Your Japanese insider in Dubai
Doing it yourself? Great — our guides are free and always will be. Want it done for you? That works too. I design and book Japan trips for Gulf & Muslim travellers, in Japanese, on Gulf time.
Three things a booking site can't do
Native-language booking
The best ryokan and restaurants still take reservations by phone, in Japanese. I negotiate directly — no translation apps, no lost details.
Halal & privacy, understood
Living in the UAE taught me what actually matters: halal food without guesswork, prayer times in the plan, private onsen instead of public baths.
Replies on Gulf time
I'm in Dubai, same time zone as you. Questions answered in hours, not after Tokyo wakes up.
Everything your family needs, in one plan
Made-to-order itinerary
Tell me your dates, who is travelling and how old the children are. I build the plan around your pace, your prayer times and your food needs.
Booking service
We book everything in your quotation for you: hotels, Shinkansen, tours, tickets and airport transfers.
Support during the trip
Message us on WhatsApp between 8:00 and 22:00 Japan time, and 24 hours a day in an emergency. We handle booking changes, delays, weather re-planning and restaurant rebooking.
Interpreting support
At a restaurant, hospital, taxi or hotel, or when something is lost, we speak Japanese on your behalf.
Personal travel guide
A local's picks for restaurants and souvenirs, and how to use the trains, all in one guide.
One clear price for planning and support
For up to 6 travellers. Groups of 7 or more are quoted separately — asking costs nothing.
Trip planning & support
from AED 3,500
for 7 nights · each extra night from AED 480
- Made-to-order itinerary
- We book hotels, trains, tours and transfers
- WhatsApp support during your trip
- Interpreting and a personal travel guide
- Same price for stays of 5 nights or fewer
Visa support
from AED 600
plus the government visa fee and the VFS service fee
- We prepare your documents
- We submit at the VFS centre for you
- Quote after you send travellers, nationalities and dates
In-person guiding
quoted separately
depends on city, days and group
- A guide with you in Japan
- Quote on request
Paid separately: hotels, transport, meals and admission tickets. We book them for you, and your quotation shows the full price of each item, including our handling fee.
Our price promise: your quotation shows the full price of every item. Once you approve it, the price does not change. A quotation is valid for 14 days from the date of issue.
All prices are final. We do not charge VAT. We accept bank transfer only.
From first message to boarding pass
See who plans your trip and exactly how it works
Want something from Japan sent to you? See our shopping service for limited figures, cards and Japanese goods.
Free consultation and first plan
It helps us plan faster if you can tell us:
- When you would like to travel
- How many adults and children, and the children's ages
- What kind of trip you would like: mainly Osaka, enjoying nature, feeling the big city, food, relaxing…
- A rough budget
Not sure yet? That's fine. We can decide together.
Within 48 hours, I send you a free outline of the route and a price range, with no obligation.
Order and first payment
You pay 50% of the planning fee (from AED 1,750 for 7 nights). It covers understanding your trip, designing your itinerary and preparing your quotation.
Itinerary and quotation
Within 3–5 days we send a detailed itinerary and a quotation that shows every cost. One revision is included.
Approve and pay the rest
Once you approve, you pay the remaining 50% of the planning fee (from AED 1,750 for 7 nights) and the costs in the quotation. Please pay at least 30 days before departure (for later orders, right after you approve). Your booking is confirmed when we issue a written confirmation.
We book and prepare you
Hotels, restaurants, trains and transfers are booked in Japanese and confirmed to you in English. You receive your personal travel guide before departure.
We stay with you
Support on WhatsApp throughout your trip.
If your plans change
- Cancel within 24 hours of your first payment, before we start work: full refund (less bank fees).
- Once we have started work, the first payment is non-refundable.
- Cancel after the second payment but before we make any bookings: the second payment is refunded in full.
- Once bookings are made, the planning fee is non-refundable. Hotels, transport and tickets follow each supplier's cancellation terms, listed item by item in your quotation.
- If we cannot deliver the service for reasons on our side, we refund you in full.
Approved refunds are paid within 7 business days. Read the full terms, including what happens with typhoons, earthquakes and other disruptions.
Before you ask
Do you handle visas?
Yes. I can prepare your documents and submit the application at the VFS centre for you, as your authorized representative. Visa support starts from AED 600, on top of the government visa fee and the VFS service fee. Message me on WhatsApp with the number of travellers, your nationalities and your travel dates for a quote. Our free visa guide explains the whole process, so you can also apply by yourself. The visa support fee is non-refundable, whatever the outcome of the application.
How do I pay?
In AED, by bank transfer only. Bank details are sent after you place your order, and transfer fees are paid by you. We do not charge VAT. Your quotation shows the full price of every item, including our handling fee on bookings. Once you approve it, the price does not change.
How long is a quotation valid?
A quotation is valid for 14 days from the date of issue. After that, we re-quote and prices may change, because hotels and trains change their prices.
What if a typhoon or earthquake changes our plans?
We contact the hotels and other suppliers on your behalf, ask for refunds or alternatives, and pass on what they allow. Re-planning your itinerary is part of our on-trip support. Suppliers set their own terms, so we recommend travel insurance that covers natural disasters and trip interruption. The full terms are on our terms page.
How fast do you reply?
Within 48 hours, usually much faster. We are based in Dubai, so we answer on Gulf time — no waiting overnight for a reply from Tokyo.
Can you book restaurants that have no English website?
Yes — this is our favourite part. Many of the best restaurants and ryokan in Japan take reservations only by phone, in Japanese. We call them for you.
What if I just have one small question?
Message us anyway. Quick questions are free, no strings attached. If you end up wanting full planning help, you'll know where to find us.
One message. Zero obligation.
Tell us your dates and dreams on WhatsApp. We reply within 48 hours — usually much faster.
Message us on WhatsAppPrefer email? Write to contact@yabantravel.com or use our contact form.