This summer, leading cultural adventure tour operator Inside Travel Group – parent company of specialist brands InsideJapan and InsideAsia – is inviting Australians to swap seafood and sun for sushi and snow, launching its first-ever Small Group Tour (SGT) departures across the Christmas and New Year period.
While the festive season Down Under means backyard BBQs and beach days, just a short flight away, Japan transforms into a winter wonderland.
To help travellers make the most of the season, InsideJapan has added its first-ever tour departures of its popular family-friendly Must-see Japan SGT over the Christmas and New Year period.
InsideJapan Group Tour Programme Operations Manager Richard Farmer said the temples, mountains and bamboo forests that amaze visitors through the warmer months take on a whole new personality when the temperature drops and the snow falls.
“Winter in Japan is serene, spiritual and sacred – steam rises from bubbling natural springs, and the vibrant orange of Japan’s torii gates stands out brilliantly against the white snow.
“Christmas in Japan is quirky and fun – think fried chicken dinners and strawberry shortcake. Bright illuminations pop up across the country, temples are dusted with snow, and bamboo forests fall quiet.
“But it’s the New Year (Oshōgatsu) that really defines the season. On New Years, temple bells ring 108 times and shrines fill with locals offering their first prayers of the year, creating a peaceful and deeply cultural atmosphere.
“For travellers, it’s a chance to step into a slower pace and soak up Japan’s winter calm, enjoy world-class food, culture and scenery – all within easy reach of Australia.
“You don’t need to fly to Europe to see snow-covered mountains or enjoy a festive atmosphere. Japan offers a peaceful, culturally rich alternative that has something for everyone,” said Farmer.
The Must-see Japan tour is a family favourite and covers the country’s cultural and historical highlights: from fast-paced Tokyo, out to the mountains of Hakone National Park and beyond to cultural Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima, Osaka, and an optional day trip Kamakura.
Travellers also have the flexibility to explore on their own terms, with time factored in for personal discoveries. Guided by one of InsideJapan’s Insider Tour Leaders, this tour offers deeper insight through local knowledge, personal stories, and authentic connections.
The Insiders give you an instant head start visiting Japan – understanding the culture, opening doors that would otherwise remain hidden, and exploring like a local.
Departures are available throughout December and early January, giving travellers the chance to celebrate Christmas, New Year, or simply escape the heat for a switch of season – with no single supplement for solo travellers and 10% off for travellers under 18.
See the below departure dates and click here to book:
17th–27th December: Spend Christmas Day in Tokyo, where you can swap your usual roast for a KFC bucket, just like the locals.
27th December – 6th January: Ring in the New Year in Kyoto, literally. Chion-in temple’s huge, bronze bell rings out 108 times at New Year – cleansing spirits for the year ahead.
7th–17th January: Join the locals as they perform hatsumode – the first shrine and temple visit of the New Year. Draw your own omikuji fortune slip and see what the year might have in store.
Additionally, InsideJapan’s Winter Highlights tour offers a fully guided winter adventure to Japan’s northernmost frontier. Vast, windswept plains and wild peninsulas with still-smoking volcanoes on the horizon. All 2026 departures coincide with the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, where hundreds of towering, intricately crafted snow sculptures take over the city.
