Itinerary No. 14-JP
From $6,623 / person · 14 days
Classic Japan —
Cities, Country
& Culture.
Kumano Nachi Taisha, Wakayama Prefecture
Photography · Global Basecamps
A two-week itinerary built around five cities, two ryokans, and the slow distance between them. From Tokyo's neon-lit grid to the cedar quiet of Kanazawa, this is the trip we'd recommend to almost every first-time traveller to Japan.
Guided full-day tours in each major city, a private night-food tour in Osaka's Dotonbori, a cooking course at Kyoto's Nishiki market, and optional day trips to Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Kamakura. Everything moves on the shinkansen; nothing feels rushed.
A shared shuttle meets you at Narita and brings you into the city. You'll check in to The Gate Hotel Tokyo, an elegant boutique property in central Tokyo, and your specialist will hand off your IC card for the trains, the JR Pass voucher, and a personalised welcome packet.
The rest of the day is unstructured — recover from the flight, walk the surrounding neighbourhood, find your first bowl of ramen.
Your private English-speaking guide collects you from the hotel for a full day of Tokyo: temples, the imperial gardens, the Meiji shrine, and the contrast of the Asakusa and Shibuya neighbourhoods. The JR Pass is issued and activated today.
Lunch is included at a guide-recommended restaurant — usually a small set-meal spot the kind of place we'd want to take you ourselves.
A free day in Tokyo to explore at your own pace, or take an optional day trip to Kamakura — under an hour by train — to visit the Great Buddha and the temples nestled in the surrounding hills.
Our team can prebook a guide for Kamakura, or simply share a self-guided walking route we've used many times.
A short shinkansen ride — 40 minutes — takes you out of Tokyo and into Hakone, the gateway to Mt Fuji. Tonight you stay at Setsugetsuka, a traditional ryokan with outdoor onsen looking onto the mountains.
A kaiseki dinner is served in your room. If the weather cooperates, Fuji shows itself across the lake at sunset.
Shinkansen to Osaka in the morning. Check into the Cross Hotel Osaka, then meet your guide in the evening for the Osaka Night Food Tour through Dotonbori — takoyaki, kushikatsu, fugu if you're feeling brave, and a parade of neon along the canal.
A morning with your private guide through Osaka Castle, the city's old merchant quarters, and the lesser-known Shinsekai district. Afternoon free for shopping, food markets, or onward exploration.
A short ride to Kyoto and check-in at Hotel Granvia, the elegant hotel directly above Kyoto Station. In the evening, a guided walking tour of the Gion geisha district — wood-fronted tea houses, lanterns, the occasional rustle of a maiko's kimono.
A long, slow day with your private guide through Kyoto's essential sites: Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), Ryoan-ji's rock garden, Fushimi Inari's torii gates, Kiyomizu-dera. Lunch at a Kyoto tofu specialist included.
Free day in Kyoto, or an optional day trip to Nara — 45 minutes south — to see the Great Buddha at Todaiji and the sacred deer of Nara Park.
A morning shopping the long, narrow corridor of Nishiki Market with a chef — picking out the day's ingredients — followed by a private cooking class focused on classic Kyoto home cooking and a long, leisurely lunch.
An early shinkansen takes you to Hiroshima for the Peace Park, the Atomic Bomb Museum, and a ferry to the sacred island of Miyajima for the floating torii of Itsukushima Shrine. Return to Kyoto in the evening.
Shinkansen north to Kanazawa — a small, refined city often called "Little Kyoto." Check-in at the ANA Crowne Plaza, then a free afternoon to wander the Higashi Chaya geisha district.
A full day with a guide through Kenrokuen, considered one of Japan's three great gardens, the samurai quarter of Nagamachi, Myoryuji (the "ninja temple"), and Kanazawa Castle. Lunch at a sushi specialist included.
Shinkansen back to Tokyo, transfer to Narita, and your departure flight home. Your specialist remains reachable for any last-minute logistics.
Every itinerary is priced individually — a final quote follows once your dates and preferences are set with your specialist.
One specialist, end-to-end, who knows your trip — and who's reachable from the moment you call to the day you fly home.
Nothing is off the shelf. Every day is built around your interests, your pace, and your travel dates. The itinerary you read is a starting point.
Local guides. Locally owned lodges. A trip that leaves a measurable, positive footprint on the community and ecosystem you visit.
Speak with a Japan specialist about dates, pace, and preferences. Reply within one business day.