Great Traverse of Japan

Welcome to join our Japan small group tour! When you arrive at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport or Haneda Airport, our English-speaking assistant will greet you and escort you to a shared car, which will take you directly to the door of our carefully selected hotel. After checking in, you’re free to relax and enjoy the rest of the day to recover from the fatigue of the long flight.

For guests arriving after 20:30, when the shared car is unavailable, please arrange your own transfer to the hotel or book a private pickup with us.

Accommodation: Keio Presso Inn Kayabacho, Tokyo (3 stars) or similar

After a hearty breakfast, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby, and then the exciting sightseeing tour begins. First, let’s experience Tokyo’s vibrant life at the Tsukiji Outer Market, one of Japan’s most historic marketplaces. Once a place for wholesale operations, it is now filled with retail food stalls selling small, pre-cooked sushi meals and various other traditional foods. Then, visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine, a Shinto shrine built to honor Emperor Meiji (1852-1912), the emperor who led feudal Japan into one of the world’s most extraordinary powers. Today, it is a popular spot for the most celebrated New Year prayers and Japanese Shinto weddings. See if you can spot one!

The next stop is the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Japanese Emperors, with only the ancient buildings and gardens outside, but its scale and history still manage to impress. Across the moat, you can see the two-story house where the emperor lives, built with white walls and gray tiles on a stone base - ordinary, modest, and secluded. Our experienced guide will show you the best angle to photograph the iconic Nijubashi Bridge of the Imperial Palace.In the afternoon, we’ll arrive in Asakusa, Japan’s most iconic Edo-style area, popular with both locals and tourists. Follow your guide as you walk past the impressive Kaminarimon Gate and through the lively Nakamise Street, lined with century-old shops selling traditional Japanese food and crafts. Then, we’ll see the Senso-ji Temple. Enter this oldest temple in Tokyo, and the guide will show you how to pay homage to a golden Kannon statue. You can do what the locals do here: draw an Omikuji fortune slip or buy a charm for good luck. In the end, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Keio Presso Inn Kayabacho, Tokyo (3 stars) or similar

Many people include Mt. Fuji on their travel bucket list, so today provides an exceptional opportunity to see it, Japan’s tallest mountain and a cultural symbol. Early in the morning, join your guide on an express train ride to Odawara, followed by a Hakone Tozan Train and a cable car that takes us up into the mountains. The first impressive sight we’ll visit is the Owakudani Valley, an area renowned for its geothermal activity. See the crater from Mount Hakone’s last eruption, which happened 3,000 years ago, still releasing steam that smells like sulfur.

Continue the ropeway, which offers a sweeping view of the hilly Hakone area and the majestic sight of Mt. Fuji in the distance, and we’ll reach Togendai Port. From this point, your guide will accompany you on a Lake Ashi cruise to appreciate Mt. Fuji from various angles across the valleys. Relax and drift on the volcanic Lake Ashi, which was formed over 3,000 years ago, and enjoy views of the shoreline, including Hakone Shrine and its iconic bright red Heiwa no Tori by the water. Once ashore, your guide will escort you back to Odawara by local bus for the night.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tenseien Odawara Station Annex (4 stars) or similar

Today, a 2-hour train ride on your own will take you from Odawara to Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto (with tickets reserved and included). After meeting your guide at Kyoto Station, you’ll be accompanied to the Temple of Golden Pavilion, a Zen temple dating back to the 1300s. Since gold symbolizes spiritual purity in Buddhism, you’ll be as amazed as others by the entirely gold-leaf exterior of its top two floors.

Next, we’ll visit the Pure Water Temple, which features not only ancient religious architecture and culture but also offers a great viewpoint. From its wide wooden veranda, you can see Kyoto’s many historic monuments and raised pagodas, adding to the city’s unique charm. After touring the temple, it’s enjoyable to walk along the charming Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka slopes. Spend some time in the wooden stalls selling souvenirs along the street and try some street food. Soon, you’ll find yourself in the Gion Geisha District, a neighborhood filled with preserved traditional wooden buildings, teahouses, and theaters where Japanese geishas perform and entertain guests. You might even spot a geisha dressed in an elegant kimono. Finally, the guide will take you back to your hotel, or you can stay longer on your own for free exploration.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi (4 stars) or similar

This morning, your guide will meet you at the hotel and take you to visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine, dedicated to the god of agricultural and industrial prosperity and wealth. There, you can learn about the simplest beliefs of the Japanese. What we won’t miss is the Senbon Torii – nearly 10,000 red torii gates lining the path up the hill, creating one of Kyoto’s most photogenic sights.

In the afternoon, follow the guide for a quick train ride to Nara. After spending some time interacting with the deer in Nara Park, let’s head to the Great Eastern Temple (Todai-ji Temple). There, you can see one of the world’s largest wooden structures and the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, which together explain why the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk down a path lined by antique stone lanterns, and we’ll arrive at the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, a solemn, quiet, and mysterious place nestled within the old-growth forest.Leaving the park, your guide will take you on a walking tour of Naramachi residential area, filled with well-preserved traditional homes. Drop by Goryo Shrine to see local people’s wishes for a happy marriage. At the Naramachi Lattice House, a classic Japanese house known for its narrow width and long length, step inside to experience its authentic layout and depth. Sit in the front lobby, with its latticed facade, and imagine the host drinking tea there. After all visits, your guide will escort you on a return train ride to Kyoto.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi (4 stars) or similar

In the morning, we’ll head to our final destination in Kyoto: Nijo Castle. Built by order of the first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 - 1616), the castle’s impressive buildings demonstrate the authority and prestige of the general, representing the height of ancient Japanese architecture.

Then, let’s take a train to Osaka. Upon arrival, follow your guide to walk through Kuromon Market, where you can feast on authentic local delicacies like Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Sushi, and Kushikatsu. Keep moving on to Osaka Castle in Osaka Castle Park. The castle, with its tall and striking Main Tower, was originally built in the 16th century by the famous Japanese politician Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Today, the surrounding park is a popular urban oasis and tourist destination.

Around dusk, we’ll arrive at Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, the liveliest areas in Osaka, loved by both tourists and locals. Dotonbori is a paradise for food lovers to enjoy authentic Japanese dishes with a local twist, while entertainment options such as movie theaters and bars are also available. Your guide will leave after a brief introduction to the district, and you can relax and explore at your own pace, strolling around as you wish and returning to the hotel independently.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Henn Na Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi (3 stars) or similar

Today, the tour begins with a 1.5-hour bullet train ride on your own from Shin Osaka Station to Hiroshima Station (with tickets reserved and included), where the Hiroshima guide will meet you. Follow the guide on a ferry ride to Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, a shrine dedicated to gods who control the seas and storms. It’s especially famous for its Grand Torii Gate, which leads inside and appears to rise from the water during high tide.

In the afternoon, head back to the Hiroshima city area to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum to witness a harrowing part of Hiroshima’s history from World War II. Built around the Atomic Bomb Dome, the only building that survived the blast of the atomic bomb ‘Little Boy’ in 1945, the museum now serves as a reminder for us to reject war and value peace. Ultimately, your guide will lead you to Hiroshima Station and give you train tickets for your independent journey back to Osaka.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Henn Na Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi (3 stars) or similar

This morning, you need to head to Shin Osaka Station on your own for a 2.5-hour bullet train ride to Kanazawa (with tickets reserved and included), enjoying the rapidly changing scenery outside the window. Once you arrive in Kanazawa, the local guide will pick you up and escort you to check into the hotel.

After a short rest, let’s start our afternoon tour of Kanazawa with the beautifully designed Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s three most famous gardens. Enjoy this stunning garden, which dates back to the mid-17th century, featuring rivers and ponds running through it, along with rockeries and pavilions scattered throughout. Next, we’ll visit the Higashichaya Old Town, Kanazawa’s largest teahouse street since the Edo Period (1603 - 1868), a charming neighborhood of narrow alleys, historic teahouses, geisha performances, and many restaurants. Finally, the guide will take you to the Nagamachi Samurai District, once home to samurai warriors and their families, and now a popular tourist spot filled with restaurants and local specialty shops. After the tour, the guide will take you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Torifito Kanazawa (3 stars) or similar

After picking you up from the hotel, your guide will join you for a 1.5-hour express bus trip from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go Village.
 
Hidden in the mountains of Gifu and Toyama prefectures, this historic village has its special charm. For a long time, the village was isolated from the outside world due to its remote location deep in the mountains. However, the people here managed to survive and support themselves by planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms, which they traded for raw silk. Thanks to its isolation, Shirakawa-go remains pristine, with dozens of antique houses. Take a look at these unique folk houses, known as gassho-zukuri buildings. They feature a distinctive structure and are built without nails or any other metal materials. Visit the most famous Wada House and Kanda House, and then go to the Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck to enjoy the panoramic view of the entire village.

In the afternoon, the guide will take you to the Shirakawa-go Bus Terminal, where you’ll board the express bus for a one-hour ride to Takayama using the provided tickets.

► Suggested Activities in Takayama (on your own):
After checking into the hotel, you can enjoy your free time exploring Takayama. You might walk through Sanmachi Suji Street in the town center and visit the Takayama Jinya, Takayama Showa Museum, and Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village (Hida no Sato), where you can get a glimpse of the traditional life of the local people. Additionally, it’s highly recommended to try the delicious Hida Beef for dinner.
 
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Wing International Hida Takayama (3 stars) or similar

Today’s journey is your own transfer from Takayama to Tokyo with tickets reserved and included. After breakfast, walk a few minutes to Takayama Station, located next to the bus station where you departed the day before. The first leg is a 2-hour train ride to Nagoya, followed by a 1.5-hour train ride to Tokyo. Upon arrival, please proceed to the hotel we have booked for you.

► What to Do in Tokyo for Your Free Time
For the rest of the day, you can visit Odaiba, a shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo Bay, where you can enjoy views of the sea at Odaiba Seaside Park, see the Rainbow Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Fuji Television Headquarters, and Unicorn Gundam Statue. You can also explore museums like the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation and the Museum of Maritime Science, or go shopping at Toyosu Market, Aqua City, Diver City Tokyo Plaza, or Palette Town.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Keio Presso Inn Kayabacho, Tokyo (3 stars) or similar

Your Japan mini group tour is coming to an end. After breakfast, please check out according to your flight time and depart for the airport on your own. Wish you a safe and pleasant journey home!

Meals: Breakfast