Highlights of Japan

Welcome to Osaka, Japan

Arrival at KIX, Osaka Airport. Meet & Greet at the arrival lobby with the lead passenger's name. Transfer to the hotel by private car driver only. Check-in hotel on your own and free at leisure.
Optional Tours - Shinsabashi night walking tour & Osaka street foods with English Speaking Guide. Round trip transfer by public transportation. Osaka truly comes alive at night, with plenty of bars, clubs, sightseeing, and exciting and quirky activities to keep anyone entertained.

Explore Central Osaka City

After Breakfast at the hotel, in half-day, we explore Central Osaka city with English Speaking Guide by public transportation. Visit Osaka Castle that is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during in sixteenth century, and Umeda Sky Building is a spectacular high-rise building in the Kita district of Osaka, near Osaka and Umeda Stations. It is also known as the "New Umeda City". Tour ends at the hotel or Umeda District. The afternoon is leisure.

Recommended Tours - Nara afternoon tour by public transportation. Visit Todaiji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Shrine. Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, the city remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples.

Osaka - Free day

Breakfast at the hotel. The day is leisure but we offer 2 optional tours.

Today Options:

1. Day trip to Mount Koya by Koyasan World Heritage. Depart & terminate at Namba station (Nankai Railway). We visit Okunoin Cemetery, Kongobuji Temple & Garan. Mount Koya is the center of Shingon Buddhism, an important Buddhist sect that was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan's most significant religious figures.

2. Day trip to Hiroshima by Shinkansen train from Osaka city. Depart and terminate at Shin-Osaka Station (Shinkansen Line). We visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park & Museum, and Miyajima Island by public transportation. Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park is one of the most prominent features of the city. Even visitors not looking for it will likely stumble upon the large park of over 120,000 square meters. Its trees, lawns, and walking paths are in stark contrast to the surrounding downtown area.

Kyoto - Explore The City

Check out from the hotel to the city of Kyoto. Your luggage will be sent to the Kyoto hotel, with same-day delivery. Transfer to Kyoto by local trains with English Speaking Guide, and explore the city starting from the Nishiki Market that is a narrow, five-block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", this lively retail market specializes in all things food-related, like fresh seafood, produce, knives and cookware, and is a great place to find seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood, and sushi. Then we visit the Yasaka Shrine, also known as Gion Shrine, which is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. Founded over 1350 years ago, the shrine is located between the popular Gion District and Higashiyama District and is often visited by tourists walking between the two districts. The last visit is to Kiyomizu Temple that is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of Kyoto and derives its name from the fall's pure waters. The temple was originally associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest schools within Japanese Buddhism, but formed its own Kita Hosso sect in 1965. In 1994, the temple was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. Strolling around Sannenzaka-Ninenzaka & Gion District while we are heading to our hotel late afternoon.

Kyoto World Heritage Sites Tour with English Speaking Guide

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day Kyoto World Heritage Sites tour with English Speaking Guide. We start our journey with the Arashiyama walking tour. The Arishiyama Located about 7km west of downtown Kyoto, Arashiyama is one of Kyoto’s most popular sightseeing districts. The heart of the district is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, a mesmerizing grove of thousands of tall bamboo plants. A paved walkway runs through the middle of both sections, forming the famous “Bamboo Alley,” one of Kyoto’s most photographed sights.

We continue to visit Togetsu Bridge, Bamboo Grove, and Tenryuji Garden which is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism, and the Ryoanji Temple is the site of Japan's most famous rock garden, which attracts hundreds of visitors every day. Originally an aristocrat's villa during the Heian Period, the site was converted into a Zen temple in 1450 and belongs to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, whose head temple stands just a kilometer to the south. Our last stop is the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji Temple) which is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf.

Visit Nagamachi Samurai District and Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa

After breakfast check out from the hotel. Your luggage will be sent to Takayama, the next day's arrival. Transfer to Kyoto station by public transportation with an English-speaking assistant. Arrive in Kanazawa City around noon and local guide meets at the platform to start your tour Nagamachi Samurai District strolling (Nomura House included) and Kenrokuen Garden. Check-in the hotel and free at leisure

Takayama - Visit Shirakawago by Nohi Bus and Wada House Museum

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning free time until departure. You may visit Omicho Market or Higashi Chaya district on your own.

Afternoon, explore the Shirakawago by Nohi Bus with English Speaking Guide. The Shirakawago regions line the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains that span from Gifu to Toyama Prefectures. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. We visit the Wada House Museum, too.

Tour ends at Takayama hotel. Check-in hot spring hotel and free at leisure (Japanese traditional room). Dinner at the hotel.

Takayama - Walking Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, in a half-day tour, we start the Takayama city walking tour with English Speaking Guide. After the morning market strolling, we arrive at Sannomachi Street and Takayama Jinya which is served as the local government office headed by the officials dispatched from Edo. The building complex was in official use until 1969 and is now open to the public as a museum. It includes various nicely maintained tatami mat rooms that once served as offices, conference rooms, guest rooms, and residential spaces. The afternoon is leisure to relax or to discover more beauty of the city.

In the afternoon, recommended private cycling tour and guided tour of Hida Furukawa.

Tokyo - Transfer by Train from Takayama

After breakfast check out from the hotel. Your luggage will be sent to Tokyo, the next day of arrival. Short walk or take a shuttle bus to Takayama Station on your own. Early afternoon we arrive in Tokyo and you meet with the English Speaking local assistant at the platform. Transfer to the hotel by public transportation with the assistant. Check-in hotel and free at leisure

Tokyo City Tour with Public Transportation

Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day Tokyo city tour with English Speaking Guide by public transportation. We start by discovering the city with Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine which is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line's busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city, Harajuku District, Imperial Palace Outer/Gardens, and Asakusa (Sensoji Temple, Kaminarimon Gate & Nakamise Shopping Avenue).

Late afternoon we take a Tokyo River Cruise.

Tokyo - Day at leisure

Breakfast at the hotel. The day is leisure.

Recommended Tour:

Day trip to Mount Fuji and Hakone by private car. Mount Fuji is 3776 meters from Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshiped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people throughout the centuries.

We visit Lake Kawaguchi, Oishi Park, and Hakone Shrine which stands at the foot of Mount Hakone along the shores of Lake Ashi. The shrine buildings are hidden in the dense forest but are well advertised by their huge torii gates, one standing prominently in the lake and two others over the main street of Moto-Hakone. Our tour continues to Owakudani Valley (this tour is subject to volcanic alert level)

We take a short cruise in Lake Ashi and ride to Hakone Ropeway (one-way).

Tokyo - End of Journey

Private transfer to Narita/ Haneda International Airport to fly back home.