Best of Japan - Fully Escorted Tour

16 Days/14 Nights

Best of Japan - Fully Escorted Tour Detailed Itinerary

Walking Level Distance
Light0-2 miles in flat areas or 0-1 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs
Medium2-4 miles in flat areas or 1-3 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs
Heavy4-6 miles in flat areas or 3-5 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs

Day 1: To Tokyo

Depart home for Tokyo's Narita Airport. No meals are included.

(Travel: 12 - 15 hours; Walking: Light)

Day 2: Arrive Tokyo

You lose a day flying to Japan due to crossing the International Dateline, and gain the day back when you fly home. You will be met at Tokyo's Narita airport by a Samurai Tours guide, who escorts you and your group to the ryokan in Tokyo. After checking in, we have a relaxing dinner of Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes) at a small local restaurant. Dinner at a local restaurant is included.

(Travel: 1-1/2 hours; Walking: Light)

Day 3: Tokyo

After breakfast, you will meet with the licensed, English-speaking guide who will escort you by subway to the Tsukiji Fish Market. This market is the largest in the world, and it is estimated that 20% of all of the fish caught in the world passes through this market. Next, we will take the subway to Roppongi Hills, where we will visit the Tokyo City View. From the observation deck on the 53rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Building, you will get a bird's eye view of Tokyo while also getting oriented to Tokyo, and a glimpse as to just how large Tokyo really is. On a clear day you might even see Mt. Fuji. Afterwards, we travel by subway to the famous Ginza district, the most expensive real estate in the world where we will first stop for a lunch of Kushiage (fried meat and vegetables on bamboo skewers). After lunch, you will have some free time to wander through the numerous boutiques and department stores. Or visit the Nissan and BMW showrooms to see the latest auomobile technology. Or explore the Sony Building where you will find many of Sony's products on display, some of which aren't on the market yet. After riding the subway to the Hinode Pier, we take a relaxing cruise on the Sumida River back to the Asakusa area. Here we will tour the Nakamise-dori, Senso-ji Buddhist Temple and the Asakusa Shrine where you will learn about Buddhist and Shinto Japanese religious practices. In the evening, we will enjoy a Kaitenzushi dinner. (Kaitenzushi literally translates to Sushi-go-round.) The sushi moves by on a conveyor belt, and you grab what looks good. Breakfast at the ryokan, lunch and dinner at a local restaurant included.

(Travel: 1 3/4 Hours; Walking: Medium)

Day 4: Nikko

We board a Shinkansen (bullet train) and an express train to Nikko, where the Tosho-gu Shrine is located. This shrine - built by his grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu - is a dedication to the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. (James Clavell's fictional Shogun in his novel Shogun was based on this person.) One of the most elaborate monuments in Japan, no expense was spared in this shrine's construction. A local, licensed English-speaking, Japanese guide will be joining us for the day. The evening in Tokyo is free. Before leaving for Nikko, you will need to prepare your main luggage for transfer to Takayama. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local Japanese restaurant in Nikko are included.

(Travel: 4 1/2 Hours; Walking: Heavy)

Day 5: Tokyo, Hakone Yumoto Onsen

The day is free to explore Tokyo on your own. Go shopping for that perfect souvenir, visit the Meiji Shrine dedicated to the Japanese emperor of the 19th century, or wander through the trendy Shibuya or Harajuku districts where you will more than likely see interesting and far-out fashions. Late in the afternoon, we will travel to Hakone Yumoto Onsen, where we will stay overnight and where you can enjoy the thermally-heated mineral baths at the ryokan. Before leaving Tokyo, you will prepare your luggage to be transferred to Takayama, and will be traveling to Hakone and Takayama with an overnight bag only. Breakfast at the ryokan is included.

(Travel: 1 1/2 hours; Walking: Light)

Day 6: Hakone, Travel to Takayama

After checking out of the ryokan, we will tour Hakone. Hakone is famous for its natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji (weather permitting). We will be taking many different forms of transportation (electric train, funicular, gondola and bus) around Hakone including the Hakone Sightseeing Boats on Lake Ashi. In good weather, passengers aboard the sightseeing cruise can get a fine view of Japan's most famous peak, Mount Fuji, and enjoy Hakone's rich scenery reflected on the lake's calm surface. Along the way we will be stopping at the Hakone Open Air Museum, Owakudani, the Hakone Checkpoint and the Cedar Avenue. The Hakone Open Air Museum has successfully created a harmonic balance between nature and art. Here, you will find many sculptures displayed on its spacious grounds in combination with beautiful views of the surrounding valley and mountains. You will also find indoor galleries including a sizable Picasso collection. There is even a thermally-heated mineral water foot bath if you would just like to relax during your free time at the museum. Along the Ropeway (gondola), we will stop at Owakudani. The large windows of the gondola allow visitors to observe the panorama of Hakone's unspoiled natural setting. Owakudani offers magnificent views of Mount Fuji in what is still an active volcanic region. Here at Owakudani, you will have free time to explore the thermally-heated pools and mud pots. You can try one of the `black eggs`, which are eggs hard-boiled in the thermally-heated mineral waters. It is said if you eat one of these eggs, it will add seven years to your life. (It is probably said by the people who sell the eggs.) We will tour the Hakone Checkpoint. The checkpoint was established here in 1619 by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and was one of 53 checkpoints located around Tokyo. This checkpoint was located on the important Tokkaido Highway, which passed through Hakone at this point and was used to control what was being taken in and out of Tokyo. Next, we will walk along the Cedar Avenue as travelers did 400 years ago. The cedar trees here were planted nearly 400 years ago to protect travelers on the Tokkaido Highway from the sun in the summer and snow in the winter. After returning to Hakone Yumoto and picking up our overnight bags, we will continue on to Takayama. Takayama, in the middle of the Japan Alps, with its traditional inns, shops, and sake breweries, has managed to retain its traditional charm. After checking into the ryokan, the evening is free to enjoy one of the many nearby Hida Beef restaurants. (Hida Beef is the same thing as the more famous Kobe Beef.) Breakfast at the ryokan is included.

(Travel: 5 hours; Walking: Medium)

Day 7: Takayama

This morning we stroll through the farmer's market, sampling the numerous options from vegetable stands and stalls selling herbs, pickles, and souvenirs. After that, we tour the Takayama-jinya, which was the governing office of Takayama and the surrounding area since the early 17th century. The guide will take you to the Sanmachi-suji district, consisting of merchant homes dating back to the 16th century. From here the rest of the day is free to roam and explore Takayama. Visit the many temples, shrines and museums, rummage through antique shops, or relax at one of the sake breweries. A Kaiseki-style dinner will be served at the ryokan in the evening. Breakfast and Kaiseki-stlye dinner at the ryokan are included.

(Travel: None; Walking: Medium)

Day 8: Koya-san

We will travel to Koya-san with overnight bags only. The rest of the luggage will be delivered to our ryokan in Osaka where we will be staying the following night. We board an express train and Shinkansen bound for Osaka, and continue to Koya-san by train and funicular. Koya-san is the world headquarters of the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism. Kobo Daishi, considered by many to be the most influential religious person in Japanese history, established a religious community here in the year 816. After checking into our shukubo (Buddhist temple lodging), you are free to roam and visit one of the 110 temples in the area, wander through the nearby ghostly cemetery at the famous Okuno-in temple, or just rest in the garden at the shukubo. Your dinner of shojin-ryori (traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine - no meat, fish, onions or garlic) will be served. Breakfast at the ryokan and shojin-ryori dinner at the temple are included.

(Travel: 8 hours; Walking: Light)

Day 9: Koya-san/Osaka

Very early in the morning, we attend o-inori (Buddhist prayer services). Afterwards, a shojin-ryori breakfast is served. Following this meal, we wander through the huge cemetery leading up to the Okuno-in temple. Kobo Daishi is buried at this temple, and many Japanese still believe that Kobo Daishi is not dead, but merely in a very advanced state of meditation, waiting to awaken at the appropriate time. We will stop for a Shojin-ryori lunch before we tour the Garan Temple complex. A local, English-speaking, Japanese guide joins us at Koya-san. Then back to Osaka by train. After picking up our luggage and checking into our ryokan, the evening is free to visit the Dotombori-dori, the nearby nightlife and restaurant district. While there, you can visit the Ebisu-bashi bridge, which will make you feel like you stepped into the movie "Blade Runner." Shojin-ryori breakfast at the temple and Shojin-ryori lunch at a local restaurant are included.

(Travel: 3 Hours; Walking: Heavy)

Day 10: Osaka Castle/Miyajima Island

Before leaving in the morning you will need to prepare your main luggage for transfer to Kyoto. We will then take the subway to Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. It was the home of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the son of a farmer who unified Japan after a 100-year civil war. After lunch at the ryokan, we will continue on to Hiroshima by Shinkansen, and then a local train to the harbor where we will board a ferry for Miyajima Island. Miyajima Island is said by the Japanese to be one of the top three scenic sights in Japan. The evening is free to enjoy the solitude and ambiance of the island after all of the day-trippers head back to the mainland. Breakfast, lunch and kaiseki dinner at the ryokan included.

(Travel: 3 Hours; Walking: Heavy)

Day 11: Miyajima Island

The entire day is free to enjoy and relax in the beauty and ambiance of Miyajima Island: ride the cable car to the top of the mountain on Miyajima Island where you can visit with the local monkeys, or visit the Itsukushima-jinja shrine which was built in its present form in 1168. Or just stroll around the island while enjoying grilled oysters, the island's specialty. Breakfast and kaiseki dinner at the ryokan included.

(Travel: To be determined; Walking: To be determined)

Day 12: Hiroshima/Kyoto

After taking the ferry back to Hiroshima, we tour the Peace Memorial Museum and the Peace Memorial Park, which are both sobering testaments to the dropping of the A-bomb on August 6, 1945. Afterwards, we are off to Kyoto via the Shinkansen. Once in Kyoto, we pick up our luggage and check into our ryokan, where we stay for the remainder of the tour. The evening in Kyoto is free. Breakfast at the ryokan is included.

(Travel: 3 Hours; Walking: Heavy)

Day 13: Kyoto

After breakfast, we start the day at Daitoku-ji in northern Kyoto with a local-licensed Japanese guide. Here, at one of the sub-temples we will participate in Zen Meditation lessons. Meditation is a very important part of Zen Buddhism and the path to enlightenment. Here, the head monk will discuss meditation, with emphasis on breathing techniques to help relax your mind and body. You will also have an opportunity to practice your newly-learned meditation skills. Next, we will visit Kinkaku-ji. Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is one of Kyoto's, as well as Japan's, most recognizable attractions. The gleaming building covered in gold leaf seems to float on the aptly named Mirror Pond, especially on a sunny day. Kinkaku-ji was originally built in 1394 as a retirement villa by Yoshimitsu Ashikage, the third Ashikage Shogun. After his death, his son converted the villa to a Buddhist temple. In the Shinden style of the Heian Period, the pavilion sits on the edge of the pond, surrounded by a Chinese-influenced garden whose focus is the pond studded with rocks and pine-covered islands. Each floor of the three-story structure has a different architectural style, with a golden-colored phoenix standing on the shingle roof. The original building was destroyed by a fire in 1950 set by an unhappy monk with metaphysical aspirations. The copy, as seen today, was quickly rebuilt in five years. The exterior of the building was re-gilded in 1987 at great expense. Yoshimitsu lived his retirement years here in seamless luxury while the rest of the country and Kyoto suffered from a series of famines, earthquakes and plagues. It is thought the local Kyoto death toll alone reached 1,000 people per day during this time. It is unknown, however, if he told his aides to "Let them eat cake". After visiting Kinkaku-ji, we will walk a short distance to a nearby noodle shop for lunch. After lunch, we travel to Nijo Castle. Built in 1603, it was the Kyoto home of Tokugawa Ieayasu, the first Tokugawa Shogun. The outer reaches of the structure, with its double moats, massive walls and watchtowers looks like any other Japanese castle in Japan. The interior is in stark contrast to not only other Japanese castles, but the normally, austere interiors of other Japanese structures in general. The ostentatious style of construction was intended as a demonstration of Ieyasu's prestige, and to signal the demise of the emperor's power. The finest artists of the day filled the castle with delicate transom woodcarvings and paintings by the Kano School on sliding doors. One of the castle's most intriguing features is the so-called "nightingale" floors. To protect the Shogun from real or imagined enemies, these floorboards creak when stepped on. Ironically, it was here at Nijo Castle that the young Emperor Meiji received the resignation from the last Tokugawa Shogun in 1867, and power was restored to the imperial family. On our way to the Gion Geisha District, we will tour the Pontocho Geisha District, another one of the 5 Geisha Districts in Kyoto. We will also stop along the way to visit several stores frequented by the local Geisha and Maiko (a Maiko is a geisha in training). These shops sell such items as hair ornaments and combs used on a daily basis by the Geisha and Maiko. After arriving at the Gion Geisha District, we will attend a "Meet a Maiko" session. Here you will meet an actual Maiko face to face, who will serve you tea and sweets, perform a traditional Geisha dance, pose for pictures with you, and answer any of your questions. Then we will explore the famous Gion Geisha district, where we will see the tea houses and geisha houses where the Geisha live and work, to learn more about this mysterious world. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included.

(Travel: 45 Minutes; Walking: Heavy)

Day 14: Kyoto/Nara

Today we are off by train to Nara, the original capital of Japan in the 8th century before it was moved to Kyoto. Here you will see Todai-ji, which is the largest wooden building in the world and houses the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha. Along the way, you can feed the famous Nara deer. They have been in this area since the 7th century, and roam freely protected by Buddhist traditions. We will stop for lunch before continuing back to Kyoto. A local, licensed, English-speaking, Japanese guide joins us in Nara and Kyoto for the day. In the late afternoon we participate in an authentic tea ceremony in Kyoto. The tea ceremony is held at the tea master's home, where you will get to see a Japanese residence. The tea master also dyes silk for kimonos using the "Yuzen" dyeing process, which is hundreds of years old. She will demonstrate how she dyes the silk and then uses the silk to make kimonos. Afterwards, we will have kimonos and hakama (men's kimonos) available for anyone who wishes to experience wearing traditional Japanese clothing. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local Japanese restaurant in Nara are included.

(Travel: 2 1/2 Hours; Walking: Medium)

Day 15: Kyoto

The morning and afternoon is free. We will have our sayonara dinner in the evening at a local restaurant. Breakfast at the ryokan and dinner at a local Japanese restaurant are included.

(Travel: 30 Minutes; Walking: Light)

Day 16: Home

It's time to say "sayonara" (goodbye). You will be escorted from the ryokan to the Kyoto train station. From there, you will take the express train on your own to the Kansai International Airport, just outside Osaka, or return to Narita Airport by Shinkansen and Narita express train on your own for your flight back home. (If you are flying out of Narita Airport, be sure to schedule a flight in the late-afternoon or evening.) Breakfast at the ryokan is included.

(Travel: 2-4 Hours; Walking: Light)