13-Nights Japan World Heritage Collection - Private Guided Experiences, Goway Select, Arts & Culture from $10,060

Itinerary Details

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo

Transfer: Tokyo Narita Aptto Tokyo - Shinjuku

Hotel: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (4 Star Rating)

The Keio Plaza Hotel is the ideal location to explore the delights of the city of Tokyo. Only minutes away from the most popular shopping and entertainment spots, the luxury hotel provides stunning views over central Tokyo. The Keio Plaza Hotel offers a wide variety of home-away-from-home hospitality, with 1,435 guest rooms to choose from to accommodate your every need. Located in Shinjuku, in the very heart of the Tokyo metropolis, the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo extends top rated services and facilities, features that guests come to expect of a world class hotel.

Take a day tour of fascinating Tokyo. First up is Asakusa, Tokyo's old town where you can soak in the atmosphere of old Tokyo. Visit Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple and wander down Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries.

Next, visit Hamarikyu garden, an Edo Period Japanese garden surrounded by the Shiodome district's futuristic skyscrapers, a great example of how Japan is the land of contrasts. Later visit Meiji Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a popular place for traditional Japanese weddings. Finish the day at Shibuya's famous 5-way 'scramble crossing'.

Today you will travel to the ancient city of Nikko to experience the local history and delicacies. A guide will meet you at your accommodation this morning and you will travel to Nikko together. Cross the scenic Shinkyo Bridge for a quick photo stop and journey to the grand Toshogu Shrine. Built as a mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate which ruled Japan for over 250 years, this lavishly decorated shrine is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Finally, you will head to the beautiful Taiyuinbyo, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a smaller but equally grand mausoleum dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu's son, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Located in the middle of a peaceful forest, the decor is reminiscent of the Toshogu but is a little more modest due to Iemitsu's respect for his grandfather. After exploring Nikko, you and your guide will head back to Tokyo.

Experience the natural beauty of Japan on this unforgettable full-day adventure to Mt. Fuji and Hakone. Travel by coach to Japan's tallest and most revered mountain, the iconic Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ascend to the 5th Station (weather permitting), perched 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) above sea level, where breathtaking panoramic views offer an unforgettable perspective of the surrounding landscape and, on clear days, stretch above the clouds. After enjoying a delicious Japanese lunch, continue into the picturesque Hakone region and ride the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani, a dramatic volcanic valley where steam rises from active vents, showcasing the powerful forces beneath the earth's surface. Be sure to try one of the area's famous black eggs, a local specialty said to bring seven extra years of good luck and long life! From Owakudani, continue to Lake Ashi and enjoy a scenic high-speed cruise across its tranquil waters, taking in panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and, on clear days, majestic Mt. Fuji. After the tour, you'll be transferred by taxi to your hotel or ryokan in the Hakone area.

Hotel: Hakone Kowakien Ten-Yu (4 Star Rating)

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu is an onsen hotel that combines traditional Japanese design with modern amenities. Every guest room includes a private open-air hot spring bath, and guests also have access to large public onsens, restaurants, and gardens. The hotel is located near attractions including Yunessun hot spring theme park, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum, making it a convenient base for exploring the area.

Transfer: Hakone - Gora to Odawara Station

Hotel: Chisun Grand Takayama (3 Star Rating)

Chisuan Grand Takayama is ideally located in Takayama, just a 1 minute walk from the JR Takayama train station. It's a short walk to the old town area and has lots of restaurant options nearby.

Start with a visit to the Takayama Festival Float Museum, where the magnificent floats for one of Japan's most important festivals are preserved. Your guide will explain the festival's traditions and symbolism. Stop by Yoshijima Heritage house, an old merchant's house.

Then, take a walk in the district called San-machi Suji, the traditional home of Takayama merchants and sake brewers, which has been preserved almost exactly as it was 2-3 hundred years ago. There are inns, shops and taverns here which trace their history back several generations.

We'll make a stop at one of these sake breweries and enjoy a tasting. Takayama's sake is renowned nation-wide, thanks to the clear water of the surroundings.

Start the day with a visit to the local Miyagawa Market along the Miyagawa River in Takayama's old town. Most stands sell local crafts and farm products such as vegetables, pickles and flowers. Then take a walk in the district called San-machi Suji, the traditional home of Takayama's merchants and sake brewers, which has been preserved in almost exactly the same state as 200 or 300 years ago. Here are inns, shops and taverns which trace their history back many generations. Stop at a sake brewery to sample some sake. Takayama's sake is renowned nation-wide, thanks to the clear water of the surroundings. Continue with a visit to the Takayama Festival Floats Museum, where the magnificent floats from the famous Takayama Festival are preserved. In the afternoon take a public bus together with your guide to the Shirakawago region. Your guide will show you around the village, famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukkuri translates as 'Praying Hands', as the farmhouse steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer, and are designed to withstand the heavy snows which fall in the region. You will be able to look around inside one of these and will see how life in Japan's mountainous region used to be. After the tour, the guide will help you board the public bus to go to Kanazawa and then say goodbye.

Hotel: Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa (4 Star Rating)

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa offers contemporary rooms with premium amenities, a relaxing public bath, and a stylish lounge. The hotel’s elegant and modern atmosphere blends Japanese aesthetics with warm hospitality, creating a serene base for exploring Kanazawa’s cultural treasures.

Your first stop is Kanazawa's star attraction, Kenrokuen garden which is regarded as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. Walk through the garden grounds and enjoy the flora and fauna which changes depending on the season. Also visit the Nagamachi district, where samurai and their families used to reside. While there visit the Nomura Samurai House, a traditional Japanese home with a tea-ceremony room, an interior courtyard garden, and artifacts from the Edo period.

Hotel: Hotel Granvia Hiroshima (4 Star Rating)

Hotel Granvia Hiroshima offers modern rooms with sleek decor, and a range of amenities, including multiple dining options, a fitness center, and meeting facilities. Conveniently connected to Hiroshima Station, the hotel provides a warm, sophisticated ambiance and easy access to local attractions like the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima Island.

Begin your tour with a visit to Peace Memorial Park. The area where the park now lies was ground zero for the Atomic Bomb on August 6th, 1945. After the bombing, Memorial Park was created and dedicated to those who lost their lives in the attack. Stroll through the park and discover the many memorials, monuments and statues in the park before heading into the Museum itself.

From Hiroshima, a short train and ferry ride will take you to Miyajima Island. A small sacred island located in the Island Sea, it has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. Here you will find perhaps the most photographed site in Japan - The Floating Torii Gate. Designated as one of Japan's '3 Most Beautiful Views', the shrine dates back to the 6th century with the present structure dating back to the 12th century. You will have time to explore the island and its many shrines and temples and sample local goodies like maple leaf-shaped cakes.

Arashiyama is a district in the western outskirts of Kyoto, the area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural setting. Visit the Okochi Mountain Villa to see the several beautiful gardens and buildings, including living quarters, tea houses and a zen meditation hall. Next, take a walk through Arashiyama's famous bamboo groves and continue the tour to Tenryuji Temple, one of Kyoto's five great Zen temples and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Hotel: Hotel Vischio Kyoto (4 Star Rating)

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by Granvia is conveniently located just a short walk from Kyoto Station. The property offers sophisticated, modern rooms with all the essentials including comfortable beds and spacious layouts. The hotel's relaxed ambiance, friendly service, and convenient amenities like a fitness center and restaurant make it a great base for exploring Kyoto.

A celebrated site, the world - famous Fushimi Inari Shrine sees millions of visitors every year. Thousands of bright red torii gates line the mountain trail of Fushimi Inari Shrine. Walking through the truly unique vermillion gate pathway is a visually stunning experience. Inari is the Japanese God of rice harvest. It is also believed to bless businesses with an abundance of fortunes, hence its popularity with merchants. The shrine complex spans over the entire Mt. Inari (233m/765ft).

On your tour, you will visit the main shrine hall. Then, you will proceed through the famed vermillion gate tunnel. Next, visit a temple that once caught fire and was reconstructed a century after it was first constructed. Then visit Sanjusangendo, at 120 meters it is the longest wooden structure in Japan. Inside, you will find 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist saint of Mercy.

Continue to the celebrated UNESCO site, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which is older than Kyoto as the capital of Japan. Built for Kannon, the Buddhist saint of mercy, this temple is said to grant wishes of all kinds - and especially so for women praying for safe childbirth. The temple is famous for its wooden platform stage, the Kiyomizu Butai. The massive stage was constructed out of wood and joints - no nails. At four stories high, it was once a popular wish-making spot.

Then visit Kinkakuji Temple, a favorite to millions of visitors each year, you will quickly see why this jewel set into the northern hills is one of the most visited sites in Japan. It is covered in real gold leaf and vibrant at any time of year no matter the weather. Your last stop is Kintano-tenmangu, a remarkable shrine to scholarship that was built to appease the spirit of an angry ghost. The shrine's surrounding entertainment district was first built after a fire in 1444, when a large section of the temple had to be rebuilt, and the remaining timber was used to construct 7 tea houses that became the first 'flower town' or Geisha district in Kyoto.

For 74 years during the 8th century, Nara was Japan's capital and many important religious and traditional sites still remain. First, you will visit beautiful Isuien Garden which is divided into two distinct parts that were built two centuries apart. The garden is a striking example of Japanese horticulture, borrowing the water from the Yoshikigawa River and the mountain backdrop of Mt. Wakakusayama to create its striking look.

Next, take a wander through Nara Park, called Deer Park by locals due to the large population of more than 1,000 tame deer living here. Within the park is Todaiji Temple, the world's largest wooden building and home to Japan's largest Buddha.

The next stop is Nara's most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns which have been donated by worshipers. To contrast the many temples and shrines you have enjoyed today, you will end the day with a stroll around Naramachi, a charming historic merchant district showcasing some exceptionally well-preserved "machiya" Japanese town houses. If you have some time to spare, a few of these beautiful houses offer free entry to give you a chance to peek inside and get a feel for traditional Japanese home architecture.

Your guide will take you back to your hotel at the end of the day.

Transfer: Kyoto - City Centre to Osaka Kansai International Airport