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Experience Overview
At Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine, climb the extraordinary path lined with hundreds of orange torii gates that snake through the forest up into the mountains above the city. Indulge in a delicious kaiseki lunch at a traditional ryokan and gain an insight into Japanese customs. The Activity Level of this tour is Dynamic, meaning this journey features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 8 Breakfast (B)
- 3 Lunch (L)
- 3 Dinner (D)
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Tokyo and Kyoto
- Visit the Sensoji Temple, the Skytree Observation Tower, the National Museum in Tokyo, the 5th Station of Mount Fuji, as well as the Kinkaku-ji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and Sanjusangen-do Hall in Kyoto.
- View Mt. Fuji
- See the traditional Gassho-zukuri houses in Gokayama and the beautiful gardens of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa
How You'll Travel
- Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
Iconic Experience
- Tokyo: Explore Tokyo’s oldest temple, Sensoji, in the historic Asakusa district. Wander through Nakamise Arcade, lined with traditional treats and crafts, before arriving at the main hall, a symbol of faith, resilience and local spirit.
- Tokyo: Rise above the skyline at Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan. From its observation deck, you’ll take in panoramic views of the city, from Mount Fuji to Tokyo Bay. It’s a modern marvel and an unforgettable moment that will leave you awestruck.
- Ginza: With the guidance of your professional sushi chef, make your own selection of sushi specialties. Afterwards enjoy the fruits of your labor with a delicious lunch.
- Tokyo: Visit the Tokyo National Museum to browse collections of Japanese art and archaeological objects.
- Mt Fuji: Admire the stunning countryside at Mt. Fuji 5th Station.
- Gokayama: Take some time to admire the peaceful mountain village of Gokayama. Discover their unique homes that have been built without the use of nails and their sloped thatched roofs.
- Kanazawa: Learn about the delicacy of the 16th-century craft gold leaf painting with your Local Specialist.
- Kanazawa: Step back in time at the Nomura Samurai House, once home to a respected warrior family. Explore its gardens, traditional architecture and treasured artifacts. You’ll learn about samurai life and honor in feudal Japan with a rare glimpse into the elegance of Edo-period craftsmanship.
- Kyoto: Admire the beautiful golden pavilion of Kinkakuji Temple.
- Kyoto: Explore Gion District, Kyoto’s renowned geisha quarter. Stroll past beautifully preserved wooden machiya townhouses and soak up the atmosphere of this storied neighborhood.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Gokayama: Help support a local business with a visit to a washi paper workshop. You'll watch the family at work and test your paper-making skills for yourself. Your experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Be My Guest
- Kyoto: Meet Nakamura Family for a kaiseki lunch at a traditional Japanese Restaurant near Kyoto and learn about local customs.
Trip Details
Product Code: 34482
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles: Explorer, Budget
Tour Operator: Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 177.888B
Starts: Tokyo, Japan
Finishes: Osaka, Japan
Duration: 9 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating: Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $6907 ($767 /day)
Itinerary
Your in-depth exploration of Japan begins in Tokyo. On arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport, take a shuttle bus transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you’ll join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a drink and local appetizers.
Accommodation: New Otani Garden Tower
Begin your city tour in Asakusa, Tokyo’s historic entertainment district, where you’ll encounter the Sensoji Buddhist Temple, one of the city’s most colorful and popular temples. Founded in 628 and rebuilt many times over the centuries, Sensoji is Tokyo’s oldest temple site. Next, stroll down Nakamise Street and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Shitamachi (downtown Tokyo), admiring the wooden dolls, colorful chiyogami (origami paper) and traditional Japanese sweets. Ascend Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest free-standing broadcasting tower, for panoramic views of the city skyline. End the day with a stroll around Ginza, Tokyo’s famous shopping district or join an Optional Experience to explore Shinjuku by night with your Travel Director.
Accommodation: New Otani Garden Tower
Meals: Breakfast
Start your day at the Imperial Palace Plaza, where you’ll view the two bridges leading to the palace’s inner grounds. Walk through the East Gardens, a peaceful space once part of the original Edo Castle. At the Tokyo National Museum, take time to browse the country’s oldest collection of Japanese art. Then, join a sushi chef to learn how to prepare this iconic dish. Head into the Fuji Five Lakes District and look out for Mt. Fuji dominating the horizon. In the small village of Oshino Hakkai, discover eight clear spring‑fed ponds—registered as a component of the Mount Fuji UNESCO World Heritage site—and see how snowmelt from Mt. Fuji supports rural life in this scenic part of Japan.
Accommodation: Fuji Marriott Yamanakako
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Journey up Mt. Fuji by road to the 5th Station, sitting 2,300 m (7,546 ft) above sea level. From here, take in sweeping views over Lake Kawaguchiko and the surrounding peaks before traveling through the scenic landscapes of the Japanese Alps to Takayama, a hillside town known for its traditional streets and mountain setting. Tonight, settle into your hotel where you’ll sit down to dinner together.
Accommodation: Associa Takayama Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Immerse yourself in tradition as you walk through the Edo-style streets of Takayama's Old Town. Indulge a lunch of Japanese Hida-gyu – beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, renowned as one of the finest quality varieties of beef. Journey back in time this afternoon during a visit to the peaceful UNESCO-listed Gokayama, a mountain village set amidst five valleys. Admire the unique construction of the local Gassho-zukuri wooden houses that have been built without the use of nails with steeply sloped thatched roofs to prevent snow from building up on them. Meet with a local family in one of these houses. Observe local artisans making washi paper and try your hand at making your own. Make a difference to the sustainability of this small business during MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Stay overnight in Kanazawa.
Accommodation: Kanazawa Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Join a Local Specialist this morning to learn about gold leaf painting, a delicate craft practised in Japan since the 16th century. Continue to Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s most celebrated gardens, shaped over more than 100 years with ponds, bridges and planted landscapes. Here, you may choose an Optional Experience to try on a traditional kimono for a photo in the garden. Later, explore Omicho Market, where seafood stalls reflect Kanazawa’s coastal setting, before stepping into the Nagamachi District to see preserved samurai houses and visit Nomura House.
Accommodation: Kanazawa Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast
Board an express train to Kyoto, where you’ll visit the UNESCO-listed Kinkakuji Temple. Originally a 14th-century villa, this striking Zen temple is now best known for its Golden Pavilion, reflected in the surrounding pond and gardens. Later, connect with locals at a traditional restaurant during your Be My Guest experience. Learn about Japanese customs as your hosts share stories of everyday life and regional traditions over a shared meal. The evening is yours to spend as you wish.
Accommodation: Kyoto Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
The blazing orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine guide your path through the forest, up into the mountains and to a sacred site that has heard prayers for prosperity and happiness since the 8th century. Continue to Sanjusangen-do Hall and admire the intricate detail of its 1,001 statues of the “thousand-handed” goddesses of mercy. Then, enjoy a walking tour through the Gion district, known for its traditional wooden machiya houses and geisha culture. This evening, indulge in dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travelers.
Accommodation: Kyoto Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your encounter with Japan’s age-old traditions and modern cityscapes comes to an end, take a transfer by airport shuttle service to Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami Airport for your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
Great tour. The tour and itinerary was excellent. The tour guide, was fabulous as well. Give her a raise! I had some mobility problems during the tour and she was very patient and accommodating. Overall a wonderful tour and country! This was a great trip. The itinerary was excellent. A wonderful experience. A beautiful country as well.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/05/2025
John Primomo - Traveled, April 2025
First time in Japan. Exceptional! I do wish Trafalgar had told me that you must have permission to bring certain medications into Japan. Great experience! We saw wonderful parts of Japan, including Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, and Hiroshima. The hotels were wonderful! Our travel director was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. My advice to Trafalgar is to reduce the number of visits to temples and shrines. Maybe allow more free time. Also, there were too many set Japanese meals with no options.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/04/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
A great tour, covering all the important 'must sees' of Japan. The hotels were excellent however I would prefer to stay in more authentic Japanese hotels. (You could be anywhere in the world in large American chains). It's imperative to have Wi-Fi in ALL the buses. Its 2025 after all. On the first night we should have been given name tags. Hugely helpful in getting to know fellow travelers. Our guide, Noriko was excellent.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/05/2025
Vemula Reddy - Traveled, April 2025
Good enjoyable trip. Tours were on time and tour directors managed time. It included most of the places we wanted to see.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/05/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
Splendors of Japan with Hiroshima. Great tour! Great destinations! Great accommodation! Great meals! Great transport! Less controlling and kinder tour guide needed! Great tour itinerary, Great accommodation, Great food! Great locations to visit! Great transport! Tour Director whilst hard working and knowledgeable was highly repetitive, controlling and at times nasty to some guests! Not enough free time, and respect for capabilities of more independent guests! No coach seat rotation! Some guests got favored treatment!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/03/2025
Mark Rantz - Traveled, April 2025
This was our second tour we took with Trafalgar. Italy was so well organized and fabulous location as well as informative tour guide. Japan, lovely country but felt rushed for entire 2 week tour. Less than an hour for lunch in Osaka. Takes time to locate the restaurant you want to eat. Same with site tours had to quickly take pictures tour guide fast walking through. My wife loves shopping for unique things , very little time for that. Hotels were good , breakfast was superb. We will use Trafalgar again but will plan to stay a few days after to recover.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/03/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
There is basically no free time to see the area. The hour or so we got in places was not enough time because the tour director made follow her to show us her favorite places and then we had to find lunch so while we went to a lot of places we really didn't "see" them. Group dinner food was not good. Some places we stopped at definitely could have been skipped in order to allow more time at places of importance like Hiroshima. I broke away from the group that day so I could spend the day at the museums etc. The group only got 50 minutes at the museum which is nowhere near enough time.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
Go Trafalgar. Excellent service. This is my third time with Trafalgar. Diverse and nice tour. Covered a large area of Japan. Great accommodations. I recommend to allow more free time when visiting new towns.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
The tour was great.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
The staff was remote. Each time I called I got a different person. Many times they could not answer my questions. I spoke with a different person each time I called. Some were very non committal especially on lodging. It would have improved my rating if one person were assigned to each couple or person. Because I was traveling with a friend and not a spouse, all information went to them and they had to forward the emails to me. Our first hotel was the nicest. Too much time spent on logistics that could have been spent touring. Group size 32 too large.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2025
