What you’ll do

9 days in the Kansai region and Tokyo

OVERVIEW
Middle-schoolers are immersed in the Japanese way of life through creativity, curiosity, and hands-on discovery. Students feel the beat of taiko drums, taste their way through delicious local street food, and experience Tokyo’s vibrant pop culture through karaoke, arcades, and anime. Along the way, they explore ancient temples, peaceful gardens, and quiet shrines, seeing how Japan connects centuries of tradition with the innovation that continues to shape the world today.




What you’ll do
Day 1: Fly Overnight to Japan
Board your international flight to Osaka
Day 2: Kansai region
Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport
Day 3: Kansai region
Travel to Kyoto
Take a guided tour of Kyoto
Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple
Take a tour of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Take a tour of Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
Travel to the Kansai region
Day 4: Kansai region
Visit Todaiji Temple
Take a guided tour of Nara
Take a Taiko drumming lesson
Day 5: Kansai region • Kyoto
Visit Osaka Castle
Experience a Japanese arcade and game center
Visit the Cup Noodles Museum and discover how instant noodles became a global phenomenon
Take an in-depth tour of Osaka's Dotonbori canal street
Day 6: Kansai region • Tokyo
Travel by bullet train to Tokyo
Visit the Harajuku shopping district
Tour Tokyo with an expert local guide
Visit the Meiji Shinto Shrine
Explore Shibuya Ward and pay a visit to the Pokemon Center
Take a tour of Akihabara Electric Town, a hub for tech trends and fans of gaming, manga, and anime
Day 7: Tokyo
Try your hand at karate in an introductory martial arts class
Visit the Hamarikyu Japanese Gardens to stroll among Japanese greenery and seawater ponds
Venture near the top of the Tokyo Tower, the second tallest structure in the country
Day 8: Tokyo
Visit the Miraikan Science Museum
Explore the Asakusa Kannon Temple
Enjoy free time to explore around Odaiba
Belt your favorite jams in English or Japanese at Karaoke
Day 9: Depart for Home
Board your flight home from Tokyo
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Frequently asked questions
We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.
Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.
You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:
Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group
Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)
Support you 24/7 as your right hand
Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination
Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to
Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine
Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.
All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.
EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.
Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.
Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.
You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:
Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.
Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.
Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.
Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.
We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.