japan
explorer

experience neon cities, see mount fuji, take a sushi making class and samurai experience on this iconic japanese adventures.

all you need to know

why you'll love this trip

ready for an all-girls trip to japan? city lights, skyscrapers and sushi! experience the vibrant energy of japan in a journey that blends the modern and the traditional. over 12 unforgettable days, explore the neon-lit streets of tokyo and the serenity of kyoto's bamboo forests. dive into japan's rich culture as you learn the art of sushi-making, dress in traditional samurai robes, and stroll through the ancient halls of osaka castle. unwind with a night walk in the eerie beauty of koyasan's cemetery and enjoy the local flavours with a sake tasting at a local tokyo bar. from breathtaking views of mount fuji to the iconic temples of kinkaku-ji and senso-ji, this trip promises memories that will last a lifetime. get ready for an adventure that’s as extraordinary as it is unforgettable.

what's included

everything sorted for you

activities
sushi making class
fushimi-inari red temple
samurai experience
mt. fuji viewpoint
explore lake ashi by Ship
explore dhinjuku, omoide yokocho and golden gai
meiji Shrine; walking tour
senso-ji temple
osaka castle & dotonbori
koyasan Temple Stay
cemetary tour
minenzaka exploring
matcha making experience
kinkaku-Ji visit (rokuon-ji)
arashiyama bamboo forest
ropeway cablecar
🇯🇵 local tour guide
we think the best way to experience a country is through the eyes of the people that live there. from hotspots to hidden gems and the best food - our local guide with show you everything there is to know!
🚐 transport & accommodation
public transport (metro, bus and train)
Bullet Train (shinkansen)
11 nights accommodation
mix of dorms and twin share - always female only
🍽️ meals
1 x breakfast
1 x lunch
1 x dinner
🥣 matcha making experience
japan is incredibly famous for it's matcha so it's only right we have a matcha making experience from the very expert locals who have refined their recipes to perfection!!!
where we go

your 12 day adventure

tokyo
tokyo
osaka
osaka
koyasan
koyasan
kyoto
kyoto
hakone
hakone
tokyo
tokyo
day by day

your 12 day adventure

Day 1
day 1

welcome to japan!! 🇯🇵

tokyo

welcome to japan, where our adventure kicks off in the heart of tokyo! as the world’s largest metropolis and home to japan’s top-rated restaurants, tokyo is the perfect place to begin exploring. after checking in at the hostel, take some time to relax before we meet up in the evening to experience the city’s vibrant nightlife. we’ll start in shibuya, where neon lights illuminate the bustling streets. known for its unique bars and energetic party scene, shibuya is an incredible place to explore.

Day 2
day 2

exploring tokyo, senso-ji temple & matcha making 🍵

tokyo

more tokyo! today is all about jaw-dropping architecture, rich history, and life-changing experiences at the world-famous senso-ji temple, tokyo's oldest temple, and a mirage of stunning bright red architecture surrounds us. we’ll be travelling via train for the majority of our sightseeing, so it's a chance to get to know the local area. we'll explore akihabara, the electric town, a perfect visit for anime lovers and the ideal place for our matcha making experience!!! if that's not for you, take a walk around town, and devour some delicious street food like wagyu skewers or tendon. they're 10/10 a must try btw. then if you're not tired of exploring all day we can venture out to explore tokyo by night!

explore tokyosenso-ji templematcha making
Day 3
day 3

see the incredible meiji shrine ⛩️

tokyo exploring

this morning we’ll pack up our bags and get ready for tomorrow's travel day! we'll also do some more exploring of tokyo and discover some hidden spots. we'll visit the meiji shrine which dates back to over 100 years ago, and a must-see in tokyo that is dedicated to the deified spirits of emperor meiji and his wife, empress shoken. take in this beautiful place as we take a walk through our magical surroundings. we'll then head over to the beautiful yoyogi park & explore harajuku, the famous shopping and fashion neighbourhood. In the evening, we'll head out for dinner and a few drinks if you fancy it. tomorrow morning, we're travelling at the speed of light on the world-famous bullet train!

yoyogi parkmeiji shrine
Day 4
day 4

bullet train, osaka castle & vibrant neon street 🚅

osaka

it’s time for our next stop… osaka! we catch the bullet train and spend the morning zooming through the scenic views of japan. the bullet train is an incredible experience in itself so take it all in gals! we arrive in osaka and head to osaka castle, originally completed in 1586 as a display of power and grandeur by the samurai warlord and ruler of japan, toyotomi hideyoshi; osaka castle is the most famous attraction in osaka and spans over 15 acres. next up, we explore neon street. fluorescent pinks, yellows and neon greens surround us. with sparkling lights, bustling streets and huge 3D signs, we're in dotonbori! we take a walking tour and explore this sensational city and learn the story behind it. in the evening, we'll be ready for some dinner, so we'll discover some delicious street food. you must try the takoyaki!

bullet trainosaka castleneon street
Day 5
day 5

sushi making & sightseeing!! 🍱

osaka

aprons at the ready, this morning you'll try your hand at sushi making... which is harder than you think but super fun! we'll be getting creative in the kitchen this morning and, of course, every good chef must taste their work, so lunch will be a selection of our best dishes. we'll then spend the evening checking out all the sights before heading for some delicious dinner!

sushi making class1 x lunch
Day 6
day 6

traditional temple stay 🏯

local experiences - koyasan

grab a coffee or matcha as we're heading to koyasan! we'll take a local train, a cable train and a bus to get to our next stop. koyasan is the most sacred place in the world for Japanese shingon buddhists, and its founder has been in eternal meditation here for over 1200 years. our accommodation is a traditional japanese temple! all the food here is vegetarian but super delicious and all included! Whilst staying at the temple, get ready to be immersed in the local culture & the temple’s rules for an authentic local experience. we head out to explore konpon-daito pagoda and the daimon gate before sitting down for a traditional dinner together just us gals.

temple staycemetery tour1 x dinner
Day 7
day 7

next stop - kyoto!! 🗾

morning ritual

wake up bright and early to enjoy the morning ritual ceremony of the monks of koyasan. we're then heading to our next stop, kyoto! before we head off, we have a traditional breakfast and learn more about this beautiful culture. filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain, kyoto is a fairytale destination. we'll explore some of ninenzaka, an iconic old town shopping street surrounded by famous temples, pagodas, and statues. we walk the beautiful, vibrant streets before heading for a traditional tea ceremony in the afternoon. we walk along the kamagowa river in the evening and watch the sun go down on another gorgeous day

traditional ceremonyexplore kyoto's gion districttea ceremony
Day 8
day 8

kinkaku-ji golden temple & bamboo forest 🎋

kyoto

today we stop at kinkaku-ji golden temple, the magnificent two-story temple is covered in gold leaf. kinkakuji was built to echo the extravagant wealthy circles of kyoto during yoshimitsu's time and today stands as a zen temple; with its glistening gold features, travellers come from all over the world to see it. we spend the morning absorbing our serene surroundings. next, we're heading to the most peaceful, jaw-dropping paradise of emerald green beauty - arashiyama bamboo forest! We walk the tranquil, worldly walkway through the soaring bamboo grove. the afternoon is free for us to explore, so we see where the day takes us and the evening is yours to spend how you like! we suggest visiting nara, renting a bike and exploring the backstreets of kyoto, or simply chilling!

kinkaku-ji golden templebamboo forest
Day 9
day 9

local samurai experience 🤺

wear the traditional robes!

today it's all about temples & samurai. we are diving deep into japan as we head to kyoto's famous temple of orange gates - fushimi-inari. you may not have heard of it, but you've definitely seen it. renowned for its thousands of orange torii gates, fushimi-Inari is incredible to behold, so we take a walk around! afterwards, we head to the best activity - samurai class! get your robes on, gals and enjoy a demonstration from the warriors before practising the basics and learning a variety of moves with the sword!

temple toursamurai experience
Day 10
day 10

mount fuji views & boat experience 🗻

hakone

rise and shine gals we hope you dreamt of slicing, dicing and living your best samurai warrior life after yesterday's adventure!!! today we are up bright and early as we are off to hakone. once we arrive, we're hoping for views on views on views. keep your fingers crossed for a clear day as we take the ropeway cable cart to find panoramic views of lake ashi and mount fuji. when we get to lake ashi it's time to grab your eye patch and parrot as we're off to board and explore lake ashi by ship. hopefully, we'll get a glimpse of the amazing mount fuji, the views all around here are so stunning - we're in for the treat!

mount fuji views (weather permitted)hakone cable carpirate ship experience
Day 11
day 11

travel back to tokyo 🚅

bullet train!

yesterday was a jam-packed day, so today we're taking it easy. we'll grab some breakfast before making our way back to tokyo for some more exploring and a final evening with your new gal pals

bullet train back to toyko
Day 12
day 12

chilled checkout 🧳

tokyo

all good things must come to an end and today’s the last day of our amazing trip, so have a chilled morning before checkout. your gals who guide is on hand for any onward travel plans you may have and if you're still looking to explore and sightsee this incredible country!!!

help with onward travel
where we stay

hand picked stays

📍tokyo
welcome to tokyo
easy from the airport

welcome to japan! tokyo is our first stop and we have fabulous hostel lined up for you. it's easy to get to from the airport and its is close to lots of shops, restaurants and quirky shops!! the dorms are private to our group so once you check in, meet the other girls joining us!! there's an onsite coffee shop if you need a little caffeine after your travels!! our gals rate the hostel really well for a great night's sleep!!

📍 osaka
osaka exploring
private gals dorms

osaka is up next and we have another hostel to relax in at night! we'll need a good night's sleep because we've got a big few days ahead. we'll drop our bags off at the hostel and head to osaka castle, which luckily for us is not too far away.

📍 koyasan
traditional japanese temple
once in a life time temple experience

our accommodation for tonight? a traditional japanese temple!!! so so incredible!! all food is included so try some incredible local cuisine, all food in koyasan is vegetarian but trust us it’s foodie heaven. whilst staying at the temple, get ready to be immersed in the local culture & the temple’s rules for an authentic experience.

📍kyoto
kyoto exploring
see everything in kyoto!!

welcome to kyoto! It's so beautiful here! get a good nights sleep and then we'll explore the kinkaku-ji golden temple and the famous bamboo forest! there's so much to see and do in kyoto so it's important we stay centrally to explore easily!!

📍hakone
mountain views
hakone exploring

it's time for hakone, we'll be staying just outside in odawara! hakone is in the mountains and it's famous for its stunning views over mount fuji and lake ashinoko. here we will discover the beautiful nature of japan and grab some stunning photos. this is the perfect place to relax inbetween exploring!!

what our gals have said

real gals
real memories

★★★★★

Hands down the best and most memorable trip I’ve had so far 🤍 ! This was my first time seeing Japan and traveling as a woman I was beyond happy to get to know Morgan (tour guide) and the others girls on my trip, Morgan is literally one of the girls as I felt very safe and understood the whole trip. I highly recommend Morgan to anyone going to Japan he has so much knowledge and fun stories to tell that there never was a time where things got boring, and anywhere we went he knew all sorts of fun facts that never failed to impress me or make me laugh. I will miss this trip and everyone so much as I definitely will come back to Japan 🤍

Z
Sophia N
I will miss this trip and everyone so much · May 2026
★★★★★

I had such a calm, positive, genuinely fun time with TruTravels/Gals Who. As someone who wouldn’t have been able to navigate Japan alone, joining a travel group made the whole experience feel easy and completely stress free. The best part was the girls I met (oh, and my tour guide Morgan of course). Such lovely, warm people who made every day feel fun and comfortable. This trip ended up being exactly what I needed and I could not recommend it enough

Z
Emma L
A trip I’d recommend to anyone · May 2026
★★★★★

I had a great time on the February GWT Legends of Japan trip. I was initially apprehensive with it being a small group but had an amazing time and really got to know the other girls. Our tour guide Morgan was so knowledgable about Japanese culture and history and provided an incredible experience. He made sure everyone was having a great time, consistently going above and beyond for the group, and really helped me out when I lost my bullet train ticket! From the seamless logistics to his spot-on food recommendations, he made the entire experience effortless and was fun and easy to be around. Activities such as the samurai class and sake tasting were highlights, as well as seeing Mount Fuji twice!

Z
U F
Our tour guide Morgan was so knowledgable about Japanese culture and history and provided an incredible experience · Feb 2026

I had the best time on the GWT Japan trip! The trip was brilliant, made even better by Hikari as she was so knowledgeable about not only the activities in our itinerary but all the places to visit on our free time. There was such a wide variety of places to see and things to do on the trip so there is something for everything. Hikari was absolutely fantastic and I hope anyone doing the trip gets her as a guide!

Z
Liv
I had the best time on the GWT Japan trip! · Aug 2025
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