the bow, the whisk, the pour. Watching a tea master prepare matcha is like seeing meditation in motion. It’s one of those serene experiences that truly captures Japan’s spirit of grace.
Ancient & Modern Japan
Explore Zen gardens, temples and the most iconic sights of Japan
7. Discover Kyoto’s Temples and Gardens
Home to over 2,000 temples and shrines, Kyoto has no shortage of spiritual beauty, but our Highlights of Japan and Ancient & Modern Japan trips cherry-pick the best.
With your guide leading the way, trace the raked patterns of Ryoan-ji’s rock garden, admire the shimmering Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, and follow the iconic vermilion paths through the thousands of torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha.
En route, your expert local guide reveals the stories, symbolism, and quiet rituals that make Kyoto so timeless.
Highlights of Japan
Uncover the cultural highlights of Japan on this eight-day trip
8. Cycle Japan’s Scenic Sea of Japan Coastline
The quieter west coast of Honshu is where Exodus goes off-grid – and it’s glorious.
During Day 4 and Day 5 of our Cycling in Japan adventure, we trade neon skylines for rugged coastlines as you ride from Kanazawa down to Kaga and Echizen Kaigan.
The route winds past quiet beaches, pine groves, and traditional fishing villages where life moves to the rhythm of the tides.
Stop for a seaside temple visit or a lunch of miso soup and fresh sashimi before continuing along the cliffs that overlook the Sea of Japan. It’s rural Japan at its most evocative, tranquil, timeless, and made to be explored on two wheels.
Cycling in Japan
Cycle the land of the Samurai; temples, geishas and incredible Tokyo and Kyoto
9. Taste Local Flavours at Japan’s Food Markets
Japan’s markets are a feast for the senses, and our guides know just where to lead you.
On Day 7 of our Ancient & Modern Japan trip, explore Kanazawa’s Omicho Market, a bustling warren of seafood stalls where locals shop for sea urchin, snow crab and sashimi fresh from the Sea of Japan.
On Day 4 of our Highlights of Japan adventure, stroll through Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, known as Kyoto’s Kitchen, with your guide, sampling pickled vegetables, mochi and matcha sweets as you go.
And during your free time in Tokyo, Tsukiji’s Outer Market is a must-visit. It’s a maze of sizzling yakitori (skewered chicken) and sushi counters that sum up the country’s culinary spirit in one delicious bite.
10. See the Floating Torii Gate of Miyajima (Itsukushima Shrine)
Few sights feel as timeless as this. On Day 7 of our Highlights of Japan, you take the ferry to Miyajima Island to visit the vermilion torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, which appears to float on the water when the tide is in.
Dedicated to the three daughters of the sea god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the Itsukushima Shrine dates to the sixth century, with the elegant structure seen today built in the 12th century, so worshippers could approach by boat.
While you are there, you can wander the shrine’s boardwalks, meet the island’s wild deer, and look back across the bay to Mount Misen. It doesn’t matter if the tide is low or high; this scene has a quiet magic that lingers.
Highlights of Japan
Uncover the cultural highlights of Japan on this eight-day trip
