8 Day Japan Tours & Trips

An 8-day tour in Japan is a good amount of time to make a tour of Japan’s most popular destinations in central Honshu. Explore Tokyo – Japan’s capital city and one of the largest cities in the world. A sleek, clean, and modern atmosphere is apparent from the moment you step into shopping districts like Harajuku, Shibuya, or Ginza, but Asakusa Sensoji Temple, Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace Gardens and the Edo- Tokyo Open Air Museum are the best places to experience a more traditional Tokyo. Head from there up into the stunning landscape of the Hakone region, a part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Within this splendid reserve are mountains, forests filled with wildlife, lakes, rivers, and volcanic calderas. The crown of these wondrous sights is the shapely cone of Mount Fuji, a definite must-see for every visitor to Japan. Continue on to the ancient city of Kyoto, the heart of traditional Japanese culture, where centuries- old temples and shrines enchant travelers, immersing them in an age of samurai, ninja, and geisha. The Gion Geisha District is an exceptional must for first- time travelers, who can walk the narrow paths between old wooden shops and teahouses, and maybe even glimpse the painted face of a mysterious geisha from behind a bamboo shade. Nara is close to Kyoto and has the same air of classical Japanese tradition, especially when viewing the great temple of Todaiji, housing a massive seated bronze Buddha, and surrounded by a playful and friendly herd of wild Sika deer. Wrap up the 8-day tour in Osaka, city as modern and vibrant as Tokyo, but with a more informal, down- to-earth local culture. Osaka Castle is perhaps the biggest must-see in town, a quintessential Japanese fortress built by legendary Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Dotonbori is another stunning Osaka locale, with a variety of eccentric eateries ranged along an old-fashioned canal. Another excellent itinerary begins with the modern delights of Tokyo, continuing up through gorgeous Hakone and Mount Fuji. From there, take a route into the mountains of Gifu Prefecture to the charming town of Takayama. The heart of the city is an Old Town district wondrously steeped in the culture of ancient Japan, with wooden shops, ryokan inns, and cafes lining narrow streets in preservation of its roots as an important rice distribution center during the Edo Period. Not far from there is the UNESCO Heritage village of Shirakawago, a little mountain hamlet prized for its old-fashioned farmhouses with broad thatched roofs folded “like hands in prayer”. Take some time to visit the coastal city of Kanazawa next, and be sure to visit Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens with trees, flowers, teahouses, and other enchanting features. Wrap up the 8-day tour with the time- honored classical wonders of Kyoto and Nara, a definite must-see, especially for first-time visitors to Japan.