A whole different kind of holiday.
Highlights
🏮 Experience a re-imagined holiday centered on stunning festivals and illuminations, including the iconic Chichibu Festival and the unique lantern jousting of the Koga Chochin Festival.
🌃 Explore both the mega-city attractions of Tokyo (Akihabara, Shibuya) and the cultural hubs of the Kansai region, using Kobe as your base to experience Kyoto and Osaka street food.
🌸 Witness the breathtaking holiday lights at the Ashikaga Flower Park Illuminations before capping the trip with a rejuvenating hot spring stay and shopping break in Nagahama on Lake Biwa.
🎁 Travel with ease thanks to 11 nights of 3- and 4-star lodging (including a resort stay), all scheduled rail/transportation, baggage shipping, and a professional, bilingual guide.
Imagine a night sky where scant clouds reflect flickers of lantern light from a street filled with revelers below. As your eyes adjust, you find yourself among the locals – cheering, clapping, and celebrating as festival carts move through the busy street of an otherwise quiet mountain town. A few days later, you find yourself in a similar spot, watching as towering lanterns joust each other hundreds of feet above the ground to the delight of the rows of festival-goers snacking on takoyaki and yakitori cooked fresh just a block away. This is the kind of feeling we wanted to bring to Japan Holiday – a complete re-imagining of our signature holiday season trip that subverts every single thing you’d expect from a Japan vacation in the holiday season.
Centered around festivals and holiday illuminations, this journey will start later and end later than our other trips; in other words, night owls: this journey is for YOU. The journey begins in Tokyo and features many of the spots in the city you expect to visit: the Anime shopping of Akihabara, Ueno Park, the frenetically paced Shibuya and more. However, as day turns to night, we’ll step off the beaten path to some festivals you’ll have to see to believe: the lantern jousting Koga Chochin Festival, the iconic Chichibu Festival, and rolling hills of illuminated flora at the Ashikaga Flower Park Illuminations.
Of course, why let our fun just be limited to Tokyo? We’ll also visit Kobe, which will be our home base for seeing the best sites of Kyoto and Osaka! You’ll try street food in Shinsaibashi and Namba, admire the neon lights from Kobe Harborland, and wander the hillside paths of Kyoto. As a cherry on top of the entire journey, we’ll stop over in Nagahama on the way back to Tokyo for one night at a hot spring resort, where you’ll get the chance to shop the glass vendors of Kurokabe Square, get a pint of local lager at the Nagahama Roman Brewery, and admire the waves on the surface of Lake Biwa.
This year, treat yourself to a completely different kind of journey. Make 2026 a holiday to remember!
Trip itinerary
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After arriving in Tokyo, check in at the hotel and relax (or head out with the group for some night one eats).
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Omiya or similar
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Begin the day in the Tokyo neighborhood of Ikebukuro, where we’ll cafe hop and explore the Tokiwa-so complex (former home to many famous manga artists) before boarding an express train out to Chichibu for their big party: the Chichibu Festival.
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Omiya or similar
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We’ll begin with Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s most important buddhist temples next to streets lined with all kinds of traditional shops. Then it’s off to Akihabara to shop for Anime goodies, or if you’re not into that, we’ll get you over to Kanda Shrine on the west side to buy charms and sightsee. In the evening, an izakaya chicken dinner will be waiting.
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Omiya or similar
Meals: Dinner included -
Our two Tokyo stops today include the laid back dessert paradise of Jiyugaoka, followed by a stop in Shibuya to shop, sightsee, and check out what’s hip. In the evening, we'll enjoy a tempura and hot pot dinner on a Yakatabune longboat in Tokyo Bay!
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Omiya or similar
Meals: Dinner included -
We’ll take trek through Ueno’s famous park and Ameyokocho district in the lunch hours before we head north to Koga to watch towering lanterns joust one another! Be sure to stand off to the side for safety… ;)
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Omiya or similar
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Today is a free day! Explore as you like, and in the evening, meet up (if you like) to check out some winter illuminations with us at the Ashikaga Flower Park.
Lodging: Candeo Hotel Omiya or similar
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Today, we’ll board the Shinkansen “bullet train” to our next destination: Kansai! First up: Osaka, where we'll begin in Shinsaibashi and Namba, the wild cultural center of Osaka that is home to countless game centers, neon light displays, and some of the best local cuisine that Japan has to offer. Take time to window shop, or grab your camera for a swing through Osaka’s Museum of Art! Then we'll head south to visit the Akihabara of Osaka, Denden Town, before strolling through the legendary alleys of Tsutenkaku to consume tasty local treats and take in some local flavor.
Lodging: Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel or similar
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We’ll spend the whole day in Kyoto, walking the city’s scenic Philosopher’s Path after a visit to the zen rock gardens and views of Ginkakuji. From there, we’ll visit Nijo Castle to walk along the nightingale flooring in the castle before making our way to Kyoto’s massive Kyoto Station Complex to have dinner and see the annual holiday lights display in the station center.
Lodging: Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel or similar
Meals: Dinner included -
Let’s see more of our own backyard, shall we? We'll take a ropeway car over a waterfall to the scenic Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden, where you’ll be treated to one of the finest views of the bay the area has to offer. Explore the gardens, or just relax and take it in – the choice is yours. Then we’ll explore the city’s many sights, such as the waterfront Meriken Park, Kobe’s bustling Chinatown, and the Sannomiya shopping arcade before a special group dinner.
Lodging: Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel or similar
Meals: Dinner included -
Today is a free day! Return to a place you loved, or explore further afield. Regardless, your guide will be on hand to help plan.
Lodging: Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel or similar
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Our last stop awaits today: Nagahama! We’ll check out glass makers and a figurine museum (yeah, really) in Kurokabe Square, use the hot spring at our resort hotel, and enjoy a group dinner at a local brewery to cap off the trip.
Lodging: Mercure Grand Biwako or similar
Meals: Dinner included -
Return home and tell your friends how much fun you had!
This trip includes…
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Trip Status |
Open for signups |
Deadline |
Oct. 2, 2026 |
Minimum guest #: |
8 guests |
Fly → JP On*: |
November 30, 2026 |
Starts in JP On: |
December 1, 2026 |
TRIP PACE |
Medium. There will be more standing than walking in most spots, so make sure to have comfy footwear! |
Extras |
Single Room: +$1000 |
*This is the date you should leave your home country.
Click for more info about:
FLIGHTS • REFUND POLICY
Click for more info about:
🛌 11 nights three-and-four-star accommodations, including one night a in resort hotel
🥢 Includes 5 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:
*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.