Classic Japan

After your flight lands in Tokyo, a local English-speaking assistant will warmly greet you at the arrival hall and guide you to board our air-conditioned shared car, which will transport you to the hotel in downtown Tokyo. Since the shared car service only operates until 20:30, you’ll need to plan your transportation to the hotel if you have a late flight. Alternatively, you can book a private pickup with us for greater convenience.

If you arrive early, you can spend the rest of the afternoon visiting Ueno Park on your own. If you visit in spring, the park offers a stunning display of pink cherry blossoms for you to enjoy.

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

The first stop on this Japan group tour is the Tsukiji Outer Market, a leading seafood marketplace known as Tokyo’s Kitchen for its size and variety. Your guide will accompany you on a walk here, where you can sample Japanese specialties such as sushi or teppanyaki.

Next, let’s visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine, built in honor of Emperor Meiji, whom the Japanese people have long respected. Enter the peaceful shrine surrounded by extensive forests, admire the seasonal iris garden, and you might catch a glimpse of a traditional Japanese wedding here, which would be an enjoyable cultural experience. Then, we’ll visit the Imperial Palace, the primary residence of Japanese emperors since the Edo Period (1603 - 1867 AD), marking Japan’s shift from tradition to modernity. From the plaza in front of the palace, you’ll get photo opportunities of the Nijubashi Bridge, meaning “double bridge,” to capture the moment of standing before Tokyo’s most iconic bridge.

In the afternoon, explore the sacred area of Senso-ji Temple. We will walk along Nakamise-dori Street behind the impressive Kaminarimon Gate, where you can try authentic local snacks and experience Japanese fortune-telling culture. Then, go to the main hall to pray for good luck in front of the enshrined statue of Kannon, the Japanese goddess of mercy. On the temple grounds, you’ll also get a great view of Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest free-standing radio tower. Ultimately, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.

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

Today, we will witness the epitome of Japan’s most beautiful scenery and culture, Mount Fuji, from Hakone. Have an early breakfast, and your guide will pick you up at the hotel to accompany you on a train ride to Odawara. You’ll experience both the Hakone Tozan train, cable car, and ropeway successively, ascending the mountain to view the Owakudani Valley. Beyond enjoying an extraordinary geothermal scene of white plumes, you can also try a special black egg boiled in the valley’s hot springs, which is said to prolong people’s lives.

Continue heading to Togendai Port via the ropeway, where you can enjoy views of the lake, the valley below, and Mt. Fuji in the distance from a unique perspective, with your guide explaining how Mount Fuji transformed from a dormant volcano to Japan’s most iconic attraction. Upon arrival, walk along the winding shoreline of Lake Ashi to see Mt. Fuji from another angle. Enjoy a Lake Ashi Cruise and watch thousands of sakura trees by the lake. Capture the breathtaking red torii gate at Hakone Shrine and the reflection of Mt. Fuji in the water. At the end, our guide will escort you back to the hotel in Odawara by local bus.

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

This morning, a two-hour train ride (ticket reserved and included) on your own will take you to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan that best preserves the country’s traditional culture and architecture. After picking you up at Kyoto Station, your guide will lead you to Kinkaku-ji Temple, famous for its striking Golden Pavilion, a three-story building sitting beside a pond, with the top two floors covered in gold leaf, making it an eye-catching sight. Listen as our guide shares the story of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408 AD), the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, who received envoys from Chinese and Korean courts multiple times at the Golden Pavilion, laying the groundwork for a century of steady growth in East Asian trade.

Later, follow your guide to the Pure Water Temple, where you can pray for health, academic success, or a happy love life by drinking the Otowa Waterfall at the base of its main hall. With blessings from the gods in the temple, head northwest to the old streets of Ninenzaka and Sannezaka, where you can find souvenirs like Japanese-style fans and tableware, and capture classic pictures of the five-story Yasaka Pagoda. Our final stop is the Gion District, the top spot for meeting geishas and their apprentices, maikos. As our visit concludes, you’ll be escorted back to the hotel, or you can explore the area further to try ramen or sushi for dinner, and finally return to the hotel on your own.

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

In the early morning, we will start by visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its ten thousand red gates, or Senbon Torii, which is renowned worldwide. Walk with your guide through some of these gates, which serve as the boundary between the everyday world and the realm of Shinto deities, taking you to another dimension. The inscriptions on the gates might also catch your interest. Your guide will explain what they mean, who donated each gate, and on what day.

In the afternoon, let’s take a train to Nara to visit the Great Eastern Temple (Todai-ji Temple) and Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara Park, which is home to over 1,000 deer. As we walk through the park, you can buy biscuits and feed the cute deer to show your affection, and they’re happy to accept! Additionally, knowing that deer are considered sacred animals in Japanese Shinto beliefs, you won’t be surprised to find essential shrines inside the park. Following the lantern-lined path, we will be guided to one of them, the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, which enshrines a deity often depicted riding a deer.Leaving the park, your guide will lead you through backstreets and residential neighborhoods to see the historic townhouses of Nara’s residents from the Edo Period. After visiting the endearing Goryo Shrine, we’ll arrive at the Naramachi Lattice House, a classic example of a traditional Japanese home. On the street side, a lattice fence made of fine wood stands, offering both artistic appeal and breezy privacy. Remove your shoes before entering to see the two floors - one used for living and the other as a shrine and storage area. Finally, the guide will escort you back to Kyoto by train from Nara.

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

The last attraction we’ll visit in Kyoto is Nijo Castle, the former residence of the shogun, built in 1603. By marveling at the grand palaces and admiring the exquisite paintings by Kano school artists in Ninomaru Palace, you’ll grasp the immense power and wealth of the shoguns, the Japanese military leaders during the samurai era from 1185 to 1868 AD.

Afterward, let’s take a train to Osaka and begin our tour of the city’s most popular and historic marketplace, Kuromon Market, which is full of various shops selling fresh seafood, fruits, and vegetables. Then, continue discovering Osaka Castle and the surrounding park. While exploring this castle, one of the three largest ancient castles in Japan, renowned for its significant historical importance, you’ll be captivated by the romantic scene featuring the lush garden and the Main Tower, especially during the sakura season.

In the late afternoon, the guide will take you to Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, the former a popular street lined with department stores, chain drugstores, classic brand shops, and independent stores, and the latter Osaka’s food lover’s paradise and a symbol of Osaka cuisine. After your guide’s quick introduction and departure, you can stroll here freely, find your favorite spot for dinner, take in the neon-lit, dazzling night views, and later make your own way back to the hotel.

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

Today’s tour begins with a 1.5-hour bullet train ride on your own from Shin-Osaka Station to Hiroshima Station, where a local guide will meet you and accompany you on a quick ferry trip to Miyajima Island. Ranked among Japan’s top three scenic sites, it is especially famous for a giant torii gate that, when the tide is high, appears to “float” on the water. The gate leads to our next destination, Itsukushima Shrine, home to the goddesses of the sea and storms. The entire shrine complex is built on water, supported by pillars beneath. Due to their sacred significance, you’ll be captivated by the otherworldly grace of these floating structures.

After lunch, we’ll head to downtown Hiroshima. To understand the true nature of war and the importance of peace, follow your guide to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, built after World War II when Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb, to advocate for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons. You’ll see moving belongings of victims who perished in the bombing, photographs capturing the moment, and disturbing drawings of survivors exposed to radiation, helping you learn about the inhumane effects of nuclear bombs. Afterwards, continue to visit the nearby Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings that survived the direct blast of the atomic bomb. This trip is certainly not for pleasure but for enlightenment.

Let’s call it a day now. The guide will take you to Hiroshima Station for your return trip to Osaka, and then you’ll be on your own to get to the hotel.

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

On the last day of your 8-day Japan group tour, please check out of the hotel on time, as per your flight schedule. If you need assistance with catching an airport shuttle or metro, please provide your flight details to your guide in advance so they can give you advice. If you plan to visit other places, you can also ask the guide for the best way to get there. Wishing you a smooth journey home!
► If you need to return to Tokyo for your following flight, we can help you book train or plane tickets.

Meals: Breakfast