Day 1: Tokyo Arrival 

You’ll touch down at one of the capital’s two major international airports and make your own way to your first a comfortable three-star hotel in an enviable central location, for a good night’s sleep before the tour starts in earnest tomorrow.

Accommodation: Comfort Hotel Tokyo Higashi Kanda or similar

Day 2: Tokyo (B)

Welcome to Tokyo!

Today you’ll experience a full-day tour of this amazing world city. Your guide will escort you through Tokyo’s famous public transport system to see diverse sites including the Meiji Shrine, the bustling Shibuya Crossing, the Nakamise Shopping Arcade, the stately Asakusa Kannon Temple, and the regal Imperial Palace Plaza.

What’s included: Tokyo tour guide, public transport around Tokyo
Accommodation: Comfort Hotel Tokyo Higashi Kanda or similar

Day 3: Tokyo – Mt. Fuji (B)

After a short rail journey from Tokyo to Ostsuki using your JR pass, you’ll enjoy a full-day tour to Kawaguchiko, a beautiful lake right at the base of Mount Fuji where, on a clear day you will be able to see the very top of Japan’s iconic mountain from the water. There are unrivalled views of the mountain that dominates the skyline for miles around from the Mt Kachikachi ropeway, 1,000m above sea level. We’ve included a visit to the pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Park, which has perhaps the most famous view of Mt Fuji of all.

What’s included: Kawaguchiko tour guide, return bus between Otsuki and Kawaguchiko, lake cruise and ropeway tickets
Accommodation: Comfort Hotel Tokyo Higashi Kanda or similar

Day 4: Tokyo (B)

Today is set aside for you to explore Tokyo at your own pace, exploring museums, galleries, markets and famous neighbourhoods with your JR pass. There are far too many incredible things for us to describe here, but perhaps you’ll enjoy the futuristic man-made island of Odaiba, with its fantastic views of Tokyo Bay, or the historic Ginza, Japan’s premier shopping district.

Accommodation: Comfort Hotel Tokyo Higashi Kanda or similar

 

Day 5: Tokyo – Kyoto | The Ancient Capital (B)

Today we say goodbye to Tokyo and catch a Bullet Train (using your JR pass) to historic Kyoto for a half-day tour of just a few of its most famous sites. You’ll stroll between the Torii gates at the Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine and step back through time at Sanjusangendo, an 850-year-old temple which contains 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy.

What’s included: Luggage transfer (one suitcase per person), Kyoto tour guide, public transport around Kyoto, entry to Sanjusangendo
Accommodation: Urban Hotel Kyoto-Shijo Premium or similar

Day 6: Kyoto (B)

Wake up in Kyoto for a full day immersing yourself in this stunning ancient city. Your guide will escort you around Nijo Castle, the former formal residence of the Shogun, with its nightingale floors and sumptuous original decorations. You’ll take in the Heian Shrine, a popular shrine known for its festivals, as well as the Yasaka Shrine and Gion, which is Kyoto’s most famous historic Geisha district, whom you may glimpse in the evening, hurrying to their engagements.

What’s included:  Kyoto tour guide, entry to Nijo Castle and the Heian Shrine, public transport around Kyoto
Accommodation: Urban Hotel Kyoto-Shijo Premium or similar

 

Day 7: Kyoto (B)

You get to decide the itinerary today, with a whole day free to explore whichever parts of Kyoto that excite you most. Perhaps you’ll stroll around Kinkaku-ji Temple, which is known as “the Golden Pavilion” as its walls are covered in a rich gold leaf, or Tenryu-ji Temple and its beautiful gardens, and the serene Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. You may also opt into a half-day tour ($) of nearby Nara, with visits to Todai-ji Temple, the Kasuga-taisha Grand Shrine and Nara Deer Park, and many other treasures at this sprawling UNESCO World Heritage site.

Optional extra: Half Day Nara tour
C$130 per person
(Includes guide, return train tickets, entrance to Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga-Taisha Grand Shrine, and Nara Park)
Minimum 10 persons and need to book before depart Canada.

Accommodation: Urban Hotel Kyoto-Shijo Premium or similar

 

Day 8: Kyoto – Osaka (B)

Osaka is Japan’s second city, not far from Kyoto on public transport with your JR pass. On your tour, you’ll visit Osaka Castle (from outside), built in 1583, and sample some of Japan’s tastiest tidbits in the foodie quarter of Dotombori. You’ll take in the dazzling lights that line the canals and draw visitors towards karaoke bars, shellfish restaurants and late-night ramen joints.

What’s included: Osaka tour guide, same-day luggage transfer
Accommodation: Shin-Osaka Esaka Tokyu REI Hotel or similar

 

Day 9: Osaka – Hiroshima (B)

Today brings you on a full-day tour of Hiroshima and the nearby holy island of Miyajima – roughly 90 minutes by train from Osaka with your JR pass. Here you’ll learn all about the tragedy of the Second World War at the Peace Memorial Park, where you can contemplate the haunting ruins of the Atomic Bomb Dome, a lone building that survived a deadly blast. On Miyajima, you’ll visit the spectacular and spiritual Itsukushima Shrine.

What’s included: Hiroshima tour guide, entry to the Peace Memorial Museum, Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima ferry
Accommodation: Shin-Osaka Esaka Tokyu REI Hotel or similar

 

Day 10: Osaka Departure (B)

Your last day in Japan affords you another chance to explore Osaka at your leisure. Whether that means visiting the museums, taking in a view of the whole city from the Tempozan Ferris Wheel, or picking up souvenirs at Tenjinbashi-suji, the longest shopping street in Japan, is up to you – but the possibilities are endless. Once the day is done, you’ll make your own way to KIX Airport and catch your flight back home.

 

Notes:

• The tour will begin in your hotel lobby on the second day at 8:30am. Please make sure to arrive in Japan on or before the previous day
• Twin room size shall be at least 15sqm, and single room size will be at least 10sqm
• Sightseeing tours are walking tours
• Colored leaves sightings are never guaranteed, as the date they bloom changes each year
• Mt Fuji may not be visible due to weather conditions beyond our control
• Schedules, sightseeing spots, and the order of visits is subject to change due to traffic conditions, weather conditions, and other local conditions
• Breakfast may be served as a set menu instead of a buffet style
• Breakfast may not be available depending on the time of the return flight on the last day. There will be no refund in this case
• This is not a private tour, and you will be joined by other guests
• If trains are crowded at particular times, you may not be able to sit next to your companions
• The bus transfer to Kawaguchiko on day 3 may be shared with passengers of other nationalities.