Feature
Multi Day Tours
12-Day Cultural Odyssey: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Osaka
12
DAY(S)
7
DESTINATION(S)
6
GUESTS (MAX)
Feature
Multi Day Tours
12-Day Cultural Odyssey: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Osaka
12
DAY(S)
7
DESTINATION(S)
6
GUESTS (MAX)
Feature
Multi Day Tours
12-Day Cultural Odyssey: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Osaka
12
DAY(S)
7
DESTINATION(S)
6
GUESTS (MAX)
From US$7,570 per person
From US$7,570 per person
Overwiew
What You’ll Discover
Overwiew
What You’ll Discover
We built this twelve-day journey for travelers who want to see Japan beyond the usual Golden Route. The Shinkansen handles the long-distance travel — Tokyo to Kanazawa, Kanazawa to Kyoto — while a private vehicle and dedicated guide take care of everything else, so you're never navigating unfamiliar stations, local transit, or transfers on your own. We start in modern and historic Tokyo, then head to Kanazawa, a city that escaped the large-scale wartime destruction that reshaped many Japanese cities, where contemporary art museums sit beside a preserved geisha district and centuries of craft tradition. From there we take you into Ishikawa's hot spring culture at Yamashiro Onsen, a hot spring town with more than 1,300 years of history, then on to Kyoto's most celebrated temples and a real film set where samurai-era Japan comes to life. The trip closes in Osaka's neon streets and, finally, among the free-roaming deer of Nara.
We built this twelve-day journey for travelers who want to see Japan beyond the usual Golden Route. The Shinkansen handles the long-distance travel — Tokyo to Kanazawa, Kanazawa to Kyoto — while a private vehicle and dedicated guide take care of everything else, so you're never navigating unfamiliar stations, local transit, or transfers on your own. We start in modern and historic Tokyo, then head to Kanazawa, a city that escaped the large-scale wartime destruction that reshaped many Japanese cities, where contemporary art museums sit beside a preserved geisha district and centuries of craft tradition. From there we take you into Ishikawa's hot spring culture at Yamashiro Onsen, a hot spring town with more than 1,300 years of history, then on to Kyoto's most celebrated temples and a real film set where samurai-era Japan comes to life. The trip closes in Osaka's neon streets and, finally, among the free-roaming deer of Nara.
Trains cover the distance. We cover everything else — a dedicated guide and private vehicle for every day of sightseeing.
Step into Kanazawa, a city spared the wartime destruction that reshaped much of Japan.
Try Ishikawa's traditional lacquerware, then soak in a hot spring town with 1,300 years of history.
Wander teamLab Borderless, then climb thousands of vermilion gates at Fushimi Inari.
Explore Kyoto's most iconic temples, then step onto a working film set from another era.
Walk among Nara's free-roaming deer, then stand beneath a 15-meter bronze Buddha.
Highlights
Explore the Highlights of Your Journey
Highlights
Explore the Highlights of Your Journey
Kenroku-en Garden — One of Japan's three great landscape gardens, stunning in every season.
Higashi Chaya District — Kanazawa's beautifully preserved geisha quarter of wooden teahouses and narrow lanes.
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art — A circular glass museum of playful, interactive contemporary installations.
teamLab Borderless — Immerse yourself in a world of boundary-dissolving digital art installations.
Osaka Castle — A towering symbol of Japan's feudal past, rising above stone ramparts and moats.
Dōtonbori — Osaka's neon-lit canal district, alive with giant signboards, street food, and after-dark energy.
Information
Where This Journey Takes You
Information
Where This Journey Takes You
This itinerary connects some of Japan’s most distinctive regions, combining iconic highlights with lesser-known destinations to create a seamless travel experience from start to finish.
This itinerary connects some of Japan’s most distinctive regions, combining iconic highlights with lesser-known destinations to create a seamless travel experience from start to finish.
Area
Chubu
Chubu
•
Kanto
Kanto
•
Kansai
Kansai
•
Duration
12 Day(s)
Group Size (Max)
6 Guest(s)
Destinations
7 Destination(s)
Accommodation
11 nights, Double/Twin room, 3–4 star hotels
Meal
Breakfast：11 | Dinner：1 (Day5)
Transport
Charter Vehicles + Shinkansen (Tokyo→Kanazawa, Kaga Onsen → Tsuruga) + Limited-express Thunderbird (Tsuruga → Kyoto)
Pick-up
At hotel in Tokyo (23 Wards) or Tokyo Station
Drop-off
At hotel in Osaka City or Shin-Osaka Station
English/ Japanese/ Mandarin
English/ Japanese/ Mandarin
Itinerary
Explore Every Moment Along the Way
Itinerary
Explore Every Moment Along the Way
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Day 1 - Tokyo
Pass under the Kaminarimon, its huge red lantern hanging low overhead, and walk Nakamise through the crowds — past stalls of grilled rice crackers and paper fans — into Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest in the city. Next door, step into the Sumida Hokusai Museum and trace the life of the artist behind the Great Wave, the most recognizable image in all of Japanese art. In the afternoon, ride up the Tokyo Skytree to its observatory deck and look out over a metropolis that stretches on every side until it dissolves into haze at the horizon, then browse the shops and cafes at its base before the day winds down.
Pass under the Kaminarimon, its huge red lantern hanging low overhead, and walk Nakamise through the crowds — past stalls of grilled rice crackers and paper fans — into Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest in the city. Next door, step into the Sumida Hokusai Museum and trace the life of the artist behind the Great Wave, the most recognizable image in all of Japanese art. In the afternoon, ride up the Tokyo Skytree to its observatory deck and look out over a metropolis that stretches on every side until it dissolves into haze at the horizon, then browse the shops and cafes at its base before the day winds down.
Tokyo (Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree)
Tokyo hotel (3–4 star)
Day 1 - Tokyo
Pass under the Kaminarimon, its huge red lantern hanging low overhead, and walk Nakamise through the crowds — past stalls of grilled rice crackers and paper fans — into Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest in the city. Next door, step into the Sumida Hokusai Museum and trace the life of the artist behind the Great Wave, the most recognizable image in all of Japanese art. In the afternoon, ride up the Tokyo Skytree to its observatory deck and look out over a metropolis that stretches on every side until it dissolves into haze at the horizon, then browse the shops and cafes at its base before the day winds down.
Pass under the Kaminarimon, its huge red lantern hanging low overhead, and walk Nakamise through the crowds — past stalls of grilled rice crackers and paper fans — into Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest in the city. Next door, step into the Sumida Hokusai Museum and trace the life of the artist behind the Great Wave, the most recognizable image in all of Japanese art. In the afternoon, ride up the Tokyo Skytree to its observatory deck and look out over a metropolis that stretches on every side until it dissolves into haze at the horizon, then browse the shops and cafes at its base before the day winds down.
Tokyo (Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree)
Tokyo hotel (3–4 star)
Day 1 - Tokyo
Pass under the Kaminarimon, its huge red lantern hanging low overhead, and walk Nakamise through the crowds — past stalls of grilled rice crackers and paper fans — into Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest in the city. Next door, step into the Sumida Hokusai Museum and trace the life of the artist behind the Great Wave, the most recognizable image in all of Japanese art. In the afternoon, ride up the Tokyo Skytree to its observatory deck and look out over a metropolis that stretches on every side until it dissolves into haze at the horizon, then browse the shops and cafes at its base before the day winds down.
Pass under the Kaminarimon, its huge red lantern hanging low overhead, and walk Nakamise through the crowds — past stalls of grilled rice crackers and paper fans — into Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest in the city. Next door, step into the Sumida Hokusai Museum and trace the life of the artist behind the Great Wave, the most recognizable image in all of Japanese art. In the afternoon, ride up the Tokyo Skytree to its observatory deck and look out over a metropolis that stretches on every side until it dissolves into haze at the horizon, then browse the shops and cafes at its base before the day winds down.
Tokyo (Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree)
Tokyo hotel (3–4 star)
Day 2 - Tokyo
Start at the Imperial Palace, walking its broad stone moats and pine-lined gravel paths — an island of calm that the emperor's family still calls home, at the center of one of the busiest cities on earth. Cross into Nihonbashi, standing on the bridge from which every distance in old Japan was once measured, then browse Ginza block by block. In the late afternoon, step into teamLab Borderless, where the artworks have no frames and no fixed rooms — walk through light and color that spill across the floor and shift in response to your presence. Linger among the shifting light until the artworks and your reflection blur together.
Start at the Imperial Palace, walking its broad stone moats and pine-lined gravel paths — an island of calm that the emperor's family still calls home, at the center of one of the busiest cities on earth. Cross into Nihonbashi, standing on the bridge from which every distance in old Japan was once measured, then browse Ginza block by block. In the late afternoon, step into teamLab Borderless, where the artworks have no frames and no fixed rooms — walk through light and color that spill across the floor and shift in response to your presence. Linger among the shifting light until the artworks and your reflection blur together.
Tokyo (Imperial Palace, Ginza, teamLab Borderless)
Tokyo hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 2 - Tokyo
Start at the Imperial Palace, walking its broad stone moats and pine-lined gravel paths — an island of calm that the emperor's family still calls home, at the center of one of the busiest cities on earth. Cross into Nihonbashi, standing on the bridge from which every distance in old Japan was once measured, then browse Ginza block by block. In the late afternoon, step into teamLab Borderless, where the artworks have no frames and no fixed rooms — walk through light and color that spill across the floor and shift in response to your presence. Linger among the shifting light until the artworks and your reflection blur together.
Start at the Imperial Palace, walking its broad stone moats and pine-lined gravel paths — an island of calm that the emperor's family still calls home, at the center of one of the busiest cities on earth. Cross into Nihonbashi, standing on the bridge from which every distance in old Japan was once measured, then browse Ginza block by block. In the late afternoon, step into teamLab Borderless, where the artworks have no frames and no fixed rooms — walk through light and color that spill across the floor and shift in response to your presence. Linger among the shifting light until the artworks and your reflection blur together.
Tokyo (Imperial Palace, Ginza, teamLab Borderless)
Tokyo hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 2 - Tokyo
Start at the Imperial Palace, walking its broad stone moats and pine-lined gravel paths — an island of calm that the emperor's family still calls home, at the center of one of the busiest cities on earth. Cross into Nihonbashi, standing on the bridge from which every distance in old Japan was once measured, then browse Ginza block by block. In the late afternoon, step into teamLab Borderless, where the artworks have no frames and no fixed rooms — walk through light and color that spill across the floor and shift in response to your presence. Linger among the shifting light until the artworks and your reflection blur together.
Start at the Imperial Palace, walking its broad stone moats and pine-lined gravel paths — an island of calm that the emperor's family still calls home, at the center of one of the busiest cities on earth. Cross into Nihonbashi, standing on the bridge from which every distance in old Japan was once measured, then browse Ginza block by block. In the late afternoon, step into teamLab Borderless, where the artworks have no frames and no fixed rooms — walk through light and color that spill across the floor and shift in response to your presence. Linger among the shifting light until the artworks and your reflection blur together.
Tokyo (Imperial Palace, Ginza, teamLab Borderless)
Tokyo hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 3 - Kanazawa
Ride the Shinkansen over the mountains to Kanazawa, a city of deep tradition and bold contemporary art. Explore the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, stepping into the space beneath its famous pool installation to look up at the visitors standing above the water. Then step into the Kanazawa Noh Museum to see the elaborate costumes and carved masks of a classical theater performed in this city for centuries — old and new mastery within a single afternoon. Lose yourself in one of the immersive installations, where light and space shift around you.
Ride the Shinkansen over the mountains to Kanazawa, a city of deep tradition and bold contemporary art. Explore the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, stepping into the space beneath its famous pool installation to look up at the visitors standing above the water. Then step into the Kanazawa Noh Museum to see the elaborate costumes and carved masks of a classical theater performed in this city for centuries — old and new mastery within a single afternoon. Lose yourself in one of the immersive installations, where light and space shift around you.
Kanazawa (21st Century Museum, Kanazawa Noh Museum)
Kanazawa hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Shinkansen (Tokyo → Kanazawa) is included.
Day 3 - Kanazawa
Ride the Shinkansen over the mountains to Kanazawa, a city of deep tradition and bold contemporary art. Explore the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, stepping into the space beneath its famous pool installation to look up at the visitors standing above the water. Then step into the Kanazawa Noh Museum to see the elaborate costumes and carved masks of a classical theater performed in this city for centuries — old and new mastery within a single afternoon. Lose yourself in one of the immersive installations, where light and space shift around you.
Ride the Shinkansen over the mountains to Kanazawa, a city of deep tradition and bold contemporary art. Explore the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, stepping into the space beneath its famous pool installation to look up at the visitors standing above the water. Then step into the Kanazawa Noh Museum to see the elaborate costumes and carved masks of a classical theater performed in this city for centuries — old and new mastery within a single afternoon. Lose yourself in one of the immersive installations, where light and space shift around you.
Kanazawa (21st Century Museum, Kanazawa Noh Museum)
Kanazawa hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Shinkansen (Tokyo → Kanazawa) is included.
Day 3 - Kanazawa
Ride the Shinkansen over the mountains to Kanazawa, a city of deep tradition and bold contemporary art. Explore the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, stepping into the space beneath its famous pool installation to look up at the visitors standing above the water. Then step into the Kanazawa Noh Museum to see the elaborate costumes and carved masks of a classical theater performed in this city for centuries — old and new mastery within a single afternoon. Lose yourself in one of the immersive installations, where light and space shift around you.
Ride the Shinkansen over the mountains to Kanazawa, a city of deep tradition and bold contemporary art. Explore the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, stepping into the space beneath its famous pool installation to look up at the visitors standing above the water. Then step into the Kanazawa Noh Museum to see the elaborate costumes and carved masks of a classical theater performed in this city for centuries — old and new mastery within a single afternoon. Lose yourself in one of the immersive installations, where light and space shift around you.
Kanazawa (21st Century Museum, Kanazawa Noh Museum)
Kanazawa hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Shinkansen (Tokyo → Kanazawa) is included.
Day 4 - Ishikawa
Spend the day among Kanazawa's gardens, old quarters, and traditional crafts. Stroll Kenroku-en, one of the three great landscape gardens of Japan, past ponds, streams, and stone lanterns among trees that transform with the seasons. Wander the Higashi Chaya District, tracing the fine lattice fronts of wooden teahouses that have lined its narrow lanes since the geisha era. Later, sit down to a hands-on Kanazawa lacquerware session and work one of the region's signature crafts with your own hands — running your fingers over the glass-smooth lacquer as you finish a piece to carry home.
Spend the day among Kanazawa's gardens, old quarters, and traditional crafts. Stroll Kenroku-en, one of the three great landscape gardens of Japan, past ponds, streams, and stone lanterns among trees that transform with the seasons. Wander the Higashi Chaya District, tracing the fine lattice fronts of wooden teahouses that have lined its narrow lanes since the geisha era. Later, sit down to a hands-on Kanazawa lacquerware session and work one of the region's signature crafts with your own hands — running your fingers over the glass-smooth lacquer as you finish a piece to carry home.
Ishikawa (Kenroku-en Garden, Higashi Chaya District)
Kanazawa hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
The lacquerware hands-on experience is included.
Day 4 - Ishikawa
Spend the day among Kanazawa's gardens, old quarters, and traditional crafts. Stroll Kenroku-en, one of the three great landscape gardens of Japan, past ponds, streams, and stone lanterns among trees that transform with the seasons. Wander the Higashi Chaya District, tracing the fine lattice fronts of wooden teahouses that have lined its narrow lanes since the geisha era. Later, sit down to a hands-on Kanazawa lacquerware session and work one of the region's signature crafts with your own hands — running your fingers over the glass-smooth lacquer as you finish a piece to carry home.
Spend the day among Kanazawa's gardens, old quarters, and traditional crafts. Stroll Kenroku-en, one of the three great landscape gardens of Japan, past ponds, streams, and stone lanterns among trees that transform with the seasons. Wander the Higashi Chaya District, tracing the fine lattice fronts of wooden teahouses that have lined its narrow lanes since the geisha era. Later, sit down to a hands-on Kanazawa lacquerware session and work one of the region's signature crafts with your own hands — running your fingers over the glass-smooth lacquer as you finish a piece to carry home.
Ishikawa (Kenroku-en Garden, Higashi Chaya District)
Kanazawa hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
The lacquerware hands-on experience is included.
Day 4 - Ishikawa
Spend the day among Kanazawa's gardens, old quarters, and traditional crafts. Stroll Kenroku-en, one of the three great landscape gardens of Japan, past ponds, streams, and stone lanterns among trees that transform with the seasons. Wander the Higashi Chaya District, tracing the fine lattice fronts of wooden teahouses that have lined its narrow lanes since the geisha era. Later, sit down to a hands-on Kanazawa lacquerware session and work one of the region's signature crafts with your own hands — running your fingers over the glass-smooth lacquer as you finish a piece to carry home.
Spend the day among Kanazawa's gardens, old quarters, and traditional crafts. Stroll Kenroku-en, one of the three great landscape gardens of Japan, past ponds, streams, and stone lanterns among trees that transform with the seasons. Wander the Higashi Chaya District, tracing the fine lattice fronts of wooden teahouses that have lined its narrow lanes since the geisha era. Later, sit down to a hands-on Kanazawa lacquerware session and work one of the region's signature crafts with your own hands — running your fingers over the glass-smooth lacquer as you finish a piece to carry home.
Ishikawa (Kenroku-en Garden, Higashi Chaya District)
Kanazawa hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
The lacquerware hands-on experience is included.
Day 5 - Ishikawa
Leave Kanazawa this morning and head into the hot spring country of Yamashiro Onsen, a spa town with a long history as a place of rest and recovery. Step into Kosoyu, a beautifully restored Meiji-style bathhouse at the heart of the townscape, its wooden architecture and rising steam a window onto the bathing culture of another era. Then wander the surrounding streets at an unhurried pace, dotted with shops and open footbaths — settle into your inn, pull on a yukata, and let the pace slow for the evening.
Leave Kanazawa this morning and head into the hot spring country of Yamashiro Onsen, a spa town with a long history as a place of rest and recovery. Step into Kosoyu, a beautifully restored Meiji-style bathhouse at the heart of the townscape, its wooden architecture and rising steam a window onto the bathing culture of another era. Then wander the surrounding streets at an unhurried pace, dotted with shops and open footbaths — settle into your inn, pull on a yukata, and let the pace slow for the evening.
Ishikawa (Kosoyu, Yamashiro Onsen)
Yamashiro Onsen ryokan or hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast and dinner included
Day 5 - Ishikawa
Leave Kanazawa this morning and head into the hot spring country of Yamashiro Onsen, a spa town with a long history as a place of rest and recovery. Step into Kosoyu, a beautifully restored Meiji-style bathhouse at the heart of the townscape, its wooden architecture and rising steam a window onto the bathing culture of another era. Then wander the surrounding streets at an unhurried pace, dotted with shops and open footbaths — settle into your inn, pull on a yukata, and let the pace slow for the evening.
Leave Kanazawa this morning and head into the hot spring country of Yamashiro Onsen, a spa town with a long history as a place of rest and recovery. Step into Kosoyu, a beautifully restored Meiji-style bathhouse at the heart of the townscape, its wooden architecture and rising steam a window onto the bathing culture of another era. Then wander the surrounding streets at an unhurried pace, dotted with shops and open footbaths — settle into your inn, pull on a yukata, and let the pace slow for the evening.
Ishikawa (Kosoyu, Yamashiro Onsen)
Yamashiro Onsen ryokan or hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast and dinner included
Day 5 - Ishikawa
Leave Kanazawa this morning and head into the hot spring country of Yamashiro Onsen, a spa town with a long history as a place of rest and recovery. Step into Kosoyu, a beautifully restored Meiji-style bathhouse at the heart of the townscape, its wooden architecture and rising steam a window onto the bathing culture of another era. Then wander the surrounding streets at an unhurried pace, dotted with shops and open footbaths — settle into your inn, pull on a yukata, and let the pace slow for the evening.
Leave Kanazawa this morning and head into the hot spring country of Yamashiro Onsen, a spa town with a long history as a place of rest and recovery. Step into Kosoyu, a beautifully restored Meiji-style bathhouse at the heart of the townscape, its wooden architecture and rising steam a window onto the bathing culture of another era. Then wander the surrounding streets at an unhurried pace, dotted with shops and open footbaths — settle into your inn, pull on a yukata, and let the pace slow for the evening.
Ishikawa (Kosoyu, Yamashiro Onsen)
Yamashiro Onsen ryokan or hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast and dinner included
Day 6 - Kyoto
Travel to Kyoto today, riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and changing to the limited-express Thunderbird into the old capital. Step off and head straight for Sanjūsangen-dō Temple — walk the length of a wooden hall longer than a football field, past 1,001 gilded, life-sized Kannon statues ranked shoulder to shoulder in the low light. Then dive into Nishiki Market, a narrow covered lane four centuries in the making, and eat your way past pickle barrels, tofu stalls, and skewers as the smells shift with every step. As evening falls, round off the day with a bowl of noodles among the lit stalls.
Travel to Kyoto today, riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and changing to the limited-express Thunderbird into the old capital. Step off and head straight for Sanjūsangen-dō Temple — walk the length of a wooden hall longer than a football field, past 1,001 gilded, life-sized Kannon statues ranked shoulder to shoulder in the low light. Then dive into Nishiki Market, a narrow covered lane four centuries in the making, and eat your way past pickle barrels, tofu stalls, and skewers as the smells shift with every step. As evening falls, round off the day with a bowl of noodles among the lit stalls.
Kyoto (Sanjūsangen-dō Temple, Nishiki Market)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kaga Onsen → Tsuruga) and limited-express Thunderbird (Tsuruga → Kyoto) are included.
Day 6 - Kyoto
Travel to Kyoto today, riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and changing to the limited-express Thunderbird into the old capital. Step off and head straight for Sanjūsangen-dō Temple — walk the length of a wooden hall longer than a football field, past 1,001 gilded, life-sized Kannon statues ranked shoulder to shoulder in the low light. Then dive into Nishiki Market, a narrow covered lane four centuries in the making, and eat your way past pickle barrels, tofu stalls, and skewers as the smells shift with every step. As evening falls, round off the day with a bowl of noodles among the lit stalls.
Travel to Kyoto today, riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and changing to the limited-express Thunderbird into the old capital. Step off and head straight for Sanjūsangen-dō Temple — walk the length of a wooden hall longer than a football field, past 1,001 gilded, life-sized Kannon statues ranked shoulder to shoulder in the low light. Then dive into Nishiki Market, a narrow covered lane four centuries in the making, and eat your way past pickle barrels, tofu stalls, and skewers as the smells shift with every step. As evening falls, round off the day with a bowl of noodles among the lit stalls.
Kyoto (Sanjūsangen-dō Temple, Nishiki Market)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kaga Onsen → Tsuruga) and limited-express Thunderbird (Tsuruga → Kyoto) are included.
Day 6 - Kyoto
Travel to Kyoto today, riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and changing to the limited-express Thunderbird into the old capital. Step off and head straight for Sanjūsangen-dō Temple — walk the length of a wooden hall longer than a football field, past 1,001 gilded, life-sized Kannon statues ranked shoulder to shoulder in the low light. Then dive into Nishiki Market, a narrow covered lane four centuries in the making, and eat your way past pickle barrels, tofu stalls, and skewers as the smells shift with every step. As evening falls, round off the day with a bowl of noodles among the lit stalls.
Travel to Kyoto today, riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and changing to the limited-express Thunderbird into the old capital. Step off and head straight for Sanjūsangen-dō Temple — walk the length of a wooden hall longer than a football field, past 1,001 gilded, life-sized Kannon statues ranked shoulder to shoulder in the low light. Then dive into Nishiki Market, a narrow covered lane four centuries in the making, and eat your way past pickle barrels, tofu stalls, and skewers as the smells shift with every step. As evening falls, round off the day with a bowl of noodles among the lit stalls.
Kyoto (Sanjūsangen-dō Temple, Nishiki Market)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kaga Onsen → Tsuruga) and limited-express Thunderbird (Tsuruga → Kyoto) are included.
Day 7- Kyoto
Wake to the Kyoto of a hundred postcards. Stand before Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Golden Pavilion, its gold leaf doubled so perfectly in the pond you look twice to tell which is real. Climb the old lanes to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and step out onto its vast wooden stage, set high on tall pillars over a green wooded hillside, the whole city spread below. End the day at Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto — sit before its painted screens and raked gravel garden, made for slow, unhurried looking after the morning's crowds. Sit a while before the raked gravel and let the temple's stillness settle in.
Wake to the Kyoto of a hundred postcards. Stand before Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Golden Pavilion, its gold leaf doubled so perfectly in the pond you look twice to tell which is real. Climb the old lanes to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and step out onto its vast wooden stage, set high on tall pillars over a green wooded hillside, the whole city spread below. End the day at Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto — sit before its painted screens and raked gravel garden, made for slow, unhurried looking after the morning's crowds. Sit a while before the raked gravel and let the temple's stillness settle in.
Kyoto (Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kennin-ji Temple)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 7- Kyoto
Wake to the Kyoto of a hundred postcards. Stand before Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Golden Pavilion, its gold leaf doubled so perfectly in the pond you look twice to tell which is real. Climb the old lanes to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and step out onto its vast wooden stage, set high on tall pillars over a green wooded hillside, the whole city spread below. End the day at Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto — sit before its painted screens and raked gravel garden, made for slow, unhurried looking after the morning's crowds. Sit a while before the raked gravel and let the temple's stillness settle in.
Wake to the Kyoto of a hundred postcards. Stand before Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Golden Pavilion, its gold leaf doubled so perfectly in the pond you look twice to tell which is real. Climb the old lanes to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and step out onto its vast wooden stage, set high on tall pillars over a green wooded hillside, the whole city spread below. End the day at Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto — sit before its painted screens and raked gravel garden, made for slow, unhurried looking after the morning's crowds. Sit a while before the raked gravel and let the temple's stillness settle in.
Kyoto (Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kennin-ji Temple)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 7- Kyoto
Wake to the Kyoto of a hundred postcards. Stand before Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Golden Pavilion, its gold leaf doubled so perfectly in the pond you look twice to tell which is real. Climb the old lanes to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and step out onto its vast wooden stage, set high on tall pillars over a green wooded hillside, the whole city spread below. End the day at Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto — sit before its painted screens and raked gravel garden, made for slow, unhurried looking after the morning's crowds. Sit a while before the raked gravel and let the temple's stillness settle in.
Wake to the Kyoto of a hundred postcards. Stand before Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Golden Pavilion, its gold leaf doubled so perfectly in the pond you look twice to tell which is real. Climb the old lanes to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and step out onto its vast wooden stage, set high on tall pillars over a green wooded hillside, the whole city spread below. End the day at Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto — sit before its painted screens and raked gravel garden, made for slow, unhurried looking after the morning's crowds. Sit a while before the raked gravel and let the temple's stillness settle in.
Kyoto (Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kennin-ji Temple)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 8 - Kyoto
Leave the city today for the quiet lake country at Kyoto's edge. Stand before Shirahige Shrine, where a single vermilion torii gate rises from the water of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, seeming to float just offshore. Then climb Mt. Hieizan, following cedar-lined paths through cool mountain air up to Enryaku-ji Temple, a vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago and once home to armies of warrior monks. From the heights, look out over the whole lake and the mountains beyond. Breathe the cool, resin-scented air and let the mountain quiet settle over you.
Leave the city today for the quiet lake country at Kyoto's edge. Stand before Shirahige Shrine, where a single vermilion torii gate rises from the water of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, seeming to float just offshore. Then climb Mt. Hieizan, following cedar-lined paths through cool mountain air up to Enryaku-ji Temple, a vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago and once home to armies of warrior monks. From the heights, look out over the whole lake and the mountains beyond. Breathe the cool, resin-scented air and let the mountain quiet settle over you.
Shiga (Shirahige Shrine, Mt. Hieizan)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 8 - Kyoto
Leave the city today for the quiet lake country at Kyoto's edge. Stand before Shirahige Shrine, where a single vermilion torii gate rises from the water of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, seeming to float just offshore. Then climb Mt. Hieizan, following cedar-lined paths through cool mountain air up to Enryaku-ji Temple, a vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago and once home to armies of warrior monks. From the heights, look out over the whole lake and the mountains beyond. Breathe the cool, resin-scented air and let the mountain quiet settle over you.
Leave the city today for the quiet lake country at Kyoto's edge. Stand before Shirahige Shrine, where a single vermilion torii gate rises from the water of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, seeming to float just offshore. Then climb Mt. Hieizan, following cedar-lined paths through cool mountain air up to Enryaku-ji Temple, a vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago and once home to armies of warrior monks. From the heights, look out over the whole lake and the mountains beyond. Breathe the cool, resin-scented air and let the mountain quiet settle over you.
Shiga (Shirahige Shrine, Mt. Hieizan)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 8 - Kyoto
Leave the city today for the quiet lake country at Kyoto's edge. Stand before Shirahige Shrine, where a single vermilion torii gate rises from the water of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, seeming to float just offshore. Then climb Mt. Hieizan, following cedar-lined paths through cool mountain air up to Enryaku-ji Temple, a vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago and once home to armies of warrior monks. From the heights, look out over the whole lake and the mountains beyond. Breathe the cool, resin-scented air and let the mountain quiet settle over you.
Leave the city today for the quiet lake country at Kyoto's edge. Stand before Shirahige Shrine, where a single vermilion torii gate rises from the water of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, seeming to float just offshore. Then climb Mt. Hieizan, following cedar-lined paths through cool mountain air up to Enryaku-ji Temple, a vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago and once home to armies of warrior monks. From the heights, look out over the whole lake and the mountains beyond. Breathe the cool, resin-scented air and let the mountain quiet settle over you.
Shiga (Shirahige Shrine, Mt. Hieizan)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 9- Kyoto
Step straight onto a movie set today. Walk the streets of Uzumasa Kyoto Village, a working film studio built as a whole Edo-era town — merchant lanes, a shrine gate, and a ninja house of hidden doors and trick staircases. Watch costumed performers stage sword fights, try on period costume, or catch a show between takes. Then finish at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: climb through thousands of vermilion torii gates that form glowing tunnels up the sacred mountain — push past the crowds, and the forest closes in, and you climb on in near silence.
Step straight onto a movie set today. Walk the streets of Uzumasa Kyoto Village, a working film studio built as a whole Edo-era town — merchant lanes, a shrine gate, and a ninja house of hidden doors and trick staircases. Watch costumed performers stage sword fights, try on period costume, or catch a show between takes. Then finish at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: climb through thousands of vermilion torii gates that form glowing tunnels up the sacred mountain — push past the crowds, and the forest closes in, and you climb on in near silence.
Kyoto (Uzumasa Kyoto Village, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 9- Kyoto
Step straight onto a movie set today. Walk the streets of Uzumasa Kyoto Village, a working film studio built as a whole Edo-era town — merchant lanes, a shrine gate, and a ninja house of hidden doors and trick staircases. Watch costumed performers stage sword fights, try on period costume, or catch a show between takes. Then finish at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: climb through thousands of vermilion torii gates that form glowing tunnels up the sacred mountain — push past the crowds, and the forest closes in, and you climb on in near silence.
Step straight onto a movie set today. Walk the streets of Uzumasa Kyoto Village, a working film studio built as a whole Edo-era town — merchant lanes, a shrine gate, and a ninja house of hidden doors and trick staircases. Watch costumed performers stage sword fights, try on period costume, or catch a show between takes. Then finish at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: climb through thousands of vermilion torii gates that form glowing tunnels up the sacred mountain — push past the crowds, and the forest closes in, and you climb on in near silence.
Kyoto (Uzumasa Kyoto Village, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 9- Kyoto
Step straight onto a movie set today. Walk the streets of Uzumasa Kyoto Village, a working film studio built as a whole Edo-era town — merchant lanes, a shrine gate, and a ninja house of hidden doors and trick staircases. Watch costumed performers stage sword fights, try on period costume, or catch a show between takes. Then finish at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: climb through thousands of vermilion torii gates that form glowing tunnels up the sacred mountain — push past the crowds, and the forest closes in, and you climb on in near silence.
Step straight onto a movie set today. Walk the streets of Uzumasa Kyoto Village, a working film studio built as a whole Edo-era town — merchant lanes, a shrine gate, and a ninja house of hidden doors and trick staircases. Watch costumed performers stage sword fights, try on period costume, or catch a show between takes. Then finish at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: climb through thousands of vermilion torii gates that form glowing tunnels up the sacred mountain — push past the crowds, and the forest closes in, and you climb on in near silence.
Kyoto (Uzumasa Kyoto Village, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine)
Kyoto hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 10 - Kyoto / Osaka
Link two great castles across two cities today. Cross the "nightingale floors" of Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto built to chirp like birds under the lightest step so no intruder could pass unheard, and stand in the gilded audience chambers where the balance of power once played out. Then travel to Osaka Castle, a towering symbol of Japan's feudal past — climb to the observation deck and look out over the sprawling modern city far below. Trace the painted screens and worn timber of the shogun's great audience halls.
Link two great castles across two cities today. Cross the "nightingale floors" of Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto built to chirp like birds under the lightest step so no intruder could pass unheard, and stand in the gilded audience chambers where the balance of power once played out. Then travel to Osaka Castle, a towering symbol of Japan's feudal past — climb to the observation deck and look out over the sprawling modern city far below. Trace the painted screens and worn timber of the shogun's great audience halls.
Kyoto & Osaka (Nijō Castle, Osaka Castle)
Osaka hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 10 - Kyoto / Osaka
Link two great castles across two cities today. Cross the "nightingale floors" of Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto built to chirp like birds under the lightest step so no intruder could pass unheard, and stand in the gilded audience chambers where the balance of power once played out. Then travel to Osaka Castle, a towering symbol of Japan's feudal past — climb to the observation deck and look out over the sprawling modern city far below. Trace the painted screens and worn timber of the shogun's great audience halls.
Link two great castles across two cities today. Cross the "nightingale floors" of Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto built to chirp like birds under the lightest step so no intruder could pass unheard, and stand in the gilded audience chambers where the balance of power once played out. Then travel to Osaka Castle, a towering symbol of Japan's feudal past — climb to the observation deck and look out over the sprawling modern city far below. Trace the painted screens and worn timber of the shogun's great audience halls.
Kyoto & Osaka (Nijō Castle, Osaka Castle)
Osaka hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 10 - Kyoto / Osaka
Link two great castles across two cities today. Cross the "nightingale floors" of Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto built to chirp like birds under the lightest step so no intruder could pass unheard, and stand in the gilded audience chambers where the balance of power once played out. Then travel to Osaka Castle, a towering symbol of Japan's feudal past — climb to the observation deck and look out over the sprawling modern city far below. Trace the painted screens and worn timber of the shogun's great audience halls.
Link two great castles across two cities today. Cross the "nightingale floors" of Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto built to chirp like birds under the lightest step so no intruder could pass unheard, and stand in the gilded audience chambers where the balance of power once played out. Then travel to Osaka Castle, a towering symbol of Japan's feudal past — climb to the observation deck and look out over the sprawling modern city far below. Trace the painted screens and worn timber of the shogun's great audience halls.
Kyoto & Osaka (Nijō Castle, Osaka Castle)
Osaka hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 11 -Osaka
Meet Osaka's quiet side and its roar in a single day. Start gently — walk through Kitahama, where elegant early-modern buildings line the river, and explore the world-class Museum of Oriental Ceramics. But Osaka is a city of the senses, so by evening, plunge into Dōtonbori: crane up at the towering neon, the famous running-man sign and the giant mechanical crab, the air thick with takoyaki and sizzling okonomiyaki. Then follow the crowds into the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi, where the appetite for food, fashion, and fun runs late into the night. Snack your way down the arcade on takoyaki and skewers as the neon flickers overhead.
Meet Osaka's quiet side and its roar in a single day. Start gently — walk through Kitahama, where elegant early-modern buildings line the river, and explore the world-class Museum of Oriental Ceramics. But Osaka is a city of the senses, so by evening, plunge into Dōtonbori: crane up at the towering neon, the famous running-man sign and the giant mechanical crab, the air thick with takoyaki and sizzling okonomiyaki. Then follow the crowds into the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi, where the appetite for food, fashion, and fun runs late into the night. Snack your way down the arcade on takoyaki and skewers as the neon flickers overhead.
Osaka (Kitahama, Dōtonbori, Shinsaibashi)
Osaka hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 11 -Osaka
Meet Osaka's quiet side and its roar in a single day. Start gently — walk through Kitahama, where elegant early-modern buildings line the river, and explore the world-class Museum of Oriental Ceramics. But Osaka is a city of the senses, so by evening, plunge into Dōtonbori: crane up at the towering neon, the famous running-man sign and the giant mechanical crab, the air thick with takoyaki and sizzling okonomiyaki. Then follow the crowds into the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi, where the appetite for food, fashion, and fun runs late into the night. Snack your way down the arcade on takoyaki and skewers as the neon flickers overhead.
Meet Osaka's quiet side and its roar in a single day. Start gently — walk through Kitahama, where elegant early-modern buildings line the river, and explore the world-class Museum of Oriental Ceramics. But Osaka is a city of the senses, so by evening, plunge into Dōtonbori: crane up at the towering neon, the famous running-man sign and the giant mechanical crab, the air thick with takoyaki and sizzling okonomiyaki. Then follow the crowds into the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi, where the appetite for food, fashion, and fun runs late into the night. Snack your way down the arcade on takoyaki and skewers as the neon flickers overhead.
Osaka (Kitahama, Dōtonbori, Shinsaibashi)
Osaka hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 11 -Osaka
Meet Osaka's quiet side and its roar in a single day. Start gently — walk through Kitahama, where elegant early-modern buildings line the river, and explore the world-class Museum of Oriental Ceramics. But Osaka is a city of the senses, so by evening, plunge into Dōtonbori: crane up at the towering neon, the famous running-man sign and the giant mechanical crab, the air thick with takoyaki and sizzling okonomiyaki. Then follow the crowds into the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi, where the appetite for food, fashion, and fun runs late into the night. Snack your way down the arcade on takoyaki and skewers as the neon flickers overhead.
Meet Osaka's quiet side and its roar in a single day. Start gently — walk through Kitahama, where elegant early-modern buildings line the river, and explore the world-class Museum of Oriental Ceramics. But Osaka is a city of the senses, so by evening, plunge into Dōtonbori: crane up at the towering neon, the famous running-man sign and the giant mechanical crab, the air thick with takoyaki and sizzling okonomiyaki. Then follow the crowds into the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi, where the appetite for food, fashion, and fun runs late into the night. Snack your way down the arcade on takoyaki and skewers as the neon flickers overhead.
Osaka (Kitahama, Dōtonbori, Shinsaibashi)
Osaka hotel (3–4 star)
Breakfast included
Day 12 -Nara
End where Japan's history began: Nara, the country's first permanent capital, more than 1,300 years old. Follow a path of hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, pause at the Ukimidō pavilion floating on its own reflection, and walk into Nara Park, where more than 1,000 sacred deer roam free — hold out a cracker and a few will bow their heads before taking it. Then step inside Tōdai-ji Temple and look up: a bronze Great Buddha some 15 meters tall, seated in the dim, cavernous hall of one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Feed a bowing deer a cracker before stepping into the hush of the Great Buddha hall.
End where Japan's history began: Nara, the country's first permanent capital, more than 1,300 years old. Follow a path of hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, pause at the Ukimidō pavilion floating on its own reflection, and walk into Nara Park, where more than 1,000 sacred deer roam free — hold out a cracker and a few will bow their heads before taking it. Then step inside Tōdai-ji Temple and look up: a bronze Great Buddha some 15 meters tall, seated in the dim, cavernous hall of one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Feed a bowing deer a cracker before stepping into the hush of the Great Buddha hall.
Nara (Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara Park, Tōdai-ji Temple)
Breakfast included
Day 12 -Nara
End where Japan's history began: Nara, the country's first permanent capital, more than 1,300 years old. Follow a path of hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, pause at the Ukimidō pavilion floating on its own reflection, and walk into Nara Park, where more than 1,000 sacred deer roam free — hold out a cracker and a few will bow their heads before taking it. Then step inside Tōdai-ji Temple and look up: a bronze Great Buddha some 15 meters tall, seated in the dim, cavernous hall of one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Feed a bowing deer a cracker before stepping into the hush of the Great Buddha hall.
End where Japan's history began: Nara, the country's first permanent capital, more than 1,300 years old. Follow a path of hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, pause at the Ukimidō pavilion floating on its own reflection, and walk into Nara Park, where more than 1,000 sacred deer roam free — hold out a cracker and a few will bow their heads before taking it. Then step inside Tōdai-ji Temple and look up: a bronze Great Buddha some 15 meters tall, seated in the dim, cavernous hall of one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Feed a bowing deer a cracker before stepping into the hush of the Great Buddha hall.
Nara (Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara Park, Tōdai-ji Temple)
Breakfast included
Day 12 -Nara
End where Japan's history began: Nara, the country's first permanent capital, more than 1,300 years old. Follow a path of hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, pause at the Ukimidō pavilion floating on its own reflection, and walk into Nara Park, where more than 1,000 sacred deer roam free — hold out a cracker and a few will bow their heads before taking it. Then step inside Tōdai-ji Temple and look up: a bronze Great Buddha some 15 meters tall, seated in the dim, cavernous hall of one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Feed a bowing deer a cracker before stepping into the hush of the Great Buddha hall.
End where Japan's history began: Nara, the country's first permanent capital, more than 1,300 years old. Follow a path of hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, pause at the Ukimidō pavilion floating on its own reflection, and walk into Nara Park, where more than 1,000 sacred deer roam free — hold out a cracker and a few will bow their heads before taking it. Then step inside Tōdai-ji Temple and look up: a bronze Great Buddha some 15 meters tall, seated in the dim, cavernous hall of one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Feed a bowing deer a cracker before stepping into the hush of the Great Buddha hall.
Nara (Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara Park, Tōdai-ji Temple)
Breakfast included
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Policies
Important Travel Information
Talk to Our Team
Every journey is different. Our Japan Travel Specialists are here to answer your questions, refine every detail, and help you choose the itinerary that best matches your interests, travel style, and pace.
Inclusions
- Pick up and drop off service - Charter Vehicles - Tour Guide - Accommodations (11 nights, Double/Twin room, 3-4 star) - Meal (Breakfast / Dinner: Day5) - Entrance tickets and activities in the itineraries. - Shinkansen (Tokyo - Kanazawa, Kaga Onsen → Tsuruga) - Limited-express Thunderbird (Tsuruga → Kyoto) - Inbound Travel Insurance
Exclusions
Cancellation
Additional Info
Talk to Our Team
Every journey is different. Our Japan Travel Specialists are here to answer your questions, refine every detail, and help you choose the itinerary that best matches your interests, travel style, and pace.
Talk to Our Team
Every journey is different. Our Japan Travel Specialists are here to answer your questions, refine every detail, and help you choose the itinerary that best matches your interests, travel style, and pace.
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