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Discover the incredible breadth of Japan’s culture and history, from the contemporary flair of Tokyo to the charms of traditional Kyoto, visiting historic temples, overnighting at a sought-after ryokan and sampling its culinary treasures.
Highlights
- English-Speaking Resident Tour Director and Local Guides
- Hand-Selected Luxury Accommodations
- Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
- Travelling Bell Boy Luggage Handling
- Breakfast in Bed on Select Days
- Full Breakfast Daily; Select Lunches and Dinners
- Your Choice of Activity on Design Your Day
- Traveller’s Valet Laundry Service
- Internet Access
- Entrance Fees, Taxes and All Gratuities Except Resident Tour Director
- 24/7 A&K On-Call Support
- Guaranteed Departures with Just Two Guests
Itinerary
DAY 1
ARRIVE TOKYO, JAPAN
Arrive in Tokyo, Japan’s exciting and modern capital. Transfer to your hotel, located near the Imperial Palace.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
DAY 2
TOKYO | SPIRITUAL CENTERS & EXCLUSIVE WORKSHOP
This morning, visit Asakusa Kannon Temple. This colorful pagoda-style temple was completed in 645 and is dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy in several East Asian spiritual traditions. Continue to a family-owned workshop that specializes in Japanese drum making, and try your hand at playing the taiko, on an A&K-exclusive experience. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before exploring the Tokyo National Museum, the oldest national museum in Japan and home to a vast collection of Japanese art and antiquities. Continue to Meiji Shrine, a Shinto complex dedicated to an emperor that was rebuilt after World War II. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3
TOKYO | DESIGN YOUR DAY
Start your day at a local fish market, a bustling hub of Japanese daily life boasting a dizzying array of seafood. Then, receive a lesson in sushi making, followed by lunch, during a Chef ’s Table experience. This afternoon, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities.
Explore the Mori Art Museum to take in local contemporary art. Learn the Secrets of the Samurai Warriors and test your sword skills during a private class led by a modern-day master samurai.
Indulge in a Sake Tasting, sampling some of Japan’s finest sake and learning about its cultural importance. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4
HAKONE | TRADITIONAL RYOKAN
Travel to Hakone, among Japan’s most popular hot-spring destinations, and view the forested slopes of Hakone National Park, an area encompassing coastlines, mountains, lakes and more than 1,000 volcanic islands. Board an aerial tram rising above the wooded slopes for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Savor a lunch of Japan’s famed Kobe beef before strolling the grassy hillsides of Hakone’s Open Air Museum. Admire the impressive contemporary sculptures and artwork on display, including masterpieces by Henry Moore and Rodin. The museum also features one of the world’s finest Picasso exhibits, presenting visitors with some 300 works by the cubist master. Tonight, experience unparalleled service and traditional Japanese cuisine at Gôra Kadan, a top-rated ryokan (traditional inn), which is also your authentic accommodation for the night.
Gôra Kadan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5
OSAKA | DOTONBORI DISTRICT DELICACIES
After breakfast at your ryokan, visit the Okada Museum of Art to view its stunning collection of paintings, ceramics, lacquerware and bronzes from Japan, Korea and China. Then, Ride Like a Local by bullet train to Osaka. Historically known as a merchant city, it is today renowned as Japan’s undisputed culinary capital, where diners indulge in everything from octopus dumplings to okonomiyaki, a battered, grilled concoction of chopped cabbage, meat or seafood, and seaweed, topped with mayonnaise. This evening, take in city views, refreshing drink in hand, on a Scenic Sundowner, before you set out on a foodie tour in the popular Dotonbori District, sampling dishes from the brilliantly lighted and gastronomically creative restaurants that line the street.
The St. Regis Osaka
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6
NARA | INSIGHTS INTO A PROFOUNDLY SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
Travel to Nara, Japan’s first capital, to visit Todai-ji, a temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Proceed to Nara Park, home to hundreds of deer, venerated here as divine spirits, which you have the opportunity to feed by hand. Complete your Nara excursion with a visit to celebrated Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and experience a Shinto ceremony firsthand. Pause for lunch at a local restaurant before proceeding to the Kehaya-za Sumo Pavilion, where you observe a demonstration of this fabled Japanese sport by two sumo wrestlers. Return to your hotel, where you enjoy dinner.
The St. Regis Osaka
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7
KYOTO | THE GOLDEN PAVILION & BAMBOO GROVE
Travel into Kyoto early this morning to contemplate the iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, the perfect spot for a meditative moment, and discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion) — covered with gold leaf and surrounded by green gardens — casting its delicate reflection in the tranquil pond beside it. After lunch, explore the Arashiyama neighborhood, including the garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling along a winding path as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots, considered by many a healing experience.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 8
KYOTO | HILLSIDE VIEWS & TEA TRADITIONS
Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple for stunning views of Kyoto. Proceed to a local temple to experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and etiquette, which dates to the time of the samurai. Tonight, savor traditional Japanese cuisine, while an attending geiko (as a geisha is known in Kyoto) and maiko (apprentice geisha) dance, sing, pour sake and share stories about life in modern Kyoto.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 9
DEPART KYOTO
After breakfast, transfer to Kansai International Airport or Itami Airport, both located just outside of Osaka, for your flight home, or begin a post-tour extension to Hiroshima.
Meals: Breakfast
Departures & Rates
Prices are in AUD, per person for 2023, based on double occupancy.
MAR 03 – MAR 11 from $16,895 pp
MAR 10 – MAR 18 from $19,005 pp
MAR 17 – MAR 25 from $19,710 pp
MAR 20 – MAR 28 from $20,415 pp
MAR 24 – APR 1 from $20,415 pp
MAR 27 – APR 4 from $20,415 pp
MAR 31 – APR 8 from $20,415 pp
APR 03 – APR 11 from $20,415 pp
APR 07 – APR 15 from $20,415 pp
APR 10 – APR 18 from $19,710 pp
APR 17 – APR 25 from $19,005 pp
MAY 08 – MAY 16 from $19,005 pp
MAY 15 – MAY 23 from $19,005 pp
SEP 18 – SEP 26 from $19,005 pp
SEP 25 – OCT 03 from $19,005 pp
OCT 02 – OCT 10 from $19,290 pp
OCT 09 – OCT 17 from $19,290 pp
OCT 16 – OCT 24 from $19,290 pp
OCT 23 – OCT 31 from $19,290 pp
OCT 30 – NOV 07 from $19,290 pp
NOV 06 – NOV 14 from $19,290 pp
NOV 13 – NOV 21 from $19,290 pp
Important Terms
- Cancellations to be made up to 30 days prior to departure in the event of a COVID-related reason (some exceptions apply) — whether at home or in your travel destination — and receive a credit toward future travel. Standard cancellation terms apply to travel for 2023 and beyond.
- This journey includes long walks. Minimum age is 10 years.
- First group event: welcome briefing at 8:00 a.m. on Day 2. Last group event: farewell dinner at 7:00 p.m. on Day 8. Departures are guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 2 guests.
*Rates are subject to availability and seasonality and may change without notice. Rates are based on two adults sharing. For solo travellers or single person occupancy rates or further information on terms and conditions, please contact our Travel Specialists at time of booking.
Accommodation
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
New, luxurious hotel near the Imperial Palace.
Gôra Kadan, Hakone & Mt Fuji
Intimate ryokan (traditional inn) located in Hakone National Park.
The sublime Gora Kadan is situated in the striking Hakone National Park. The former retreat of the Kanin-no-miya imperial family, the Gora Kadan is elegantly designed with tatami-style rooms, sliding-doors and futons overlooking a green valley of pine trees and celebrated cherry trees.
A mesmerising mixture of traditional and modern, the Gora Kadan offers the very best of Japanese hospitality and an authentic experience. Slip into your kimono and explore the grounds, then feel the 21st century melt away as you relax in the tranquil Onsen amongst the trees and bamboo forests or have all of your cares smoothed away with a traditional Shiatsu massage.
The St. Regis Osaka
Luxurious, award-winning hotel located near the city center.
Located along the famed street of Midosuji, heralded as the Champs Elysées of Osaka, the St. Regis Osaka is an eloquent expression of comfort, tranquillity and refined Japanese aesthetics. Each of its 160 rooms and suites are elegantly furnished with all the amenities you would expect, with the highlights being opulent marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, exclusive Remède bath amenities, walk in closets and picturesque city views.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Beautiful and contemporary hotel set among tranquil gardens.
Just 15 minutes’ drive from the famous Gion Geisha District, the Four Seasons is perfectly positioned for exploring the historical and culturally rich city of Kyoto. Set in the scenic district of temples, the hotel has been designed around a beautiful 800-year old ikeniwa, or pond garden.
The spacious guest rooms blend refined, modern aesthetics and the creations of Japanese artisans – including washi-paper lamps, fusuma screens and urushi lacquerware.
The hotel’s eclectic mix of restaurants, lounges and bars will satisfy even the most discerning foodies, including their unique Tea House, set in a beautiful 800-year-old pond garden. A specialist sushi restaurant serves up fresh and elegant creations at the characterful, 10-seater Hinoki counter.
