Classic Japan

Tour Itinerary

• Day 1-2 • Tokyo

  Arrive in Tokyo and transfer via shared shuttle to your hotel in the Asakusa district. This evening, meet your group for a welcome meeting followed by an introductory dinner at a local restaurant. Explore Asakusa and the approach to Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple. On Day 2, enjoy a guided tour of Tokyo’s highlights, including the bustling Shibuya Crossing, the neon arcades of Akihabara, and conclude with a relaxing cup of green tea at Hamarikyu Gardens.

• Day 3-4 • Hakone

  Take a short ride on the bullet train to Hakone, located within Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Check in to a large Japanese-style hotel near the Hakone Open-Air Museum, where you'll explore works by Picasso, Miró, Rodin, and Henry Moore set against the mountain scenery. Hakone also offers a variety of attractions, from traditional architecture to a pirate ship cruise on Lake Ashi, and spectacular views of Mount Fuji when weather permits. During your stay, your tour leader will guide you to some of the area’s highlights, including cultural and scenic spots. Dinner is included both nights, featuring a traditional kaiseki-style meal made from local, seasonal ingredients. Be sure to enjoy Hakone’s renowned hot spring baths – a quintessential Japanese experience.

• Day 5-6 • Osaka

  Today you’ll travel by local train and Shinkansen bullet train to Osaka, known for its vibrant street food scene – don’t miss takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) – and friendly, down-to-earth locals. In the afternoon, explore Osaka Castle, a striking reconstruction housing a museum on its history, before enjoying free time or joining your tour leader in the lively Dotonbori, famous for the Glico Running Man, the giant animatronic crab, and delicious street food. On day six, take advantage of a full free day to venture on a day trip to Himeji Castle or Nara, or explore Osaka further with your tour leader’s guidance.

• Day 7-8 • Kyoto

  Kyoto, Japan’s capital for over a millennium from 794 to 1869, is renowned as the “City of Ten Thousand Temples” thanks to its extraordinary collection of historic landmarks, and your tour leader will tailor the itinerary based on season, weather, and group interests. On the evening of day seven, visit Gion for a private afternoon tea with a maiko before joining your group for an included dinner at a local restaurant. Day eight offers a full day of sightseeing by private coach with an expert local guide and your tour leader, including a visit to Sanjusangendo and other culturally significant sites throughout the city.

• Day 9-10 • Takayama

  On day nine, you’ll travel from Kyoto into the Japanese Alps to reach Takayama, famed for its skilled craftsmen, with the afternoon free to explore craft shops and sake breweries in the old town district, followed by an included dinner at your Japanese-style inn. Day ten is a full day in Takayama, beginning at the riverside morning market and continuing to the Hida no Sato, an open-air museum displaying traditional thatched farmhouses, with an optional visit to the headquarters of the Sukyo Mahikari cult, a striking shrine featuring a giant fish tank at its altar, for those seeking a more unusual experience.

• Day 11-12 • Japan Alps

  On day eleven, a private coach will take you from Takayama to the Shinhotaka Ropeway, where the unique cable car offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains before continuing to the hot spring town of Hirayu Onsen, where you can enjoy an optional hike to a nearby waterfall and relax in the onsen baths, followed by an included group dinner; on day twelve, a short bus ride brings you into Kamikochi at 1,500 m above sea level, where your Insider will lead a roughly 6 km hike from Taisho Pond to Myojin Pond past forested mountains, spotting wild monkeys along the mostly flat river valley, with a shorter route available for those preferring less walking, and concluding with another included dinner at your accommodation.

• Day 13-14 • Tokyo

  Today you will return to Tokyo by bus and train, stopping on the way to visit the impressive “Black Crow” samurai castle of Matsumoto – one of the best original castles in Japan. You will arrive in Tokyo's buzzing Shinjuku skyscraper district in the afternoon, allowing a little time for some last-minute souvenir shopping or to fit in one last sightseeing stop. As your tour comes to an end, join your tour leader and travel companions for the included farewell meal, for one last night of good food and drink before heading home. On the morning of day 14 it's time to say goodbye to your travelling companions and take the shared shuttle bus service that is included, to get you to the airport in good time for your flight home.