Classic Japan

Tour Itinerary

• Day 1: Tokyo, Japan

  Welcome to Japan’s capital city. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

• Day 2: Tokyo

  Meet your Tour Director and travel companions prior to morning sightseeing in Tokyo. Your tour starts with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a man-made forest. Next, visit Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. Originally dating from the early 1600s, the garden was destroyed in World War II and reopened in 1949 as a public park, home to one thousand cherry blossom trees.

• Day 3: Tokyo

  Enjoy the day at your leisure to explore this sprawling metropolis.

• Day 4: Tokyo-Mount Fuji Area

  This morning, leave Tokyo and head south along the coast to the beautiful Five Lakes region. Take a cable-car ride (weather permitting) for panoramic views of Lake Kawaguchi and spectacular Mount Fuji, or Fujisan as the locals call it, Japan’s highest mountain. You’ll also visit Chureito Pagoda for a chance to snap your own iconic image of the pagoda with Fujisan in the background!

• Day 5: Mount Fuji Area-Osaka

  This morning, board Japan’s famous bullet train for Osaka. Upon arrival, join your Tour Director for a walking tour in Minami. Made up of Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Dotonbori, this area is home to great dining and nightlife and some of the city’s most fashionable shops and department stores. This is evening is free to explore the city on your own.

• Day 6: Osaka

  Your sightseeing tour starts at the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses, where traditional thatched-roof farm houses dating from the Edo period have been restored. Be transported back in time as you explore the old architecture. Visit Osaka Castle, then enjoy the afternoon and evening at leisure.

• Day 7: Osaka-Okayama-Kurashiki-Hiroshima

  This morning, drive south to Okayama and visit Koraku-en, one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.” The 30-acre garden features ponds, plum groves, and tea fields. The wide lawns, believed to uplift the spirit and promote open mindedness, are unique to Koraku-en and not a traditional feature of Japanese gardens. In Kurashiki, enjoy free time in the Bikan Historical Quarter, once the political and commercial center of the city.

• Day 8: Hiroshima

  Today’s full day sightseeing includes two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Peace Memorial Park, and Itsukushima Shrine. Start at Peace Memorial Park where you’ll visit the Peace Memorial, commonly referred to as the Atomic Bomb Dome, that is preserved and is just as it was on August 6, 1945, immediately after the bombing. You will also visit the Memorial Museum and Memorial Hall, which commemorate the lives lost that day.

• Day 9: Hiroshima-Bizen-Himeji-Kyoto

  Drive north to Bizen, where you’ll visit a traditional pottery workshop to learn more about Bizen-yaki, one of Japan’s six ancient pottery styles dating back over 1,000 years. Stop in Himeji to visit Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture that combines function with elegance. Continue to Kyoto.

• Day 10: Kyoto

  Your day begins with a visit to stunning Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Gold Pavilion, covered in shimmering gold leaf. Walk through bustling Nishiki Market, a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. Participate in a tea ceremony, time-honored tradition, and wonderfully choreographed ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea.

• Day 11: Kyoto

  Full day at leisure to explore more of Kyoto’s historic sites and shrines.

• Day 12: Kyoto

  Your tour ends with breakfast this morning.