8-Nights Essential Tokyo & Kyoto: The Fuji Coastline Route from $4,019

Itinerary Details

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo

Transfer: Tokyo Haneda Aptto Tokyo - Minato & Bay

Hotel: Shiba Park Hotel (3 Star Rating)

Welcome to the best in Japanese hospitality, the Shiba Park Hotel. It is the tradition of this hotel to serve the local and overseas guests alike, with their well-trained, friendly and helpful staff. They offer many services regardless of whether you are travelling on business or pleasure.

This is the perfect introduction tour to Tokyo. Travel around Tokyo using the city's sophisticated and efficient subway and train lines together with your private guide visiting some of Tokyo's main sites. Start the day with a visit to Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple. After visiting the temple grounds, take time to stroll along Nakamise shopping street to look for souvenirs. Then continue to Tsukiji Outer fish market (many shops are closed on Sundays and on some Wednesdays). Along the market streets you will find different types of food stalls selling fish, seafood, vegetables, fruit, dried goods, as well as kitchenware shops. Stroll through the market with your guide and choose to sample food from the food stalls or visit one of the small restaurants for lunch (hint hint...this is the place to try the freshest sushi and sashimi so we recommend you go to a restaurant). After lunch, hop back on the train to travel across the city to Shibuya Crossing, the largest pedestrian crossing in the world. This will be a short visit to walk across the busy crossing, see the neon signs and cross it off the bucket list. While there you will also visit Hachiko Square. Then take a short train ride to Meiji Shrine. Meiji Shrine is a Shinto Shrine surrounded by Meiji Jingu forest and it will suddenly feel like you are no longer in metropolitan Tokyo. Walk through the peaceful shrine grounds and if you are lucky, you may see a Shinto priest. After visiting the shrine, your guide will either say goodbye so you can continue exploring the area or escort you back to your hotel.

Depart from your hotel in Tokyo and drive approximately two hours to the Izu Peninsula. Your first stop is the Kadowaki Suspension Bridge and the dramatic Jogasaki Coast, part of the UNESCO Global Geopark and the Fuji - Hakone - Izu National Park. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the rugged coastline while taking in sweeping ocean views.

Afterward, continue by private vehicle to the town of Kawazu, famous throughout Japan for having the earliest cherry blossoms in the country, typically appearing in early February. The cherry trees in Kawazu are known for their larger blossoms and deeper pink hues, with the town having 850 trees that line the river. The town is still worth a visit at other times of the year though; we suggest a short stop at the Mine Onsen Fountain Park to see the geyser - which erupts seven times a day - and enjoy a relaxing foot bath. Kawazu also has many charming local restaurants specializing in seafood and soba noodles; but the most notable dish seems to be the wasabi rice bowl.

Your tour continues to Joren no Taki (Joren Waterfall), the tallest waterfall in the Amagi Mountains at 25 meters. The falls serve as the starting point for several hiking trails and are surrounded by vivid green wasabi fields, which thrive along the riverbanks. Take time to explore the area and try some wasabi-flavored treats. If time allows, proceed to the Ikadaba wasabi fields for a firsthand look at traditional wasabi farming. Covering 15 hectares, these fields contain more than 1,500 Mazuma and Misho wasabi varieties.

At the end of the day, your driver will take you to your ryokan or hotel for the evening.

Hotel: Izu Marriott Hotel Shuzenji (5 Star Rating)

Izu Marriott Hotel Shuzenji is nestled in a tranquil forested area of the Izu region, offering peace and natural scenery while still being reasonably accessible via a complimentary shuttle from Shuzenji Station. The hotel features a full range of facilities: a public hot-spring onsen bath and hot-stone spa, a 24-hour fitness center, a restaurant, a café lounge, and amenities for families - making it a balanced pick for both relaxation and convenience.

Today is free for you to explore Shuzenji Onsen at your own pace. This charming hot spring town in Naka-Izu is celebrated as the oldest onsen village on the Izu Peninsula and offers a serene atmosphere steeped in history. Begin your visit at Shuzenji Temple, an important Buddhist site founded more than a millennium ago, then wander through the nearby Bamboo Grove, a peaceful walking path lined with tall, whispering bamboo that creates one of the most picturesque spots in town. Continue your stroll to the iconic red Togetsukyo Bridge and onward to Hie Shrine, set amid towering cedar trees. Before moving on, take a moment to relax with a soothing foot bath at Tokko-no-Yu, the historic hot spring is believed to have been discovered by Kobo Daishi, a Japanese Buddhist monk, scholar, poet and calligrapher who founded one of Japan's major Buddhist schools.

You can also spend time browsing traditional shops offering handmade crafts, regional treats, and locally produced sweets. The town is dotted with charming cafes and inviting restaurants.

Hotel: Fujisan Mishima Tokyu Hotel (3 Star Rating)

Fujisan Mishima Tokyu Hotel is a stylish hotel located near Mishima Station, offering modern rooms with comfortable bedding, free Wi-Fi, and breathtaking views of Mount Fuji. The hotel features a rooftop open-air bath, a fitness center, and convenient access to the Shinkansen, making it an excellent base for exploring the Fuji region and nearby attractions.

Hotel: Hotel Vischio Kyoto (4 Star Rating)

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by Granvia is conveniently located just a short walk from Kyoto Station. The property offers sophisticated, modern rooms with all the essentials including comfortable beds and spacious layouts. The hotel's relaxed ambiance, friendly service, and convenient amenities like a fitness center and restaurant make it a great base for exploring Kyoto.

Shizuoka’s unique geography stretches from Japan's highest peak, Mt. Fuji (3,776m) to the Japan's deepest bay, Suruga (2,500m) in the Pacific Ocean. Thus, Shizuoka has lots of places where you can enjoy magnificent views of Mt. Fuji from different perspectives.

First, you will head to Nihondaira Plateau which offers an elevated panoramic view of Mt Fuji with the urban port town of Shimizu and Suruga bay below. Take the Nihondaira Ropeway to reach the summit of the plateau and visit Kunozan Toshogu Shrine which was dedicated to the first shogun of the Edo period.

Next, you will visit a new observatory called Nihondaira Yume Terrace designed by world renowned architecture Kengo Kuma in 2018. From here, you can also enjoy the views of Mt. Fuji from a different vantage point. After the visit, walk down to Nihondaira Ocha Kaikan (green tea shop) for a brief visit and enter the back garden. It is a local known hidden viewpoint from which you can observe Mt.Fuji at a green tea farm. You can also enjoy a tea leave picking experience here from the end of April to October.

Today’s final stop is Miho no Matsubara where a 30,000 pine tree-lined beach stretches 7km along the Suruga bay coast. The blue sea and white crashing waves, woven with the green pines, together create a landscape not unlike a painting. It has been listed as one of the Japan's three most celebrated scenic location as well as the part of constituent asset of Mt.Fuji UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

A celebrated site, the world - famous Fushimi Inari Shrine sees millions of visitors every year. Thousands of bright red torii gates line the mountain trail of Fushimi Inari Shrine. Walking through the truly unique vermillion gate pathway is a visually stunning experience. Inari is the Japanese God of rice harvest. It is also believed to bless businesses with an abundance of fortunes, hence its popularity with merchants. The shrine complex spans over the entire Mt. Inari (233m/765ft).

On your tour, you will visit the main shrine hall. Then, you will proceed through the famed vermillion gate tunnel. Next, visit a temple that once caught fire and was reconstructed a century after it was first constructed. Then visit Sanjusangendo, at 120 meters it is the longest wooden structure in Japan. Inside, you will find 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist saint of Mercy.

Continue to the celebrated UNESCO site, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which is older than Kyoto as the capital of Japan. Built for Kannon, the Buddhist saint of mercy, this temple is said to grant wishes of all kinds - and especially so for women praying for safe childbirth. The temple is famous for its wooden platform stage, the Kiyomizu Butai. The massive stage was constructed out of wood and joints - no nails. At four stories high, it was once a popular wish-making spot.

Then visit Kinkakuji Temple, a favorite to millions of visitors each year, you will quickly see why this jewel set into the northern hills is one of the most visited sites in Japan. It is covered in real gold leaf and vibrant at any time of year no matter the weather. Your last stop is Kintano-tenmangu, a remarkable shrine to scholarship that was built to appease the spirit of an angry ghost. The shrine's surrounding entertainment district was first built after a fire in 1444, when a large section of the temple had to be rebuilt, and the remaining timber was used to construct 7 tea houses that became the first 'flower town' or Geisha district in Kyoto.

Transfer: Kyoto - City Centre to Osaka Kansai International Airport