Japan is a country I’ve heard only good things about, but when I went on the Highlights of Japan trip with EF Ultimate Break, my expectations were exceeded in every way, and now Japan is easily one of my favorite countries.
I know that a 14 day trip, including three travel days might be a lot for some people, especially with limited PTO, but I think the trip covers all the essentials of Japan with plenty of time to explore your own interests, whether thats Anime, Nintendo, Pokemon, or food. (Or all of the above)
This EF Ultimate Break review has everything you need to know about the Highlights of Japan trip, including where you’ll stay, what activities you’ll do, and the itinerary.
(EF Ultimate Break trips are for anyone between 18 and 35!)
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Published: July 5, 2025
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My Trip to Japan with EF Ultimate Break
Here are some quick facts about my trip, including when I went, my flight info, and how much I paid!
When: May 26 – June 8, 2025
Trip type: Plus
Flights: Not included (booked my own)
Price: $3,969 trip fee (no flights) + $310 optional activities + $179 travel protection
Savings: $400 sale discount + $300 REPEAT discount (Read more about EF Ultimate Promo Codes)
Total price: $3,758
Group size: 26 people (ages 18-35)
Disclaimer: When you use my link to save $100 off a trip with EFUB, I also receive a discount on trips as part of the ambassador program. Discounts were used to book this trip, costing me less than the retail rate listed above. This review was not compensated, and I always give my honest opinion.
EF Ultimate Break Highlights of Japan Itinerary
I really enjoyed the balance of free time and planned activities on this trip. You have the option to have lots of free time in each of the three big cities, or enjoy the optional excursions EF offers. In Hakone and Hiroshima, you have a lot planned activities with some free time on Miyajima Island.
Day 1: Fly to Japan
- Depart North America for an overnight flight
If you book your own flights, make sure you land on the right day, as EF’s itineraries have the flight days included. For this trip, you will land on Day 2.
Day 2: Arrive in Tokyo
- Land in Tokyo (HND or NRT)
- Arrive at your hotel in Tokyo and meet your tour director
Day 3: Explore Tokyo and Welcome dinner
- Tour Senso-ji Temple
- Free time in Akihabara
- Included snack in Harajuku
- Free time in Shibuya
- Welcome dinner at Kidori Sakaba
Day 4: Free day and Optional Team Labs ($50)
- Team Labs Planets
- Lunch at Toyosu Market
- Free time at DiverCity
- Free night – baseball game and clubbing
Day 5: Free day and Optional Shimokatzawa Visit
- Free morning – Nintendo store & shopping
- Shimokitazawa visit ($25) – short orientation – free time – craft beer included at Kaigan Brewery
- Drinks in Golden Gai
Day 6: Travel to Hakone
- Owakudani
- Hakone-en – lunch
- Ferry ride to Sake tasting
- Hotel check in – traditional Ryokan hotel
- Included dinner
Day 7: Travel to Kyoto via Bullet Train
- Two-ish hour bullet train from Hakone to Kyoto
- Kiyomizo Temple
- Free time for lunch
- Kinkaku-ju Temple
- Free night – karaoke and clubbing
Day 8: Fushimi-Inari Temple and optional Tea Ceremony
- Fushimi-Inari Temple tour
- Free afternoon
- Optional traditional tea ceremony ($30) – approximately 40 minutes
Day 9: Free day or optional hiking trip
- Free day – it rained today so our hiking trip was cancelled
Day 10: Travel to Hiroshima via bullet train & Miyajima Island
- Bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima
- Hiroshima lecture, tour, and museum free time
- Ferry to Miyajima Island
- Itsukushima Jinja Shrine
- Free time on Miyajima
- Included Omoniyaki dinner
Day 11: Travel to Osaka and Castles
- Bus ride with rest stop lunch (not included)
- Himeji Castle
- Osaka hotel check in and free time
- Night walk to Osaka Castle
Day 12: Free day or optional Nara tour and optional food tour
- Meditation at Gango-ji Temple
- Included lunch at Sigenoi Nara
- Afternoon at Nara Park
- Free time
- Osaka food tour
- Night out in Dotonbori
Day 13: Free day and Farewell Dinner
- Free day
- Farewell dinner in Dotonbori
Day 14: Leave Japan
- Fly out from KIX or ITM
EF Japan Hotels
I was pleasantly surprised with the hotels on the Highlights of Japan trip since the hotels EF uses have been hit or miss on my past trips.
Other than the food situation in Hakone (see below) and the distance of the hotel in Tokyo from the city center, I really enjoyed all of the hotels. Osaka and Kyoto hotels were in great locations and the Moxy in Osaka was truly the cutest hotel ever.
Hotels on my specific trip
- Hotel Amanek Kamata (nights 2-5)
- New Hakkeien (night 6)
- Ibis Styles Kyoto Station (nights 7-9)
- Smile Hotel Hiroshima (night 10)
- Moxy Osaka Honmachi (nights 11-13)
*Night 1 was an overnight flight from the US to Japan
Food in Japan
The food in Japan is amazinggggg and I liked almost everything I ate. I’m not a Sushi person but that was never an issue, however you will have plenty of time to find good sushi if you are.
No matter what type of food you are looking for in Japan and what your budget is, you will be able to find some great stuff in every city. From the cheap 7-11 meals to dumpllings and ramen, everything was so good. If you are a picky eater, you may have some issues, but it’s a great country to try some new foods in!
Vegetarians, vegans, and other dietary restrictions: There was a vegetarian on my trip, as well as a few other dietary restrictions and allergies on my tour. This is one of the countries that I think was hardest vegetarian wise.
It is easy to find rice or a simple soup, but even most veggie dishes have meat or fish. Our vegetarian ended up doing a lot of 7-11 meals.
There was also a major mess up at the hotel in Hakone during the included dinner were the vegetarian meal ended up having fish. No one realized til halfway through the meal, and the girl ended up getting pretty sick since she hadn’t eaten fish in a decade and a half. I was disappointed in the hotel and EF for not taking more precautions to avoid this from happening.
Optional Add-ons
There are some optional activities that you can add on at checkout or before you depart at an additional cost:
- teamLab, Toyosu & Odaiba
- Shimokitazawa Neighborhood Visit
- Traditional Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
- Hiking Trip from Kyoto
- Nara City Tour, Zen Meditation & Lunch
- Osaka Food Tour
These activities cost extra and you can book them when you book the trip, or add them on in your account after you book.
I booked five of the six excursions, opting to skip the hike, although it ended up getting rained out on my run of the trip.
Personally, my favorites were teamLabs and Nara. The tea ceremony was short and I would skip it if you want to do the hike and free time in Kyoto. The neighborhood visit was kinda silly but we had fun at the bar at the end, as a craft beer is included. The food tour was more of a drinking night, with just one stop for food, so not a tour.
Out of 26 people on my trip, around 15-20 signed up for each one. If you do all six optional excursions, you will have limited free time on the trip. If there is anything specific you want to do in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka that is not included on EF’s itinerary, consider skipping one or two of the optional excursions.
For example, if you want to go to Disney in Tokyo, I would skip the neighborhood visit and go on Day 5. If you want to go to Universal in Osaka, go early on day 13 so you can return to the city for the farewell dinner, or skip Nara (and the food tour if you want the whole day) and go on day 14.
Highlights of Japan Trip Types
Here are the options EF Ultimate Break offers for the Highlights of Japan trip (descriptions from efultimatebreak.com):
- EF Ultimate Plus: Stay in hotel-style accommodations, room with just one other person, and enjoy more included meals. Designed for friends, couples, or anyone that just values their me time, Plus combines an immersive itinerary with more space to unwind.
I took the Plus trip, where I had 1 roommate each night. The only exception was the night in Hakone, where five of us roomed together. Everyone who booked a single room still got their own room in Hakone, but this is not likely, so expect to share with people even if you book the single supplement.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
I absolutely loved Japan, and I think EF does a great job covering all the highlights (LOL) of the country in just two weeks.
The trip is VERY city focused, with the only night outside of a city in Hakone. However, there are lots of opportunities to connect with nature on this trip, including at many of the temples.
The food on this tour is great, as I discussed above, and I truly had the absolute BEST group of people for the two week tour.
If you are looking for a tour group to travel Japan with, I cannot recommend EF Ultimate Break and this trip enough!
EF Ultimate Break Discount
For first-time EF Ultimate travelers, you can save $100 off any trip by booking here!
(or any of the links in this article. Code & discount are automatically applied at checkout. Reach out with questions or issues!)
If you’ve traveled with EF Ultimate before, use code REPEAT for up to $300 off your next trip.
EF also frequently runs sales throughout the year, with their biggest being in November for Black Friday.
Send me a DM on Instagram (or any other social media!) if you want details on their next sale!
Trips Similar to Highlights of Japan
If this trip sounds fun, check out some similar options that EF Ultimate offers:
Other Asia trips with EF Ultimate Break:
- Bali: Tropical Escape
- India: The Golden Triangle
- Thailand Getaway
- Thailand: Island Paradise
- Voyage to Vietnam
EF Ultimate Break Highlights of Japan Verdict
I loved the Highlights of Japan trip with EF Ultimate Break and I absolutely fell in love with Japan. I would recommend skipping a few of the optional excursions to make sure you have some free time in each city!
Remember, you can save $100 off your first EF trip by booking here + code UASarahET100!
If you have any questions about traveling with EF, check out my FAQs which also includes EF Ultimate Break discounts.
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