South Japan Express

South Japan Express

6 Days Starting and ending in Osaka, Japan

Visiting: Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Matsuyama, Kobe

Tour operator:

Europamundo

Tour code:

29757

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

36 - 72

Physical rating:

Medium

Age range:

3-85

Tour operated in:

English
From: $1163 $989 Operator discount: -$175 -15%

NB: Prices correct on 21-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Embark on the South Japan Express tour and immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of Japan. Begin your journey in Osaka, where you'll have free time to explore the city. Visit the majestic Himeji Castle and the serene Korakuen Gardens in Okayama. Discover the historical charm of Kurashiki and the poignant Peace Memorial in Hiroshima. Take a ferry to Shikoku Island to see Matsuyama's impressive castle and the traditional Dogo Onsen. Climb the steps to the Kotohira Shrine, stroll through the beautiful Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, and marvel at the engineering of the Naruto Bridge. Conclude your adventure in Kobe with a visit to the Earthquake Memorial Museum before returning to Osaka. This tour offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, historical landmarks, and cultural experiences.

Highlights

  • Explore the immense complex of Himeji Castle, showcasing Japanese castle architecture.

  • Visit Korakuen Gardens in Okayama, one of Japan's most beautiful gardens with lakes, waterfalls, and traditional teahouses.

  • Stroll around the Peace Memorial and the Dome of the bomb in Hiroshima, and visit the impressive Museum of Peace.

  • Take a ferry to the island of Itsukushima and visit the sanctuary dedicated to the guardian of the seas, built partially over the sea.

  • Ride the cable car up to the impressive castle in Matsuyama and visit the beautiful Buddhist temple Ishiteji.

  • Climb 785 steps to reach the Shinto shrine in Kotohira, dedicated to the God of sailors.

  • Walk on the glass floor of the impressive bridge in Naruto, with the sea 45 meters below.

  • Visit the Earthquake Memorial Museum in Kobe, commemorating the tragic 1995 seism and the city's reconstruction.

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Osaka

Location: Osaka

Accommodation Name: hotel

Arrival. Welcome to Japan! Transfer to the hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon.

Day 2 : Osaka, Himeji, Korakuen Gardens, Okayama

Location: Okayama

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Lunch

We leave for HIMEJI, where we will include entry to its immense complex that shows us the architecture of Japanese castles. Lunch included in a local restaurant. We go on to OKAYAMA, where we will visit Korakuen, one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, with its lakes, waterfalls and traditional teahouses. Next, we head towards the Shinto shrine of Kibitsu-Jinja where the God Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto is venerated, which is the origin of the legend of Momotaro, symbol of Okayama Prefecture. We find a unique architecture with a corridor of 360 meters long. After the visit, free time in the city, active provincial capital of just over 700,000 inhabitants.Note: On some dates, we may be accommodated in FUKUYAMA or KURASHIKI. When this happens, the visit to Kibitsu-Jinja Temple will be cancelled. The visit to Kurashiki can be made on the same day in the afternoon.

Day 3 : Okayama, Kurashiki, Itsukushima, Hiroshima

Location: Hiroshima

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

We leave for KURASHIKI, a city with a very well preserved historical centre. Time for a stroll in this charming place with its atmosphere from the past. We continue on our way to HIROSHIMA, a city sadly known for the atomic bomb that fell on it in 1945 and which levelled the city. We will stroll around the Peace Memorial, the Dome of the bomb and we will visit the impressive Museum of Peace. After the war we will seek peace by embarking on a ferry to the island “where men and gods live together”, with the sanctuary of ITSUKUSHIMA dedicated to the guardian of the seas, built partially over the sea. Time to visit the temple, to stroll around its pretty centre and have lunch. Return to our hotel in Hiroshima. Dinner included.Note: The order of the visits in Hiroshima may vary without affecting their content.

Day 4 : Hiroshima, Matsuyama

Location: Matsuyama

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Lunch

Today we will take a ferry to Shikoku Island, on a pleasant crossing that lasts two hours and a half and see the many islands that make up Japan. In MATSUYAMA we will take the cable car up to its impressive castle. Afterwards, we will visit ISHITEJI, a beautiful Buddhist temple and a place of pilgrimage. Lunch included. In the late afternoon, we will visit DOGO ONSEN (admission included), a traditional Japanese bath facility built in the 19th century.

Day 5 : Matsuyama, Kotohira, Takamatsu, Naruto, Kobe

Location: Kobe

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Lunch

We depart for KOTOHIRA, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the God of sailors and a place of pilgrimage. The shrine stands on Mount Zosu and is reached by climbing 785 steps. Afterwards in TAKAMATSU we will visit RITSURIN, one of the prettiest gardens in Japan. Lunch included. Then, in NARUTO, we cross an impressive bridge over the sea, stopping on the way to admire the construction and walk on its glass floor with the sea 45 metres below us. Our road is surrounded by beautiful scenery and then crosses long bridges between islands over the sea. Arrival in KOBE, accommodation.

Day 6 : Kobe, Osaka

Location: Kobe

Accommodation Name: hotel

In Kobe we visited the Earthquake Memorial Museum, a place to remind the tragic seism that devastated the city in 1995 and its perfect reconstruction. We go on to OSAKA, arrival at noon. Note: On some dates, the Earthquake Museum may be changed for the Sake Museum or a climb up Kobe Tower.End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.

What's Included

  • Entry to Himeji Castle

    Entry to the immense complex of Himeji Castle is included.

  • Lunch in Himeji

    Lunch is included in a local restaurant in Himeji.

  • Visit to Korakuen Gardens

    Visit to Korakuen, one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, is included.

  • Dinner in Hiroshima

    Dinner is included in Hiroshima.

  • Ferry to Shikoku Island

    A ferry ride to Shikoku Island is included.

  • Cable car to Matsuyama Castle

    Cable car ride to Matsuyama Castle is included.

  • Visit to Ishiteji Temple

    Visit to Ishiteji, a beautiful Buddhist temple, is included.

  • Lunch in Matsuyama

    Lunch is included in Matsuyama.

  • Visit to Dogo Onsen

    Admission to Dogo Onsen, a traditional Japanese bath facility, is included.

  • Visit to Ritsurin Garden

    Visit to Ritsurin, one of the prettiest gardens in Japan, is included.

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What's Not Included

  • Flights

    Flights to and from Japan are not included.

  • Personal Expenses

    Personal expenses such as souvenirs, snacks, and drinks are not included.

  • Travel Insurance

    Travel insurance is not included and should be purchased separately.

  • Optional Activities

    Optional activities and excursions not mentioned in the itinerary are not included.

  • Visa Fees

    Visa fees for entry into Japan are not included.

Mode of Transport

Transportation includes transfers between cities such as Osaka, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima, Matsuyama, Kotohira, Takamatsu, Naruto, and Kobe, with ferry rides and cable car trips included.

Check out our Q&As

  • What can I expect on the first day of the South Japan Express tour?

    On the first day, you will arrive in Osaka, transfer to the hotel, and have some free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon.

  • What activities are included on the second day of the tour?

    On the second day, you will visit Himeji to see its immense castle complex, have lunch at a local restaurant, and then visit Korakuen Gardens in Okayama. You will also visit the Shinto shrine of Kibitsu-Jinja, known for its unique 360-meter-long corridor. Note that on some dates, accommodation may be in Fukuyama or Kurashiki, which could affect the visit to Kibitsu-Jinja Temple.

  • What historical sites will we visit in Hiroshima?

    In Hiroshima, you will visit the Peace Memorial, the Dome of the bomb, and the Museum of Peace. You will also take a ferry to the island of Itsukushima to visit the sanctuary dedicated to the guardian of the seas.

  • What unique experiences are included in Matsuyama?

    In Matsuyama, you will take a cable car up to its impressive castle, visit the beautiful Buddhist temple Ishiteji, and experience Dogo Onsen, a traditional Japanese bath facility built in the 19th century.

  • What is special about the visit to Kotohira and Takamatsu?

    In Kotohira, you will visit a Shinto shrine dedicated to the God of sailors, which is reached by climbing 785 steps. In Takamatsu, you will visit Ritsurin, one of the prettiest gardens in Japan.

  • What will we see in Kobe?

    In Kobe, you will visit the Earthquake Memorial Museum, which commemorates the tragic earthquake that devastated the city in 1995 and its subsequent reconstruction. Note that on some dates, the Earthquake Museum may be replaced with a visit to the Sake Museum or a climb up Kobe Tower.

Reviews of this operator

Mauro Grasso García (Google Reviewer)  

I have taken a trip...

02-Apr-2024

I have taken a trip with them through Spain and Portugal and everything was very organized. Professional guides and wonderful places. Without a doubt, I will return.

alejandra gonzalez (Google Reviewer)  

We had a fantastic trip...

27-Jun-2023

We had a fantastic trip with EuropaMundo. We visited France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco and Spain. Gonzalo our guide was incredibly knowledgable and friendly, gave us a fantastic tour throughout the whole trip. We learned about history, art, culture and much more. He kept us entertained, was happy to answer all of our questions, also offered recommendations of things to do, see and places to eat during the tour. Also want to thank our drivers Narciso and Olivier both did a fantastic job driving us safe. Money and time well invested. Highly recommended.

Nimar Sekhon (Google Reviewer)  

I want to let you...

16-Jul-2024

I want to let you guys know your tour guides were excellent Frey, Julie and Alba was very professional. Also hotels in Spain quite clean. Only think you guys need to improve on giving accurate times guides bus because told 8:30 am because told I would little more accurate timings of the tour. I was wondering if guys tours in Greece or Israel plan another vacation next year asking if guys have any tours available in Greece or Israel.

Paul Quan (Google Reviewer)  

Just finished a 3 week...

22-Oct-2023

Just finished a 3 week tour not do long ago. Most of it was great, I couldn't ask for a better experience. Except for 1 tour guide (Maria). First of she and the driver was over an hour late to our hotel to pick every one up, which is fair enough, unexpected things happen. Then I thought that everyone was punished due to them being late. We were rushed everywhere we went. She made us pay for a toilet only to walk us down to the city centre to only allow us 45 minutes to find a restaurant to have so called lunch at around 3:00pm. Then we drove for at least 6 hours with very little breaks, not even to allow everyone to have toilet breaks. I would recommend eurpomando but not Maria as a tour guide. Every other tour guide we had were fantastic.

Julia Macapagal (Google Reviewer)  

We are three from the...

20-Aug-2024

We are three from the Philippines and were set to tour the Czech Republic (June 10). Overall, the tour was satisfactory except we would like to suggest giving more time to the highlights of each city. For instance, we were able to see the exterior of Versailles - but even if we wanted to get in to see more of its beauty, we could not as we were pressured by time to be at the meeting place at a certain point. That is exactly what happened to us during our Eiffel Tower experience as well. The Louvre museum was optional but we finished the cruise at 3:00 PM and the museum would close at 5:00 PM. This schedule was literally just like a tick the box list. Another important thing I would like to say is regarding William or Guillermo. He was our tour guide on June 12 from Pilsen to Germany. We understand that this is a group tour and that time is a big factor such that our punctuality is required. But it is also inevitable that sometimes you get late, you can get lost, but that was not intentional. That is exactly what happened to us, we got lost in Rothenburg and caused us to be late, meters away from the bus, he was yelling at us at the peak of his lungs. Very discourteous and very unethical! He was unlike other guides. Not to mention that he is not so knowledgeable in the topics he was discussing, again, unlike the other tour guides. To think that he has been doing his job for several years “with passion”, it was such a disappointment. His attitude did not show any passion for his work.

Glenn (Google Reviewer)  

We had an incredible time...

12-Dec-2023

We had an incredible time visiting Switzerland and Paris, and there was no need to worry about anything. The organization was perfect, and the hotels were booked and all this was at a resonable cost. But an issue arose with an extremely rude and unpleasant driver(Andres) for one of the days, who abruptly slammed the brakes on a high-speed bus because he was angry at kids talking. This could have been very dangerous for the passengers also. Would have given 5 stars if it wasbt for the driver

Talia Rodriguez (Google Reviewer)  

Terrible agency, total scammers. Booked...

08-Oct-2024

Terrible agency, total scammers. Booked a trip to Europe and didn’t received what was promised. We didn’t have free time (10-30 min in most cases) the whole trip felt rushed, we ate at every gas stations in Europe, not restaurants , we had to drag mas suitcases, couldn’t watch a show/performance because we had to book it advance and according to them this was included until we got to the places and they said “we couldn’t book the show” money was returned. This is false advertisement. Hotels were pure garbage, at some point we found bugs in our bed. To many lies, to many scams, I hated the whole thing. Our group was a gem, they handpicked the most annoying people ever and had to be together from 6 am until 12 pm in the mornings, we couldn’t visit or watch anything in Europe because we were busy 12 h on a bus crossing borders, so what they put in the paper example: “The alps” was literally the view of the alps from a bus, never visited anything that was stated in the world. We were to supposed to visit Switzerland, one of the bests countries and most beautiful places on earth but we were there 1 h, San Sebastián Spain 10 min, what the hell is that? Tourist guides are terrible, while on the bus they won’t tell you the history. We visited France and stayed ij burdeaux (for some reason burdeaux was included but never saw it. Nasty hotels in the middle of nowhere , felt like I was working the whole trip

Pete F (Google Reviewer)  

Poorly organized tours - no...

19-May-2024

Poorly organized tours - no continuity or directions to people on tours. Drivers and guides are often late and, while nice people, are also very disorganized with little support from the home office. We are missing our Versailles tour because the bus driver did not show up. One hotel had no water for the entire hotel. The company is about churning as many people through their tours than providing quality experiences. I plan to report them through our travel agent to prevent more people from using them.

Pedro Rascon (Google Reviewer)  

I had travelled with Europamundo...

24-Jul-2024

I had travelled with Europamundo twice back in 2013 and 2014. This year I decided to repeat a trip with them (Prague-Budapest-Vienna-Innsbruck). In the last 10 years I’ve done about 10 trips to Europe, but this time I decided to go back with them so I could worry less about transportation, hotels, guided tours, etc. I regret so much going with them. After spending about $20K on this trip my vacation got totally ruined by Europamundo. I am never traveling with Europamundo ever again. Rest of my review in screenshots attached...

Arielle Nicole (Google Reviewer)  

The absolute worst. They do...

02-Sep-2023

The absolute worst. They do not follow the itinerary provided. When we arrived in Versailles, tickets are sold out since instead of morning, they changed it to 3-4pm where all the tickets are sold out. Whole day wasted. Most of the museums/sights they state in their itinerary, they will just bring you there, entrance fee is not included. They will only bring you to free places, so just be aware that you will not be getting your money’s worth. Bus is ALWAYS late, today our meetup time is 7:45am, the bus arrived 8:25am, since they had to pick up other guest from a totally different hotel. They frequently change buses, it is a hit or miss. There are times where the airconditioner is good, leg space is acceptable. There are also times, they would rent a bus from a different company, where it is very cramped. Guide: they know the basics but not the nitty gritty details. For example they would just point you “Oh this is blah building, without any further explanation.” Hotels are mostly 4 star hotels with really shitty customer service. Once I had a room (cant remember the hotel in Lyon, France) assigned to me where the room has not been cleaned up. GROSS. One of the other hotel (Dormero Hotel, Zurich), did not have a reception staff at night, so when we were a defective bath tub, we had no one to complain to.

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Operator discount: -$175

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Jan 29, 2026 - Feb 03, 2026
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Thursday - Tuesday

Feb 05, 2026 - Feb 10, 2026
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Feb 12, 2026 - Feb 17, 2026
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Thursday - Tuesday

Feb 19, 2026 - Feb 24, 2026
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Thursday - Tuesday

Feb 26, 2026 - Mar 03, 2026
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Thursday - Tuesday

Mar 05, 2026 - Mar 10, 2026
$1163

Thursday - Tuesday

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Mar 19, 2026 - Mar 24, 2026
$1163

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Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Europamundo requires a minimum deposit of 10% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 45 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of europamundo charges.

    Up to 21 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 20 days before tour starts: Forfeit 20% of booking price.

    At 10 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.

    At 2 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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