Japan's Cultural Treasures

14 days
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Group Tour
Travel Japan with OAT and discover the country you’ve always dreamed of, an Asian land both modern and ancient … where a colorful Shinto festival winds its way past neon lights and Tokyo skyscrapers … a modern bullet train speeds past a farmer tending his rice paddy … a well-dressed businessman stops in a Buddhist temple to light incense … majestic Mount Fuji...
From$4,795
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Visit the seventh-century Asakusa Kannon Temple
    • The trip to Hakone, located about 50 miles west of Tokyo.
    • Hakone is beloved by the Japanese for its hot-spring resorts, mountains, lakes, and historical sites
    • Visit Hamamatsuya, a workshop specializing in wooden handcrafts.
    • Visit one of the many houses of Kanazawa where the samurai—Japan's famed class of noble warriors—once lived
    • Visit the history and culture of Gokayama
    • Enjoy a traditional dance performance

What's this trip about?

    Travel Japan with OAT and discover the country you’ve always dreamed of, an Asian land both modern and ancient … where a colorful Shinto festival winds its way past neon lights and Tokyo skyscrapers … a modern bullet train speeds past a farmer tending his rice paddy … a well-dressed businessman stops in a Buddhist temple to light incense … majestic Mount Fuji provides a beautiful backdrop for Hakone, where locals and travelers alike relax in volcanic hot springs. Join us as we explore more than 2,000 years of Japanese history and culture, from ultra-modern Tokyo through the former imperial capital of Kyoto, and all the way back to Kanazawa’s unique samurai architecture. Along the way, we’ll visit local markets and craft workshops, partake in a traditional tea ceremony, and travel by rail just as the Japanese do. Welcome to Japan—OAT style.

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Details

Itinerary focusOff the Beaten Path
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityTokyo
End CityOsaka

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Local Immersion & Homestays
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Train & Rail Journeys
  • Religious

Destinations

  • Asia
  • Japan

Attractions

  • Hakone
  • Kanazawa
  • Kyoto
  • Tokyo

Activities

  • Culture
  • History
  • Nature
  • Trains & Rail

Trip includes

    • International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements
    • All land transportation, including 3 rail transfers on bullet and local trains
    • Accommodations for 12 nights
    • 24 meals—daily breakfast, 6 lunches, and 6 dinners
    • 13 small group activities
    • Services of a resident, English-speaking OAT Trip Leader
    • Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
    • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next adventure—an average of $299

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Itinerary

DAY 1 
Depart U.S. Depart the U.S. today on your overnight flight to Tokyo, Japan.

DAY 2 
Arrive Tokyo, Japan Accommodations: Hotel JAL City Tamachi Tokyo or similar Arrive at the Tokyo airport in the late afternoon or early evening today. An OAT representative will greet us at the airport and assist with the transfer to our hotel in Tokyo, where we'll meet our OAT Trip Leader and fellow travelers, including those who arrived early for the optional Tokyo pre-trip extension.

DAY 3 
Discover Tokyo Meals included: B D Accommodations: Hotel JAL City Tamachi Tokyo or similar

Today, we'll have breakfast at our hotel, followed by a briefing about our upcoming days in Japan. Then, we set out to explore fascinating and frenetic Tokyo on a tour that take...

DAY 4 
Travel overland to Hakone • Japanese language lesson Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Hotel Kagetsuen or similar

We start our day with breakfast at the hotel, then board a motorcoach for the trip to Hakone, located about 50 miles west of Tokyo. As we drive, our T...

DAY 5 
Hakone • Cruise Ashinoko Lake • Visit Hakone Open-Air Museum Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Hotel Kagetsuen or similar

We start our day in Hakone with breakfast at our hotel, then embark on a tour of this scenic city. Blessed with a beautiful volcanic setting, ...

DAY 6 
Bullet train to Nagoya • Express train to Kanazawa Meals included: B D Accommodations: Kanazawa Miyako Hotel or similar

We have breakfast at our hotel and then transfer to the train station, where we board our first bullet train—the legendary high-speed train service ...

DAY 7 
Kanazawa • Visit Omicho Market Meals included: B L Accommodations: Kanazawa Miyako Hotel or similar Explore Japan and tour a sake brewery We have breakfast at our hotel and then begin our exploration of Kanazawa with a guided tour of this historic city.

Between the 16...

DAY 8 
Day at leisure • Optional Shirakawa-go & Gokayama tour OPTIONAL TOUR Meals included: B Accommodations: Kanazawa Miyako Hotel or similar Discover Japanese mountain villages on a guided tour Today you can spend a day at leisure in Kanazawa, making your own discoveries ...
DAY 9 
Tea with local family • Train to Kyoto Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Hearton Hotel or similar Encounter local Japanese culture at a Home Hosted Meal Following breakfast at your Kanazawa hotel, we set off to visit a local family for tea and to get a firsthand glim...
DAY 10 
Explore Kyoto • Discover Kinkakuji Meals included: B L Accommodations: Hearton Hotel or similar

Among Kyoto's many wonders are some of Japan's most impressive Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and we'll have a chance to discover one after breakfast, as we visit Kin...

DAY 11 
Day at leisure • Optional Nara & Fushimi tour OPTIONAL TOUR Meals included: B Accommodations: Hearton Hotel or similar See two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nara After breakfast, today is free for you to explore Kyoto on your own.

Or you can choose to join us on ...

DAY 12 
Visit Buddhist temple • Optional Japanese Traditional Music tour OPTIONAL TOUR Meals included: B L Accommodations: Hearton Hotel or similar

After breakfast at our hotel, we'll depart for a day of activities that aim to give us a closer look into the lives of the Japan...

DAY 13 
Kyoto • Day at leisure • Optional Arashiyama tour OPTIONAL TOUR Meals included: B D Accommodations: Hearton Hotel or similar

Today, continue exploring Kyoto on your own. This spiritual city is home to a tremendous number of religious sites—nearly 300 Shinto shrines an...

DAY 14 
Return to U.S. or begin post-trip extension Meals included: B Today, you will fly home from Osaka on an afternoon or early evening flight.

Or, if you're continuing on our optional post-trip extension to Hiroshima, you'll transfer to this coastal city by bullet train today.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,795
Price per day$343
Last Updated: 9/7/2021

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours).

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours) Reviews & Ratings

4.9/5  Excellent
Excellent
442
Great
13
Average
8
Disappointing
0
Terrible
7
A

Ali

Apr 2018

Written on

80% great, 20% a waste of valuable time

Our guide and group were wonderful. Most of the sites visited fascinating and worth it. I especially loved the visit with the monk and the Hakone Outdoor Art Museum....

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Policy over practical customer service. zero customer service

Dec 2023

Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours) Company Reviewsby Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

don't expect humanity or common sense

This letter is effectively what was communicated no less than 8 times in writing and conversation to OAT representatives up the chain, beginning 19 days before the t...

Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours) Company Reviewsby Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

Trip of a Lifetime

Our recent Tanzanian Safari was indeed the trip of a lifetime. Saw the big 5, met the wonderful locals and spent 5 days in the Serengeti. Saw many lions, zebras, gi...

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Terry

Feb 2023

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Be careful

Booked for July and gave them $12,000. They talked us into early arrival and then come back to us a two months later saying we can't offer. We have to keep our airli...

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Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

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Overseas Adventure Travel offers unique small group adventures worldwide to Americans over 50. By land and sea, we explore on—and off—the beaten path with a resident OAT Trip Leader, immersing ourselves in local cultures, sampling unique modes of transportation, and staying in authentic lodgings that reflect the essence of your destination. Grand Circle Small Ship Cruises serves both our GCT and OAT brands with an award-winning fleet known for exceptional value and high-quality experiences in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Custom-designed according to our travelers’ specifications, our fleet includes 50+ small river and ocean-going ships that we own or privately charter.

Grand Circle Corporation is a global enterprise—comprised of a family of travel companies—committed to changing people’s lives by offering high-impact experiences to our travelers and building local communities through philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and volunteerism.

Simply by traveling with OAT, you support the work of the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation, which was created with the mission of changing people’s lives through travel—both those of our travelers, and of the people who welcome us so warmly into their homelands.

Journey with the Leader in Adventure Travel and Watch Your Dreams Take Flight: It is the stuff of dreams: gazelles bowing to lap at a glassy pool in the Serengeti as the vast sky turns purple with night, the tiered splendor of the Himalayas, rising behind a Tibetan monastery. Dreams like these are everyday realities for OAT travelers, thanks to the principles which ground every OAT adventure: value, choice, discovery, and carefully paced itineraries.

Our Value puts your travel dreams within reach: OAT can help you realize your travel dreams for a lot less than you thought possible. Together with our regional offices located throughout the world, we’ve been able to establish long-term relationships with many local vendors and hotels. Buying direct brings down our costs—and allows us to pass the savings on to you. And negotiating directly for hotel space also allows us to secure as many single room allotments as possible for our solo travelers. That way, we can also extend our great value to solo travelers. In fact, we offer the best value for solo travelers, guaranteed.

The Choice is yours: You’ll always have plenty of choices with OAT. We offer you a breadth of awe-inspiring travel destinations—from the peaks of the Andes to the sweeping desert sands of the Sahara to the rugged natural beauty of Iceland. You'll also enjoy more trip extension choices than ever before—like hiking to ancient monasteries in Bhutan or discovering the Moai monolithic rock statues on Easter Island. You have plenty of choices within each adventure, too, including several interesting optional tours. And the free time we’ve woven into our itineraries allows you plenty of opportunities for independent exploration. You can shop, unwind, perhaps linger at a sidewalk café, visit an interesting gallery or museum, or explore a cobbled street that caught your eye earlier in the day. You can do as much or as little as you want on an OAT adventure—the choice is yours.

OAT Difference

Adventure Travel: Adventure travel with OAT is a journey beyond the familiar, one that takes you into the very heart of a destination—to meet people where they work and live.

OAT Advantages: Journey with the leader in adventure travel and watch your dreams take flight, thanks to the principles which ground every OAT adventure: value, choice, discovery, and carefully paced itineraries.

Small Groups, Big Discoveries: When you discover the world in an OAT small group, you’ll journey off the beaten path to the places the big tour groups miss—and enjoy an intimate, discovery-filled adventure filled with personal connections, shared experiences, and treasured memories.

Trip Leaders: No matter where in the world you venture with OAT, you'll have one of our resident, expert Trip Leaders by your side. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure.

Airport Transfers: We’ve listened to your feedback, and will now offer international airport transfers to and from your hotel to our travelers who choose to purchase their own airfare on OAT adventures as part of our Personalize Your Trip program, which allows you create the OAT adventure that's right for you.

Personalize your trip: OAT travelers have long expressed the desire to decide exactly where they’re going, how they get there, and when they wish to leave. That’s why we developed a variety of choices that enhance the value of every trip we offer, allowing you to create the adventure that works best for you.

Traveling solo? Enjoy your own room or cabin—at no extra cost: You’re in control of your travel dreams—and we’re making them more affordable than ever: Maybe you prefer the freedom of solo travel—or maybe you and your usual traveling companion can’t agree on a destination. Whatever the reason, you don’t have to put your travel dreams on hold. When it’s time to go it alone, you’ll never pay a Single Supplement to have your own room or cabin with OAT.

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Logistics

Accommodation

,Hotel JAL City Tamachi Tokyo Tokyo, Japan Situated near the Tokyo Bay waterfront, Hotel JAL City Tamachi Tokyo is conveniently located—only a 5-minute walk from Tamachi Station. On site, guests can enjoy a coffee shop, Japanese restaurant, and Chinese restaurant. All of the hotel’s air-conditioned rooms offer coffee- and tea-making facilities, a safe, a satellite TV, Internet access, and a private bath with a hair dryer. Hotel Kagetsuen Hakone, Japan Nestled in a quiet cypress grove, Kagetsuen Hotel offers a relaxing respite from the bustle of Japanese city life. All of the hotel’s 65 air-conditioned rooms include a TV, tea-making facilities, and a private bath. On-site, guests can enjoy the hotel’s restaurant, which serves local cuisine. Kanazawa Miyako Hotel Kanazawa, Japan Kanazawa Miyako Hotel is within walking distance of some of the area’s most popular attractions, including Omicho Market and Kanazawa Station. All of the hotel’s 191 air-conditioned rooms offer a TV, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private bath with a hair dryer. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas. Hearton Hotel Kyoto, Japan Located near Kyoto’s major subway lines and within walking distance of the Hongan-ji temple complex, restaurants, and shopping, this hotel is ideally located for exploring the city. Its 294 rooms are simply but comfortably appointed—each includes a TV, refrigerator, tea-making facilities, and private bath with hair dryer. Hotel amenities include Western-style and Japanese restaurants, free Internet access, and laundry service. Extensions Hotel JAL City Tamachi Tokyo Tokyo, Japan Situated near the Tokyo Bay waterfront, Hotel JAL City Tamachi Tokyo is conveniently located—only a 5-minute walk from Tamachi Station. On site, guests can enjoy a coffee shop, Japanese restaurant, and Chinese restaurant. All of the hotel’s air-conditioned rooms offer coffee- and tea-making facilities, a safe, a satellite TV, Internet access, and a private bath with a hair dryer. New Hiroden Hotel Hiroshima, Japan Conveniently located in downtown Hiroshima, Hotel New Hiroden is within walking distance of the Ekimae tram stop and Hiroshima train station. Amenities include the Flower restaurant, featuring international cuisine, and the Etoile cocktail lounge. Each of its 256 air-conditioned rooms features TV, telephone, complimentary Internet access, coffee- and tea-making facilities, minibar, and private bath with hair dryer.
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Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Trip ID
overse-oveadvtrajapcultre

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