Classic Japan: Tokyo & Kyoto, plus Nikko, Hakone and Nara

At your arrival at Narita Airport in Tokyo, a welcoming service will greet you at the airport arrival gate and escort you to the shuttle bus to your hotel.

Itinerary will be adjusted according to your flight schedule.

Accommodation in Tokyo Option 1: Hilton Tokyo

Hotel Accommodation in Tokyo Option 2: Park Hotel Tokyo

Accommodation upgrade in Tokyo: Mandarin Oriental Tokyo

Today you will tour the city with your private guide. Tokyo is the center of modern Japan, and you will explore the main sights of the city, getting a thorough introduction to a typical Tokyoite life by public transportation, one of the best subway systems in the world. Tokyo is a huge metropolis, which has surprises in store for us at every street corner. This is an exciting, vibrant and bustling city, where everything and everyone moves on high speed. At night, Tokyo reveals yet another side to it with its neon signs brightening the sky, thousands of lively restaurants and bars, and colorful entertainment districts (which you can explore independently).

Independently, accompanied by our detailed instruction file, you will head north for a one-day excursion trip to Nikko - the famous World Heritage temple complex of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified Japan around 1600. The splendor of this lavishly decorated mausoleum is the origin of the noted Japanese saying: "Never say you're content until you've seen Nikko."

Today you will take the train to the "backyard" of Tokyo, Hakone. This is a nature reserve and hot springs area with great museums as well as the possibility on a clear day to enjoy one of the best views of Mt. Fuji. Another highlight in this area is the open-air museum, a renowned museum for contemporary art which uses the beauty of the surrounding nature as a backdrop for the exhibits. In the evening, you can enjoy one of the highlights of any visit to Japan - the hot springs.

Accommodation: Suimeiso

Accommodation Upgrade Option: Ryokan Ginyu

In the morning, you will take a train (in first class seats) towards Japan’s old capital: Kyoto. You will dedicate these days to Kyoto, the hub of traditional culture, a city that for hundreds of years has been and continues to be an island of tradition in the swirling whirlpool of progress. Kyoto has 17 World Heritage Sites – the most properties in one city – each a representative masterpiece of the era in which it was constructed. Over these days you will encounter the various tales that make up the Japanese puzzle, and discover the past rippling through the everyday life of locals.

Independently with our detailed instruction file and as time allows, you will visit the acclaimed Silver Pavilion and enjoy a leisurely walk along the celebrated Philosopher’s Path, then continue to one of Kyoto’s most photogenic slopes with winding streets filled with small specialized shops and cafés set against the backdrop of the Eastern Mountains.

Accommodation in Kyoto: Kyoto Hotel Okura

Continuing your journey in Kyoto with your private guide by public transportation, you will be exposed to the fundamentals of esthetics, Zen, architecture, horticulture through visits to famous places such as the distinguished stone garden at Ryoanji temple, the spectacular Golden Pavilion, and the Shogun’s castle, and a downtown market, as well as walking along picturesque streets trying to get a glimpse of a Geisha rushing on her way to work.

As a day excursion from Kyoto you will take the train to Nara. On the way, you can stop at one of Kyoto’s most photographed shrines - Fushimi Inari, with its 10,000 torii gates lined along a trail up a hill. From there you will continue to Nara, Japan’s first capital, where you will find an impressive large wooden building housing a Great Buddha statue, and stroll around a huge park in the middle of town where deer roam freely, often interacting with the many tourists.

Itinerary will be adjusted according to your flight schedule.

Today, you will start your way back home. A private car will pick you up for a private transfer to Kansai AP. We wish you a pleasant and safe trip.