Highlights of Japan: Tokyo to Kyoto

Board your overnight flight to Tokyo today.

Welcome to Japan! Get settled in to your hotel before meeting your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Join your Tour Director and embark on your first tour of Japan’s bustling capital.

• Make a photo stop and view the iconic Shibuya crossing from overhead as you drive through the central part of the city
• View the Imperial Palace and its impressive grounds
• Explore Tokyo’s old town, including the ancient Asakusa Kannon Temple, the city’s oldest and most sacred temple
• Peruse a vibrant variety of handmade crafts and local fare at the centuries-old Nakamise Shopping Arcade

Enjoy a free afternoon in Tokyo or add an excursion.

Enjoy a free day in Tokyo or add an excursion.

Today, follow your Tour Director on another guided sightseeing tour of vibrant Tokyo before continuing on to Hakone.

• Set off on a short walk from Yoyogi Park to the Meiji Shrine, final resting place of Emperor Meiji
• Wander through the shrine’s Inner Garden, home to irises that bloom in springtime and the spiritually powerful Kiyomasa’s Well
• Stroll through the colorful Harajuku neighborhood, where Tokyo’s history and present-day pop culture intertwine
• Head to the top of the Metropolitan Building to get a bird’s-eye view of the city

Later, make your way to Hakone, a resort town in the Owakudani Valley.

• Make a photo stop at Mount Fuji, which stands an imposing 12,388 feet high
• Take in panoramic views of nearby lakes and villages from the midway-point observatory

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

This morning, take a guided tour of Mount Komagatake and Lake Ashi.

• Enjoy a ropeway ride up to the top of Mount Komagatake, admiring spectacular views from the cable car as you go
• Embark on a cruise on Lake Ashi, formed after Mount Hakone erupted 3,000 years ago
• Take in surreal views of Mount Fuji looming in the background
• Pay a visit to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, with endless sculptures over its 17 acres and a gallery with more than 700 works by Picasso

This afternoon, board a high-speed bullet train to Kyoto.

Your Tour Director leads a tour of Kyoto, the city that served as the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years—and is still considered its spiritual capital.

• Tour the 17th-century Nijo Castle, which boasts intricate architecture and a unique alarm system: floors that sound like a nightingale when walked on
• See one of Japan’s most famous temples, the glittering Golden Pavilion
• Travel on to Ryoanji Temple, which houses the country’s finest Zen gardens
• Meet an American-educated Vice Abbot who will lead you in a guided Zen meditation session inside Shunkoin Temple
• Explore the temple on a tour following your meditation
• Sit down to sip Matcha green tea alongside a traditional Japanese sweet

Please note: Today’s guided Zen meditation session may take place in the morning depending on the schedule.

Discover Japan’s lush countryside as you wind your way to the town of Koga to visit the I.M. Pei-designed Miho Museum, which boasts an excellent collection of Japanese art and an extensive Egyptian collection.

(Please note: If the Miho Museum is closed, you may visit the Kyoto Museum and Sanjusangendo Hall instead.)

Then, journey to the former capital city of Nara for a guided tour before returning to Kyoto this evening.

• Enjoy an included lunch
• Tour the local Buddhist and Shinto shrines, including the Todaiji Temple, site of the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue
• Stroll through Nara Park, home to more than 1,200 wild deer considered sacred by locals

Enjoy a free day in Kyoto or add an excursion.

Tonight, join your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner in Kyoto, where you’ll sample four kinds of sake and enjoy traditional shabu-shabu (hot pot).

Continue on to Osaka, the birthplace of many of Japan’s well-known arts, such as Kabuki theater and the tea ceremony. Today’s guided tour, led by your Tour Director, offers a look inside the city’s historic sights.

• Visit the massive Osaka Castle, which houses a museum dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the legendary leader who built it
• Stroll through Kuromon Ichiba Market, famous for its selection of fresh fish, vegetables, fruit, and other Japanese specialties

This evening, transfer to the airport to board your flight home or choose to continue your adventure with a visit to Hiroshima.

Please note: If you are joining the tour extension in Hiroshima and Osaka, you will spend the evening of day 10 in Osaka.