Japan Family Holiday — Self-Launched Version
12 days · Japan
Intrepid Travel charges £4,300
No-markup version: ~£1,780 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day self-launched version of Intrepid's Tokyo-to-Kyoto family route: Tokyo's temples, manga and monjayaki, a Hakone onsen stay with Mt Fuji views, Hiroshima and Miyajima, then Himeji, Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama in Kyoto. All the headline experiences are bookable independently — Sensoji and Harajuku are free, the Hakone ropeway and Lake Ashi cruise run on the Hakone Freepass, and Hozu River boats can be reserved direct. Travelling by shinkansen and local trains rather than a guided coach, staying in hostels, guesthouses and budget business hotels, this comes in at roughly a third of the tour price. Costs are approximate per person, based on shared twin rooms and mid-range backpacker rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Tokyo
Tokyo
Land at Narita or Haneda and take the Keisei Skyliner or Airport Limousine bus into central Tokyo (Narita ~£18, Haneda ~£4 on the monorail). Check into a hostel or budget business hotel in Asakusa or Ueno — the cheapest, most characterful base for the first nights. Spend the evening walking the Sumida River and grabbing konbini dinner or ramen near your accommodation.
🚌Keisei Skyliner or monorail from airport, ~£4-18
🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Asakusa/Ueno (~£18 pp/night in a twin)
- →Airport transfer by Keisei Skyliner / Tokyo Monorail
- →Evening walk along the Sumida River
- →Konbini or ramen dinner
Asakusa, Sensoji and a Tokyo Bay monjayaki dinner
Tokyo
Morning at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa — free, and best before 9am. Wander Nakamise shopping street, then hop the metro to Akihabara for the manga and electronics district. In the evening, book a monjayaki dinner in Tsukishima's Monja Street (the original home of the dish) or a yakatabune dinner boat on Tokyo Bay via Klook — the boat ride is the memorable bit for kids.
🚌Metro day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Asakusa/Ueno
- →Sensoji Temple and Nakamise street (free)
- →Akihabara manga and electronics browsing
- →Monjayaki dinner in Tsukishima or Tokyo Bay dinner boat (Klook, ~£35-50)
Calligraphy in Shinjuku and the Harajuku walk
Tokyo
Book a 60-90 minute calligraphy class in Shinjuku through GetYourGuide or Klook (~£25), then walk to Harajuku for Takeshita Street crepes and 3D latte art. End the day at Shibuya Crossing and the Shibuya Sky observation deck at sunset (book ahead, ~£14). All self-bookable, no guide needed.
🚌Metro day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel or budget business hotel, Asakusa/Ueno
- →Calligraphy lesson in Shinjuku via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£25)
- →Takeshita Street crepes and 3D latte art
- →Shibuya Crossing and Shibuya Sky sunset (~£14)
Shinkansen to Hakone
Hakone
Take the JR Yamanote to Tokyo Station and a Kodama shinkansen to Odawara (~35 min, covered by the JR Pass if you bought one), then the Hakone Tozan Railway or bus up to Hakone-Yumoto. Buy the Hakone Freepass (~£35 for 2 days) which covers the ropeway, pirate ship cruise, cable car and buses. Stay in a family-run ryokan or guesthouse and take a private onsen soak in the evening.
🚌Shinkansen ~£22 + Hakone Tozan ~£5 (or JR Pass)
🛏Family ryokan or guesthouse, Hakone-Yumoto or Gora (~£30 pp with shared bath)
- →Shinkansen Tokyo to Odawara
- →Buy 2-day Hakone Freepass
- →Evening onsen soak at ryokan
Owakudani, Lake Ashi and the puzzle box museum
Hakone
Use the Freepass for the full loop: Tozan Cable Car and ropeway up to Owakudani for the sulphur vents and black eggs, then the ropeway down to Togendai for the pirate-ship cruise across Lake Ashi (Mt Fuji views on clear days). Stop at the Hakone Sekisho checkpoint and the Karakuri Secret Box Museum in箱根 for the puzzle-box workshop — a favourite with kids. Optional afternoon hike across the Sengokuhara grasslands.
🚌Hakone Freepass covers all transport
🛏Family ryokan or guesthouse, Hakone
- →Ropeway to Owakudani (Freepass)
- →Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise (Freepass)
- →Karakuri puzzle box museum (~£6)
- →Optional Sengokuhara grasslands walk
Hakone to Hiroshima
Hiroshima
Travel back to Odawara and take the shinkansen to Hiroshima (~3.5 hrs with a change at Nagoya or Shin-Osaka; ~£95 one way, or covered by the JR Pass). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Hiroshima Station or the Peace Park. Late afternoon at Peace Memorial Park and the A-Bomb Dome, then Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for dinner — try Okonomimura for a whole floor of counters.
🚌Shinkansen ~£95 (or JR Pass)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Peace Park (~£20 pp)
- →Shinkansen to Hiroshima
- →Peace Memorial Park and A-Bomb Dome (free)
- →Optional Peace Memorial Museum (~£1.50)
- →Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki dinner
Miyajima Island
Miyajima / Hiroshima
Take the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi (25 min) and the JR ferry across — both covered by the JR Pass. Walk to Itsukushima Shrine at high tide, wander Momiji Park, and ride the Miyajima ropeway plus a short hike to the summit of Mt Misen for Seto Inland Sea views (~£15 return). Back in Hiroshima, visit Hiroshima Castle if time allows.
🚌JR train and ferry, ~£5 (or JR Pass)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Hiroshima
- →JR ferry to Miyajima
- →Itsukushima Shrine (~£2)
- →Mt Misen ropeway and summit walk (~£15)
- →Momiji Park stroll
Himeji Castle en route to Kyoto
Himeji / Kyoto
Break the shinkansen journey at Himeji (~1 hr from Hiroshima) to see Japan's finest surviving castle (~£6 entry) and the adjacent Koko-en gardens. Continue to Kyoto (~1 hr, ~£30). In the evening, walk Nishiki Market before it closes and explore the Gion district's lantern-lit lanes — free, and best around dusk.
🚌Shinkansen Hiroshima-Himeji-Kyoto ~£55
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Kyoto (~£22 pp)
- →Himeji Castle and Koko-en gardens (~£8)
- →Nishiki Market walk
- →Gion district evening walk
Fushimi Inari at dawn
Kyoto
Take the JR Nara line two stops to Inari and climb the 10,000 torii gates early — free and blissfully quiet before 8am. Afternoon options: a maiko performance or tea ceremony through GetYourGuide (~£30-45), or an obanzai cooking class in a machiya townhouse (~£40).
🚌JR Nara line ~£2 each way
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Kyoto
- →Fushimi Inari torii hike (free)
- →Maiko tea ceremony or obanzai cooking class (~£30-45)
Arashiyama and the Hozu River boat
Kyoto / Arashiyama
Reserve a Hozu River boat trip direct (~£28, 2 hrs from Kameoka to Arashiyama) — take the JR Sagano line to Umahori and the Sagano Scenic Railway or a bus to the boat dock. Afterwards walk the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and the Tenryu-ji temple gardens (~£4), and take the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge views.
🚌JR Sagano line ~£4 return
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Kyoto
- →Hozu River boat ride (~£28, book direct)
- →Sagano Scenic Railway (~£5)
- →Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (free)
- →Tenryu-ji Temple gardens (~£4)
Free day in Kyoto by bike
Kyoto
Hire a bike (~£8/day) and follow the Kamo River cycle route, stopping at the Kyoto International Manga Museum (~£7) or a ramen-making class at the Ramen Factory (~£25). A bento lunch from a depachika food hall is the cheapest and best picnic in town.
🚌Bike hire ~£8
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Kyoto
- →Bike rental and Kamo River cycle route (~£8)
- →Kyoto International Manga Museum (~£7)
- →Optional ramen-making class (~£25)
- →Depachika bento picnic
Depart Kyoto
Kyoto
Final morning for souvenir shopping on Teramachi or a last temple visit, then travel to Kansai International Airport by Haruka express train (~£18, 75 min) or a limousine bus. If flying out of Tokyo, use the shinkansen to Tokyo Station and the Narita Express.
🚌Haruka express to KIX ~£18
🛏—
- →Morning souvenir shopping on Teramachi
- →Haruka express to Kansai Airport
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,780 | £4,300 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,520 per person (59%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,780
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 Family Holiday — Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,780 per person for 12 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 Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £4,300 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,780 — a saving of roughly £2,520 (59%) per person.
How long is the Japan trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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, city-breaks 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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