Grand tour of Japan

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Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.9 . Excellent
98%
Travel Style: Array Full on
Physical Level: Normal generally flat walking in urban or suburban environments. Very Easy
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
22 days
From: $ 7,995 $ 363 / day
Checking price

Overview

Short Description

Japan’s cultural heritage is the cornerstone of its many attractions and activities and Kyoto is a scenic hub of history and tradition. Explore the city’s cobbled streets on an evening tour for a glimpse of a Geisha or visit the home of a Women’s Association member to learn about a traditional pastime such as calligraphy. Cosmopolitan Tokyo is a complete contrast, and an early morning trip to Tsujiki, the world’s biggest fish market, can be followed by a visit to the ornate Meiji Jingu shrine.

Further afield, walking and hiking opportunities abound in Japan’s countless national parks and mountain ranges, such as Hakone National Park, home to snow-capped Mount Fuji.

Style Private guided tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Tokyo
End City Tokyo

Itinerary

Day 1 : International outbound flight

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Tokyo.

Day 2 : Tokyo

Arriving in Tokyo, you're met by an Audley representative and shown to the correct airport transfer to take you to your centrally located hotel. They will also help you exchange your rail pass and make any train necessary reservations. Spend the rest of the day resting and relaxing after your flight.

Day 3 : Tokyo

A day at leisure in Tokyo to explore at your own pace. Tokyo has many different districts, from upmarket Ginza to vibrant Shinjuku and the futuristic Odaiba. It also has quiet green spaces too - we suggest visiting the landscaped Hamarikyu Gardens and taking the ferry from there to the historic Asakusa district. Here you can see the great red lantern of the Senso-ji Buddhist temple.

Day 4 : Tokyo

Today we suggest getting out of the city and visiting the mountain town of Kawagoe, just a 30 minute journey from the capital. Its main street is very reminiscent of Edo (the old capital) and hence why Kawagoe is seen as "Little Edo" for its clay-walled buildings or 'kurazukuri'. Here it was an important trading area for merchants from the old capital. As such it prospered in financial as well as architectural wealth.

Day 5 : Tokyo

A second full day in Tokyo presents the chance to visit Tsukiji Fish Market. Set your alarm clock and get there bright and early when the market opens at around 5am to watch the famous tuna auctions. Later, after breakfast, explore the Imperial Palace Gardens or the Meiji Shrine, a large but tranquil Shinto shrine in the middle of the buzzing Harajuku district.

Day 6 : Tsumago

Today you travel by express train to Nagoya, where you pick up the bullet train taking you to Tsumago. The journey lasts around three hours. After arriving in Tsumago, a quiet postal town, check in to your traditional ryokan (inn) accommodation. You have the rest of the day to relax or start exploring this town. Notice how certain parts of it are free from TV antennae or other trappings of modern technology to preserve its old-world character.

Day 7 : Takayama

Today walk part of the Nakasendo Highway between Tsumago and Magome, along the road that once connected Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. The scenery is beautiful and classic: paddy fields, cedar woods and sleepy villages.Later, travel further into the Japanese Alps to Takayama, a quaint town with an interesting merchant district and sake breweries. The journey takes around four and a half hours by train.

Day 8 : Takayama

A day at leisure in Takayama. Walk around the warren of the Sanmachi district, crammed with shops, galleries, museums, sake breweries and 17th-century kura (storehouses). Explore the shrines of Teramachi's wooded park and try local specialities such as Hida beef and Japanese pickles. You could also make the 15 minute train journey to the lesser-known but equally charming town of Furukawa.

Day 9 : Kanazawa

Take a two-hour bus transfer to Kanazawa, home to one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, Kenroku-en. You might want to start your visit of the city by seeing one of its more contemporary sides and browsing the galleries of the excellent 21st Century Art Museum.

Day 10 : Kanazawa

This morning, head as you early as you can to Kenroku-en. The garden is best enjoyed while it's quiet, so you can wander among the ponds, streams, trees and teahouses and consider its design in peace: according to Japanese garden aesthetics, Kenroku-en contains the six attributes considered crucial in the creation of a perfect garden. Later, explore Kanazawa's Geisha district and Samurai quarters, along with the artisan gold leaf making workshops.

Day 11 : Hiroshima

Take the express train to Osaka and then board the bullet train on to Hiroshima. The journey takes four and a half hours. You have the afternoon at leisure after this long day of travel, or you may wish to have a stroll down the city's leafy avenues.

Day 12 : Hiroshima

A day at leisure to explore Hiroshima in depth. Visit the evocative Peace Park, Memorial Museum and Atomic Bomb Dome. You can also see a reconstructed castle and the Shukkei-en Gardens. Meaning 'shrunken scenery', this space is a great example of how Japanese gardens seek to mimic natural formations and represent natural features like mountains and forests in miniature. Food-wise, this is the place to okonomiyaki (pancakes with a variety of savoury fillings).

Day 13 : Hiroshima

Today you could take the 20 minute ferry crossing over to the scenic Miyajima Island. Its vermilion torii gate - often described as 'floating', when the gate appears to hover in the water at high tide - is one of the most iconic spots in Japan. You could also take the train to Iwakuni (a journey of just over 50 minutes) to see the Kintai-kyo Bridge, a feat of a bridge made with five arches and not a single nail.

Day 14 : Kyoto

Travel east to Kyoto, the ancient capital and cultural heart of Japan. By bullet train this takes about two hours. This afternoon, we can arrange for you to take part in a traditional Japanese cultural activity with your English-speaking guide. You could learn the art of the tea ceremony, calligraphy, how to play Koto instruments, origami, or sushi-making.

Day 15 : Kyoto

Explore Kyoto at your own pace today, taking in some of the temples, shrines and shopping streets. The best way to see it is on foot, wandering the quiet gardens and grand palaces that sit side by side with more modern areas as well as narrow traditional streets of wooden buildings.

Day 16 : Kyoto

Another day at leisure in Kyoto. You may wish to visit the Golden Pavilion - if the weather's fine you'll be treated to the sight of its reflection shimmering in the pond surrounding it. In the evening, your private guide and geisha expert meets you and takes you on a walk around the Gion district, where geisha still live and work. He'll explain about the culture surrounding these enigmatic women and you'll try to spot geisha on their way to work.

Day 17 : Kyoto

Take a short (under 20 minute) train journey to the Fushimi-Inari Shrine this morning to see the tunnels of bright orange torii gates snaking up the hillside. Later, continue by train (about 45 minutes) to Nara to see the Todaiji Buddha and tame deer park.

Day 18 : Mount Koya

Using your separate rail pass including in your pack, you will head south to the area of Mount Koya, one of Japan's top three spiritual homes, where you will enjoy the simple life with a short stay in temple lodgings. It's beautifully quiet and quaint in the simple accommodations.

Day 19 : Hakone

Rise early to explore the town today, when its temples including Garan Temple are much quieter and more atmospheric. Take the train back down the mountain to Osaka, and then continue by train to the Hakone National Park. This latter leg takes four and a half hours. This is a long day of travel but with some great scenery en route, especially as you approach Mount Fuji National Park.

Day 20 : Hakone

Using the travel pass provided, explore Hakone National Park independently. Take in the Open Air Sculpture Museum, Owakudani Valley and ride the cable car that provides views of Fuji on a clear day. You can also visit other viewpoints to get views of Fuji, or relax in the park's hot thermal springs.

Day 21 : Tokyo

Return to Tokyo by train (which takes one and a quarter hours) for your final afternoon in Japan. Head to explore a new area of the city, or you might like to go back to an area that caught your imagination at the beginning of the trip. Alternatively, we could arrange tickets for the ever-popular Ghibli Anime Museum, an interactive exhibition celebrating Japan's leading animation studio.

Day 22 : International return flight

Take a shared airport transfer to the airport in time to catch your return flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.

Availability

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Price From $ 7,995
Price Per Day: $ 363 per day

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3,424 Audley Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

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Grand tour of Japan

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California Road trip

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Excellent holiday, meeting our requirements for a road trip and visiting US relatives. All the organisation done by Ewan Petrie at Audley Travel was above and beyond to meet our requirements. All arrangements went without a hitch.
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Japan

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Adam was our Country Specialist for our recent Trip to Japan. I sent him this letter of thanks:
We wanted to let you know that the trip exceeded expectations. We appreciated, connected and enjoyed each of our guides as unique people who shared their cities and culture with us. The couple of snafus were handled competently- the missing bus passes, train schedules that still were not quite right all fixed with the help of our Orientation guide! Dana was a great last guide- giving us Insight into religious practices, culture and living in modern Japan.

The accommodations were fantastic, we felt spoiled by the attention.

Our experiences with the people of Japan were wonderful. The random people we met were friendly and helpful - the Japanese businessman who led us to our train to make sure we got on the right one when we were a bit confused by the Tokyo train system early on...comes to mind, our language barrier was forgiven. Occasionally the google translator was called into service, and google maps was a godsend! Each of our interactions with local folks turned into a story and adventure, such as the restaurant owner who wants to be a football player for Atlanta!

We took over 1200 pictures most are breathtaking. I am having trouble trimming things down for a slide show to share with family and friends that won't last an hour or more!

I will include just a few here with our thanks for putting together an experience that we both truly enjoyed and will remember!

Arigato, thank you!

Sharon & Rick
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From the first contact until the end of my holiday the Audley representative Kirsty listened to my requirements and planned an amazing holiday for me. The trip was efficiently planned and communicated to me. All the arrangements were seamless with no glitches. One change I requested when I was away was dealt wit without any fuss. The accommodations and staff were excellent taking great care to ensure I was safe and well looked after. All places were immaculately clean and with really tasty food. A real delight to book with Audley and I would certainly book with them again.
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Having just come back from our Africa trip organised by James Down, I can’t praise him enough. He knew what we wanted which was provided in bucket loads.
All locations and accommodation including the staff therein, were brilliant. The icing on the cake however, came when our long haul flight was cancelled with only hours to spare. An hour after emailing James, who was going on holiday that day, we had overnight accommodation organised, how to get there and what to do when there. When you’re a long way from home and something like happens, Audley will sort it. No problem. Thankyou.
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Japan , our holiday of a lifetime

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We used Audley travel to organise and arrange our holiday to Japan. I am usually confident in organising holidays but felt Japan was a bit too much to manage. I am so glad we used Audley, they took on board what we wanted to see and do as well as giving suggestions. It was meticulously planned, the itinerary was very comprehensive. Tips were given to help our holiday eg regarding train carriage information written on the floor etc.
Audley took into account our budget. They booked mid range hotels that were fabulous and close to train networks for ease of travel.
I cannot think of one criticism at all. The G7 summit threw up some last minute problems with our booking which Jo dealt with on our behalf , she fully consulted us throughout.
Audley ensured we had the most amazing holiday. I have no hesitation in recommending them based on my personal experience and would definitely use them again if I were to have another long distance holiday.
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Excellent all round

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Excellent all round! Great advice, clear knowledge of my chosen locations. Very approachable and friendly way of dealing with all of my requests and questions. Seamless booking process and all enabled digitally which makes it super easy to manage and complete everything. My contact has been truly outstanding! Thank you NF!!
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Intimate Group - 12 max

Trip ID#:

audley-travel-39842

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