Japan Bullet Train Tour: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in 9 Days
Nine days across Japan's three headline cities, travelling between them by Shinkansen.
At a glance
| Resort | Comfort Hotel ERA Tokyo |
| Country | Japan |
| Departure | December 6, 2026 |
| Duration | 7 nights |
| Board Basis | Room Only |
| Flights | Included |
| Transfers | Not included |
| Offer valid until | August 21, 2026 |
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About this holiday
This Japan bullet train tour links Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka across nine days, and you travel between the cities on the Shinkansen. It’s self-guided rather than a coach tour. You get a meet and greet at the airport plus two guided walking tours, and the remaining time is yours to use as you like.
Tokyo comes first, with three nights and a guided afternoon in Shibuya taking in the crossing, Meiji Shrine and the Hachiko statue. Kyoto follows for three nights, including an evening walk through the Gion geisha district when the geiko and maiko head to their appointments. Osaka closes the trip with a night near Dotonbori. Free days sit in both Tokyo and Kyoto, so you can add the optional Mount Fuji day trip or the Kyoto and Nara coach tour if you’d rather have the structure.
You stay in charm category hotels, which means comfortable three star city properties in good locations rather than resorts. A superior upgrade is available. Worth knowing that Japanese rooms run smaller than UK equivalents, and the standard room has one double bed, so ask for twins at the time of booking if you need them.
Read the inclusions carefully on this one, because it covers less than a typical package. No meals are included, not even breakfast. Airport transfers are not included at either end, and neither are transfers to the stations or to the activity meeting points. There’s no guide with you day to day, only on the two walking tours. Payable to Boullies Travel.
- Return international flights from the UK included
- All air taxes and fuel surcharges included
- Bullet train Tokyo to Kyoto and Kyoto to Osaka included
- Seven nights in charm category hotels across three cities
- Airport meet and greet with an English-speaking representative
- Guided Shibuya district walking tour, around two hours
- Guided Gion geisha district walking tour, small group, around two hours
- Entrance fees for the visits listed in the itinerary
- Free WiFi at all three hotels
- Three free days to explore at your own pace
- Optional upgrades: superior category hotels, Green Car train seating, private airport transfers and up to five extra nights
- Optional excursions: Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, and a full day Kyoto and Nara coach tour
- Not included: all meals, airport transfers, station transfers and a daily guide
- One suitcase per person on the trains, up to 30kg and 160cm combined dimensions
Your itinerary, day by day
Day 1: UK to Japan
Head to your departure airport for the overnight flight to Tokyo. You sleep on board.
Day 2: Arrive in Tokyo
An English-speaking representative meets you at the airport with an Exoticca sign and hands over your documents. You then make your own way to the hotel, either by public transport or by adding a private transfer. The rest of the day is free to settle in.
Day 3: Guided Shibuya walking tour
Your morning stays free, with Harajuku's Onden Shrine and the Omotesando boutiques both close by. In the afternoon a guide takes you through Shibuya, starting at the station mural and finishing at the Hachiko statue, by way of Shibuya Crossing, Meiji Shrine and Nonbei Yokocho.
Day 4: Free day in Tokyo
A full day at your own pace. Alternatively, add the optional Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi tour, which reaches the mountain's 5th Station and takes in Oishi Park and the Chureito Pagoda.
Day 5: Shinkansen to Kyoto
Board the bullet train at Tokyo Station, usually between 9am and 10am, and arrive in Kyoto around midday. The journey runs about two hours fifteen minutes. Note that you make your own way to and from the stations. Your afternoon is free.
Day 6: Guided Gion geisha district tour
Nijo Castle and the Samurai and Ninja Museum are both good options for the free morning. In the evening a small group walking tour takes you through Gion, when geiko and maiko head to their appointments. You also visit Yasaka Shrine.
Day 7: Free day in Kyoto
Another day to set your own pace. Alternatively, take the optional full day coach tour to Kyoto and Nara, covering Kinkaku-ji, the torii gates at Fushimi Inari and the deer at Nara Park.
Day 8: Shinkansen to Osaka
A short bullet train hop of around fifteen minutes, usually leaving early afternoon. The train arrives at Shin Osaka, which is a different station from Osaka. Your afternoon and evening are free, so Dotonbori's street food is the obvious first stop.
Day 9: Osaka to the UK
Make your own way to the airport, or add an optional private transfer, for the flight home. Depending on the flight, you may land back in the UK the following day.
All bookings are made with ATOL protected suppliers and tour operators. Boullies Travel Ltd is PTS protected. Your money is safe with us.
Offered in association with Exoticca.
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