Japan | Through Temples & Time (Self-Launched)
9 days · Japan
Exodus charges £4,199
No-markup version: ~£875 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Recreate Exodus's Signature Collection journey across Japan — from ancient Kyoto's temples, teahouses and geisha districts, through Hiroshima's sobering Peace Park, a sacred overnight monk retreat on Koyasan, the feudal-era Inuyama Castle and Kiso Valley's Nakasendo trail — before finishing beneath Mount Fuji in Tokyo. Travelling independently with the Japan Rail Pass, budget ryokans and guesthouses, direct bookings and your own planning delivers the same soul-stirring route at a fraction of the tour price.
Day-by-day
Settle into Kyoto's rhythm
Kyoto
Arrive in Kyoto and check into a budget ryokan or guesthouse in the Higashiyama district, within walking distance of temples and teahouses. If you land early, make your own way to Fushimi Inari Taisha and climb through its thousands of scarlet torii gates — free to enter and quieter in the late afternoon. In the evening treat yourself to a kaiseki-style seasonal dinner at a local restaurant; many temples like Ganko Takasegawa Nijoen serve refined Kyoto cuisine in garden settings that you can book directly for a fraction of a group rate.
🚌Airport limousine bus or train from KIX to Kyoto, ~£20
🛏Budget ryokan / guesthouse in Higashiyama, approx £35-45 per night
- →Fushimi Inari Taisha torii-gate hike
- →Welcome kaiseki dinner in a historic garden setting
Step into living heritage
Kyoto
Start early at Arashiyama. Walk the contemplative grounds of Tenryu-ji Temple, where you can join a shakyo sutra-copying session for a small fee, then wander the famous bamboo groves before visiting the hidden moss garden of Gio-ji. Enjoy a tempura lunch and spend the evening wandering the lantern-lit lanes of Gion and Pontochō, the geisha districts — simply walking these atmospheric streets is free, while the exclusive maiko entertainment is expensive and optional for independent travellers.
🚌Local buses/trains across Kyoto via IC card, ~£5
🛏Budget ryokan / guesthouse in Higashiyama
- →Tenryu-ji Temple & sutra copying (shakyo)
- →Arashiyama bamboo grove walk
- →Gio-ji moss garden
- →Evening walk through Gion & Pontochō geisha districts
Witness resilience in Hiroshima
Hiroshima & Miyajima
Take the early Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima (covered by the Japan Rail Pass), then the ferry across to Miyajima to see Itsukushima Shrine and its famous floating torii gate. Return to Hiroshima for the Peace Park and Museum — a profoundly moving experience. Stand at the Genbaku Dome, read the exhibits, and spend time in quiet reflection. Grab a bento for the train journey back to Kyoto in the evening.
🚌Shinkansen Kyoto–Hiroshima return (~£90) + Miyajima ferry via JR Pass
🛏Budget ryokan / guesthouse in Higashiyama, Kyoto
- →Miyajima Island & Itsukushima Shrine
- →Floating torii gate
- →Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park & Museum
- →Genbaku Dome
Signature Day — choose your own cultural immersion
Kyoto
Your day to dive deep into whichever Japanese craft calls to you. Book ahead online: a matcha tea ceremony with a local tea master, a kintsugi workshop restoring pottery with gold-dusted lacquer, or a guided tour and tasting at an artisan sake brewery — all bookable independently via GetYourGuide or direct. Save the evening for an elegant kaiseki dinner at a traditional restaurant along the Kamo River, the kind of candlelit, multi-course experience that needs a reservation but not a group.
🚌Local buses / IC card, ~£5
🛏Budget ryokan / guesthouse in Higashiyama
- →Choose: tea ceremony with a tea master
- →Choose: kintsugi pottery-restoration workshop
- →Choose: artisanal sake brewery tour & tasting
- →Kaiseki dinner along the Kamo River
Enter sacred Japan — Temple stay on Koyasan
Koyasan (Kōyasan)
Travel by train to Koyasan in the forested mountains of Wakayama, heartland of Shingon Buddhism. Book a shukubo (temple lodging) such as Joki-in directly through the Koyasan tourist association or booking sites — it's one of the most authentic experiences in Japan, with simple tatami rooms and a serene Buddhist courtyard. Enjoy a traditional shōjin ryōri (vegetarian monk cuisine) dinner, then at dusk follow the path through the immense Okunoin Cemetery, home to 200,000 graves and mausoleums, where Kūkai is said to still meditate.
🚌Nankai trains & cable car from Kyoto to Koyasan, ~£23
🛏Joki-in Temple (or similar shukubo), approx £55-70 including meals
- →Shukubo temple stay at Joki-in
- →Shōjin ryōri vegetarian monk dinner
- →Night-time walk through Okunoin Cemetery
- →Morning Buddhist chanting & worship
Travel through the centuries — Inuyama Castle
Inuyama & Kiso Valley
Rise for the monks' morning worship before heading north after breakfast, stopping in the castle town of Inuyama. Climb Inuyama Castle — one of only five in Japan retaining an original National Treasure keep — perched above the Kiso River for sweeping views. Continue into the Kiso Valley in the afternoon and check into a traditional ryokan with kaiseki dinner and an onsen soak to unwind. The Kiso-Tutaya Ryokan can be booked directly to recreate the exact stay.
🚌Local trains Kyoto → Inuyama → Kiso Valley via JR Pass
🛏Kiso-Tutaya Ryokan (or similar ryokan), approx £65-90 with kaiseki dinner & breakfast
- →Inuyama Castle — National Treasure keep
- →Multi-course kaiseki dinner
- →Soothing onsen soak at a rustic ryokan
Feel the quiet calm of rural Japan — Nakasendō trail
Magome & Kiso Fukushima
After a traditional breakfast, walk the classic stretch of the Nakasendō trail from one preserved post town to the next. The stone-paved path from Magome winds past waterfalls, farmsteads and ancestral cedar groves, echoing the footsteps of Edo-era travellers. It's roughly 8km of gentle, beautiful hiking. Return to your ryokan by afternoon to rest or wander the quiet, atmospheric lanes of Kiso Fukushima.
🚌Local bus to trailhead, ~£3
🛏Kiso-Tutaya Ryokan (or similar ryokan)
- →Walk the Nakasendō trail from Magome (approx 8km)
- →Waterfall & farmstead viewpoints
- →Explore Kiso Fukushima's preserved post-town lanes
Meet icons of Japan — Mount Fuji & Tokyo
Kawaguchiko & Tokyo
Take the train to Lake Kawaguchiko at the foot of Mount Fuji, where (on clear days) the perfectly symmetrical peak mirrors in the water. Enjoy a regional lunch in the area before catching the bus or train into Tokyo. In the afternoon stroll the serene Imperial Palace grounds — once Edo Castle — contrasting Japan's imperial past with the modern skyline. Finish the journey with a ceremonial shabu-shabu dinner, swirling thin slices of meat and vegetables through a delicate broth in a tatami room.
🚌Trains & bus, Kiso → Kawaguchiko → Tokyo, ~£45
🛏Budget hotel / capsule in central Tokyo, approx £35-50 per night
- →Lake Kawaguchiko views of Mount Fuji
- →Imperial Palace grounds stroll
- →Ceremonial shabu-shabu farewell dinner
Say a fond farewell to Japan
Tokyo
Bid farewell to Japan, taking the airport express (Narita or Haneda) to fly home. If you have time before your flight, explore one of Tokyo's districts or a sumo stable visit — or simply begin planning your return.
🚌Narita/Haneda airport express to airport, ~£15
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional final Tokyo exploration before departure
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£875 | £4,199 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,324 per person (79%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£875
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Japan | Through Temples & Time (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £875 per person for 9 days in Japan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £4,199 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £875 — a saving of roughly £3,324 (79%) per person.
How long is the Japan trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Japan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, backpacker trip through Japan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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