Knowing basic Japanese

I am wanting to go on a holiday to Japan, and I was wondering if I would be able to get about with only knowing the very basics e.g hello, goodbye, how much is this, where is this etc.

Sure you can. Most tourists don't even know that... In cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, there's a lot of English signs, which help you to get around without being able to read Japanese.

I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I've lived in Japan for over 2 years and still speak little Japanese. I've travelled quite a lot including some slightly out of the way places and have had few troubles at all. Being polite and respectful goes a big way in Japan. As such, I doubt that you will have many problems not speaking the language in Japan.