Japan Highlights Tokyo to Kyoto

Day 1/2

Depart Canada or USA and travel to Tokyo. Arrive next day and private transfer to your centrally located hotel.  Check in your hotel and enjoy a our suggested evening restaurant at leisure.

Our Hotel Suggestions

• Four Seasons Otemachi for those who enjoy understated elegance and expanses of greenery from the next door neighbour of the Imperial Palace grounds
• The Peninsula located near Ginza, one of  Tokyo’s best shopping districts
• Grand Hyatt for those who enjoy Cosmopolitan atmosphere, access to nightlife and art galleries

Day 3- Full Day Tokyo Sightseeing

Uncover the fascinating history of Tokyo’s development from a village called Edo into Japan’s largest metropolis in this introductory Tokyo city tour led by a local private tour guide. Your highlights tour will center around the Nihonbashi area and the neighboring Imperial Palace Gardens – an area that had flourished into a mercantile center even before Japan’s capital was officially relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868.

Starting at Tokyo Station, your expert will peel back the layers of history in this district, showing you how the city changed and developed over time. From here, you’ll make your way over to the Imperial Palace Gardens, where you’ll learn the fascinating story of Japan’s capital relocation from Kyoto to Tokyo, a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.

Day 4- Tokyo Food Tour: Savoring Tsukiji Outer Market

Immerse yourself in Tokyo’s world-famous Tsukiji Market on this 3-hour Tokyo food tour led by a local expert who is deeply knowledgeable about the market. Together, you’ll visit the outer market and look at how Japan’s cuisine is heavily influenced by the seasons and geography, the central role that seafood plays in the Japanese diet, and—of course—taste some amazing Tsukiji sushi.

The Tsukiji district was built from land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay; Tsukiji translates to “reclaimed land.” To see what the area looked like before the market was built in 1935, you’ll start our Tsukiji Fish market tour at an exhibition of historical woodblock prints and of photographs of the market’s famous tuna auctions. You’ll then begin our market visit, starting at a handful of small shops that sell restaurant-quality kitchen supplies like hand-forged knives. As the market comes to life around us, with a bustle and energy unique to this place, our guide will explain how different items are used to create some of the dishes you’ll see later in the tour.

Japanese food really plays to the senses. As you taste your way along the walk, you’ll see how impeccably presented the meals are, from a hearty selection of humble rice balls to delicate sashimi. You’ll sample a variety of key ingredients, such as a rainbow of pickled things (tsukemono), Japanese plums (ume), or authentic miso soup broth ingredients.

You’ll continue eating your way through the outer market, where you may make stops for tamagoyaki, the rolled, slightly sweet omelet, pomegranate vinegar, meat dumplings, or gluten in assorted forms. Your Expert will plan a broad and diverse taste of Japan and its capital city.

After a delicious walking tour of Tokyo’s Tsukiji outer market, you’ll leave with all five senses satisfied and with a better understanding of the influences, seasonal, cultural, and beyond, on Japanese cuisine.

Day 4- Evening with Sumos

Tonight, step into the world of sumo at the Asakusa Sumo Stable, located in the historic streets of Asakusa, Tokyo where a  unique cultural experience awaits. Enjoy the thrilling matches of former sumo wrestlers up close.  A live commentary in English and Japanese will help you deepen your understanding of Japan’s national sport as you learn about the history, rituals, and rules of sumo.

A traditional Japanese meal, including chanko nabe (chicken hotpot) is included and while watching the show and if you wish, you can actually step into the ring and participate in the “Sumo Challenge” to challenge a sumo wrestler. It’s a fun and memorable experienc

Day 6- Travel to Hakone

Leave behind the hustle and bustle of Tokyo in favor of a few days in Hakone; The gateway to Japan’s tallest mountain Mt. Fuji and the surrounding national park.

Travel to Odawara by Shinkansen train and private transfer to your hotel.  Enjoy your hotel and the beauty of your hotel setting.

Hakone is located in the shadows of Japan’s most famous mountain, Mt Fuij. It is the highest mountain in Japan with an elevation of 3.776 meters (12,389 feet) and its distinctive conical shape has made it a symbol of Japan around the world.

In addition to its natural beauty, Mount Fuji is also known for its spiritual significance in Japanese culture. It is considered a sacred site and has been a destination for pilgrims for centuries.

As a UNESCO World Heritage site Hakone became an important stop on the Tokaido Road, which connected Edo (modern-dav Tokvo) with Koto. The road was heavily travelled by samurai, merchants, and
pilgrims, and Hakone served as a vital rest stop along the way.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), Hakone was a popular destination for the wealthy and powerful, who came to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and to escape the summer heat of the citv. Many daimvo (feudal lords) built lavish estates in Hakone, and the area became known as a centre of culture and the arts. In the late 19th century, Hakone became one of Japan’s first national parks, recognized for its natural beauty and cultural significance.

Today, the park covers over 120 square kilometers and is home to numerous historic sites and cultural landmarks, including shrines, temples, and museums.

A day out in Hakone, where we search for the elusive Mount Fuji from the Water and the Sky

From the water to the sky as you spend time in the Hakone Region.

First make your way to Owakudani Valley in Hakone where you will see sulfurous hot springs. Stop and taste a local delicacy, “Kuro-Tamago” or Black Eggs , known for their jet-black shells caused by a chemical reaction between the sulfurous hot springs and iron from the water.

Next, travel to the foot of Mt. Komagatake for a scenic ride on the gondola lift. If the skies are clear, Mt. Fuji might be visible. Sail across Lake Ashi onboard a pirate ship then spend the rest 0f your  day exploring Fuji- Hakone area.

For lunch today we will visit a local soba restaurant. Soba is a thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and is a popular dish in Japan, often served cold with a dipping sauce or hot in a broth.

Other stops will be at the Hakone Checkpoint which has been reconstructed to look exactly as it did during the Feudal Edo Period.  Finish your day by making your way to view Mt Fuji from one last viewpoint before stopping to  have tea and local sweets at the oldest existing tea house in Japan.

Highlights

• Lunch by the lake ( not included)
• Walk in cedar forest and Lake Ashi (Pirate Ship / Pleasure Boat) – Hakone Ropeway – Komagatake Ropeway – Hakone Shrine – Hakone Check Point – Old Tokaido Highway lined with Janapese Cedar trees – Hakone Yosegi-zaiku Handicraft demonstrations
•  Oldest existing tea house in Japan to have tea and local sweets.

Day 8- Travel to Kyoto

Morning private transfer to Odawara and ride the Shinkansen Tain to Kyoto.

Check in to your hotel and enjoy an introduction tour to Kyoto.

Discover Key Kyoto Highlights

Get familiar with Kyoto’s iconic landmarks right from the start—think Kenninji temple, Yasaka Shrine, and other must-sees. Your guide will lead you through the city’s rich cultural history while walking you past stunning sites.

Day 9- Kyoto Food Tour: Savoring Nishiki Market

Kyoto would not be complete without exploring the heart of Kyoto’s gourmet world: Nishiki Market. In this 3-hour Kyoto Food Tour you’ll explore the market and learn about traditional Japanese food, or washoku, which has recently been placed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Challenge your taste buds while taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of this alleyway market. Together with your guide, you’ll taste items beyond typical Japanese fare to better understand this varied, nuanced cuisine.

Kyoto’s cuisine can be divided into four types: obanzai home cooking, kaiseki cuisine, which developed out of the tea ceremony, vegetarian shojin-ryori cuisine from Zen temples, and the lesser known yusoku-ryori cuisine of the imperial court. Prepare to encounter a wide range of traditional Kyoto foods and the people who make them along your route.

Begin at the birthplace of Nishiki Market: a Shinto shrine whose pure water allowed cooling in an age before refrigeration. You may taste pickled vegetables (tsukemono), Japanese tea sweets (wagashi), local freshwater fish, miso and other condiments, Buddhist temple foods such as tofu and tofu skin (yuba), and traditional Kyoto vegetables (Kyo yasai). Nishiki Market is home to more than just food purveyors, so you’ll also visit some of the best cookware shops in Japan.

While meandering through the market, you’ll explore two concepts that make Kyoto cuisine so unique: shun and umami. Shun—ingredients that have reached their seasonal peak— guides not only the ingredients in Kyoto’s cuisines but also the presentation and tableware. Umami, or savoriness, is one of the five tastes detectable by the human tongue, but it takes on particular importance in Japanese cuisine.

As you eat your way through the depths of Nishiki Market, you’ll expand your appreciation of Kyoto’s food history and gain a deeper understanding of Kyoto’s culinary offerings.

Day 10- Kyoto Tour with Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace

Once the Imperial capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto still stands as the heart of Japan. On this 3-hour Introduction to Kyoto tour, we will discover the story of the emperors and the shoguns as we visit important sites such as the Imperial Palace (known as ‘Gosho’) and Nijo Castle. We will get an understanding of Kyoto’s biography and dig through the deep layers of history and traditional culture that overlap in this fascinating city.

Our Introduction to Kyoto tour begins at the Imperial Palace, the former residence and ruling Palace of the Japanese Emperor. Known as ‘Kyoto’s Central Park’, we will start by exploring Kyoto Gyoen National Garden surrounding the imperial properties. At this green sanctuary, we will soak up the abundance of natural beauty and discuss the aesthetics of the Japanese landscape. Moving onto the inner Palace, we will visit a few buildings within the complex and gain insight on the city’s development, and the Palace’s role as the former political and cultural center of Japan as well as its relation to the Imperial family.

After leaving the Palace, we will pay a visit to a local confectionery shop that served the Imperial court in the time of Emperor Goyozei between 1568 and 1611. With more than 400 years of history, this shop served the emperor until the 19th century when the Imperial court was relocated to Tokyo. During our time here, we will taste some wagashi (traditional Japanese confections) and learn about the secrets behind the beautiful and intricate design of wagashi and tea ceremony. In addition, we may engage in miso tasting at a local miso shop that also served the emperor until the start of the Meiji Restoration.

We will then hop in a taxi and continue our tour to Nijo Castle. This UNESCO World Heritage site was the residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first in a line of powerful Tokugawa shoguns that ruled the country for over 200 years. We will take a look into the daily life of a shogun and discuss the rise of the power the shoguns held over the emperor during the Edo period and its influence on the representation of the emperor.

At the end of our Introduction to Kyoto tour, we will emerge knowing more about Kyoto’s role in developing core cultural and political history in Japan.

Day 11- Free Day at Leisure in Kyoto

Free time in Kyoto today to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

From the Geisha district to the nearby Arashiyama with Tenryu-ji Temple and the Bamboo Grove, the city and the surroundings are well worth this extra day.

Other suggestions we can include are a visit the Fushimi Sake district or cooking lessons to learn how to make ramen.

Today the choice is yours!

Day 12- Travel to Osaka

Today, make the short hop over by train to Osaka and check in to your hotel.

Tonight, visit and experience Teamlab’s illuminated art space at night with the flowers, plants and other vegetation becoming part of the artwork at Osaka’s Botanical Gardens.

Watch all elements around your become living, interactive artworks where the environment and people influence the art through wind, rain, and movement.

Experience a seamless blend of nature and digital art where nature itself becomes a part of the creative process!

Day 13- Osaka Food Tour with Kuromon Market

Today, taste the rich history of Osaka’s culinary culture on this tour led by a Japanese culinary historian or chef.

You’d feel cheated visiting Osaka and not tasting your way through its vibrant gastronomic scene. On this 3-hour tour, you will see three main areas that will help us deepen our knowledge of food in the Kansai region and enliven our taste buds, both traditional and contemporary Osaka food. Designed for enthusiasts wanting a deep dive into Osakan specialties and those looking for a primer on Japanese cuisine, our tour will include plenty of food, entwined with a historical and cultural narrative.

You’ll meet at the lively Kuromon Market – a covered arcade stretching 600 meters. It remains a professional chef market and a destination for tourists and locals alike. You may stroll through the market while sipping on a local juice as you listen to our guide’s explanations, or you could be adventurous and try some local pufferfish. Depending on your appetite, you may decide to have several tastings or choose to save yourself for a sit-down meal. You could try Takoyaki (Japanese octopus snack), sushi, or ramen while discussing Japanese gastronomy. Next, you’ll head to a shopping street in the Doguyasuji area, famous for its kitchenware and a trove of goods from Japanese knives to intricate bowls, and a fitting place to continue our discussion.

You’ll pop into a tranquil temple on our way to the bustling district of Dotonbori for a bit of a change of scenery. You’ll reach Dotonbori, named after a former 17th-century merchant, Yasui Doton. It is famous today for its array of street food, serving anything from Japanese mochi sweets to Kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers). You’ll learn about the area and soak up the sights and smells around us.

After an educational and delicious walking tour of Osaka’s celebrated gastronomic delights, you’ll leave each other with fuller stomachs and a better understanding of foods that are often curious to overseas visitors. You’ll have learned about the cultural and seasonal influences on Osaka cuisine, and Japanese cuisine more broadly.

Day 14- Travel Home

Check out of your hotel today and and ride a private transfer to Osaka airport for your return home.

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