Welcome to Japan. After you arrive in Tokyo, make your own way to the hotel and complete check-in. The day is kept flexible so you can settle in after your journey, organize your plans, and get comfortable before the rest of the trip begins.

Use the remaining time at your own pace if you would like to start exploring the city. You may visit lively districts such as Shibuya or Shinjuku for an early sense of Tokyo’s atmosphere. A private airport-to-hotel transfer is available as an optional service at an additional cost.

Tokyo is Japan’s capital and one of the country’s main gateways for international arrivals.

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome Italia-gai or similar

Travel around Tokyo with an English-speaking guide and shared transportation as you visit well-known cultural sites and seasonal highlights. Begin at Meiji Shrine, a peaceful sanctuary set within forested grounds in central Tokyo, where your guide introduces local Shinto customs and traditions.

You also have the opportunity to take part in common practices such as writing wishes on wooden plaques or purchasing lucky charms. Continue to Shinjuku Gyoen, one of Tokyo’s most popular cherry blossom viewing locations, and walk through gardens shaped by a wide variety of sakura trees.

In the afternoon, visit Senso-ji Temple after walking along Nakamise Shopping Street, known for traditional snacks and souvenir shops. Inside the temple grounds, observe local worship practices and experience one of Tokyo’s most historic landmarks. Later, take a Sumida River cruise, with cherry blossoms and city views along both sides of the waterway.

Shinto shrine visits commonly include ritual purification and offering practices, while Buddhist temples such as Senso-ji follow different worship traditions.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome Italia-gai or similar

Leave Tokyo in the morning for a shared guided tour to the Mount Fuji region. Japan’s highest mountain provides the backdrop for the day as you visit popular sightseeing locations connected to lake, village, shrine, and seasonal spring scenery.

Begin at Oshino Hakkai, a traditional village known for clear spring-fed ponds and views of Mount Fuji in the distance. Continue to Arakurayama Sengen Shrine, where Chureito Pagoda and Mount Fuji form one of Japan’s most recognizable landscapes, especially during cherry blossom season.

Later, take a sightseeing cruise on Lake Kawaguchi for another view of the mountain from the water. On clear days, the calm lake may reflect the peak, adding a scenic perspective before you return to Tokyo for the evening.

Mount Fuji has long held cultural and spiritual importance in Japan, and shrines in the region are closely associated with mountain worship traditions.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome Italia-gai or similar

Today is reserved for independent exploration in Tokyo, so you can set your own pace and shape the day around your interests. You may choose busy urban districts, quieter local neighborhoods, cafés, or parks across the city. Depending on your travel timing, seasonal cherry blossoms may also appear along certain streets and in public areas.

Optional experiences are available for those who would like planned activities:

• Sumo Lunch Show (approximately 2 hours, 12:45 - 15:00, shared tour): Enjoy a Japanese-style lunch while watching a lively sumo demonstration.
• Akihabara Sightseeing Tour (3 hours, 14:00 - 17:00, shared tour): Explore Akihabara, known for its anime, manga, gaming stores, and pop-culture shops.

Hanami is the Japanese term for the seasonal custom of appreciating cherry blossoms when they bloom.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome Italia-gai or similar

After breakfast, travel with the group to Tokyo Station and board the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto. The high-speed rail journey takes around 2.5 hours, giving you a direct transition from Tokyo to Kyoto while keeping the day’s logistics clear and efficient.

When you arrive at Kyoto Station, you will be met and transferred for check-in. The rest of the day is free for rest or independent exploration. 

An optional experience is available in the late afternoon:

 

• Geisha & Tea Ceremony (45 min, 16:00 or 17:30): Held in a traditional townhouse in Kyoto’s Gion area, offering a short introduction to geisha culture and tea ceremony practice.

In Kyoto, geisha are traditionally referred to as geiko, while apprentice geisha are known as maiko.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Kyoto Tokyu Hotel or similar

Begin the day in Kyoto with your driver and guide at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of the city’s well-known cherry blossom viewing locations. From there, continue to Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its historic buildings and surrounding gardens.

Next, visit Nishiki Market, a local food market where you can find seasonal dishes, seafood, and produce. In the afternoon, head to Arashiyama for a walk through the bamboo grove. If time allows, spend time near the Katsura River before returning to Kyoto.

Nijo Castle served as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns during Japan’s Edo period.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Kyoto Tokyu Hotel or similar

After breakfast, depart Kyoto and begin at Fushimi Inari Taisha, known for its torii gate pathways and fox statues. Walk through the shrine area as your guide explains its background and helps place the site within the day’s route before you continue onward.

Travel to Nara and visit Todai-ji Temple to see the Great Buddha statue, then spend time at Nara Park, where deer move freely through the open surroundings. In the afternoon, continue to Osaka for check-in and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.

At Fushimi Inari Taisha, foxes are regarded as messengers of Inari, the shrine’s deity associated with rice and prosperity.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu or similar

Spend the day in Osaka at your own pace, with the freedom to plan your own activities across the city. Popular choices include walking through Dotonbori, trying local street food such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki, shopping in Shinsaibashi, or visiting Osaka Castle Park for a relaxed stroll.

Optional: 

• Private Day Trip to Hiroshima by Shinkansen: Take the Shinkansen from Osaka for a full-day trip to Hiroshima (early departure and late return). Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, then continue to Miyajima Island to see Itsukushima Shrine, known for its torii gate rising from the water.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu or similar

Today is free for you to explore Osaka at your own pace. You may choose to revisit favorite areas from earlier in your stay, discover new neighborhoods, or simply enjoy a relaxed day in the city with a flexible schedule shaped around your interests.

Optional: 

• Full-day Private Excursion to Himeji Castle and Kobe: Begin with a visit to Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Japan’s most well-preserved castles. Continue to Kobe, where you can spend time around the harbor area, explore local streets, and take a lunch break at a local restaurant. Kobe is also known for its specialty cuisine, including Kobe beef. In the late afternoon, return to Osaka for your overnight stay.

Himeji Castle is often called the “White Heron Castle” because of its white exterior and layered rooflines.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• 4-star Accommodation: Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu or similar

Your Japan trip comes to a close today in Osaka. Enjoy free time until you are ready to leave for Kansai International Airport, where you will continue with your onward flight. You will make your own way to the airport, so plan your departure timing around your flight schedule.

If you would like to continue traveling, additional destinations within Japan or nearby countries can be arranged upon request. A private hotel-to-airport transfer is also available as an optional service at an additional cost.

Kansai International Airport serves the Osaka region and is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

Meals: Breakfast