Self-Launched Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima City Stays
9 days · Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima)
Globus charges £4,790
No-markup version: ~£1,155 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day version of Globus's "Independent Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima City Stays" — same three cities and headline sights, but booked yourself: hostel/budget hotel beds instead of tour hotels, self-guided walking routes and public transport instead of private guides, and shinkansen tickets bought à la carte. Expect to pay roughly a third of the packaged price while keeping nearly all the content of the original itinerary, with room to add a Mount Fuji or Nara day trip. All figures are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrival in Tokyo
Tokyo
Land at Narita or Haneda and make your own way into the city — the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Ueno costs about £15 and takes 45 minutes, or the Limousine Bus to Shinjuku is around £20. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Asakusa, Ueno or Shinjuku. Get a Suica/Pasmo IC card at the airport or station machine (¥500 deposit, top up as you go) and pick up a pocket wifi or data eSIM. Spend the evening easing in with a bowl of ramen and a wander round your neighbourhood.
🚌Airport train/bus ~£15–20, local metro ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget business hotel (Asakusa/Ueno/Shinjuku), approx £25–40
- →Airport transfer into central Tokyo
- →Pick up Suica IC card and data eSIM
- →Evening neighbourhood wander and ramen dinner
Tokyo highlights self-guided
Tokyo
Recreate the original guided day on your own using the subway. Start early at Meiji Shrine (free) near Harajuku, then work east: Nakamise shopping arcade and Asakusa Kannon Temple (Senso-ji, free) are the classic old-Tokyo pairing. Pre-book a Tokyo Skytree Tembo Deck ticket online (about £18–22; the higher Tembo Galleria add-on is extra), and drop into the Samurai & Ninja Museum near Asakusa (entry around £20, bookable via Klook or GetYourGuide) if it appeals. Finish with dinner in a yokocho alley. A one-day Tokyo Metro pass is around £5; pay-as-you-go is often cheaper for this route.
🚌Subway day of travel ~£5–7
🛏Hostel dorm or budget business hotel, approx £25–40
- →Meiji Shrine (free)
- →Asakusa Kannon Temple / Senso-ji and Nakamise arcade (free)
- →Tokyo Skytree Tembo Deck ticket (~£20)
- →Samurai & Ninja Museum entry (~£20)
Tokyo free day — Mount Fuji or neighbourhood-hopping
Tokyo
Use this as the optional day from the original itinerary. Best value Fuji option is the highway bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko (about £15–18 each way, ~2 hrs) rather than a guided tour; from the lake you can ride the ropeway or rent a bike for Fuji views, or push on to Fuji Five Lakes viewpoints. Budget around £45–60 all-in for the day. Alternatively stay in town and do a foodie crawl: Tsukiji Outer Market in the morning, Yanaka and Shimokitazawa in the afternoon, street-food markets for dinner.
🚌Round-trip highway bus to Kawaguchiko ~£32, or metro passes ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm or budget business hotel, approx £25–40
- →Optional self-booked Mount Fuji / Kawaguchiko day trip
- →Tsukiji Outer Market food crawl (alternative)
- →Shimokitazawa and Yanaka neighbourhood exploring
Shinkansen to Kyoto
Kyoto
Buy a reserved Hikari or Nozomi shinkansen seat from Tokyo to Kyoto — roughly £90–100 one way if bought as a standalone ticket; a 7-day Japan Rail Pass (about £220) only pays off if you're adding more long legs, so do the maths first. The ride is about 2h 15m. Arrive, check into a guesthouse or hostel in the Gion/Higashiyama or Kawaramachi area, then spend the afternoon walking the Philosopher's Path or the Shirakawa canal area. Book tomorrow's temple visits around opening times — Fushimi Inari is best at dawn.
🚌Shinkansen Tokyo–Kyoto ~£90–100; local bus/subway ~£3
🛏Guesthouse/hostel or budget hotel in Kyoto, approx £25–40
- →Bullet train ride (self-booked seat)
- →Afternoon walk on the Philosopher's Path or Gion canal district
Kyoto temples and Gion
Kyoto
Self-guided version of the Kyoto touring day: start at Fushimi Inari Shrine (free) before 8am to beat the crowds, then head north to Sanjusangendo Temple (about £4) with its 1,001 Kannon statues. After lunch take bus 205 to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion (about £3). Late afternoon, join a small-group or free walking tour of the Gion geisha district (tips-based free tours exist; paid ones via GetYourGuide run £15–25) or walk it yourself via Hanamikoji Street. A Kyoto city bus one-day pass is about £4.
🚌City bus day pass ~£4
🛏Guesthouse/hostel or budget hotel, approx £25–40
- →Fushimi Inari Shrine (free, go early)
- →Sanjusangendo Temple (~£4)
- →Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion (~£3)
- →Gion district walk or budget walking tour (~£0–25)
Kyoto free day — Nara excursion
Kyoto / Nara
Take the Kintetsu Limited Express or JR Miyakoji Rapid from Kyoto to Nara (about £5–7 each way, 45–60 min) and spend the day in Nara Park with the free-roaming deer, Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall (about £4) and Kasuga Taisha shrine. Head back for a Kyoto evening — Nishiki Market for dinner or a bathhouse visit. Alternatively stay local and pick two or three more temples (Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkakuji, Nanzenji) plus the Arashiyama bamboo grove by early train.
🚌Return train to Nara ~£10–14; local transport ~£3
🛏Guesthouse/hostel or budget hotel, approx £25–40
- →Self-guided Nara day trip (Nara Park, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha)
- →Nishiki Market food stalls
- →Alternative: Kiyomizu-dera and Arashiyama
Shinkansen to Hiroshima and Shukkei-en Garden
Hiroshima
Ride the shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima (about £75–85 one way, ~1h 40m on Nozomi). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Hiroshima Station or the Peace Park. Buy a Hiroshima tram one-day pass (about £4) and visit Shukkei-en Garden (entry around £2.50) in the afternoon — it's a short tram ride from the station. Evening: try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki at Okonomimura.
🚌Shinkansen Kyoto–Hiroshima ~£75–85; tram day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel/budget hotel near Peace Park or station, approx £22–35
- →Bullet train to Hiroshima
- →Shukkei-en Garden (~£2.50)
- →Okonomimura okonomiyaki dinner
Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima Island
Hiroshima / Miyajima
Morning at Peace Memorial Park: the A-Bomb Dome is free to see, the Peace Memorial Museum costs about £1.20 and the Memorial Hall a similar amount — go at opening to avoid queues. In the afternoon take the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi (about £4, covered by a JR Pass if you have one) and the JR ferry across to Miyajima (about £2, or free with a JR Pass). Itsukushima Shrine's torii gate is the highlight; time it around high tide for the floating effect. Walk up to Daisho-in temple and browse the shopping street before returning for dinner.
🚌Train to Miyajimaguchi ~£4, ferry ~£2 (both directions approx)
🛏Hostel/budget hotel, approx £22–35
- →Peace Memorial Park and A-Bomb Dome (free)
- →Peace Memorial Museum (~£1.20)
- →Ferry to Miyajima Island
- →Itsukushima Shrine (~£2)
- →Daisho-in temple and Omotesando shopping street
Departure from Hiroshima
Hiroshima
Final morning — a last coffee near the Peace Park or a quick tram ride to Hiroshima Castle grounds, then transfer to Hiroshima Airport by limousine bus (about £9, 50 min) or take the shinkansen back to Tokyo or on to Osaka for an onward flight. Book onward transport in advance if you're flying out of a different city, as fares rise closer to the date.
🚌Airport limousine bus ~£9, or onward shinkansen
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Hiroshima Castle grounds walk
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,155 | £4,790 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,635 per person (76%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,155
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima City Stays cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,155 per person for 9 days in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima). 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 Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £4,790 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,155 — a saving of roughly £3,635 (76%) per person.
How long is the Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima) trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima).
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, city-breaks, foodie trip through Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima), 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.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.