Tour Tokyo, including Imperial Palace District and Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital. Visit Takayama’s ancient streets and houses and culturally rich Kanazawa.
Enjoy a traditional tea ceremony and a hands-on cooking class. Stay overnight in a traditional ryokan. Marvel in the stunning scenery of Mt. Fuji and Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Tokyo, Japan
Day 2: Arrive in Tokyo
- Arrive in Japan
- Transfer to the hotel
- Guests’ arrival times may vary, no scheduled activities or meals planned
Day 3: Tokyo
- Briefing about the journey
- Meiji Shrine
- Visit the gallery of Koshun Masunaga – a preeminent calligrapher
- Tour ends in Ginza district
- Optional: explore at your leisure or return to the hotel
- Welcome dinner at a local restaurant
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Tokyo
- Imperial Palace
- Visit the East Gardens
- Tokyo’s oldest temple (c. 645 CE)
- Nakamise shopping arcade
- Tokyo National Museum
- Afternoon is free for independent exploration
- Lunch and dinner is on your own
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5: Tokyo / Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park / Hakone
- Leave Tokyo for Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
- Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center
- Cruise on Ashi Lake
- Town of Hakone
- Spend the night at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn
- Japanese-style Kaiseki dinner
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Hakone / Takayama
- Travel by bullet train
- Wide View Hida express train
- Town of Takayama in the Japanese Alps
- Traditional Japanese tea ceremony
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Takayama
- Riverside Miyagawa Morning Market
- Meet a local chef to gather ingredients for the lunch we will prepare together at a nearby site
- Walking tour of Takayama Jinya
- Local sake brewery
- Takayama’s old town
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8: Takayama / Shirakawago / Kanazawa
- Site of Shirakawago Gassho-zukuri Village
- Visit Gokayama Village to see how traditional Japanese washi paper is made
- Castle town of Kanazawa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9: Kanazawa
- Tour of Kenrokuen Garden
- See Ishikawa Gate
- Hakukokan – a museum celebrating the art and craft of gold leaf technology
- Higashi Chayagai teahouse and geisha area
- Visit the Kutani Kosen Kiln – prized, and highly decorated pottery
- Dine at a local restaurant
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Kanazawa / Kyoto
- Depart by train for Kyoto
- Visit Kinkaku-ji, lakeside Temple of the Golden Pavilion
- Ryoanji, a Zen Buddhist temple
- Dine at the hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11: Kyoto
- Visit to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
- Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts (Fureaikan)
- Nijo-jo Castle (ca. 1603)
- Remainder of the day is free for independent exploration
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12: Kyoto
- Fushimi Inari shrine
- Sanjyusangendo Hall (ca. 1266)
- Nishiki Market, “Kyoto’s Kitchen”
- Afternoon is at leisure
- Farewell dinner at a local restaurant
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13: Depart Kyoto for U.S.
- Travel by motorcoach to Osaka
- Board our return flight to the United States.
Meals: Breakfast
Please note: This trip involves full days of sightseeing and significant amounts of walking on stairs and uneven surfaces. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to its fullest.
Information on the trip host will be added at a later date.
