Our ski extension package is suitable for all levels, from beginners to advanced. If you are a beginner and want to book lessons, group and private rates are available at https://www.evergreen-skischool.com/group-ski-snowboard-lessons/. We highly advise booking in advance due to high demand.
On the final day, we recommend booking flights no earlier than 2:30 pm from Tokyo. Please allow around 2 hours to travel from Nagano to Tokyo by Shinkansen before checking in at the airport.
We recommend taking a taxi between the two locations, as it is a short 5-minute journey.
There is a free shuttle bus operated by the Happo-One resort that stops right outside your accommodation. You can view the route and schedule on theHappo Shuttle Bus map via the official Hakuba Happo-one Snow Resort website.
Your travel insurance policy should cover all activities you are taking part in. For instance, if you opt for the ski package, you must ensure that winter sports are included in your policy, as they are typically classified as extreme activities.
Yes, the resort has a number of restaurants and cafes you can visit during your days on the mountain.
Ski gear rental is already included in the price of the tour. However, if you wish to send your own equipment or clothing items to the resort in advance, please speak to your guide who can help you arrange this.
Our ski extension package is suitable for all experience levels, from beginners to advanced skiers and snowboarders. If you are a beginner and would like to purchase lessons, you can view private and group rates at https://www.evergreen-skischool.com/group-ski-snowboard-lessons/. We highly advise booking these lessons in advance due to high demand.
The ski extension package includes skiing equipment (skis, poles, and boots) or snowboarding equipment (board and boots). Helmets are optional but recommended, and can be rented for an additional ¥1000 per day. Clothing rental is also available upon arrival at the ski resort, and you can check Woody’s website for rates and specific items at https://rentalshop-woody.jp/price.
Yes, the tour price includes the return train to Tokyo if you are on either the 11-day tour or the ski extension.
The first night of the tour is spent at Sakura Hotel Nippori in Tokyo. You will be notified in the unlikely event that there are any accommodation changes.
You can fly into either Narita International Airport (NRT) or Haneda International Airport (HND). Airport pick-ups are not offered on this tour, but incredibly detailed instructions on how to reach the hostel from both airports are included in your welcome pack.
No, the ski extension package cannot be booked during the trip and must be booked in advance through our website.
This tour requires a reasonable level of fitness due to the amount of walking involved, as some days will require walking more than approximately 8-10 km. Please bring appropriate footwear for this. If you are joining the ski extension, we advise a moderate to high fitness level to make the most of your time on the slopes.
Your passport must have at least six months’ validity and two blank pages. You should also have proof of onward travel.
Absolutely. Your payment is secure. Backpacking Tours is a licensed tour operator in Thailand (TAT Licence No.11/12642), and we use trusted international payment providers. Your booking is safe, and our team is here to support you every step of the way.
Once you’ve booked your flights, log in to the Manage My Booking area of our website and enter your flight arrival details. If you’re arriving early, we can still arrange your airport transfer. If you also need extra nights of accommodation, let us know early so we can confirm availability and pricing.
International flights are not included in the price of any tour and will need to be booked separately. You’re free to book your own flights or book here.
We recommend using a Wise travel card. It works in most places and supports Apple Pay and Google Pay. ATMs are widely available, but some places may accept cash only, so it’s good to carry some local currency.
We highly recommend that you travel with insurance for complete peace of mind. Please click here.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all our trips. You’ll need to show proof of your policy to your group leader upon arrival (on your phone or printed). You can get a quote and purchase your travel insurance here.
We are staying in a temple for 1 night in the stunning town of Takayama. It is breathtaking and truly a once in a lifetime experience. We sleep on traditional tatami mats in multi-share accommodation (up to 9 people in 1 room) with a view of a Japanese garden and provide a mattress, sheet and pillow for all guests. The temple has excellent shared facilities and is centrally located.
Days 1, 2, 3 you will be in twins in a hotel, On day 4 you will be staying in multi-share accommodation in the mountain town of Hakone, day 5 in a multi-share accommodation in a temple. In Kyoto on days 6,7,8 you will have your own pod in a capsule Ryokan and in Osaka you will either be in twins or triples. In Koyasan you will be in twins in a temple and will finish in twins in Hiroshima.
You can fly into Narita International Airport (NRT) or Haneda International Airport (HND); it doesn’t matter which one you choose. While we don’t offer airport pickups on this tour, we provide incredibly detailed information on how to get to your accommodation from both airports.
The first night’s accommodation is as follows:
Backpacking Japan: Sakura Hotel Nippori
Backpacking Japan: Essentials: Sakura Hostel Asakusa
Note: You will be notified in the unlikely case that there are changes.
On the final day, we recommend booking flights that depart no earlier than 1:30 PM from Hiroshima Airport or 6:00 PM from Tokyo Airport if you’re returning to Tokyo via train. Please allow approximately 1.5 hours to get to Hiroshima Airport.
Your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at 6:30 PM on Day 1. You can check in from 3 PM.
The tour finishes on the final day, with check-out at 10 AM.
For sure! Around 1–2 weeks before your trip, you’ll get a welcome email with a welcome message and more trip info.
Citizens of several countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many European countries, can enter Japan for short-term stays (usually up to 90 days) without a visa for purposes such as tourism.
However, visa requirements can change, so it's always a good idea to check the most current information from an official source or the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country.
You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket, and your passport must be valid for the entire time you are staying in Japan. Don't be surprised if an immigration officer asks you to show proof of sufficient funds to travel for the length of your stay in Japan.
For additional guidance, you can also visit the Sherpa official website to see if a visa is required for your visit to Japan.
Our Backpacking Japan: Essentials tour stays in fun, mixed-gender dorms at hostels across Japan. If you’d prefer same-sex twin-share accommodation, we recommend our Backpacking Japan 14-day tour, which includes twin-share rooms for most of the trip (except temple stays and Kyoto’s capsule accommodation).
We would not recommend flying internationally any earlier than 5 pm. It takes 4 hours to reach Tokyo on the return train and a further 1 hour to reach the airport, and you’ll need to be there at least 3 hours earlier than your flight. (The Hiroshima-Tokyo bullet train is a faster Shinkansen than the Osaka-Tokyo). Please note that the bullet train is available as an additional cost.
Your deposit ensures your reservation for the tour or program. It guarantees your spot until 60 days prior to the scheduled commencement date, at which time the outstanding balance must be settled in full. Failure to complete payment by the specified deadline will result in the cancellation of your reservation, and the vacancy may be offered to another prospective participant. The remaining balance can be found in your account, and multiple reminders will be sent in advance of the due date to ensure timely payment.
For group tours, your place will be confirmed when 6 or more people have signed up and at least four weeks (28 days) prior to the start of your tour.
For volunteer or private bookings, please wait 2-3 working days.
We will refund you the total amount if the tour is cancelled. Typically, group tours are confirmed six months before departure.
Please wait for a confirmation email; this will provide information about when we recommend arriving and to depart. We recommend using Sky Scanner to arrange your flights.
We will provide you with airport transfer information 1-week before the tour/program begins.
We are unfortunately not able to offer a single supplement for our Japan tour, simply because it’s extremely difficult to find a single room, almost every room is a twin so it would essentially mean the guest would need to cover the cost of two people to be able to have a room to themselves. However, we will absolutely try and put you with another solo traveler.
The itinerary in Tokyo is fairly packed, but you can always stay in an area for longer and return to the accommodation on your own if you would like to explore more. There’s some free time in Takayama to take advantage of the optional activities like archery or visiting an onsen. While there’s not much free time in Hakone or Osaka, in Kyoto you will have a half day free to explore on your own.
Whilst on the tour the longest travel time is around 4 hours. There will be a day where we will be on the train for 2-3 hours twice in one day with a 30 minute change.
We would advise 450£ for the duration of the 14-day tour. This is a safe amount to cover lots on the tour, however you will have lots of opportunities to withdraw more cash throughout the trip.
As Japan is a developed country, Wi-Fi and data access is excellent. All the hostels that we stay in have strong and consistent Wi-Fi. If you’d like to stay connected whilst on the road you can pick up a tourist sim card at the airport, these will cost you anywhere between 10-25£ for 2 weeks worth of data.
Due to the nature of cuisine in Japan, strict dietary requirements may be difficult to accommodate in some areas. Many of the broths/stocks which flavour much of Japanese food are not vegetarian/vegan friendly, and many meals contain either meat, fish, or egg elements. We recommend downloading the app “Happy Cow” and asking your tour guide for advice throughout the tour. You may also bring some snacks/supplements with you if necessary, but please note that Japanese customs can be very strict with medication so ensure you double check everything you bring.
While we don’t have an onsen experience included in our packages, there are opportunities to do this while on tour. While in Takayama there is some free time during which your tour guide can give you directions on how to reach the onsens in the area.
Arriving at 21:00 is not a problem at all, but you will miss the welcome dinner and night walk at Senso-ji Temple. Just be mindful that all public transport into the city stops running around midnight so keep this in mind if any of your flights are delayed. If this is the case, there is information in your welcome email about how to get into the city after midnight.
We would highly recommend bringing no more than 15kg on this trip, and bringing a backpack instead of a suitcase if you can. You won’t need to carry your luggage around during daily excursions, but you will need to transport your luggage between each accommodation so we recommend packing as lightly as possible.
The luggage limit on the Shinkansen (bullet train) is very strict. Bags over 160cm (height x width x length) need an advance reservation and bags over 251cm cannot be accommodated even with a reservation.
While there is free time allocated during our time in Tokyo to explore each area a little further, there isn’t enough free time for bigger activities unless you miss some of the inclusions. If you’d like to do the Mario Kart racing for example, we recommend you arrive earlier than day 1 to give yourself some extra time in Tokyo.
Yes, the dress code is seen as a show of respect to the culture, temple and monks that often live in the temples. Men should wear long pants and no cut-off sleeves. Women should wear trousers, a long skirt, or dress that extends fully below the knees and covers their shoulders - the knees should be fully covered. Tank tops and low cut shirts should also be avoided by both genders.
