Japan
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Bullet trains, hot springs and a night with the monks: Japan is every bit as fascinating as you’ve imagined. This adventure swaps lie-ins for early trains and adventure-packed days, from the neon of Shibuya Crossing to the lantern-lit lanes of Kyoto. Along the way you’ll roll sushi after a Tsukiji food tour, sip matcha in a tiny Yanaka tea room and ask a maiko all about life as a geisha in training. There’s time to slow down too: soak in your own private onsen in Izu and wake to morning prayers in a Buddhist temple on sacred Mt. Koya, before eating your way through Osaka’s street food.
Inclusions
Handpicked stays
Central hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, plus one night in a ryokan with your own hot spring bath and one in a Buddhist temple on Mt. Koya.
15 meals
9 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 4 dinners, including a kaiseki feast at the ryokan and a vegetarian dinner cooked by the monks. Plus street food tours in Tokyo and Osaka.
Every activity
An afternoon with a maiko, matcha from an antique cup in a tiny Yanaka tea room, a sushi class, cooking in a local woman’s Kyoto home, and meditation and morning prayers at the temple. Plus Sensoji, Meiji Shrine, Fushimi Inari, Okunoin and a whole lot more. It’s all in.
A local female guide
A local woman leads you from the welcome dinner to the farewell. She knows which train car to stand by, which ramen counter is worth the line and how to order when there’s no English menu.
All transport
Private airport pickup when you land, bullet train tickets, local trains and subways.
A matched roommate
Our compatibility quiz pairs you with someone you’ll actually click with. Hello, onsen buddy. Want your own space? Private rooms are available.
Luggage forwarding
Twice on this trip we send your main bag ahead, so you’re not hauling a suitcase through train stations. You travel with a light overnight bag for the ryokan and the temple.
Most tips
Porter and restaurant tips are covered, so you’re never doing tipping math at the table. Tipping your main guide is up to you.
Highlights
An afternoon with a maiko
Ask a geisha in training anything about her world, then try on the look
A night in a Buddhist temple
Meditation, a vegetarian feast and morning prayers on sacred Mt. Koya
Your own private hot spring
A ryokan night in Izu with an onsen bath in your room and a kaiseki dinner
Matcha from an antique cup
Pick your own cup from a collection of antiques upstairs from a Yanaka shop, each one with a story
Cook in a local woman’s Kyoto kitchen
Plus street food tours in Tokyo and Osaka, and rolling your own sushi
An afternoon with a maiko
Ask a geisha in training anything about her world, then try on the look
A night in a Buddhist temple
Meditation, a vegetarian feast and morning prayers on sacred Mt. Koya
Your own private hot spring
A ryokan night in Izu with an onsen bath in your room and a kaiseki dinner
Matcha from an antique cup
Pick your own cup from a collection of antiques upstairs from a Yanaka shop, each one with a story
Cook in a local woman’s Kyoto kitchen
Plus street food tours in Tokyo and Osaka, and rolling your own sushi
Your Itinerary
Pick a day to see where you are and what you’ll do.
AFTERNOONLand at Narita or Haneda, where a private driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your hotel in Ginza. Check in, shower off the flight and rest up.
EVENINGMeet the women you’ll spend the next 10 days with at 6pm, then head out for your first izakaya dinner together.
Dinner
MORNINGTaste your way through Tsukiji Outer Market with your guide, from just-caught seafood to a proper cup of dashi. Then roll your own sushi in a hands-on class and eat it for lunch.
AFTERNOONFind some calm at Meiji Shrine, tucked inside a forest in the middle of the city, then switch gears in Harajuku for street fashion, bubble tea and free time to shop.
EVENINGWatch thousands of people cross at once at Shibuya Crossing and say hi to Hachiko. The rest of the night is yours.
Breakfast, Lunch
MORNINGWalk under the giant red lanterns of Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest and most colorful temple.
AFTERNOONHead to Yanaka, where old Tokyo still lives on. Upstairs from a tiny antique shop, our host lays out her collection of old tea cups, some mended with gold in the kintsugi tradition, and tells you the story behind each one. You pick your own cup, make wagashi sweets, then sit down for the matcha she whisks in front of you. Afterward the neighborhood is yours. See how many cats you can spot.
EVENINGFree to explore Tokyo your way, with your guide happy to point you to the good spots.
Breakfast
MORNINGBoard the shinkansen bullet train toward Izu, about two hours, and keep an eye out for Mt. Fuji if the sky is clear. Your main bag goes ahead to Kyoto, so you travel light.
AFTERNOONWalk through a bamboo forest most visitors never find. It’s not the crowded one in Kyoto, just a quiet grove in Shuzenji that locals love. Then browse the little shops, find a café or book a massage.
EVENINGCheck into your ryokan, where your room has its own private hot spring bath, then sit down to a multi-course kaiseki dinner.
Breakfast, Dinner
MORNINGA full Japanese breakfast at the ryokan, then about three hours on the bullet train to Kyoto. Grab an ekiben lunchbox at the station and eat like a local on board.
AFTERNOONMeet a maiko, a geisha in training, to learn about her world, try on the look and take photos. Then on to the rock garden and dragon paintings of Kenninji Temple.
EVENINGWander the old lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, lined with craft shops and sweet stalls.
Breakfast
MORNINGStep inside Sanjusangendo, where 1,001 golden statues of Kannon stand in rows down one long wooden hall.
MIDDAYSqueeze into a local woman’s tiny kitchen in her own Kyoto home and learn obanzai, the everyday home cooking you won’t find on restaurant menus. Then sit down at her table and eat it together.
AFTERNOONWalk through the tunnels of scarlet torii gates at Fushimi Inari as they wind up the forested hillside.
Breakfast, Lunch
MORNINGNo plans, no alarm. Walk the Philosopher’s Path to the Silver Pavilion, or stroll along the Kamogawa River.
AFTERNOONGraze your way through Nishiki Market and the arcades of Teramachi, with your guide on hand to help you plan it.
EVENINGYours to fill. Dinner with the group or a quiet night on your own.
Breakfast
MORNINGLeave Kyoto by train, about two and a half hours, for Mt. Koya, one of Japan’s most sacred places. Pack a light overnight bag, because your main bag goes ahead to Osaka.
AFTERNOONWalk through Okunoin, a forest cemetery of moss-covered tombs where you’ll also spot a gravestone shaped like a rocket.
EVENINGCheck into your temple stay, join a meditation session, then share a Buddhist vegetarian dinner made by your hosts.
Breakfast, Dinner
MORNINGJoin the monks for morning prayers if you’d like, then take the train about two and a half hours to Osaka.
AFTERNOONArrive in time for a street food tour of Dotonbori, Japan’s food capital, then a few free hours to shop or snack.
EVENINGToast the trip at your farewell dinner, under the neon lights of Dotonbori.
Breakfast, Dinner
MORNINGShare one last breakfast, hug it out and head off whenever your flight calls. Checkout is around 10am.
Breakfast
From $6,950 · 10 days · Max 14 women · $550 holds your spot
Where you’ll stay
IZU · 1 NIGHT
SORA Togetsuso Kinryu
A ryokan in the old hot spring town of Shuzenji. Your room comes with its own private onsen bath, and dinner is a multi-course kaiseki feast that changes with the seasons.
MT. KOYA · 1 NIGHT
Eko-in Temple
A working Buddhist temple in the forest on Mt. Koya. Sleep on futons on tatami mats, share bathrooms like the monks do and wake up for morning prayers.
Roommates, matched
Our compatibility quiz, built with a matchmaker and psychologist, pairs you with someone you’ll actually click with. Or upgrade to a private room.
Who you’ll travel with
Up to 13 other women, most of whom booked on their own. They range from 28 to 88, and it’s the sushi rolling, onsen soaks and late-night convenience store runs that bond you. 92% of our travelers say they keep in touch after the trip ends.
✓Meet your group on WhatsApp before you fly
✓A welcome dinner on night one, with your guide making the introductions
✓Solo time built in, so you’re never forced to be “on”
“I made the best friends, it was like a girls trip but they started out as strangers.”
Grace K. · Japan
The people behind your trip
Your guide
Addie
Addie has been guiding for 15 years and knows how to turn a trip into an adventure. Off the clock, she’s a ventriloquist and a clown, so expect a lot of laughs.
Addie leads most of our Japan trips. Sometimes it’s another guide from our team, and every one of them is a local woman our travelers rave about.
Founder
Amanda Black
After getting robbed as a backpacker, Amanda vowed no woman traveling alone should ever feel that stranded. Since 2018 and hundreds of group trips, she’s still keeping that promise.
Behind the scenes
Our operations team
You’ll see Addie and our local guides. Behind them, our team follows every day of your trip to keep you safe and on track.
In their words
★★★★★ 4.7 on Trustpilot · Read all reviews
★★★★★
“The feeling of community was so strong that everyone just belonged.”
Anna D.
Japan
★★★★★
“I wish I could do this trip for the first time over and over.”
Cami
Japan
★★★★★
“Money can’t buy happiness, but this was pretty dang close.”
Barbara L.
Japan
Your Safety on tour
Never on your own, unless you want to be
“She ensured we were comfortable, informed and most importantly, safe!”
Merica · Japan
A local female guide, every day
We meet you at the airport
Trains and transfers, all booked for you
Pre-trip guides, so you land prepared
Guides who handle the train schedules so you don’t have to
One guide in front, a whole team behind her
“She ensured we were comfortable, informed and most importantly, safe!”
Merica · Japan
Choose your departure
$550 holds your spot
It comes off your total.
Pay at your pace
As much and as often as you like. Balance due 90 days out.
Plans change? Transfer for free
Move your spot to another date or trip with 90+ days’ notice.
Per person, USD · Other currencies at checkout · 🔒 Secure checkout with Stripe
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Japan April 5 - 14, 2027
Japan Nov 25 - Dec 4, 2027
Questions women ask before booking
Is this trip right for me?
Traditional stays. One night is in a ryokan and one is in a Buddhist temple, both with futons on tatami mats. The temple has shared bathrooms.
Lots of trains. Bullet trains, local trains and subways, with plenty of stairs and walking in between. Pack light.
Hot springs and tattoos. Most shared hot spring baths don’t allow visible tattoos. Your ryokan room has its own private bath, so you won’t miss out.
How active is this trip?
Moderate. Expect a few miles of walking most days, often on stairs, hills and uneven temple paths, plus plenty of hopping on and off trains. At Fushimi Inari you can go as far up the gates as you like.
If you can walk comfortably for a few hours at a time, you’ll be fine. Your main bag gets forwarded on the two big travel days, so you’re not dragging it up station stairs.
Where do I arrive and leave from?
Arrive: Tokyo Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND), any time on day one, and a private driver takes you to your hotel. We recommend landing by 3pm so you’re settled in time for the welcome meeting at 6pm.
Leave: Osaka Kansai (KIX) or Itami (ITM), any time on the last day. Checkout is around 10am. Your airport drop-off isn’t included, but your guide can help you sort out a train or taxi.
Do I have to share a room?
Only if you want to. Twin-share rooms are included in the price, or you can upgrade to a private room. If you share, you’ll take our roommate compatibility quiz, built with a professional matchmaker and psychologist, and we pair you with someone who fits how you travel: early riser or night owl, social butterfly or quiet recharger.
Will we stay in the places shown on this page?
Usually, yes. These are the places we book. Now and then one is unavailable, and we swap it for a stay of the same standard or better.
Do I need a visa?
For most travelers, no. Passport holders from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia can visit Japan visa-free for up to 90 days.
Requirements depend on your passport, so once you book, we’ll walk you through exactly what you need, step by step, until you land in Tokyo.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, travel insurance is required for every traveler. When you book your spot, you can add a plan from our preferred insurance partner in a couple of clicks, or choose your own provider and add your policy details any time before departure.
What’s not included?
International flights.
Travel insurance, which is required.
Visas, if your passport needs one.
Tips for your main guide.
Your airport drop-off on the last day.
Forwarding an extra bag, about ¥1,800 to ¥2,800 each. One bag is included.
Optional extras.
What if I need to cancel?
90 or more days before departure: we’ll transfer your deposit to another SoFe trip, any date or any destination. Or we’ll hold it for up to a year until you’re ready to choose.
Fewer than 90 days before departure: payments are non-refundable, so you’d claim through your travel insurance. That’s exactly what it’s there for.
How much luggage can I bring?
One suitcase and a small backpack. Bullet trains charge extra for bags over 160 cm (length, width and height added together) and don’t allow anything over 250 cm.
On two days we forward your main bag ahead and you travel with an overnight bag, so bring one that’s easy to carry.
Everything you need before you go
Tipping, onsen etiquette, what to expect at a temple stay, and how to pack for the bullet train.
Your spot is waiting.
From $6,950 · 10 days · Max 14 women · $550 holds your spot
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