Discover Japan

12 days
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4.9/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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Group Tour
Experience true beauty on a trip to Japan, the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Experience our Tokyo tours, Japan’s capital, to explore ancient architecture and modern landmarks. Visit the famous Mount Fuji in all its glory, discover the region of Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and tour the historic Imperial Palace district. Call smarTours today to book ...

Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Explore historic Imperial Palace (Tokyo)
    • See the majestic Mt. Fuji
    • Visit Hakone National Park
    • Opportunity to see the Shirakawago (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
    • VisitAncient town in Takayama
    • Sightseeing in Kyoto

What's this trip about?

    Experience true beauty on a trip to Japan, the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Experience our Tokyo tours, Japan’s capital, to explore ancient architecture and modern landmarks. Visit the famous Mount Fuji in all its glory, discover the region of Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and tour the historic Imperial Palace district. Call smarTours today to book your next vacation!

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityTokyo
End CityKyoto

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Train & Rail Journeys
  • Festivals & Special Events

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture
  • Educational/ learning
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Trains & Rail

Trip includes

    • Round trip airfare from Los Angeles via scheduled Japan Airlines. (New York departure add $200)
    • Airfare taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
    • Intra-Japan ground transportation and transfers
    • Super-Express “bullet” train between Tokyo and Nagoya
    • Accommodations at Superior First Class hotels
    • 12 meals: Full buffet breakfast daily (B), 2 dinners (D)
    • Comprehensive sightseeing tours as indicated in itinerary
    • English-speaking Tour Director and localguides

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Itinerary

Travel Map
Day 1: Depart USA.
Your fascinating sojourn to mysterious Japan begins as you depart today on your overnight flight.

Day 2: Arrive Tokyo (Japan).
Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Welcome to Japan, the “Land of the Rising Sun“. Evening arrival in Tokyo, Japan’s vibrant capital. Tokyo is a great mix of ancient Japanese culture and modern, dazzling architectural landmarks which you’ll be able to explore over the next...
Day 3:
Meals: Breakfast Morning guided tour to explore some of the highlights of amazing Tokyo. Start with a visit to the 1093 ft tall Tokyo Tower. From here you may enjoy bird’s eye views of the sprawling metropolis. Then, tour the historic Imperial Palace district dating ba...
Day 4: Mt. Fuji & Hakone Excursion.
Meals: Breakfast Japan’s pastoral countryside unfolds as you depart Tokyo today for Mt. Fuji and Hakone. The main attraction here is majestic Mt. Fuji, a dormant volcano that last erupted almost 300 years ago. The mountain’s perfectly shaped cone has inspired artists a...
Day 5: Tokyo.
Meals: Breakfast Spend a day at leisure to explore Tokyo from your conveniently located hotel. For a real taste of Japan, get up early and head for the colorful wholesale fish market! You may also join an optional excursion outside Tokyo to Nikko. Nikko is a magnificent complex of shrines dedicated to the first shogun, adorned with some of the finest woodcarvings in all of Japan.

Day 6: Tokyo/Takayama.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation: Hida Plaza Hotel This morning, embark on a thrilling train ride via the super-express Bullet “Shinkansen” train headed for Nagoya. Here, transfer to a limited-express train for a scenic ride to Takayama, a delightful small t...
Day 7:
Meals: Breakfast After breakfast, join your guide for a stroll through the fascinating Jinya-mae Morning Market along the Miyagawa River in the old town. This 200-year old colorful market bustles with farmers selling fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and traditional lo...
Day 8: Takayama/Shirakawago/Kanazawa.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Accommodation: Kanazawa New Grand Hotel Today enjoy a scenic drive through the picturesque countryside to the rural region of Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you’ll discover fascinating examples of old steep thatched roof h...
Day 9: Kanazawa/Kyoto.
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto Today enjoy a visit to the historic Oumicho Market, a busy and colorful market and explore along with local residents some of the 200 shops selling seafood, vegetables, fruits, flowers, regional specialties and ...
Day 10:
Meals: Breakfast The capital of Japan from 794 to 1868, Kyoto is a world-class gem, a true oasis. Today, depart on a guided tour exploring some of the city’s highlights. Begin at Nijo Castle, renowned for its ornate interiors. Built by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the ear...
Day 11:
Meals: Breakfast A day to explore ancient Kyoto’s grace and beauty on your own or join an optional tour. You may visit some of the smaller and serene temples, marvel at splendid classical Japanese gardens, see the exquisitely dressed geishas at the colorful Gion corner...
Day 12: Kyoto/USA.
Meals: Breakfast Transfer to the airport for your return flight from Osaka. Your amazing trip to Japan ends on arrival in the USA.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,199
Price per day$350
Single supplement (single occupancy)$899
Last Updated: 4/2/2019

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with SmarTours.

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.

SmarTours Reviews & Ratings

4.9/5  Excellent
Excellent
996
Great
111
Average
1
Disappointing
2
Terrible
5
T

Tour Guide Spoke Unintelligible English

Jun 2024

Written on

Company Failed to provide value and service

traveled with Smartours to Japan on a 12 day trip in May 2 024. This was the tour guide’s first trip working for Smartours. She spoke unintelligible English. Smartou...

J

Jay

Mar 2020

Written on

Pretty good tour

Pretty good tour, least interesting was Tokyo. The smaller cities...

M

Manfred

Mar 2020

Written on

great enjoyment

It is 2 weeks ago that we returned from our "Discover Japan" tour. What a great enjoyment it was, and how lucky we were! We managed to experience the cherry blossoms...

J

Jacquline

Mar 2020

Written on

very satisfied

We just got back three days ago from the Discover Japan Tour. This was my first Smartours trip, and my first trip using a tour/guide company. I must say I was very s...

U

Ute

Mar 2020

Written on

excellent fast paced

This was an excellent fast paced and all too short tour of a beautiful amazing country. I wish I had visited it much earlier. It is the cleanest and safest place in ...

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Amy G

Jun 2024

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I did a tour to San Remo / Menton/ Turbine and my tour guide was Smiley - she was great knowledgable, educated. One of the best tours I have taken. Highly recommend ...

T

Tour Guide Spoke Unintelligible English

Jun 2024

Written on

Company Failed to provide value and service

traveled with Smartours to Japan on a 12 day trip in May 2 024. This was the tour guide’s first trip working for Smartours. She spoke unintelligible English. Smartou...

c

customer

Feb 2024

Written on

BUYER BEWARE

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smarTours was founded in 1996 with one goal in mind: to provide high quality, exciting group tour packages to some of the most fascinating countries in the world at the lowest possible price.  The team at smarTours believes deeply that high quality international travel should be affordable, and we work tirelessly to deliver affordability.

At smarTours, most of our travelers in any given year are repeat customers – they had such great experiences with us before that they decided to travel with us again.  And many of our customers are so happy with smarTours that they have made traveling with us an annual tradition, reaching 5, 10, even 15 trips with smarTours!  In other words, we must be doing at least a few things right.

Unbeatable Value: We provide exceptional value for your money, and it does not take that much time visiting our website to figure that out.  However, it can be difficult to compare the value provided by different tour operators because the tours are so intricate and multifaceted.  If you take the time to really peel back onion and evaluate the tours offered by smarTours, we are confident that you would come to the conclusion that our loyal customers have – that smarTours provides unbeatable value.

Phenomenal Tour Guides: If you ask anyone who has been on an escorted tour, they will tell you that the tour guides are an essential ingredient to making the trip a success.  The importance of tour guides is not lost on us at smarTours, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit and retention of the very best tour guides.  We are proud to say with confidence that our tour guides are phenomenal, and many of them have become celebrity-like figures within the smarTours community.

smarTours Price Protection: We have had a price protection policy since we started in 1996, and we thought it was time to share it with you.  If you reserve a spot on a tour and we later lower the price, we will make up the difference for you!  We do not penalize you for booking early, so you can reserve your spot with confidence that the price will not get any better (lower) for that particular date.  Also, to be clear, if you reserve a spot on a tour and we later increase the price, we will not raise your price to match the new price!

Focus: Unlike most of our competitors, we focus exclusively on providing affordable group tours to foreign, largely exotic destinations.  In the travel business, it is particularly easy to get distracted by new trends and themes, but we have chosen to focus on what we do best.  We are extremely deliberate in introducing new tours because we have set a standard that our loyal customers have come to rely on, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding your expectations.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Passport and visa fees
    • Excess baggage charges, baggage
    • Personal insurance
    • Gratuities
    • Optional tours, beverages, other items and expenses of personal nature

Accommodation

Night 1: International Flight: Japan Airlines Nights 2-5: Tokyo: Hotel New Otani Nights 6-7: Takayama: Hida Plaza Hotel Night 8: Kanazawa: Ana Crowne Plaza Kanazawa Hotel Nights 9-11: Kyoto: Kyoto Tokyu Hotel Kyoto OR Kyoto: RIHGA Royal Hotel Kyoto
Cancellation policy
Cancellation charges per person are: Up to 90 days before departure: $300 89-60 days before departure: $1000 59-45 days before departure: $1500 44-30 days before departure: $2000 29 days or fewer before departure: No refund. All cancellations must be received in writing
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
12 Breakfasts and 2 Dinners
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
Optional Tours Nikko full day excursion with lunch From $150 per person Nara afternoon tour Kyoto from $75 per person Hiroshima Kyoto from $350 per person
Additional Information
Trip ID
smartours-DisJapSma

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