Classic Japan Private Luxury Tour

Welcome to Tokyo! We will arrange your private transportation from the airport. Please look for the guide with the "All Japan Tours" sign.

Park Hyatt Tokyo or similar class

For two days you can enjoy a private tour of Tokyo, the largest populated metropolis in the world. As modernized as the city may be there are still aspects of its traditional history present. As you tour around Tokyo you will have an expert local guide to bring you to the must-see locations you want to see. For temples and shrines we recommend visiting Asakusa Sensoji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo, and Meiji Jingu Shrine, noted for its profound natural beauty, including a broad variety of trees. You can also roam around the outer grounds of the Imperial Palace, which includes a broad public square, picturesque bridges, delightful public gardens, and the ruins of Edo Castle.
While in Tokyo we can arrange a tour of the Tsukiji Outer Market, which offers fresh seafood and local produce, or you could even wake up early to observe the Wholesale Fish Auction at Toyosu! Afterwards you can join a sushi- making class with ingredients you bought at the market. There are many shopping options available in Tokyo, but where to go depends on your preference. High end name-brand items can be found in Ginza and Omotesando, avant-garde fashions are bought in Harajuku, Akihabara is the place to experience anime and pop culture, and Shibuya is the middle ground that has a little of everything. If you wish to have more a cultural experience with taking classes on wearing kimonos, origami, calligraphy, and tea ceremony.
On day three you will have the freedom to choose to spend more time in Tokyo or venture out to Nikko. A mountainous region north of Tokyo, Nikko is especially worth seeing for seeing it’s collection of picturesque temples and shrines – many of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include Rinnoji Temple, Futarasan Shrine, Tamozawa Imperial Villa, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu, and opulent Toshogu Shrine – one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Japan.

Breakfast / Lunch

Park Hyatt Tokyo or similar class

Explore the region around Mount Fuji, UNESCO World Heritage Site and the tallest mountain in Japan. While there we will stop at Subaru 5th Station to see the mountain up close. You can see as many as 25 places inscribed as World Heritage Sites under Mt. Fuji like the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko), Sengen Shrines, Oshi Lodging Houses, Oshino Hakkai Springs, Funatsu and Yoshida Lava tree molds, Shiraito no Taki waterfalls, Mihonomatsubara Pine Tree Grove and Hitoana Fuji-ko Iseki. There is also the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum that features silk kimonos dyed with artistic designs. If you are looking to be more adventurous then you enter the various caves that were created by the eruptions of Mt. Fuji.
You will also have the opportunity to explore the idyllic region of Hakone, which offers many opportunities not only to see the lush local landscape but also to potentially see Mount Fuji, if the weather is clear. Cruise Lake Ashi on a replica pirate ship, ride an airborne gondola over breathtaking natural scenes on the Hakone Ropeway, and land in Owakudani, where paths around the primordial landscape lead past roiling pools and over streams venting out sulfurous fumes. The sightseeing schedule will be left to your discretion.

Breakfast / Dinner

Kozantei Ubuya or similar class

Go from there to Matsumoto, where the local attractions include Matsumoto Castle. One of Japan’s 12 Original Castles, Matsumoto is called “Black Crow Castle” for its pitch-black walls. Be sure to also visit Nakamachi District, where local traditional storehouses were converted into shops and restaurants. It has become known among visiting travelers as the go-to place to browse local handicrafts.
Close to the Matsumoto area is Azumino City where one of the largest wasabi farms is located. The wasabi fields are maintained with networks of small streams utilizing the water from the Northern Alps. Along one of the walking trails by the river is an old-fashioned water wheel that was constructed for Akira Kurosawa’s 1989 “Dreams” film and has been left.
As the day ends, we will have the chance to relax in an authentic traditional Japanese Onsen Ryokan. Soak in the therapeutic waters and feel your body being rejuvenated. Afterwards enjoy a Japanese Kaiseki (seasonal) banquet dinner that will give you a chance to taste the ingredients of the season.

Breakfast / Dinner

Hidatei Hanaougi or similar class

Today we will head to Takayama. This city is located in the Japanese Alps and is sometimes called a "Little Kyoto" for its preserved historical structures and environment. Due to its remote position in the mountains, it maintains a traditional atmosphere with a distinct local culture. In Takayama, you will have the chance to explore some other notable sites in the city. The Takayama Yatai (floats) Kaikan Museum features elaborately decorated floats, which are over 700 years old. The yatai demonstrate the legendary craftsmanship of Takayama. Afterwards is a visit to the Kusakabe Heritage House, which is one of the oldest merchant homes in Takayama. Explore Old Town Takayama, where the heritage streets called Sanmachi Suji are beautifully preserved. Some of the businesses there have been around for centuries and still operate to this day.

Breakfast / Dinner

Hidatei Hanaougi or similar class

This morning sightseeing around the Takayama Morning Market and Takayama Jinya, the only traditional local government office in existence and a fine example of a governor’s residence. It contains living quarters, offices, an interrogation room with torture devices, and Japan’s largest traditional rice storehouse. Then, we head to the breathtaking landscapes of Shirakawa-go, one of the best in Japan, making it a great attraction for photographers. The village is a jewel in the Southern Japanese Alps, deep among the protective mountainous regional beauty, only enhanced by rice fields irrigated through their network of watercourses. The hay thatched farmhouses (gassho-zukuri) are designed to sustain heavy snowfall, also creating an unforgettable site for explorers of this World Heritage Site. Once there, meander about the cozy streets and their pleasant shops. From the observatory deck you will be greeted with an overall view of the entire village. After, we travel to Kanazawa.

Breakfast

Hotel Nikko Kanazawa or similar class

Today enjoy a full day private tour of Kanazawa. The city grew from being castle town that was ruled by the Maeda Clan the second most powerful family of the Edo Period. It offers rich heritage values with its traditional arts and crafts including productions of ceramics, gold leaf, and many more priceless practices. Kanazawa is full of different attractions with their well-preserved Geisha district, historical samurai district, lively fish market, and their proudly boasted gardens.
The most famous garden in Kanazawa is Kenrokuen, which is one of the top three Japanese landscape gardens in Japan. Near the garden is the beautiful Seisonkaku Villa that a Maeda lord built for his mother in the last years of the Edo Period. Other attractions of Kanazawa include the 21st Century Museum that displays amazing contemporary art like Leandro Erlich’s “Swimming Pool, and Ninja-dera, which is an old Ninja house hiding secret rooms and traps.

Breakfast

Hotel Nikko Kanazawa or similar class

Our day starts with a train ride to Kyoto, onetime imperial capital and heartland of Japan’s traditional culture for over a thousand years, where its time- honored history and customs are preserved for future generations. Many sites in Kyoto and nearby Nara have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Take three days to explore the historic treasures of these great cities, whether you want to visit its most popular destinations, find something a little more out-of- the-way, or partake in an authentic cultural experience.
Our recommended must-sees for Kyoto include the Golden Pavilion’s shining phoenix, the sacred springs and dramatic stage of Kiyomizu Temple, the timeless garden of Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama and its bamboo grove, the Zen Rock Garden of Ryoanji Temple, the thousand red gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, the gilded palace of Nijo Castle, and the teahouses in Gion’s Geisha District. There are an almost innumerable number of historic sites to come across while wandering these two cities, which three days won’t be nearly enough time to discover. Participate in authentic cultural experiences, such as a lesson in calligraphy, ikebana, origami, green tea ceremony, or Zen meditation. Taste traditional kaiseki cuisine, while being entertained by a geisha or maiko (geisha apprentice). Taste delicious sake while on a tour of one of Japan’s most prominent sake-brewing districts.

Breakfast / Dinner

Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Today we will travel to Nara and Osaka. Enjoy a private tour of Nara, the oldest capital city of Japan, located about 1 hour away from Kyoto. There you can see Japan’s largest bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha) in Todaiji Temple – an iconic symbol of Nara. Surrounding the temple is Nara Park where there are over 1000 free roaming deer. Other top sites include Horyuji Temple, which has the oldest wooden building in the world, and Kasuga Grand Shrine, known for its hundreds of stone and bronze Lanterns (as well as its Lantern Festival).
We travel from there to Osaka, Japan’s second-largest metropolitan area, known for its homegrown sense of humor, its casual attitude, and its street food culture. Our top recommendations for what to do in Osaka include Dotonbori, the old-fashioned Shinsekai district, Nanba entertainment district, Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, and Universal Studios Japan.

Breakfast

The Ritz-Carlton Osaka or similar class

From Osaka we will ride the bullet train to Hiroshima. Our first destination of the day is the austere, stately Peace Memorial Park, which is by far the most significant feature of Hiroshima. The Peace Park consists of the Peace Memorial (or “A-Bomb”) Museum, the A-Bomb Dome, and an awe-inspiring Cenotaph for the victims. The Museum, designed by Pritzker Prize- winning architect Kenzo Tange, details the history of Hiroshima leading up to the day of detonation, the events of the day, and the suffering that resulted from it. It ends in a hope for a peaceful world, free of nuclear weapons. You will also see the UNESCO-inscribed Hiroshima Peace Memorial (known locally as the “Genbaku Dome”), which was formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The building was the only one in the area to partially survive the blast, and is now preserved in a state of arrested ruin. Next, we visit Miyajima Island and its most famous landmark – Itsukushima Shrine. Cunningly built to stand partly out into Hiroshima Bay, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is most famous for its “floating” torii shrine gate, which appears to hover over the water at high tide. After, we return to Osaka.

Breakfast

The Ritz-Carlton Osaka or similar class

After check-out, private transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport for your departure flight.

Breakfast