One Life Adventures Japan
One Life Adventures
Japan 10 Day Tour Review
If you’re looking for a jam-packed, exciting tour around Japan, you will love One Life Adventures 10 Day Japan trip.
Highlights:
- Incredible value
- Great mix of culture, nature and nightlife
- Super affordable
- Get a discount off the trip with code: wanderlust
Things to consider:
- Kyoto accommodation is hotel style in pod accommodations. They are private and super comfortable but you will likely be mixed genders in group rooms. However Tokyo, Osaka, Hakone are twin share style rooms
- You’ll be using public transit (bullet trains, metro, buses) to get everywhere
- A few early morning starts
- Travel insurance is required
Don’t forget to invest in travel insurance before your trip! I recommend World Nomads.
Tips for the One Life Adventures Japan Tour
- Rather than a rolling suitcase, One Life Adventures suggests using a backpack
- You’ll be walking a lot so wear comfortable shoes
- As is customary in Japan, you’ll be taking your shoes on and off a lot. Any time you enter a hotel, house or even some restaurants, you’ll be asked to take off your shoes
- Pack warm, thick socks for the overnight temple stay. Even in March, the temple was so cold we could see our breathe. However the heaters in the room are excellent and the beds have heated blankets on them. Just have extra thick warm socks to wear while walking around
The itinerary may change slightly depending on your guide but here’s everything we got up to over the 10 day trip around Japan with One Life Adventures!
Day 1
- Welcome dinner
- Evening temple visit
- Drink at Tokyo Knowledge * metro closes at midnight in Tokyo
My best friend Corbin and I flew into Tokyo for the start of the tour. I arrived on the morning of the first official day of the tour. However since the first day doesn’t officially begin until dinner time, so I had plenty of time to get to the hotel and check in/freshen up before meeting in the lobby for dinner.
Other One Life Adventure trips include an airport transfer but because there are multiple airports in Tokyo and both are super far away, the transfer to the hotel isn’t included. An airport taxi can cost as much as $300 one way (crazy!!) so the locals & tourists opt for public transit from the airport.
It was slightly intimidating to land in Tokyo and immediately figure out public transit but I felt a good sense of accomplishment when I had done it! I accidentally got on a local train by mistake so it took longer than I anticipated but I made it to my stop eventually.
It helped knowing that I could pay for the Japan transit pass on my phone. (Thanks to my friend for this tip!) So I could just tap and pay which made the ticket buying process very easy and essentially non-existent.
That evening, we met in the lobby of the hotel with the group and set off to dinner.
The trip is run exclusively with public transit so our guide, Mike (who was amazing btw!) distributed our metro cards.
We then set off for dinner and had an amazing first meal of Japanese cuisine. After dinner, Mike brought us to the stunning Sensō-ji Temple which was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest!
This is such a fun temple to see at night when it’s all lit up! Afterwards, most of the group went back to the hotel to sleep off the jet lag. Corbin and I went for a drink at a little tiny Japanese bar before catching the metro back just before midnight.
Day 2
- Japanese culture class
- Fashion District
- Harajuku street
- Temple visit
- Free time: back to Harajuku
- Vending machine ramen
- Japanese Arcades
- Maid cafe with unlimited drinks
The next morning, we met in the lobby for a quick Japanese culture class. We discussed some basic history, culture, social norms and customs around Japan.
After that, we took the transit to the fashion district. We had some free time to wander around and explore here before heading to the famous Harajuku Street.
This is one of my favorite areas of Tokyo! It is considered the birthplace of Japanese pop culture and fashion. Harajuku style refers to the Harajuku district itself. You can read a little more about the amazing Harajuku styles here.
But this vibrant street is full of quirky fashions, wild colorful foods, Japanese boy bands and a variety of animal cafes.
Corbin and I opted to go to a Shiba Dog Cafe. We had to buy a ticket and come back to our timed entrance. So if you want to do this, make sure you leave time to go and come back!
The ticket included a beverage so we hung out for about 30 minutes and got all sorts of puppy snuggles!
We met back with the group at our assigned meet time (even though we really wanted more time in the Harajuku district! There is just so much to see and so many quirky foods to try.
So all together, we went to the nearby temple: Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi Park. The walk is through a beautiful forest area and is a lovely place to escape the city chaos. It’s also a beautiful spot to take pictures! I captured these photos of Corbin below.
After our stroll through Yoyogi Park, we had free time until dinner that evening.
Immediately Corbin and I raced back to Takeshita Street, Harajuku’s iconic main street. We loved this district and wanted to see a lot more of it! Even though the street isn’t huge, there are so many interesting small offshoots. And there is no shortage of bizarre and interesting foods to try.
We also found it fascinating watching a Japanese boy band perform in a cafeteria style dining area. Not to mention, the incredible people watching! Another highlight was simply watching the Harajuku styles go by on the street. The fashion is here is truly out of this world!!
That evening, we met back up with the group for dinner in Akihabara. Mike chose this fun interesting place where we ordered ramen from vending machines. It was delicious and a fun spot just across the street from the arcades we planned to visit.
The arcades in Tokyo are a blast. And very much a part of Japanese culture. In the states, you may expect to see children and families at an arcade but here, it was mostly Japanese business men coming in after work. They set down their briefcases, took off their suit coat then went to work trying to beat their high scores.
We had so much fun trying out the different arcade games. Shortly after, we all met back up to go to a maid cafe.
I’m not entirely sure how to explain the Japanese maid cafes. I loved it but wow, it was confusing. Lots of singing and choreography and giggling Japanese girls dressed as maids but also serving you unlimited drinks? It’s truly bizarre but we laughed SO much. When you sit down, they will just set a drink menu in front of you and you can order however many drinks you’d like.
And by the time we left, we were quite tipsy. They really kept the nonstop drinks coming! We originally paid for 30 minutes but wound up wanting to stay for a full hour.
Day 3
- Sushi class
- Free time: Imperial Garden
- Tower viewpoint
- “Piss Alley”
- Hatchi Statue
- Shibuya crossing
The next morning, we started the day with a sushi making class. The class was really nicely done and we had SO much to eat. We made miso soup, three types of sushi and learned all about the secrets behind Teriyaki.
After the class, we had free time so Corbin and I opted to go to the Imperial Gardens.
Afterwards we met back up with the group in Shinjuku to see the stunning skyline of Tokyo from an observation tower.
From there we went to the famous Omoide Yokocho alley to grab some dinner. Also known as “Piss Alley” this winding street of tiny restaurants is not to be missed on a trip to Tokyo!
If you’re an adventurous eater, you will love this place. All sorts of unique dishes are served here like pig diaphragm etc. One of the guys in my group even ordered pig assholes, pardon my french, but that’s what the menu said!
Each restaurant only holds a few people so you will need to split up from your group into pairs or groups of 3 in order to be sat.
We had a blast mingling with the locals, ordering drinks and being adventurous in our dinner order. I have been vegetarian for several years but found it really, really difficult to be vegetarian in Japan so I made a few cultural exceptions. And this dinner in “piss alley” was one of them!
After our meal, we all met back up and went to cross the famous Shibuya Pedestrian Crossing.
We saw Shibuya at night but later Corbin and I came back to capture these daytime shots!
Day 4
- Train to Hakone
- Mount Fuji viewpoint via cable car
- Free time: Brewery
- Hot Pot Dinner and games
The next day, we boarded the train to Hakone, a cute little mountain town offering views of Mount Fuji.
It can be difficult to actually spot Mt. Fuji because it’s often completely hidden behind the clouds. However, we got lucky and spotted the iconic mountain a few times briefly on the trip!
When we arrived, we checked into our cute little guest house and dropped off our bags.
Then we took a cable car up to a mountain top. From here, we could get a better view of Mount Fuji! There were cute gift shops and amazing views at the top as well.
In the evening, we had dinner at our guesthouse and played games while having some drinks! It was such a fun night getting to know everyone on our trip.
Day 5
- Bullet train to Takayama
- Check into historic Temple Stay
- Sake Brewery Tasting
- Free time: custom chopsticks, hida beef, onsen, archery, arcade games
- Dinner at Jakson Curry
The next day, we packed up and left Hakone. This time, taking a bullet train to Takayama. It’s exciting to stand on the platform and see the bullet trains whoosh past!
When we arrived in Takayama, we went right to the historic temple where we would be spending the night.
After a brief introduction about the town, we set off for our sake tasting and a small food walk through the 600 year old downtown.
This was one of my favorite stops in Japan! The beautiful architecture and cozy little shops made me fall in love with this little fairytale town.
We had an incredible dinner at Jakson Curry, learned to shoot Japanese archery and visited a Japanese onsen. For being a small town, there was so much to see and do!
Read: TAKAYAMA, JAPAN – 10 AMAZING THINGS YOU CAN’T MISS
IN THIS JAPANESE FAIRYTALE TOWN
That night we slept in the temple which I absolutely LOVED! (It was chilly so pack socks!) But it was easily my favorite accommodation.
Day 6
- Morning Market in Takayama
- Bullet train to Kyoto
- Gion district/Geisha Walking Tour
- Stay in pod style hostel: Ryokan Hostel Gion
The next morning, we visited the morning market to sample more unique foods and browse the little stalls and stands. It made for a really nice morning!
After that, we took the bullet train to Kyoto.
Upon arrival, we checked in our pod hostel and dropped our bags before heading out on a walking tour of Kyoto’s Geisha district.
Before you go, I highly suggest you read the famous Memoirs of Geisha or at least watch the movie! It will give you a good introduction to Kyoto’s history with Geishas. Plus several scenes in the movie are filmed around Kyoto!
That evening we visited a temple before having free time for dinner! Corbin and I had a great time wandering around the city and found some really quirky and fun locally owned bars. It was a blast!
Day 7
- Fushimi-Inari Shrine *go early & beat the crowds
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple
- Traditional Tea Ceremony
- Free time to explore
- Option to rent kimonos
The next day we woke up very early (like 5am or so!) to take the metro over to Fushimi-Inari Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most popular attractions! It was still a bit dark when we arrived.
Ideally I wish we had arrived just a *tiny* bit later because it was very dark and cold which made photos difficult. However, if we had waited much longer, the site gets completely overrun with crowds and tour buses. I highly suggest going early but time your visit so you arrive as the sun comes up!
Afterwards, we headed to the stunning Kiyomizu-dera Temple which overlooks Kyoto. It’s a beautiful and huge complex but again, we prepared for tour groups and large crowds.
Afterwards, some of the group took the metro back to our accommodation but I highly recommend walking back because it’s one of the most scenic, historic districts of Kyoto!
For a great photo and an iconic view, walk over to Hōkan-ji Temple. This street is one of the most recognizable shots of Kyoto!
I fell in love with the Higashiyama area. We loved wandering the shops and winding streets here! Plus so many people were wandering around in kimonos, it was jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Later that afternoon, we all met up to attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. This was a super unique and really worthwhile experience as well!
That night, our guide Mike took us on a “Geisha Safari”. We grabbed a drink from one of the many vending machines and went to the backside of one of the largest tea houses.
From here, we were able to watch the Geishas come and go discreetly without bothering them. It was INCREDIBLE to see them in person and watch them interact with the Japanese business men as they arrived. We even saw one man gift a Geisha an enormous gift bag.
If you do this though, please don’t harass the Geishas or run up to them asking for selfies etc. Be respectful and let them go about their day!
Day 8
- Golden Pavilion
- Zen Garden
- Kendo Class
The next morning, we took public transit to the jaw-dropping Golden Pavilion. It was spectacular in the morning light!
Afterwards, we toured a traditional Japanese zen garden. I really appreciated when our guide had us do a moment of silence overlooking the rock garden.
We had free time in the afternoon before meeting up for a traditional Kendo class taught by a Kendo master. This is a super unique activity that only OneLife Adventures offers.
One Life Adventures Japan
Day 9
- Train ride to Arashiyama
- Bamboo Forest
- Monkey Mountain
- Traditional Boat Ride between the valleys
- Osaka Night Food Tour
- Unlimited Drinks Karaoke
The next morning, we took a train ride to Arashiyama to visit the bamboo forest. Although small, it’s a pretty stop which is situated right next to Monkey Mountain and a beautiful valley where we took a traditional boat ride.
A note for Monkey Mountain: it’s a bit of a hike up to the top. So wear comfortable shoes you can do a short, steep hike without any issues!
After a really nice and relaxing morning we took the train to Osaka.
Our guide led us a on a night food tour. Osaka completely blew me out of the water! I truly had not looked into the destination AT ALL before coming on this trip and had zero idea that it was like the Las Vegas of Japan. There are neon bright lights everywhere, strip clubs, go-go dancers, insane foods, wild outfits and just.. so much going on! I loved every hectic second of it though.
That evening we did karaoke with unlimited drinks which is SUPER popular in Japan! Basically you have a private rented out room and everyone takes turns with the microphone but mostly, it just turns into everyone drunk and singing all together dancing around the room.
It was the perfect way to end the night with an amazing bunch of people. That night, some of us continued the party to a nightclub in Osaka and stayed up way too late dancing. The nightlife scene in Osaka is truly wild!
Day 10
- Fly home from Osaka or take the bullet train back to Tokyo
- Option to extend with a trip to Nara Park
That morning, we went for breakfast in Osaka before taking the bullet train back to Tokyo! Corbin and I booked a few extra days in Japan at the end of the tour so we could go to DisneySea.
Others in our group continued on and did the OneLife Adventures Japan extension to Nara Park or Hiroshima.
Overall, this tour was super well-rounded and comprehensive. It was the perfect mix of city experiences, nature, history, small towns and cultural interactions. And the trip itself is really, really affordable given how expensive Japan is as a destination.
You can use code “WANDERLUST” to save when booking any tours in a One Life Adventures destination!
One Life Adventures Japan
Thank you to OneLife Adventures for hosting me on this tour.
As always, all thoughts & opinions are my own.
One Life Adventures Japan
