Preparing for your trip
| Package: | Best of Japan, 2025 |
Print this page and refer to it as you prepare for your trip!
Printed Dec 3, 2024. Please visit https://staging.friendlyplanet.com/before-you-go/?tourId=1974 for the latest updates.
Checklist
| Item | Due | |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Ensure you have a current passport valid for at least six months after your return date. | ASAP |
| ☐ | Passport Pages. Ensure you have enough empty pages in your passport as per the entry requirements at your destination | ASAP |
| ☐ | Complete your registration. You'll receive a link to the registration form after you complete your booking. | Within 5 days of booking |
| ☐ | Request any additions or changes you may still want to make to your trip. (Fees and/or additional charges may apply.) | 75 days prior to travel |
| ☐ | Make your final payment, if any balance is due. | See your invoice |
| ☐ | Obtain any necessary travel visas and review any requirements for entry. | See below |
| ☐ | Print your itinerary and other final documents, which we will send you via email by 14 days prior to travel. | Prior to travel |
| ☐ | Print your policy documents, if you purchased travel insurance, and carry them with you. | Prior to travel |
| ☐ | Enroll in The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), if you're a U.S. citizen or national, so the State Dept. can locate and assist you in case of an emergency. | Prior to travel |
In addition, if you booked flights with your package:
| Item | Due | |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Book connecting flights to your departure city, if necessary. (Please confirm your international flight schedule first!) | After receiving your e‑tickets |
| ☐ | Make advance seat reservations for your international flight, if you have a preference. | After receiving your e‑tickets |
| ☐ | Confirm your flight times and any special meal requests with the airline, and print and carry a copy of your e-ticket. | 72 hours prior to travel |
| ☐ | Check in for your flights online and download/print your boarding passes (if available). | 24 hours prior to travel |
| ☐ | Arrive at the airport, ready for the trip of a lifetime! | 3½ hours prior to departure |
Documents & Entry Requirements
Entry requirements are provided for your convenience. However, unless otherwise stated, it is your responsibility to determine the requirements that apply to you and your trip and to comply with them, including obtaining any necessary visas or other travel documents by the required deadlines and carrying them with you. Especially with COVID-19, requirements are subject to change, so check back for the latest before you depart.
Japan Entry Requirements
Advice from our partner Sherpa
General Requirements & Guidelines
- In general, you must have a passport to travel abroad, which should be valid for at least six months after your return date. Passports expiring before then should be renewed as soon as possible. Passports contain at least 2 blank pages for each country visited. If your passport does not have this many pages, obtain a new passport as soon as possible.
- if your passport and visa are not in order, airlines and cruise ships may deny boarding, countries may deny entry, and your trip may be disrupted. Travel insurance may not cover such losses.
- Any changes in names or passport information should be reported to us immediately. Airlines and cruise ships may deny boarding if the name on your passport does not match your tickets.
- Minors (age 17 or younger) departing and/or returning to the U.S. without parents or with only one parent may be required by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to present a notarized parental consent letter and/or unabridged birth certificate (more information). Many other countries have similar entry requirements, especially for minors traveling with a parent/guardian with a different surname; check with the consulates of all countries you'll be visiting to learn more.
Final Documents
Your final travel documents will be sent to you via email by 14 days prior to departure. These will include your daily itinerary, hotel and emergency contact information, and other relevant information. Please print your documents and take them with you. If you're departing in less than a week and haven't received your documents, let us know immediately!
Travel Insurance Documents
If you purchased travel insurance, please print and carry your policy documents, including contact information for emergency travel assistance and instructions on how to make a claim. If you purchased the travel protection plan we offer, we recommend you print the full policy.
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
We encourage all U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll in the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This free service allows you to receive important updates about safety and security issues in your destination, and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy, as well as family & friends, to contact you in case of an emergency. To enroll or get more information, please visit the STEP website or any U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Flights, Transfers & Arrival
Questions about your flights before you depart? Read the information below first. If you still have questions, contact our air specialists at
Tour Only Option
If you purchased this package without flights, you are responsible for booking your own flights in and out of Japan. After you book your flights, please send us a copy of your flight arrangements for our records.
For tour-only travelers, the touring program will begin at the hotel in Tokyo on Day 2 of the listed itinerary, and end at the hotel in Osaka on Day 13. If taking the optional Expo Osaka 2025 Independent Post-Tour Extension, the touring program ends at the hotel in Osaka on Day 14. Generally, hotel check-out time is 11am.
Find out what to do in case of arrival complications.
Flights & Tickets
If you selected flights with your package, we generally book your flights and issue tickets after your final payment due date.
If you requested flights from another city, our air specialists will research the best options and send you a tentative flight schedule and quote for your approval within 5 business days of your booking (or approximately 330 days prior to travel, if you booked further out than that).
Once we have issued your tickets, we'll send you an "e-ticket receipt" which contains all of your flight information, including times, carriers, an airline booking reference number, and an e-ticket number. If you have not received this, or have questions about the flights we booked for you, please contact our air department. You will not receive paper tickets. We recommend you print and carry a copy of your flight details, including the airline booking reference number and e-ticket number, as some airports require this to enter the terminal. You do not need to reconfirm your flights with the airline prior to your departure, as we will handle this for you.
Airlines may change schedules at any time, even after flights have been confirmed, and we are not responsible for such changes. Please check for updates to your flight schedule before booking connecting flights and again 72 hours before departure.
Important: Most international flights have a minimum check-in of 3 hours before departure time. Most international flight check-in counters close one hour before departure. Passengers arriving less than 1 hour before departure will not be permitted to board the plane. Please don't risk losing your departure flight by arriving late at your international gateway.
Toll-free numbers for airline assistance
- Singapore Airlines' (SQ): 1-800-742-3333
Flight Schedule
If you selected flights with your package, you may review the sample flight schedule(s) below. This information is for general planning purposes. You will receive your actual flight schedule by email once we issue your tickets.
If you requested flights from another city, our air specialists will research the best options and send you a tentative flight schedule for your approval, and a confirmed schedule once we issue your tickets.
Airlines may change schedules at any time, even after flights have been confirmed, and we are not responsible for such changes. Please check for updates to your flight schedule prior to booking any connecting flights and again 72 hours prior to departure.
Sample Flight Schedule from LAX
| DEPARTURE | |||||||
| Flight | From | To | Depart | Arrive | Flight Time | ||
| SQ 011 | Los Angeles (LAX) | Narita (NRT) | 2:20 PM | 5:50 PM (1 day later) | 11.30 hrs | ||
| RETURN | |||||||
| Flight | From | To | Depart | Arrive | Flight Time | ||
| SQ 012 | NRT | LAX | 6:40 PM | 12:50 PM | 10.10 hrs | ||
Singapore Airlines' (SQ) toll-free number is 1-800-742-3333.
Note: You will arrive in Tokyo 1 day later.
Connecting Flights
If you need to fly from (and/or return to) a different U.S. or Canadian city, we suggest you request those flights from us. If feasible, we will try to book all your flights together with a single carrier or a partner network on a single ticket. This ensures that your luggage will be transferred between flights for you, and more importantly, that if there are any schedule changes, flight cancellations, or delays that affect your trip, the airline(s) will adjust your flights to ensure you have sufficient time to make your connections and/or make alternate arrangements to get you to your destination. Besides offering the most peace of mind, this often yields lower fares than purchasing separate connecting flights.
If you plan to purchase connecting flights to your departure city, we strongly suggest waiting until after your final payment due date and after you receive the e-tickets for your international flights, to reduce the chances that that your departure might be cancelled or rescheduled or that your international flight times might change. Before purchasing connecting flights, verify the times for your international flights. Leave at least 3½ hours connecting time between flights, and if you're traveling within a few weeks of Daylight Savings Time changes (in March and November, when flight schedules may change even more dramatically), allow 5–5½ hours between flights. Nobody likes waiting around the airport, but missing your flight is far worse!
Airport Transfers
Scheduled group airport arrival and departure transfers are included with this package. When you exit customs, please look for our representative holding a Friendly Planet sign, who will escort you to your transfer vehicle and assist with your luggage.
If you purchased the tour without flights, transfers are not included. Please contact us for pricing and availability. Or you may instead arrange your own ground transportation to the start and end points of the touring program, usually the first and last hotels listed in the itinerary.
Arrival Complications
We make every effort to ensure our tours run smoothly and trouble-free. We don't expect any problems, and nor should you. But when things don't go as planned, here's what to do:
- You miss your flights, or your flights are cancelled: Please call us immediately. If it's outside our normal business hours, leave a message in our emergency mailbox, with a phone number at which to reach you, and we'll get right back to you.
- Your flights are delayed and you're worried about missing your included transfers: Please contact us to let us know about the delay, and we will notify our partners in destination. If you are arriving on one of our group flights, or booked your own flights and supplied us with the details, our partners will be tracking your arrival and will plan accordingly.
- Your package includes transfers, but you can't find our representative at your destination: Don't panic—they may have been unexpectedly delayed. Wait up to 30 minutes. Then contact our local partners in destination, listed on the emergency contact page of your final documents. If you can't reach them, call us. If it's outside our normal business hours, leave a message in our emergency mailbox. If all else fails, make your own way to the starting hotel (or cruise port), and we'll refund you the cost of your transfer.
Packing & Luggage
Baggage allowance: While some airlines may permit two checked-in bags per person, we strongly suggest bringing one piece of checked-in luggage and one carryon piece. Your checked-in luggage should weigh at most 50 pounds, and each piece may be at most 62 inches as a sum of all three dimensions (length, height, and width). Carryon luggage should not exceed 160 cm in total dimension (width, length, and height) and should fit under your seat or in the overhead compartment. Kindly note that these limitations facilitate an easier, faster, and smoother approach to collecting and transporting your luggage throughout the tour. Most airlines do not consider rollaboards as hand luggage.
Please Note: Your tour includes bullet train rides between cities with limited luggage capacity. For this reason, we have arranged for your luggage to be transported in a separate truck. You are scheduled to travel by private bus from Tokyo to Hakone on Day 5 and from Hakone to Takayama by bullet train on Day 6. You are also scheduled to travel from Kanazawa to Kyoto by Limited Express train on day 9. Please be sure to bring along with you an overnight bag with items you'll need, such as medication and clothing, for the following days.
On Day 5, your luggage will be collected at 6:00 AM from the hotel in Tokyo and will be delivered to your hotel in Takayama on Day 6. On Day 8, your luggage will be collected at 6:00 PM from the hotel in Kanazawa and will be delivered to your hotel in Kyoto on Day 9.
Learn more about Baggage Allowances on your international flights. Note that our baggage allowances may be less than those for your international flights. If you exceed the baggage limits, you may be subject to excess baggage charges levied by the airlines and/or by Friendly Planet.
Regardless of the limits—we recommend a smaller size and weight for both your checked and carry-on bags. It's so much easier and faster for you to get around when you have fewer, lighter bags! For your carry-on, consider a soft-sided bag such as a duffel rather than a hard clamshell-type case, which may not fit as easily into overhead compartments or under your seat, especially on buses. For your protection, we suggest your checked luggage have a TSA-approved lock.
Luggage tags: For your safety, we are no longer mailing Friendly Planet luggage tags to you. We encourage you to use your own. Fill in the luggage tags with your name and contact information and attach to each bag, including carry-ons and camera cases, so that your luggage can be identified should it get misplaced during your trip.
What to pack: Check out our list of top 10 must-haves for international travel, as well as what not to pack. Pack smart: put your travel documents, medications, one change of clothing, and other essentials in your carry-on, in case your checked baggage is misplaced. And pack light, for your own comfort and convenience. For clothing, we suggest packing a variety of separates with climate and comfort in mind.
What not to pack: U.S. law forbids you to carry hazardous materials aboard aircraft in your checked or carry-on baggage or on your person, including explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids & solids, loaded firearms, poisons, corrosives and radioactive materials. Common examples include paints, lighter fluid, fireworks, mace/tear gas and oxygen bottles. Restricted materials may vary by airline and destination. Some items, in quantities of no more than 70 ounces total, may be carried within baggage, including medicinal or toilet articles such as hairspray, perfume and certain medicines that are necessary during your journey. Please check with the airline and/or visit the FAA website prior to travel if you have any questions.
While on Tour
What to Expect
This moderately-paced, escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. Porterage at train stations is not available.
Remember that you're a guest in someone else's homeland, and that you're traveling to experience their country and culture. Be sensitive to local customs and manners, as many things may be done differently than what you're used to. And while we have made every effort to secure modern and comfortable accommodations and transportation, please note that the standards in other countries may be different from those you are accustomed to at home. Overall, you will find a polite, positive, patient, and open-minded approach generally yields the best travel experience!
Please keep in mind that you'll be traveling with a group. Sharing your explorations with like-minded folks can often be a source of joy, and some of our travelers become lifelong friends. But traveling with strangers can also sometimes be challenging, especially in a foreign country. We ask that you be patient and respectful with your fellow travelers, including their needs and preferences. Also remember that you have responsibilities to the group—please be prompt for group activities so you don't keep everyone else waiting. Lastly, please defer to your tour leader, guide or manager. They are there for your safety and wellbeing, and to ensure the journey goes smoothly for everyone. If you have a problem with one of our tour guides or managers, please let us know, either while you're on tour or after you return, and we'll make sure your concerns are addressed.
Eating & Drinking
The meals included with your package are listed in the itinerary.
While you may have heard that Japan is a very expensive country, you'll find that you can still dine on a limited budget. Your guides will be glad to direct you to local restaurants that are not that expensive; most often, the best restaurants can be found in hotels and train stations. While English may not be widely spoken in such restaurants, they usually display popular dishes, and you can point your choice to your server! As a reminder, the tap water in hotels is typically not potable. Only drink water and other beverages from sealed bottles or cans. The rule for water also pertains to ice, as it is commonly made from unfiltered tap water. Feel free to enjoy the cooked fruits and vegetables at included meals, but avoid raw items unless you can peel them. Our bodies are not accustomed to the micro-organisms in the raw foods and water of many other countries. If you exercise caution, you will avoid spoiling your trip by getting sick.
Non-included Meals: The average cost for lunch in Japan is about $15 - $30 per person in the local restaurants. The average cost for dinner (not including drinks) in the shops around Japan is about $20 - $50 per person, per meal, depending on the restaurant. Your hotels accept credit card payments for non-included meals. Smaller establishments and street vendors will accept cash only in local currency.
Please see above for special meal requests.
Tipping
We are delighted to welcome you on your upcoming journey through Japan, a meticulously crafted tour by our dedicated professionals. Our local experts, including your tour guide and driver, take immense pride in showcasing the beauty and culture of their homeland to our esteemed guests. Their passion and commitment to service excellence are pivotal in enhancing your travel experience. In recognition of their efforts, we kindly ask you to consider our recommended guidelines for gratuities. Tipping is a time-honored way to express appreciation for services rendered and is greatly valued by those who make your journey memorable. Please note that while gratuities are entirely discretionary, they are a heartfelt gesture of thanks for the level of service you receive; however, please be aware that many restaurants and hotel staff may not accept tips. We trust you will find our suggestions helpful in expressing your gratitude to our dedicated team members.
- Tokyo Transfer Assistant: $2-3 per person
- Tour guide: $6-8 per person per day
- Driver: $3-4 per person per day
- Restaurant staff at the hotel or lodge (for included meals): $1-2 per person per meal
- Housekeeping: $1-2 per person per day
- Hotel/lodge porters: $1 per bag per lift
Special Needs & Requests
Please see above for special meal requests and seat requests. If you have any other special requests, including wheelchair or electric cart assistance, please mention your request when you book with an agent, or in the special requests section when you book online. We will do our best to accommodate them!
Country FAQs
Japan Fast Facts
| Overview | Capital: Tokyo |
| Health Precautions & Vaccinations | Immunizations are not currently required for travel to Japan. However, you may wish to consult your doctor regarding any concerns or recommendations prior to departure. Note: Many over-the-counter cold medicines like Vicks Inhalers and Sudafed contain small amounts of amphetamines and are illegal in Japan. |
| Weather | Temperatures vary in Japan depending on location. During the months of May and October, the temperature averages in the 70’s. During the months of July through September, the temperature is generally in the 80’s. In November, the temperature is in the 60’s. The winter is very cold. |
| What to wear | You will spend most of your time touring, and if you have two pairs of comfortable (broken in, not brand new) walking shoes, by all means, take both pairs. Shoes with good traction are also recommended. Packing to dress in layers is another way to prepare for a variety of weather conditions. Natural fabrics such as cotton are particularly comfortable in the warm, dry climates. Please be sure to pack a hat to protect you from the sun. Overnight temperatures are cooler, so pack a light sweater to keep you warm during the evenings, and an umbrella or a poncho for the unexpected rain that may come your way. You will be required to take off your shoes when visiting some temples. Finally, remember that comfort and convenience should dictate your wardrobe for the tour, and casual clothes are in order for most every occasion as you travel. |
| Money & Credit Cards | The official currency in Japan is the Yen. Hotels and some stores and restaurants accept major credit cards. For “street shopping,” you will need the local currency. Many ATMs do not accept credit/debit cards that are issued outside of Japan. Notify your bank prior to departure to avoid problems using your credit or debit card abroad. Always notify your bank prior to departure to avoid any problems using your credit or debit card abroad. |
| Shopping | Japan has a wide range of items that will appeal to a variety of tastes and budgets. From high-end items such as porcelain to local packaged seaweed, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to shop for one-of-a-kind items you can’t find anywhere else! The best items to shop for in Japan are pearls, silks, pottery, cloisonné, lanterns, furniture, lacquerware, dolls, red coral, cameras, karate gear, green tea, carp kites, Imari porcelain, good-luck charms from shrines, and packaged seaweed. |
| Electricity & Power Adapters | You will need a voltage converter and plug adapter in order to use U.S. appliances. We recommend getting a universal adapter and converter kit. The electrical current in Japan is 100 volts with 50 cycles; the plugs are A and B. Learn more about electrical standards around the world. |
| Cell Phones & Internet | Want to take your cell phone, tablet or laptop, but not sure how to get cell service or wifi? Read up on using your cell phone abroad and the 5 ways to get Internet abroad. |
| Did you know? |
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Fine Print
Terms & Conditions: Please review our terms & conditions for this package.
Cancellations: If something comes up and you need to cancel your trip, please let us know as soon as possible. All cancellations must be made in writing. Cancellation fees vary by package; please see the cancellation fees for this package.