While walking the streets of Japan you will be amazed by the contrast between ultra-modern buildings next to traditional temples, by the kids walking around in their self-created fashion, and an elderly lady in a traditional kimono. Japan is such a mix of contradictions that it is almost impossible to get your head wrapped around it. Finally, you’ll learn to just enjoy it. These contrasts can be seen in various destinations of Japan.
Tokyo is a highly polished metropolis known for its high fashion and technical gadgets. Hakone is where you will see a slower side as you enjoy a kaiseki dinner at your hot spring ryokan inn. In Hiroshima, you find peace in a city devastated by war.
On Miyajima Island, you will see the world is reborn and filled with beauty. You will then travel to Kyoto that has survived for 1200 years and is the home of Japanese traditional culture arts like tea ceremony and flower arranging. Finally, you will find yourself in Osaka known as the kitchen of Japan, and it’s down to Earth locals.
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$4,900
Superior: from US$7,250
Luxury: price upon request
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Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan and has its own unique culture and customs. A trip to Shikoku offers a more relaxing experience, complete with beautiful natural scenery, impressive sights such as feudal castles, hot spring baths, ancient religious sites, and a southern flair that cannot be experienced anywhere else in Japan.
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$3,330
Superior: from US$5,330
Luxury: price upon request
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Take this journey as an invitation to discover the beauty of traditional Japan and the less touristy island of Shodoshima. Starting in Osaka and then heading to Miyajima, Hiroshima, Kurashiki,… you will appreciate the Japanese culture and spirituality. To balance sightseeing days with some good rest you will stay at a hot spring ryokan in Iya Valley. You will have 3 days and 2 nights to fully enjoy Shodoshima, the Japanese Olive Island. Finally, you will have 3 days to enjoy Kyoto, the ancient capital at your pace before returning home with great memories.
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$5,720
Superior: from US$8,890
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
The journey starts in Tokyo; the seat of the Japanese government since the Edo Period (1603 to 1868). On the second day of your trip, a Private Local Guide will show you around the largest city in the world. Tokyo is a vibrant metropolis overflowing with many fascinating sights, sounds, and experiences for you to enjoy. During your trip, you may wish to visit some of the different neighborhoods like Akihabara, Shinjuku, Ginza, Harajuku, Shibuya, and the like.
You will then head to Kanazawa by Shinkansen Bullet Train. Kanazawa presents historical attractions such as restored samurai residences and geisha districts, as well as modern museums. Kanazawa’s most popular attraction is Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s “three best landscape gardens” and by many considered the most beautiful one. The next day, after breakfast you will take a bus to Takayama via Shirakawa-go to see a well-preserved merchant street and morning market.
Then you will travel to Gero Onsen where you will stay at a Hot Spring Ryokan. Your ryokan will serve you a traditional kaiseki dinner and you will relax in their hot spring baths. Once you are completely relaxed you will head to Osaka known as the kitchen of Japan and its friendly people. To discover Japan more in-depth we invite you for a bicycle ride from the center of Osaka to Minoh and its beautiful forest where you might find wild monkeys.
Your next destination will be Kyoto, the imperial capital. Here you will explore the streets where the emperor and other aristocrats played and worshiped. For your second day in Kyoto, a Private Local Guide will pick you up at your hotel and show you the best sites in Kyoto. Then you will take a day trip to Nara which was the first capital of Japan. Next, you will ride bicycles around Lake Biwa near Kyoto to discover this rural area at your own pace. You will then head back to Tokyo to prepare for your flight home.
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$8,860
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
Our Coast to Coast Japan Tour will bring you along the Seto Inland Sea. First you will visit the traditional town of Kurashiki and then move to Naoshima famous for modern art. Later you will be going North to explore less touristy sights such as Matsue, Kinosaki Onsen, or Ine. In fact the tour will pass through some of the must-do in Japan like Osaka, Nara, Himeji, and Kyoto as well.
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$5,850
Superior: from US$8,900
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
This unique tour will lead you to the most beautiful spots of Tohoku (Northern Japan). You will first start in Tokyo and soon head to Nikko. Nikko’s colorful shrines and temples and its national park offer visitors a wonderful combination of both Japanese history and natural beauty.
The next day to will take a train to Aizu-Wakamatsu. This castle town is well known for its sake and samurai tradition because the Aizu clan remained loyal to the shogun even after the feudal leader was removed from power during the Meiji Restoration in 1868. While staying in Aizu-Wakamatsu we suggest you visit Ouchijuku a beautiful post town, Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Bukeyashiki (a large reconstructed samurai house), Suehiro Sake Brewery,… During the last day of your stay in Aizu-Wakamatsu, you will explore the beautiful and off-the-beaten-path area of Urabandai by charter taxi. The taxi drivers are very knowledgeable and can introduce you to the tasty food spots that only locals know about.
Your next destination will be Matsushima to appreciate one of the most beautiful views of the country. After breakfast, you will head to the mysterious temple of Yamadera. Today’s highlight after climbing about 1000 steps will be the Godaido Hall. After some good sleep, you will then head to Ginzan Onsen to rest in its hot spring baths. From Ginzan Onsen you will take a bus and a train to Kakunodate a small and traditional samurai town. Finally, it will be time to reach Nyuto Onsen: one of the most beautiful Japanese hot spring resorts.
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$4,810
Superior: from US$8,100
Luxury: price upon request
Request a Quote
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
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
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)