This tour is an invitation to discover the must-see destinations of Japan like Tokyo, Kyoto while also visiting more off-the-beat destinations like Kamikochi and Matsumoto plus get the best of meal of each destination. Along the way, you will sample some amazing food. Good to know: The below itinerary is only available only from April 15 to November 30 because Kamikochi is closed in winter.
This stunning alpine region, preserved in its natural state, is home to Mt. Hotadake and Mt. Yakedake, the latter of which is an active volcano, as well as several lakes. Vehicles are not allowed the area part of Chubu Sangaku National Park, so it offers the rare opportunity to see some of Japan’s beautiful natural scenery in its original, pristine state.
Matsumoto, formerly a castle town and now a bustling, modern city, is located in Nagano Prefecture, in the Chubu region of Japan. The most famous site in Matsumoto is its stunning feudal era castle, which is a national treasure and one of the few remaining castles from that period in Japanese history. It is set atop a hill and its walls are black, making for a stunning spectacle. While in Matsumoto we invite you to try tasty soba noodles and locally grown wasabi.
This tour can be fully customized.
The below itinerary is an example of a Classical custom tour.
Price per person based on double occupancy for two travelers:
Classical: from US$6,060
Superior: from US$9,070
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
Tokyo (Edo during the time of the Samurai), in the Kanto Region of Japan, was the center of power for the Shogun’s government during the Edo Period. Despite Tokyo’s non-stop, super-modern feel, its traditions can still be seen tucked away between the skyscrapers and amongst the people.
The Tokyo and Beyond Tour will show you not only the modern capital of Japan but the parts of it that represent old Japan and Edo culture. Our Tokyo and Beyond Tour is an 8-day tour that will give you a chance to see Tokyo and visit the playgrounds of the Shogunates as well as modern Tokyo.
Since this is an independent tour you will not have to worry about visiting places you have no interest in or sightseeing at a pace that is not right for you.
This tour can be fully customized.
The below itinerary is an example of a Classical custom tour.
Price per person based on double occupancy for two travelers:
Classical: from US$3,310
Superior: from US$5,180
Luxury: from US$8,750
Request a Quote
You will start by exploring Japan’s capital city of Tokyo before heading north to the hot spring town of Yudanaka. During the winter in Japan snow monkeys keep warm by bathing in a natural hot spring. Their antics and cuteness have traveled the world and make a popular travel destinations. You will then head back to Tokyo where you will base your exploration of Japan with day trips to Nikko and Kamakura.
This tour can be fully customized.
The below itinerary is an example of a Classical custom tour.
Price per person based on double occupancy for two travelers:
Classical: from US$3,490
Superior: from US$4,950
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
Our Rural Discovery Independent Tour will introduce you to rural Japan and its people while staying with a Japanese family. Of course, you will see some amazing sights but the point is to sit down and talk with Japanese people, learn how Japanese live, and experience something beyond traditional sightseeing. Our rural home-stay tour will give you stories that you will remember long after your photos have faded.
*Learn to cook traditional Japanese dishes
*Explore the village by bicycle or on foot, visit Izumo Daijingu Shrine and the Anao Temple which usually do not welcome tourists
*Experience a traditional tea ceremony, try Japanese ikebana (flower arrangement), write Japanese calligraphy, and try to play the Koto (traditional Japanese stringed instrument) with our local cultural experts and artisans
*Ride riverboats through the Honzu River Gorge, an ancient trade route to Kyoto
*Tour a local sake brewery, a tofu maker, a pottery studio, a antique shop
*Relax at the Hiyoshi Hot Springs, treat yourself to a Shiatsu massage
*Bonsai workshop
*Visit the world’s best whetstone excavation site
*Journey through rice paddies and farmlands to the historic mountain village of Miyama
This tour can be fully customized.
The below itinerary is an example of a Classical custom tour.
Price per person based on double occupancy for two travelers:
Classical: from US$2,710
Superior: from US$3,810
Luxury: price upon request
|
| |
After exploring famous sites in the bustling city of Tokyo, the route extends north, where the countryside is mountainous and picturesque. You will stay in one of Japan’s most scenic regions, relax in the quiet atmosphere of secluded hot springs, and experience the vibrancy of one community’s cultural revival.
Our North Central Exploration Tour is a 13-day private tour that will give you a chance to see Tokyo and visit beautiful mountainous destinations on the main island of Honshu. Since this is a private tour you will not have to worry about visiting places you have no interest in or sightseeing at a pace that is not right for you.
The below itinerary is an example of a Classical custom tour.
Price per person based on double occupancy for two travelers:
Classical: from US$5,570
Superior: from US$8,390
Luxury: price upon request
Starting in Osaka, our Kyushu Hot Spring Tour will convince you that nothing is better for refreshing your body and spirit than a long soak hot spring bath.
Before arriving in Yufuin you will visit Hiroshima, a city of peace and harmony, and Miyajima, one of the 3 most scenic spots in Japan.
After Yufuin and a day visit to Beppu, you will head to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient imperial capital and the center of Japanese culture.
This tour can be fully customized.
The below itinerary is an example of a Classical custom tour.
Price per person based on double occupancy for two travelers:
Classical: from US$2,900
Superior: from US$4,490
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
This small-group tour begins in Japan’s old capital of Kyoto; let this ancient city fascinate you with its traditional narrow streets. Admire Kurashiki‘s historical area and experience a tatami-mat workshop and traditional “shamisen” local folk music. We travel by train to Yunotsu on the Japan Sea Coast, one of the oldest hot spring towns in Japan, and a UNESCO World Heritage site along with Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine.
Enjoy soaking in the mineral water before leaving for Tsuwano, a charming town known as the ‘little Kyoto of San’in’ with its picturesque streets lined with Edo-era buildings and Koi carp ponds.
The journey continues through the former castle town of Hagi, famous for its pottery, then to Hiroshima and the famous Miyajima Island as well as Sensui-jima Island, a secret paradise on the Seto Inland Sea. We will arrive in energetic Osaka, where neon and crowds welcome you back to the modern side of Japan.
September 25 to October 6, 2023
February 25 to March 7, 2024
May 20 to May 31, 2024
September 23 to October 4, 2024
Starting from US$4560.00 based on double occupancy (subject to change without notice)
Our journey takes us north from Tokyo to a landscape rich in spirituality and tradition. Though off the established tourist circuit, the sights of northern Japan rival anywhere in the country in their beauty and atmospheric grandeur. We visit both the better-known, magnificent destinations, such as the UNESCO World Heritage site of Toshogu shrine at Nikko and Dewa Sanzan, as well as the region’s more remote hot springs and beautiful national parks. We take exhilarating walks through beautiful scenery in the Oze Wetlands, Mount Gas-san, and the Tono Valley.
The Japanese poet Matsuo Basho traveled through this region in the 17th century, a journey subsequently published as The Narrow Road to the Deep North. We will visit several of the places which inspired his famous haiku poems. Our small group stays at traditional Ryokan and Minshuku inns in the countryside – always with wonderful service and beautifully-prepared regional cuisine featuring fresh local ingredients. Natural hot-spring baths are highlights of our journey. At Tochio near Oze our hot-spring Ryokan has open-air baths next to a rushing river, while at Nyuto near Lake Tazawako, the 300-year-old Tsuru-no-yu Ryokan has eight baths, some with the famous milky-white spring water. The tour begins and ends in Tokyo, with time for sightseeing and shopping.
July 1 to July 13, 2024
August 16 to August 28, 2024
Starting from US$4,930.00 based on double occupancy (subject to change without notice)
This culinary small group tour visits famous locations like the ancient imperial capital of Kyoto, as well as hidden rural villages and the unique culture of Awaji Island in the fabled Inland Sea, where culinary traditions have been handed down from generation to generation. Foraging for wild ingredients, harvesting the bounty of the land, cooking with emblematic figures, and alongside members of local communities, this culinary adventure will show you how food is the most intimate way to uncover Japan’s history and culture.
Japan is blessed with rich natural products from the ‘Satoyama’ landscape, the border area between flat arable land where rice is grown, and the mountains. Managed sustainably over centuries, Satoyama is biologically diverse and supports a wide variety of wildlife throughout four seasons, offering a great variety of dishes and regional specialties. Japanese cuisine’s unique qualities are the product of a long tradition of respect for the harvest of ingredients and for nature itself.
Food culture in Japan is also closely related to festivals and rituals and reflects the way of life in each particular region. Traveling from mountain villages to fishing ports, staying in rural thatched-roof houses, and in the dazzling cities, you will taste the sake, experience the food and the culture, awaken your senses and share unforgettable moments with people you’ll meet on your journey.
Our adventure starts in Tokyo and takes us to the local food market in Kanazawa, then hunting wild plants with local villagers in Gokayama. Next, we travel to Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage Site, and Takayama, where a local community will host us in an old Kominca house. Here we learn about Okudo-san (earth oven) cooking and visit a sake brewery. In Asuka, the capital of Japan before Kyoto and Nara, we visit Era-san’s family of organic farmers for an “outdoor kitchen” experience, using locally-produced vegetables. We visit a fishing port on Awaji Island before heading to the imperial capital of Kyoto where we enjoy a Kaiseki dinner in the exclusive setting of a wonderful property not typically open to the public. Your Kaiseki dinner is prepared and explained by chef Taro Katayama who has over thirty years of experience.
September 22 to October 2, 2023 – almost full
October 20 to October 30, 2023
May 24 to June 3, 2024
September 30 to September 30, 2024
October 18 to October 28, 2024
Starting from US$5,020.00 based on double occupancy (subject to change without notice)
This small-group tour takes you to the fourth-largest of Japan’s islands, Shikoku is home to the 88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail. Fascinating aspects of this deeply spiritual route include how little is known of its origins, and its mysterious connection with Kobo Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism. Pilgrims have walked the trails for 1200 years and even today we will see pilgrims in their distinctive attire and white cloaks throughout the island. The full pilgrimage route encircles Shikoku and connects 88 Buddhist temples, covering more than a thousand kilometers. Pilgrims, known in Japanese as Ohenro, traditionally did the journey from temple to temple on foot over many weeks.
Our tour selects the best of the walking trails through lovely landscapes. We visit all four of Shikoku’s prefectures – Tokushima in the east, Kagawa in the north, Ehime in the west, and Kochi in the south. Each region has its own distinctive character, food, and scenery. In addition to the pilgrimage trail, our journey includes the remote Iya Valley, deep in the heart of Shikoku. We begin our journey with a stay on Mount Koya, the hilltop temple complex on Honshu established by Kobo Daishi, and an important location for Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage devotees. Public transport in the rural areas of Shikoku is limited and we will travel mainly by private chartered vehicle, but we will still enjoy walking along the ancient route from temple to temple through countryside and forest. We will stay in traditional country inns enjoying regional cuisine prepared from local ingredients from the island, soaking in natural hot springs, and enjoying the exceptional hospitality of our hosts.
October 15 to October 27, 2023
May 12 to May 24, 2024
October 13 to October 25, 2024
Starting from US$5,210.00 based on double occupancy (subject to change without notice)