Inside Travel Group has expanded its escorted touring portfolio with new itineraries under both its InsideAsia and InsideJapan brands, reflecting growing demand for culturally immersive small-group travel across Asia.
The company’s Korea specialist, InsideAsia, has launched a 13-night Majestic Korea Insider-escorted small group tour, while sister brand InsideJapan has unveiled a luxury itinerary designed to highlight lesser-visited regions of Japan.
The Majestic Korea tour explores the Korean peninsula primarily by rail, combining cities, coastlines and rural mountain regions with a programme of cultural experiences focused on history, craft traditions and food.
According to South Korea Product Manager, Becky Barry, the itinerary builds on the success of the operator’s first Korean group tour.
“This is our second small group tour after Soul of Korea, which sold out last year,” she said.
“This tour is designed for people who like to stay in comfort but love to explore and experience a new country and culture.”
The journey begins in Seoul, before travelling to the coastal city of Gangneung. Travellers then board the new KTX high-speed train, launched in December last year, and head south along the east coast to the historic cultural capital Gyeongju, before continuing to Busan and the rural gateway city of Gwangju.
Barry said the programme focuses on encounters with local artisans and food producers as well as major sights.
“The tour has been designed to meet some incredible people in great places and to get a greater understanding of Korean culture which is so popular right now – both the contemporary culture and more traditional culture,” she said.
Experiences include meeting the chef at a small but renowned tofu restaurant in Gangneung, visiting a master potter in rural Sunchang, and spending time with a traditional indigo dye artist in Yeongam village, overlooking Wolchulsan National Park.
The superior-grade tour will have a maximum of 14 guests and just two departures in October, timed to coincide with Korea’s autumn season. Prices start from £7,280pp including accommodation, transport across Korea, daily breakfast, selected meals and an Insider tour leader.
Meanwhile, the company’s Japan brand has introduced a new Luxury Japan small-group tour, designed to take travellers beyond the country’s most visited destinations.
The 14-night Insider-led Luxury Japan itinerary will visit six locations across the country, including major cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto, alongside under-the-radar regions offering more off-the-beaten-track experiences.
The itinerary begins in Tokyo before heading to the castle city of Inuyama, home to one of Japan’s 12 original samurai castles and located on the banks of the Kiso River.
Travellers will also explore quieter areas of Kyoto with their Insider tour leader, including visits to lesser-known temples. Experiences include kaiseki dining on the shores of Lake Biwa, sake tastings and a private dinner in the company of a geisha.
The tour then continues to Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu, known for its mountain landscapes, coastal scenery and distinct regional culture. Stops include Fukuoka, renowned for its food scene, and Nagasaki, noted for its historic heritage and picturesque setting.
Guests will also visit a small coastal tea farm to meet local farmers and learn about the community that produces the region’s tea. In Inuyama, travellers can take part in a Buddhist goma fire ceremony with monks at a local temple.
The tour includes 14 nights’ accommodation in superior-grade hotels, transport throughout Japan, daily breakfast and a selection of additional meals, exclusive cultural experiences and guiding by an Insider tour leader.
There will be four departures in autumn 2026, with a full programme planned for 2027.
