If you’re looking for the trip of a lifetime to Japan, you’re in the right place.
Japan is one of the most fascinating countries in the world, but getting beneath the surface can be a challenge for even the most experienced travelers. Our specialty is helping travelers embark on unique, memorable experiences – not just sightseeing or checking items off a list.
Boutique Japan is the only place you need to look if you're planning a trip anywhere in Japan! We had a fantastic two weeks thanks to their meticulous planning...trains, guides, great hotels, transportation passes, private transfers, advice about places to eat and other things to do, info on things such as luggage transfers and portable… Read More
With the memories of our trip to Japan still with us, we'd like to thank you and your colleagues for organizing a wonderful trip. Everything worked beautifully. You listened well to our requests and put together an excellent itinerary.
We had an extraordinary experience. You listened carefully to our interests and created a detailed and varied itinerary which reflected those interests. The selected guides ranged from very good to excellent with no disappointments. The hotel accommodations...and the ryokan were really top rate and the organization of the travel, advance ticketing and descriptions were above… Read More
Our Japan trip was magical and ranks as our most favorite destination to date. Much of that magic was due to Andres, Piper and the Boutique Japan team. Our accommodations were perfect at every stop. Takako, Kenzo and Sam were excellent guides. We loved the balance of having our guides for part of the day… Read More
Our sample Japan itineraries are here to inspire you. We can use them as a foundation for your bespoke trip, or design your trip completely from scratch. These are not fixed itineraries, and can be customized or altered in almost any way.
Learn more about planning a custom trip with Boutique Japan.
Japan offers an incredible array of cultural and culinary experiences, from the sublime to the exhilarating. We don’t believe one size fits all, and design your trip just for you whether your interests lie in:
We meticulously arrange your trip around your unique interests, ideal travel pace, accommodation preferences, and personal travel style.
The exact details vary, since every trip is completely unique, but a trip with us typically includes:
Because of our focus on personalized service and bespoke itineraries — to ensure each trip gets the full attention it deserves — we specialize in complete trips (as opposed to “a la carte” services) of at least one week and longer.
Please also note that cost breakdowns are not available, and all products and services are sold as a complete customized package. Because of this it’s important to discuss any budget-related goals or constraints before we begin crafting an itinerary (for more on pricing, please see below).
Lastly, as passionate as we are about food and culinary experiences, we only offer restaurant reservations as part of private culinary outings with local experts, rather than on a standalone basis.
Every trip we design is unique, thus we don’t have “set” pricing. The price of your trip depends on factors such as travel dates and seasonality, accommodations, guides and experiences, and more.
To help give you a good sense of approximate pricing, over the years we’ve found our trips usually fall into one of the ranges below. These are merely guidelines, and are not hard categories — many of our travelers “mix” elements from the three.
Please note that during peak seasons, pricing can be quite a bit higher.
A “Classic” trip features a carefully selected mix of upper mid-range and high-end accommodations, wonderful private guides (with plenty of time to explore independently), transport between all your destinations (primarily via rail), and more. Expect pricing around US ~$700-$900 per person per day based on 2 or more travelers.
A “Boutique” trip features an optimal mix of boutique and luxury accommodations, wonderful private guides and exclusive experiences (with as much free time as you would like), transport between all your destinations (via rail and private vehicles where appropriate), and more. Expect pricing around US ~$900-$1,200 per person per day based on 2 or more travelers.
A “Luxury” trip features the absolute best Japan has to offer, including Japan’s most incredible luxury hotels and ryokans, wonderful private guides and exclusive experiences (with as much free time as you would like), transport between all your destinations (via first-class rail and private vehicles where appropriate), and more. Expect pricing around US ~$1,200-$1,800 per person per day and up based on 2 or more travelers.
We typically require a preliminary itinerary design fee, which allows us to dedicate our time and efforts to each of our clients, and give each trip the personal love and attention it deserves.
The amount varies depending on various factors (such as trip length, itinerary intricacy, etc.) and is fully applicable toward the final cost of your trip.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
We’re a small, independent company and intentionally choose to work with a small number of clients at a time. This enables us to give each trip the love and attention it deserves. If you’re looking for a completely unique, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan, we’d be honored to help.
It’s simple! We listen to you, provide expert input based on our in-depth Japan expertise, and then design a completely unique Japan itinerary for you. You can learn more about planning a custom trip with us here.
Japan is a year-round destination, and we usually recommend taking advantage of any chance to visit, since each of Japan’s seasons is great in its own way.
If your dates are flexible, we recommend reading our in-depth article, When is the best time of year to visit Japan? While we can typically plan around your ideal travel dates, advance planning is essential (check our current availability here).
At this time, we focus primarily on private tours. We can help whether you’re a solo traveler, couple, family, group of friends, or a private group.
Yes, of course! Our sample itineraries are simply examples. We plan every single trip from scratch, based on our travelers’ unique priorities and interests.
Probably not as much as you think! While Japan may be more expensive than places like Latin America or Southeast Asia, it’s generally less expensive than places like Singapore, Australia, or Scandinavia. See our post, Is Japan expensive?
Yes, Japan is an amazing family destination. For more on family travel in Japan, see our article, Is Japan good for families?
The Japan Rail Pass can be a good way to get around Japan, but most people don’t realize it’s not always the best option. For a more in-depth approach, see our article, Should you get the Japan Rail Pass?
Staying in a ryokan is a great way to fully immerse yourself in traditional Japanese culture. But for non-Japanese, there can be many surprises, as it’s quite different from staying at a hotel.
Take our virtual ryokan tour to see if it’s right for you. Even if not, in most parts of Japan there are non-ryokan hotel alternatives.
Not to worry! We make sure all of our clients are prepared with extensive pre-departure information – this is simply part of our service.
Japan is an amazing destination for so many reasons. But don’t just take it from us — see what our travelers say.