Escorted Essence of Japan

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy another day at your leisure; spend the day exploring Tokyo’s stunning city-scape. Why not visit Odaiba Island’s high-tech entertainment hub or stroll around Shibuya and Shinjuku districts, soaking up the culture and sampling the cuisine. Alternatively, you can try your hand at the fascinating art of sushi-making by participating in a unique sushi master class* where you will learn the history and techniques behind the Japanese dish. Another option would be to take part in a tour of Ginza and the Tsukiji Outer Market to truly get a taste of succulent Japanese cuisine. Overnight stay in Tokyo.

*Optional Sushi-Making Master Class: Enjoy this one-of-a-kind master class where you will learn about the history and etiquette behind the famed Japanese dish before preparing your own sushi meal and enjoying it right after. 

**Optional tour of Ginza and the Tsukiji Outer Market: The Tsukiji Outer Market guided tour is your chance to fully immerse yourself in Japanese cuisine. Visit the impressive amount of street food stalls where you’ll get to wonder at the array of exotic delicacies and fresh fish delivered from Toyosu market, known as the world’s biggest fish market.

You can combine both activities and enjoy them on the same day. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Tokyo station accompanied by your guide using public transport. You will ride the Nozomi bullet train to your next destination: Kyoto, Japan’s cultural center. Meet and greet with your guide who will accompany you during your time in Kyoto. From here, take part in a guided city tour of Kyoto via public transport where you’ll get to marvel at the city’s top sites. You can expect to visit Kiyomizu temple most known for its tall wooden balcony that offers an immaculate view over the city and park below which boasts colorful cherry blossoms in the spring and red maples trees in late fall. You’ll stop by Gion, the neighborhood where the Kiyomizu temple, Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets are located. Take this opportunity to check out the many souvenir shops to get your hands on Japanese made products and explore this historical area. Overnight stay in Kyoto.
* On some dates, the order of the excursions in Kyoto might be inverted, doing Nara on the first day and the Kyoto city tour on the 2nd.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will join a guided excursion to the city of Nara which you will get to by train. Nara is known for its magnificent temples and artwork that date back to the 8th century which you will get to see by visiting Todaiji temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing a colossal statue of a sitting Buddha inside, and Kasuga Shrine, famous for its many lanterns gifted by worshippers, before strolling through Nara Park where you'll be able to interact with wild deer close enough to take pictures with them. Return back to Kyoto and check-in to your hotel. Overnight stay in Kyoto.
* On some dates, the order of the excursions in Kyoto might be inverted, doing Nara on the first day and the Kyoto city tour on the 2nd.

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy this day at your leisure. We recommend visiting the Arashiyama neighborhood where the Arashiyama bamboo forest is located, a truly atmospheric site by the river that is not to be missed. Alternatively, why not take part in an authentic Tea Ceremony & Kimono Wearing experience for you to truly inhabit Japanese culture*? Overnight stay in Kyoto.

*Optional Tea Ceremony and Kimono Wearing Experience: Appreciate Japanese culture and heritage in this unique experience where you will not only learn the traditional way of making tea but the etiquette surrounding it as well. Do so all the while indulging in Japanese sweets and wearing a Kimono which you can keep on for the rest of the day, returning it in the evening.

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy your last full day in Japan at your own leisure. Take this time to stop by the gold leaf covered Kinkakuji temple, which reflects into the kyoko-chi, or Mirror pond—a true feast for the eyes! Alternatively, why not visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings? Overnight stay in Kyoto.