Japan for Solo Travelers: Tokyo, Mt. Fuji & Kyoto

Board your overnight flight to Tokyo today.

Welcome to Japan! Settle in to your hotel. Then, gather with your Tour Director and fellow group members at a mixer before enjoying a welcome dinner.

Join a local guide and embark on an immersive tour of Tokyo, Japan’s bustling capital. Ancient shrines and temples, peaceful parks, and modern skyscrapers make up the tapestry of the city, which is home to nearly 14 million people.

• Walk through Tsukiji fish market, whose historic lanes and alleys are chock-full of sushi shops, ramen stalls, tea vendors, and more.
• Learn about Japan’s seafood heritage, and visit a vendor’s stall to sample fresh sushi (vegetarian option available).
• View Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya Crossing—the world’s largest, with as many as 3,000 pedestrians passing through the busy intersection at a time—as you drive through the center of the city.
• Set off on a short walk, from Yoyogi Park—one of Tokyo’s largest, with lawns, ponds, and forested areas—to Meiji Jingu shrine, the final resting place of Japan’s Emperor Meiji, under whose reign Japan became a major power in the modern world.
• Stroll through the lively Harajuku neighborhood, which is known for its colorful street art, youthful fashion trends, and cosplay culture.

Tonight, join an experienced chef at a local restaurant for a cooking lesson and dinner.

• Tie on your apron and watch as the chef demonstrates how to make traditional Japanese dishes.
• Try your hand at crafting your own authentic meal.
• Sit down to enjoy the meal you’ve made.

Set out with your Tour Director to explore two prominent Tokyo neighborhoods: Ueno—a lively district teeming with museums and shops and home to a popular namesake park—and Asakusa, which is known for its Old Tokyo atmosphere.

• Learn about the history of pagodas and shrines in Ueno Park, a large public park in Tokyo’s northeastern Ueno district that’s known for its many museums and cherry trees.
• Walk to Ameya Yochoko (or Ameyoko for short), a busy market street, and enjoy free time to visit its shops and open-air stalls.
• Make your way by coach to the Asakusa district, and peruse Kappabashi Street, which is commonly referred to as Kitchen Town thanks to its more than 170 shops specializing in high-quality kitchenware, such as chopsticks and knives.
• Enter Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple—and, with its five-story pagoda and red-and-white facade, one of the most photographed, too.

Spend a free evening in the city or add an excursion.

Depart for the north side of Mount Fuji to spend the day exploring with your Tour Director.

• Step back in time with a visit to Iyashi no Sato, an open-air museum and craft village on the western shores of Lake Saiko.
• Explore some of the village’s 20-plus houses, many of which have been converted into shops, galleries, and museums that highlight Japanese handicrafts, culture, and traditions.
• Take part in an interactive craft workshop.

Next, continue to one of Japan’s most breathtaking natural icons, the 12,388-foot-high Mount Fuji.

• Pass through the Aokigahara Forest, whose lush foliage has earned it the nickname “The Sea of Trees.”
• Enjoy free time to snap photos of Mount Fuji’s famous, snow-capped peak and to explore the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station, a popular basecamp for hikers and climbers that’s located about halfway up the mountain’s northern slopes.
• Admire stunning panoramic views of nearby villages and the picturesque Fuji Five Lakes region.

Continue on to your hotel and enjoy an included dinner this evening.

Please note: We recommend wearing warm layers, as temperatures at Mount Fuji will be much lower than in Tokyo or Kyoto. Depending upon the weather, the sightseeing of Mount Fuji's 5th Station may be moved to the morning of Day 6 or replaced with a different viewpoint.

Spend this morning exploring otherworldly, underground scenery and learning about the natural wonders of the area.

• Follow your Tour Director on a short hiking tour of Narusawa Ice Cave, a frozen, subterranean lava tube located in the heart of the Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mount Fuji.
• Learn how the ninth-century eruption of Mount Nagao—a volcano whose eruptions helped shape Mount Fuji—formed the cave.
• Find out how the chilly cave once naturally refrigerated and preserved silkworm cocoons used for weaving.

Please note: Visiting Narusawa Ice Cave requires travelers to walk over uneven terrain, up many stairs, and under low overhangs. Travelers who don’t feel comfortable navigating these surfaces have the option to sit out the experience.

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

Join a local guide on a tour of Kyoto, the city that served as Japan’s capital for more than 1,000 years and is still considered its spiritual capital.

• Start in western Kyoto’s historic Arashiyama district, which is known for its temples, shrines, and stunning natural beauty.
• Step inside the UNESCO-listed Tenryū-ji temple, which was originally constructed in the 12th century and is considered one of Kyoto’s most important sites.
• Wander through the famous and photogenic Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, whose towering, 160-foot-tall bamboo stalks flank a singular pathway.
• Take in views of the rolling, tree-covered hills that surround the Hozu River.
• Cross the wooden Togetsukyo Bridge, which was originally built more than 1,200 years ago and stretches nearly 170 feet across a river that’s known as the Hozu to the west and the Katsura to the east.
• See the famous, 14th-century Kinkaku-ji temple, widely known as the Golden Pavilion, which sits at the edge of a tranquil reflecting pond and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Enjoy a free afternoon in Kyoto or add an excursion.

Spend a free day in Kyoto or add an excursion.

Tonight, join your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner in Kyoto. You’ll enjoy a sake tasting, as well as a traditional hot pot meal, served family style and with beer or wine.

Enjoy a final free morning in Kyoto before transferring to the airport for your flight home, or extend your stay and explore the city of Kobe.