Plan a wellness trip to Japan

A wellness trip to Japan mixes restorative days with active ones: Kobe Municipal Arboretum, Nunobiki Herb Garden. Choose laid-back for two things a day, or packed for four.

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Price bands are thirds of what Japan itself charges, not a fixed dollar figure - the cheapest third in Vietnam and in Norway are nowhere near the same number. Flights and accommodation are not included.

Your 5-day wellness plan for Japan

Where you stayKobe 3 nightsKyoto 2 nightsabout 65 km between them

5 days · packed · 10 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $729

  1. Day 1 Kobe

    1. Kobe Municipal Arboretum in Kobe, Japan

      morning

      Kobe Municipal Arboretum

      Kobe

      Botanical garden and arboretum in Kobe, Japan. Dates from 1940.

    2. Nunobiki Herb Garden in Kobe, Japan

      afternoon

      Nunobiki Herb Garden

      Kobe · 3.2 km from Kobe Municipal Arboretum

      Herb garden in Kobe, Japan. Dates from 1991.

    3. Hakodateyama Ski Resort Beginner Lesson & Snow Fun from Osaka in Osaka, Japan

      evening

      Hakodateyama Ski Resort Beginner Lesson & Snow Fun from Osaka

      4.6803 reviewsOsaka · from $57

    4. Japanese Massage, Head Spa & Facial at the Temple in Osaka, Japan

      evening

      Osaka: Japanese Massage, Head Spa & Facial at the Temple (180-min)

      Osaka · from $361

  2. Day 2 Kobe

    1. Arima Onsen Taikounoyu Spa in Kobe, Japan

      morning

      Arima Onsen Taikounoyu Spa

      4.5453 reviewsKobe · from $19

    2. Arima Onsen in Kobe, Japan

      afternoon

      Arima Onsen

      Kobe · 0.3 km from Arima Onsen Taikounoyu Spa

      Hot springs in Japan.

    3. Osaka Facial & Body Salon Rechica Face&Body Salon in Osaka, Japan

      evening

      Osaka Facial & Body Salon Rechica Face&Body Salon

      Osaka · from $115

    4. Ginga Hot Spring Experience at Minotani Green Sports Hotel in Kobe in Kobe, Japan

      evening

      Ginga Hot Spring Experience at Minotani Green Sports Hotel in Kobe

      Kobe · from $10

  3. Day 3 Kobe

    1. Tennōji Park in Osaka, Japan

      morning

      Tennōji Park

      Osaka

      Park in Osaka, Japan. Dates from 1909.

    2. Kitayama Botanical Garden in Kobe, Japan

      afternoon

      Kitayama Botanical Garden

      Kobe · 21.8 km from Tennōji Park

      Botanical garden in Hyōgo, Japan. Dates from 1982.

    3. Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden in Kobe, Japan

      evening

      Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden

      Kobe · 6.9 km from Kitayama Botanical Garden

      Botanical garden on Mount Rokkō, Kobe, Japan. Dates from 1933.

    4. Osaka Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photography Experience in Osaka, Japan

      eveningalso worth doing

      Osaka Kimono/Yukata Rental & Photography Experience (Provided by Oukakimono)

      4.9878 reviewsOsaka · from $23

    Where to eat

    • Lunch

      Hajime

      The restaurant was opened in May 2008 and only a year and a half later received a three-star rating in the Michelin Guide, then the only restaurant in Osaka to receive that distinction.

      Osaka · 4.5 km away

  4. Day 4 Kyoto

    1. Travel day

      Kobe to Kyoto

      About 65 km by train · allow around 1h 30m

      Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it. Klook sells Japan Shinkansen & Train Tickets, which covers this country rather than this leg - you pick the route and date at checkout.

    2. Kyoto Botanical Garden in Kyoto, Japan

      afternoon

      Kyoto Botanical Garden

      Kyoto

      Botanical garden in Kyoto, Japan. Dates from 1924.

    3. Fu Fu No Yu Onsen Admission Ticket in Kyoto in Kyoto, Japan

      evening

      Fu Fu No Yu Onsen Admission Ticket in Kyoto

      4.7749 reviewsKyoto · from $9

    4. Shiatsu Body Massage in Kyoto, Japan

      evening

      Kyoto: Shiatsu Body Massage (Arashiyu Gion Bettei)

      Kyoto · from $99

  5. Day 5 Kyoto

    1. Yamazaki distillery in Kyoto, Japan

      morningalso worth doing

      Yamazaki distillery

      Kyoto

      Japanese whisky distillery. Dates from 1923.

    2. Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan

      afternoonalso worth doing

      Kinkaku-ji Temple

      Kyoto · 17.0 km from Yamazaki distillery

      Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Dates from 1397. National Treasure of Japan.

    3. Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option in Kyoto, Japan

      eveningalso worth doing

      Kyoto: Gion Make Your Own Chopsticks with Engraving Option

      5.02,796 reviewsKyoto · from $9

    4. Kyoto Kimono Rental Experience in Kyoto, Japan

      eveningalso worth doing

      Kyoto Kimono Rental Experience (Optional Elegant Hairstyle/Japanese Makeup/Photography) (Ookini Kimono Rental Yasaka Shrine Gion Store)

      4.81,061 reviewsKyoto · from $27

Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the wellness theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Japan.

Before you fly to Japan

The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Japan's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.

Entry

No - Australian passport holders can enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days.

Japan visa and entry rules

Passport

Check your passport covers the whole trip with room to spare. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.

Check your passport against this rule

Your checklist

21 things to sort for Japan, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.

Japan travel checklist

  • Passport valid - valid for the duration of your stay
  • Take out travel insurance
  • Get an International Driving Permit

Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.

Sort these before you go

The two things worth having arranged before a wellness trip to Japan, compared on price.

Japan travel insurance

EKTA

Gold

2k
Overseas medical expenses to US$150,000No excess to pay on a claimSold per day, so a long trip costs proportionally
$36.48 AUD

Klook

Travel insurance

Priced per destinationMedical, cancellation and baggageAdventure cover options
Set at quote

Fast Cover Best value

Standard Saver

9k
Overseas medical expensesTrip cancellationLuggage & personal items
$19 AUD
Compare only

Japan eSIM plans

Airalo

1GB · 7 days

32k
Works in Japan1GB of data7 days validity
$6.50 AUD

Saily Cheapest 10GB

10GB · 15 days

6k
Works in Japan10GB of data15 days validity
$11.50 AUD

Airalo Recommended

10GB · 15 days

32k
Works in Japan10GB of data15 days validity
$13 AUD

Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.

Wellness trip questions

Is a wellness holiday just spas?

Not here. A wellness plan mixes restorative days - hot springs, spa, bathhouses - with active ones like hiking, cycling, kayaking and open-water swimming, and with studio fitness where it exists. The planner deliberately alternates them rather than booking you four massages in a row.

How far ahead should I book wellness activities?

Spa and onsen slots are the ones that sell out, particularly at weekends and on public holidays. Guided hikes and classes usually have more room. Anything the plan marks as bookable can be held now; the rest you can arrange when you arrive.

Other ways to do Japan

Wellness trips in other countries

Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.

All wellness itineraries

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