Personalized itinerary

5.0(9 reviews)
Rural Travels, Japan

How it works:

1

Complete Purchase

Choose your desired itinerary length and complete the payment process.
2

Answer Survey

After purchase, I'll send you a link to the survey to fill out.
3

Receive Itinerary

I'll provide a personalised itinerary based on your survey answers within 3-10 days.

What to expect

My team will help you fine-tune your itinerary, improve travel flow, and add meaningful, hard-to-find experiences—the kind most travelers simply can’t access. 

What's Included:

  • A 45-minute call with our team to address your questions and ease any concerns.

  • Logistics advice to maximize time and flow (rail vs. rental car, transfers, pacing)

  • Up to 3 accommodation recommendations per week tailored to your budget

  • Up to 3 food & restaurant recommendations per week tailored to your palate

  • 1–2 curated “Hidden Japan” experience suggestions

  • Delivery in Google Docs (not Rexby): editable, shareable

Important:

Come with a rough list of destinations you want to hit but save some days for Hidden Japan suggestions.

  • Rural farm stays in deep Japan with no tourist crowds

  • Temple stays in quiet mountain or historic settings

  • Pilgrimage and outdoors with experienced local guides

  • Gourmet routes curated with local producers and chef tables

  • Marine activities such as swimming with pearl divers or spending a day with fishermen

These are difficult or impossible to plan on your own, often require pickups, and rely on vetted hosts. Budget $300–$1,000 per person per day for these unique experiences. We can also handle reservations through trusted service providers.

Let's start planning for hidden Japan!

5.0(9 reviews)

Judy Train

January 2026

We were interested exploring places in Japan outside of the big cities, and a friend recommended Tony. Valerie planned an amazing three days, filled with unique experiences and tips (the sunset at Magome was as amazing as advertised). She was very responsive and helpful to my many questions, and I feel we saw parts of Japan that few tourists get to experience.

Eric Pateman

January 2026

We were very fortunate to have Tony and Valerie introduce us to the Mie region of Japan and book some great adventures for us which really gave us an inside look at true Japan life. We would not have found this great people and places without their inside knowledge! Thank you!

Eva Tang

October 2025

We wanted to spend a significant chunk of our Japan trip in the rural areas but we didn’t have the capacity to do all the research and planning ourselves. That’s when we decided to hire Tony to help us. He created a bespoke itinerary for us where we spent 10 nights across 4 different prefectures and had some of our favourite moments of our entire trip. From hiking the most serene and people-free cedar mountain with a local monk to sharing homemade meals with an 80 year old grandma. We can’t wait to get Tony’s help again on our next trip!

Stephanie Lai

June 2025

I’ve followed Tony’s IG for a while, enjoy seeing his journey in Japan and saved a whole bunch of places and things to go and do for ref. I subscribed as soon as this guide is launched and use it for the first time in my recent trip to Kumamoto and Aso area and couldn’t be happier with the local food recommendation! Can’t wait to do more things with the guide :)

VIP

Yanil Rosario

April 2025

Thankbyouvso much at YamaTrips for the great itinerary recommendations. It was just whatvi was looking for and more! This will definitely be my go to for any future trips.

Consultation by Tony Xia
Joined in July 2024

I’m Tony, CEO and founder of YamaTrips, and creator of this guide.

I help travelers uncover Japan’s hidden side from remote mountain villages to untouched national parks. My expertise comes from years of experience as a travel consultant specializing in rural revitalization, working closely with local governments and licensed operators across Japan to design sustainable tourism destinations.

This guide is the culmination of all that experience. A carefully curated collection of hidden destinations, scenic routes, and genuine local experiences.

If you want to explore Japan beyond the familiar sights, this map is your starting point.

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