SIC group tours, private charter, mixed-format and self-explore packages across Japan — quoted net, matched to your client's brief and budget, not sold as a fixed catalog price.
Tour Formats
A shared coach on a fixed departure date and itinerary, led by a bilingual guide — the most cost-effective format, priced per seat.
A dedicated vehicle and guide for one client party only, on a fully flexible itinerary — the format for families, honeymooners and small corporate groups.
SIC coaches for intercity travel combined with private vehicles for specific day trips or evenings — social by day, private where it counts.
Pre-booked hotels, rail passes or IC cards and destination guides, with the client moving independently and a support line if anything goes wrong.
What's Included
SIC seats, private charter, mixed itineraries and self-explore packages all quoted net — no bundled retail mark-up, your margin to set.
Budget, group size, social preference and flexibility needs all shape which format we recommend, not a single default option.
Hotels, transfers and (where relevant) rail passes are part of the same file as the tour itself, not booked separately.
SIC and private-charter guides briefed on the group's interests and any dietary or accessibility needs ahead of departure.
Who This Is For
Any advisor with a client whose Japan trip fits a defined format — a solo traveller wanting the social energy and value of a group coach, a family wanting full privacy, or a couple wanting group touring by day and private evenings. This is a routing decision, not a one-size-fits-all product.
How We Deliver This
We quote each format net, matched to the client's actual group size, budget and social preference, and build the itinerary around real routing logic (not a fixed template) — hotels, guiding and ground transport confirmed together as one file, whichever format is chosen.
How It Works
Group size, budget, preferred format (or ask us to recommend one), dates and destinations. We reply with matched net-rate options within 24 hours.
Each option itemised at net rate by format, so you see exactly what it costs and set your own margin. Quotations are valid for 4 days from issue.
A USD 100 contract fee secures the booking and is fully credited against your final invoice. Cancellation and deposit terms are stated at confirmation.
For private and mixed formats, the exact guide, vehicle and day-by-day plan are confirmed ahead of arrival; for SIC, departure dates and group size are reconfirmed.
30% deposit within 3 working days of confirmation, balance due 45 days before departure. Settle in JPY, USD, NZD or via Wise.
A named point of contact and 24/7 emergency line for the duration of the trip — issues are resolved directly through our ground team.
Format Comparison
| Factor | SIC Group | Private Charter | SIC + Private Mix | Self Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relative Cost | Lowest | Highest | Mid-range | Lowest to mid |
| Itinerary Flexibility | Fixed | Fully flexible | Partly flexible | Fully flexible |
| Privacy | Shared group | Fully private | Selective | Fully independent |
| Guide Access | Shared group guide | Dedicated guide | Shared plus private legs | Support line only |
| Best For | Solo & first-time visitors | Families, honeymooners, corporate | Couples, small friend groups | Independent, repeat visitors |
Who Books This
Solo and budget-conscious clients are usually best served by an SIC seat or a self-explore package, priced to be genuinely competitive against a fixed group departure while still quoted net so you keep your margin.
Repeat SIC departures need consistent guide quality and coach standards across many trips, which is what a standing DMC relationship gives you over a one-off booking with an unfamiliar ground operator.
Private charter or a mixed-format itinerary usually fits best — a dedicated vehicle sized to the family, private evenings, but still able to fold in a group-touring day where it makes sense.
Larger incentive groups often run as a private charter at scale, coordinated alongside our wider MICE & Incentive service rather than booked as a standalone tour package.
Sample Routings
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, usually with a Hakone or Mt Fuji stop en route between them, remains the most-requested routing for first-time visitors regardless of format — it covers the widest range of "must-see" experiences in the shortest realistic trip length. On an SIC tour this runs on a fixed group schedule; on a private charter, the same cities can be sequenced differently or extended with a day trip to Nara or Hiroshima depending on the group's pace.
Adding Hiroshima, Kanazawa or a ryokan-town night to the core Golden Route suits repeat visitors or clients with more time, and is where a mixed-format itinerary earns its value most clearly — SIC coaches for the well-trodden intercity legs, private vehicles for the less-served extension stops.
Clients who've already done the Golden Route, or who specifically want depth over breadth, increasingly ask for a single-region itinerary — all of Kansai, or a Kyushu-focused route — rather than a national circuit. This suits private charter or self-explore formats better than SIC, since fixed-departure group tours are built around the national highlight circuit by default.
Single-day SIC excursions (Mt Fuji/Hakone from Tokyo, Hiroshima/Miyajima from Kansai) are commonly added to an otherwise self-explore or FIT-booked trip — a way to get a group-tour day's convenience and shared-guide value without committing to a full SIC itinerary.
Working With Us
Whichever format a client books, the enquiry runs through the same desk that handles the rest of your trade file — so a private-charter quote and a hotel booking for the same client are checked against each other before either is confirmed, and a mixed-format itinerary doesn't end up with an SIC leg and a private leg planned by two different people with two different assumptions about the schedule.
Amendments after confirmation — a format change, an added day, a request to swap a group excursion for a private one — go through the same contact who quoted the original booking, so nothing gets lost in translation between departments.
Commercials
SIC tours are priced per seat against a fixed departure date, group size and set itinerary — the economics come from sharing the coach and guide across multiple client parties. Private charter is priced per group rather than per person, covering the vehicle, dedicated guide and however many days are booked, which is why it doesn't get cheaper by adding more people to the same brief the way SIC does.
A mixed-format itinerary is priced as a genuine hybrid — SIC legs at SIC rates, private legs at private rates — rather than a blended single number, so you can see exactly which days cost what. Self-explore packages are priced on the components actually used: hotels, any rail pass or IC card top-up, and a support line, without a guide or vehicle cost built in.
Every format is quoted net and non-commissionable — the same principle behind every service we quote. A USD 100 contract fee secures the booking, credited against the final invoice, and cancellation runs on a sliding scale: 20% of total cost at 45 days or more before travel, 50% at 22–44 days, 100% at 21 days or fewer.
Trade Terms
A shared group tour on a fixed departure date, priced per seat rather than per group — the standard format for cost-effective group travel.
A dedicated vehicle and guide retained exclusively for one client party, priced per group rather than per person.
An itinerary combining SIC legs with private legs — shared touring by day, private transport or dining where it matters most to the client.
The rate we quote you with no commission folded in. What you charge on top is up to you — your client never sees our number.
FAQ
Net and non-commissionable across every format. You see exactly what the tour costs and set your own margin on top.
Seat-In-Coach — a shared group tour on a set departure date and fixed itinerary, priced per person, the most cost-effective format for solo and budget-conscious clients.
Private charter is a dedicated vehicle and guide for one client party only, on a flexible itinerary; SIC shares a coach, guide and fixed schedule with other travellers.
Yes — SIC coaches for intercity travel combined with private vehicles for specific day trips or evenings is a common, cost-effective combination.
As early as possible for cherry blossom and autumn foliage departures, when SIC seats and private vehicle availability both tighten fastest.
45 days or more before travel: 20% of total cost. 22 to 44 days: 50%. 21 days or fewer: 100%. Full terms are on our Partner Policy page.
Work With Us
Tell us what you need and we will respond within 24 hours.