What does this Tokyo and Kyoto trip include, and what does it cost?
Six or eight nights across Japan’s two great cities with return flights from London. Three or four of those nights are in Tokyo at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar 4★. ATOL protection under licence 10713 applies and a £99 per person deposit holds it. June is the cheapest month and December the dearest. The Kyoto half of the itinerary, the rail connection between the cities and the board arrangement are all confirmed in writing before you pay. There are no March or April dates, so cherry blossom season is not available on the holiday.
What is confirmed, and what are we still checking?
The fixed points: six or eight nights in Japan, return flights from London, 4★ hotels throughout, and three or four of those nights in Tokyo at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar.
What we set with you: the Kyoto half — how many of your nights are there and at which hotel — the rail connection between the two cities, and what is covered at mealtimes.
Kyoto is part of the itinerary, and the exact split of nights between the two cities is confirmed in writing before you pay. When you enquire, ask three things: how many nights are in Kyoto and where, is the bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto inside the price, and what is covered at mealtimes.
All of it is confirmed in writing before you pay anything beyond the deposit, so the full itinerary is settled while you still have every option open.
Why are there no cherry blossom dates?
It is the one thing worth checking before you set your heart on a date, and we would rather tell you now than let you find it at the booking stage.
The holiday runs May to February. There are no March dates and no April dates at all. Cherry blossom season — the single most famous reason anyone visits Japan, and the thing most first-time visitors are picturing — falls in exactly that missing window.
If blossom is why you want to go, this is not the holiday for it, and no amount of flexibility on your side changes that. Tell us and we will look at what else we can put together for those dates.
What the holiday does cover is the other great Japanese season. Autumn colour in November is, for many people who have seen both, the better of the two — and November is available here. It is at the expensive end, which is what you would expect.
When should you go?
January, and the reason is worth setting out because it runs against the obvious choice.
GOV.UK states that “the tropical cyclone (typhoon) season is between June and December, peaking between July and September.” That covers most of the holiday’s calendar. GOV.UK also warns of extreme summer heat “exceeding 35°C in July-August”, with heat stroke a real risk.
Compare July and January. Both are £1,199. July is the peak of typhoon season in heat above 35°C. January is outside the season entirely — cold and clear, with the year’s best chance of seeing Fuji, the fewest crowds at Kyoto’s temples, and the country’s best food season. The same money, two completely different holidays.
October is the value pick — past the typhoon peak, before November’s autumn premium, and comfortable for walking, which is most of what you do in both cities.
None of this rules out summer. Typhoons are forecast days ahead rather than arriving unannounced, and most summer trips are unaffected. But you are paying the same for July as for January, and that is worth a moment’s thought.
What you will actually do
Tokyo takes the larger share of the nights. It is less a city than a collection of them — Shinjuku, where the hotel sits, plus Shibuya, Asakusa’s old temple quarter, the fish market at Toyosu, and the electronics and anime district at Akihabara. The Shinjuku base is well chosen: it is one of the best-connected points in the country.
Kyoto, named in the holiday’s title, is the counterweight — the imperial capital for over a thousand years, with Kinkaku-ji’s golden pavilion, the Fushimi Inari shrine and its thousands of vermilion gates, and Gion, the geisha district. An evening walk through Gion is among the things this trip is built around.
The bullet train between them takes a little over two hours and is a genuine experience rather than a transfer. Whether it sits inside your package is one of the things to confirm.
The food is a reason to go on its own. Japan takes single-dish specialism further than anywhere — a restaurant that makes only tempura, or only eel, for generations. Eating well is not expensive if you eat where people actually eat.
The etiquette is real but forgiving. Nobody expects a visitor to get everything right. Shoes off where indicated, quiet on trains, and no tipping — which is not stinginess but is genuinely not done and can cause confusion.
What changes your price?
- The month. June at its cheapest against December at its dearest.
- Six nights or eight, and how they divide between the two cities.
- Whether the bullet train between the cities is included, which we confirm in writing before you pay.
- Departure airport. Priced from London, with regional UK airports at a supplement confirmed at enquiry.
- Hotel category in either city. Japanese standard rooms are small by European expectation, and an upgrade buys more than it would elsewhere.
Who this holiday suits
- Culture lovers, couples, families and explorers.
- First-time visitors to Japan who want the two essential cities and nothing more complicated.
- Food travellers, for whom Japan is close to the top of any list.
- Anyone drawn to the contrast between a hypermodern capital and a thousand-year-old one.
- January and February travellers, who get the quietest temples and the clearest air of the year.
Who might prefer something else
- Want cherry blossom? The holiday has no March or April dates. That is the clearest reason here to look elsewhere, and we will help you do it.
- Want a beach or a resort? This is two cities and a great deal of walking.
- If you want a guided tour with everything arranged, our Vietnam and Cambodia guided tour starts at £1,369 per person.
- If high summer is your only window, July and August are the typhoon peak in 35°C heat, and Japan’s cities are unforgiving in it.
- If none of these is quite right, start from our wider selection of multi-centre holidays.
- Something similar? Our Singapore & Bali Twin-Centre – 7 or 10 Nights is the closest thing we sell to this one.
Ways to upgrade
All quoted at enquiry against your dates.
- A larger room or higher category in either city, which matters more in Japan than most places
- Eight nights rather than six
- Confirmed bullet train tickets, or a Japan Rail Pass if your itinerary justifies one
- A night in a traditional ryokan with an onsen, which is a different experience entirely
- A guided walk in Gion, or a tea ceremony in Kyoto
- Airport transfers, and premium cabins on the long-haul sector
What is not included?
- Temple, shrine and museum entry, most of which charge a small amount individually and add up.
- Local transport, including Tokyo’s metro and any rail beyond what we confirm.
- Airport transfers, which in Tokyo are a longer journey than most visitors expect.
- Travel insurance.
How do you get there and get around?
Flights are long-haul from London, with regional UK airports at a supplement confirmed at enquiry. Japan is nine hours ahead of the UK in winter and eight during British Summer Time, and does not observe daylight saving.
Transfers are not included, and Tokyo’s airports are a long way out — considerably further from the centre than most visitors assume. Budget real time and money for that journey at both ends of the trip.
Within the cities, public transport is exceptional. A rechargeable IC card covers metro, bus and most rail and is the single most useful thing to get on arrival. The bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto takes a little over two hours; whether it is inside your package is confirmed at enquiry.
Entry requirements for UK travellers
Checked against GOV.UK foreign travel advice on 17 September 2026.
British passport holders get a visa on arrival for tourism, valid up to 90 days, with no advance application. It can be extended once by a further 90 days at an immigration office.
Your passport need only be valid for the length of your stay — no six-month rule, which is unusual and worth noting if you are used to the rest of Asia. You need a blank page for the entry stamp.
Practicalities worth knowing
Japan is an earthquake zone. GOV.UK advises monitoring earthquake, tsunami and aftershock warnings and following the instructions given in hotels and railway stations. Tremors are common and almost always minor, and the buildings are engineered for them.
Summer heat is a genuine hazard. GOV.UK records temperatures exceeding 35°C in July and August with heat stroke risk. Japanese cities hold heat, and sightseeing in it is harder than the numbers suggest.
Carry cash. Japan is far more cash-based than its reputation for technology suggests. Cards work in hotels and chains; smaller restaurants, shrines and markets often do not take them. Convenience store ATMs accept foreign cards reliably.
Do not tip. It is not expected anywhere and can cause genuine awkwardness. Good service is standard rather than something you are buying.
Rooms are small. A standard Japanese 4★ room is smaller than the European equivalent. It is not a downgrade, it is the norm — but it is worth knowing before you open the door, and an upgrade buys more here than elsewhere.
Booking and protection
Your booking is covered by our ATOL licence 10713 and we hold IATA accreditation 91285611. It is held with a deposit of £99 per person, with the balance due before travel.
Prices are per person, based on two people sharing. October is the value pick and January is the quiet, clear, cold Japan that many people prefer — the same price as July, which is the typhoon peak. Whichever month you choose, ask us to confirm the Kyoto nights, the rail connection and the board in writing before you pay.
Save 9%
ATOL Protected
Mauritius
All Inclusive
