Classic Japan
Cities, country & culture.

Tokyo Arrival

Welcome to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport, you will be met by a local representative and taken by shuttle bus to your hotel in Tokyo. Journey time is around 2 hours — enjoy the ride and look out for great views along the elevated highways into town.

You will be provided with an IC card today, allowing you to travel on buses, subways, overground railways and even pay for taxis. Your card comes with 2,500 yen of credit and can be topped up in any major city. An essential accessory for any visit to Japan.

Tokyo · Guided Day

Today, you'll be taken on a full-day private tour of the city with a local guide. To get a real feel for Japan's capital, you'll travel by public transport, just like the locals. On this fascinating introduction to Tokyo, you'll have the chance to explore the classic highlights and best-kept secrets.

Your guide will meet you at the hotel around 9:00 AM. Rather than making a fixed itinerary in advance, you'll have full flexibility to select the attractions and activities that interest you. Around 5:00 PM, your tour will end either back at your hotel or anywhere else you wish to spend the evening.

Tokyo · Free Day

Today you'll have the opportunity to make an excursion from Tokyo using your included Japan Rail Pass. The charming town of Kamakura is located just 1 hour to the west of Tokyo. Kamakura was formally the capital of Japan for a short period in the 12th century — possibly the world's largest city at that time, with a population over one million.

Today it is a sleepy coastal town which attracts large numbers of day-trippers exploring the beautiful shrines and temples. The most famous site is the impressive bronze dai-butsu (Big Buddha), certainly a must-see for any trip to Kamakura.

Tokyo → Hakone

Today you'll take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara Station, the gateway city for Hakone National Park. This journey will take just 40 minutes. From Odawara, you'll use your Hakone Freepass to take the bus up into the mountains. Admire the charming scenery as the road winds through several small mountain villages towards your ryokan.

Hakone is a beautiful National Park region nestled beside Mount Fuji, Japan's most sacred peak. From Hakone, you have one of the best chances to admire Mount Fuji's epic beauty, although she is a notoriously shy mountain. After a day of wandering, soak in the famous onsen waters while relaxing at your traditional ryokan.

Hakone → Osaka

Following a lovely stay in Hakone, you'll make the journey by bus down from the mountains to Odawara Station, then race down Japan's eastern seaboard by Shinkansen to Osaka — a journey of about two hours.

This evening you'll join an English-speaking guide on a street food safari of Osaka's famous Dotonbori area. Running alongside the canal, this brightly-lit street is packed with restaurants and food stalls. Venture off the beaten path to uncover hidden izakayas, sample octopus dumplings and kushikatsu fried skewers, and experience Osaka's nightlife as a true local rather than a tourist.

Osaka · Guided Morning

This morning you'll embark on a half-day tour of the city by public transport. Around 9:00 AM your private guide will meet you for an exploration of Osaka's classic highlights and best-kept secrets. With a knowledgeable local by your side, you can look forward to an in-depth discovery of attractions you would have never otherwise known about. Your tour finishes around 1:00 PM, either back at your accommodation or anywhere else in the city.

Osaka → Kyoto · Gion Evening

Use your Japan Rail Pass for the short journey from Osaka to Kyoto — between 25 and 45 minutes depending on which train you take.

In the early evening, head to Gion — Kyoto's famous Geisha district — to join a group tour with a professional English-speaking guide. As you slowly make your way through the narrow lanes and hidden alleys, your guide will provide insights into the history and traditions that bring alive the secret life of Geisha and Maiko. During the tour you'll likely come across geisha going between their appointments, so be sure to bring your camera.

Kyoto · Guided Day

Today, you'll be taken on a full-day tour of Kyoto by public transport. Learning through the eyes of a local guide offers the best way to discover a city so rich in UNESCO World Heritage sites that it's hard to know where to begin. Your guide can offer the insight of a local's perspective, revealing the city's authentic culture, iconic highlights and best-kept secrets.

Kyoto · Optional Nara Day Trip

Today you may be interested in taking a day trip to Nara — just 40 minutes by local train from Kyoto, renowned for the wealth of its Buddhist and Shinto heritage. Formerly the end of the Silk Road, Nara was the first area to see Buddhist teaching transition from China to Japan. In 710 it became Japan's first permanent capital.

Today, Nara retains many dramatic attractions: the huge wooden structure that houses the Big Buddha — the world's largest wooden building — and a myriad of shrines and temples set against beautiful low-lying mountains. In Nara Park, you'll find the famously friendly deer wandering about town, completely unfazed by tourists.

Kyoto · Nishiki Market & Cooking Class

Today you'll embark on a unique private tour that teaches you the basics of Japanese ingredients and shopping, as well as some special cooking techniques. Meet your guide at Daimaru and take a guided walk of the mile-long Nishiki covered food market. Your guide will explain the various stands and shops and help you pick out ingredients to use later.

After the market walk, you'll be taken through the less-crowded back streets of Kyoto, stopping at a former sake brewery for a tour and tasting. The excursion ends at a traditional machiya (wooden town house) where you'll learn to cook basic Japanese dishes from the ingredients you purchased.

Kyoto · Hiroshima & Miyajima

From Kyoto, head down the eastern seaboard by Shinkansen en route to Hiroshima — a 400-kilometer journey of around 2 hours. A private English-speaking guide will be at your disposal for 8 hours to help you explore Hiroshima and the nearby Miyajima Island.

You'll visit the famous Peace Park and Museum, where you'll meet with a Hibakusha — a survivor of the atomic bombing — for what is sure to be an informative and moving experience. After lunch you'll head to Miyajima Island by local train and ferry to visit the Itsukushima Shrine and soak up the atmosphere of the island.

Kyoto → Kanazawa

Today you'll board a train from Kyoto to Kanazawa using your Japan Rail Pass. This two-hour scenic journey takes you directly north, through some of the area's most beautiful landscapes and along the shores of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake.

Kanazawa is a lovely city close to the Japan Sea coast. Until the turn of the century, it was the 4th-biggest city in Japan — its wealth built on rice production and traditional crafts like weaving and gold leaf. Today the city is flourishing again, maintaining much of its old charm: small geisha districts, samurai houses, a ninja temple, and the famous Kenrokuen garden.

Kanazawa · Guided Day

Today you'll be taken on a full-day tour of Kanazawa in the company of a private guide. The best way to discover the fascination behind Kanazawa is through the eyes of a knowledgeable local. Popular attractions include the breathtaking Kenrokuen Gardens, the Ninja temple, and the old samurai house district.

Kanazawa → Tokyo Departure

Sadly, your adventures in Japan must come to an end today. You'll travel to Tokyo via Kagayaki Shinkansen in just under 2.5 hours. From Tokyo, continue on to the airport on the Narita Express train, which makes the transfer in exactly 1 hour. We wish you a pleasant flight home.