Tokyo, Kanazawa & Osaka (4 Star) - 10 Days

On arrival in Tokyo, we provide a shared car transfer from the airport to our centrally located hotel. If you land after 20:30, you’ll need to arrange your own transport to the hotel or book a private pick-up with us. Rest well – your Tokyo touring begins tomorrow.

We start early at Tsukiji Outer Market for a taste of Tokyo’s food culture – think fresh tuna, tempura and tamagoyaki. We continue to Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine set within tranquil woodland and dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Weekends often feature traditional wedding processions. From Marunouchi we walk towards the Imperial Palace area to view the Nijubashi bridges and moat – classic Tokyo photo spots. This afternoon we visit Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple (founded 628). Pass the giant lantern at Kaminarimon, stroll Nakamise-dori for traditional snacks and souvenirs, and see the five-storey pagoda. Your guide can help if you’d like to try omikuji fortune slips. We return to the hotel together.

We take the train to Hakone, riding the historic Tozan Railway through forested slopes, then the ropeway to Owakudani for volcanic views and the chance to try the famous black eggs. On clear days, Mt Fuji appears. We continue by ropeway to Lake Ashi and board a sightseeing boat for wide views of the lakeshore and, weather permitting, Mt Fuji and the lakeside torii of Hakone Shrine. We return to Tokyo by train.

Tokyo - Kyoto. You transfer to Kyoto independently using reserved tickets. It’s a 1-minute walk to Kayabacho Station, 3-minute Tozai Line ride to Otemachi, then onward to Tokyo Station for the 2.5-hour train to Kyoto. Your Kyoto guide meets you on arrival and helps with hotel check-in. We visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and its Mirror Pond garden, a showcase of Muromachi-period aesthetics and Zen influence. We stroll Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka to Kiyomizu-dera for city views and the Otowa Waterfall, whose three streams are associated with health, learning and good relationships. We explore Gion, including Hanami-koji, where you may glimpse geiko and maiko en route to appointments. You can return with the guide or continue exploring on your own – Yasaka Shrine is especially atmospheric after dark; taxis back take about 10 minutes.

Kyoto - Nara - Kyoto. We begin at Fushimi Inari Taisha, famed for its thousands of vermilion torii climbing Mt Inari – each donated in thanks for prosperity under the patronage of Inari, deity of rice and business. We take the train to Nara Park, home to over 1,000 semi-wild deer. They may bow for the special deer biscuits – feed piece by piece and keep the packet tucked away. At Todai-ji we see the Great Buddha Hall and learn how Emperor Shomu commissioned it in the 8th century to pray for national peace. A forest path leads to Kasuga Taisha, known for its lanterns and four main halls. We finish in Naramachi, a preserved merchant district, and visit the Naramachi Lattice House to understand townhouse life. Return to Kyoto by train.

Kyoto - Osaka. We visit Nijo Castle, seat of Tokugawa power in Kyoto, with ornate gates and palace interiors. We take the half-hour train to Osaka, check in, then head to Kuromon Market for lunch options – fresh seafood, kushikatsu, charcoal-grilled wagyu and classic sweets. Some stalls are cash-only, so carry small yen. Afternoon at Osaka Castle: ride the lift to the main keep museum and enjoy city views. Late March-early April brings blossom across the park. Before dusk we reach Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi. Our guiding here hits the daily legal limit, so after a short orientation you explore and dine at your own pace – takoyaki, teppanyaki, sushi trains and more. Your hotel is under a 10-minute walk from Shinsaibashi.

Osaka - Hiroshima - Osaka. You take the 1.5-hour bullet train to Hiroshima independently with reserved tickets. From Shinsaibashi Station, ride the Midosuji Line 12 minutes to Shin-Osaka for the bullet train. On arrival, your guide meets you. We ferry to Miyajima to see Itsukushima Shrine and its “floating” Grand Torii at high tide. The shrine’s vivid architecture pairs with sea and forest views for one of Japan’s most iconic scenes. Back in Hiroshima we visit the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, then the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum for context and remembrance. Your guide returns you to the station for your train back to Osaka. Tip: With multiple rail and bus legs over the next three days, consider forwarding your main suitcase to Tokyo and packing a small carry-on. Your guide can help arrange delivery.

Osaka - Kanazawa. You travel about 2 hours to Kanazawa with a change at Tsuruga using reserved tickets. Your Kanazawa guide meets you and assists with check-in. We tour Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s top three landscape gardens, designed for “six attributes” of a perfect garden – spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, watercourses and panoramas. Seasonal highlights include cherry blossom in April, azaleas in May-June, autumn colour in November, and winter yukitsuri rope supports. We continue to Higashi Chaya, a preserved teahouse district akin to Kyoto’s Gion. Kanazawa is Japan’s centre of gold leaf production – the city is known for gold leaf sweets and even ice cream. We finish in Nagamachi, the former samurai quarter, with earthen walls, narrow lanes and well-preserved townhouses.

Kanazawa - Tokyo. We take the express bus about 1.5 hours to Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO-listed village known for gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouses built without nails, using joinery and ropes to withstand snow and earthquakes. We visit Wada House and Kanda House, then view the village from the Ogimachi lookout. We return to Kanazawa for your reserved train to Tokyo. On arrival, it’s a 3-minute walk to Otemachi Station, Tozai Line two stops to Kayabacho for our hotel.

Enjoy a relaxed morning. Allow 1-1.5 hours from central Tokyo to either airport by metro plus express train. Please plan your own transfer or ask us to arrange a private send-off.