Tokyo and the California Coast

A two-country trip pairing a self-drive along the California coast with time in Tokyo, with your flights, hotels, car hire and Tokyo sightseeing all arranged.

Start with three nights in San Francisco, including a visit to Alcatraz, then pick up your car and drive south to Monterey for two nights of Cannery Row, the aquarium and the Big Sur coast. Continue to Santa Barbara for a night, then spend two nights in Santa Monica, on the edge of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles, fly to Tokyo for four nights, with a full-day guided tour and a day trip to Hakone on the Romance Car for views of Mount Fuji.

Like all our trips, it’s easy to adjust: add nights where you’d like longer, upgrade your hotels or change the route to suit you.

Is this a private trip, and can I change it?

It’s a private trip built around your dates, not a group tour on fixed departures. In California you have your own hire car and set your own pace. In Tokyo, a licensed guide spends a full day showing you the city. You can change anything: add nights, swap places, upgrade hotels or slow the pace, and we’ll reprice it for you.

When is the best time to go?

Spring (late March to May) and autumn (October and November) are the most comfortable times, with mild weather, cherry blossom in spring and autumn leaves later in the year. Both are popular, so it pays to book early.

June to mid-July is the rainy season, and July and August are hot and humid. Winter is cold and clear, quieter in the cities, and good for snow in the north. Golden Week, from late April to early May, is one of Japan’s busiest holiday periods, so we usually plan around it.

California and Hawaii are good to visit all year, so Japan’s seasons are the ones to plan around.

Which airlines do you use?

You fly out to San Francisco and home from Tokyo, with a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo in between. We’ll suggest the best airlines for your dates, and we can book flights from regional UK airports.

The flight to San Francisco is usually during the day. You lose a day crossing the International Date Line on the way to Tokyo, and most flights home from Tokyo land in the UK the same day.

What are the hotels like?

In the cities we choose well-run hotels close to the main stations, which makes travelling by train much easier. Boutique hotels are rare in Japanese cities, so many are modern business-style hotels. They’re spotless and efficient, but the rooms are small, especially in Tokyo. Check-in is usually from 3pm and check-out around 10 or 11am. On most trips you can upgrade to superior or deluxe hotels.

What’s it like staying in a ryokan?

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. You sleep on futons laid out on tatami mats, dinner is usually a multi-course kaiseki meal, and most have hot spring baths. The baths are often shared and separated by gender, and some still don’t allow visible tattoos. If that’s a concern, we can choose a ryokan with a private bath. We can add a ryokan night to any trip.

View Itinerary in Detail

To view a sample holiday, click on one of the links below. This will open the itinerary up in a new window.

All of our Japan and USA Holidays are completely tailor made and we can put together any kind of itinerary to suit your interests and budget.

We have many other options so if you have a particular hotel in mind just let us know and we'll put together a price and itinerary for you.