*Trip begins in Tokyo at 8AM on July 7; it is strongly suggested you arrive in Japan on July 6 to avoid problems!
The summer vacation of your dreams - in Japan.
Highlights
🌊 Explore a side of Japan few travelers see, hopping between the stunning, subtropical islands of Kagoshima, Yoron, and Okinawa.
♨️ Indulge in ultimate relaxation with stays at two four-star resorts, including a mountain onsen and a deluxe beachside paradise.
🐠 Enjoy unique island activities like snorkeling on the magical, tide-dependent Yurigahama Beach on Yoron Island and exploring local culture.
✈️ Travel effortlessly from Kagoshima to Naha, utilizing a mix of scheduled air and sea transport to maximize your exploration time.
Imagine a world where volcanoes continue to create some of the world’s most unique landscapes; where islands and reefs meet lush forests, hot springs flow into beaches, and a boat is more useful than a car on most days.
Japan is home to hundreds of under-explored islands with treasures you can only imagine – and if you’re ready to see places that fly in the face of every stereotype that applies to Japan travel, Island Hopper is the journey for you! This is a vacation built for the curious traveler who wants to unwind, but also explore.
For 2026, we’re proud to bring you this shorter, bite-sized edition of our Island Hopper trip to give you a quick taste of the best of Japan’s southern Amami and Okinawa islands. Spanning the ocean from Kagoshima to Okinawa’s main island, you’ll fly, sail, and swim as we explore the hidden gems of Japan’s subtropical south. You’ll snorkel on a magical beach in Yoron that appears and vanishes with the tide, and unwind at resort destinations that are designed to give you the summer vacation of your dreams. You’ll visit the cities of Kagoshima and Naha to check out the nightlife and shop for local specialties. Oh, and because you should never limit yourself to only one kind of fancy resort, you’ll get to experience a hot spring AND a beachside resort on the same trip. Besides, it’s a summer vacation; if you want to get a fancy spa treatment in a beach paradise after you get one at a mountain hot spring, who are we to say no?
Japan’s island treasures await you; grab your goggles and sunscreen and get ready for the most unique views of Japan you’ll find anywhere!
Trip itinerary
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After meeting up in Tokyo, we’ll fly to Kagoshima, where we’ll visit the seaside Sengan-en Gardens, stop by the volcanic Sakurajima Island, and explore the Tenmonkan Shopping District.
Lodging: Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel or similar
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Check out the old Samurai District of Chiran and the iconic "sand onsen" of Ibusuki before a special group dinner in Kagoshima for the evening.
Lodging: Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Today, we head into the forest to see waterfalls, check out the Kirishima Shrine, and check in at our first resort of the trip!
Lodging: Kirishima Kokusai Hotel & Resort or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
After breakfast, we’ll fly to Yoron Island, where we'll take a boat out to the mysterious sandbar at Yurigahama Beach!
Lodging: Prescia Resort or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
We take our last boat to Okinawa, where we'll check out the massive Churaumi Aquarium before arriving at our resort.
Lodging: Hyatt Seragaki or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Head into Naha City with your guides, where we'll visit Shuri Castle and see the Tsuboya Shopping Area before a stop closer to the hotel at the Orion Beer Brewery.
Lodging: Hyatt Seragaki or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch -
A free day to enjoy the resort, swim, sail, explore more of the island, or just kick back and relax.
Lodging: Hyatt Seragaki or similar
Meals: Breakfast -
Fly back to Tokyo to return home, or keep the journey going in Okinawa, or elsewhere (maybe Kansai…?)
Meals: Breakfast
This trip includes…
| |
Trip Status |
CONFIRMED TO DEPART |
Deadline |
April 27, 2026 |
Minimum guest #: |
8 guests |
Fly → JP On*: |
July 5, 2026 |
Starts in JP On: |
July 7 (8AM), 2026 |
TRIP PACE |
Light. We're here to relax, darn it. |
Extras |
Single Room: ASK |
*This is the date you should leave your home country.
Click for more info about:
FLIGHTS • REFUND POLICY
Click for more info about:
🛌 7 nights four-star accommodations, including three nights in resorts
🥢 Includes 7 breakfasts and 3 dinners
🚅 All scheduled rail, sea, and air transport within Japan.**
🧳 Baggage shipping (up to 3 complimentary luggage transfers for one suitcase per trip)
😀 Professional, bilingual guides there to help with anything you might need
🎟️ Admission to all scheduled activities
📗 Customized Trip Guidebook and Pre-Trip Orientation Materials, mailed to you before the trip so you can prepare for the journey before leaving home!
🍫 Nightly turndown service with local sweets
❤️ Complimentary concierge service: we can help plan extra stops, pre-and-post-trip extensions, and more.
🗾 Much, much more!
NOT INCLUDED:
❌ Flights to Japan from your home country
❌ Travel insurance
❌ Meals not listed above
NOTES:
ADVANCE DEPOSIT: The trip does not have a final price yet. Final price to be announced later; anyone who signs up early gets a $50 discount and may get a fee-free refund of the deposit if they do not approve of the final price when it is announced.
EDUCATOR DISCOUNT: Teachers and education professionals will receive an additional $200 off their final payment.
HEAT STROKE: This trip travels at a time when there is an elevated risk for heat stroke.
*All initial payments are a $300 deposit. The balance for the trip is due at the deadline for the trip.
**If a guest decides to go long distances on rail during free times, extra charges may apply.