8-Nights Japan In Style: Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka from $8,265

Itinerary Details

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo

Transfer: Tokyo Haneda Aptto Tokyo - Ginza

Hotel: The Gate Hotel Tokyo by HULIC (4 Star Rating)

The Gate Hotel Tokyo by HULIC is a contemporary boutique hotel in the heart of Ginza, blending sleek design with warm Japanese hospitality. Stylish rooms feature modern comforts and expansive city views, while the rooftop terrace and on-site restaurant provide refined spaces to unwind. With its prime location near upscale shopping, dining, and transit, the hotel offers an ideal base for exploring Tokyo.

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.

This morning, try your hand at making one of Japan's most well-known dishes during a sushi-making experience. First, you will get an introduction to this beloved type of cuisine and to Japanese food culture in general. Under the guidance of a skilled instructor, you will then have the chance to create some deliciously fresh sushi yourself. You will of course get to enjoy your homemade creations for lunch.

This morning, leave Tokyo behind as you journey to Hakone, the gateway to Mt Fuji and surrounding national park. Once in Hakone, you will have the chance to explore the Hakone "Loop". The loop can be done in clockwise or anticlockwise order, and your guide will decide the best course depending on where you are staying tonight, the season and how busy Hakone is when you visit.

The loop typically includes a journey up to the Gora area to ride the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani volcano crater, where you can try the tasty black eggs boiled in water bubbling up from within the volcano itself. Also included in the day's arrangements is a cruise across Lake Ashi. On clear weather days, you may be able to see Mt. Fuji peeping over the mountains (visibility is best from November to March). After the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel or ryokan in Hakone.

Hotel: Hakone Kowakien Ten-Yu (4 Star Rating)

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu is an onsen hotel that combines traditional Japanese design with modern amenities. Every guest room includes a private open-air hot spring bath, and guests also have access to large public onsens, restaurants, and gardens. The hotel is located near attractions including Yunessun hot spring theme park, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum, making it a convenient base for exploring the area.

Transfer: Hakone - Gora to Odawara Station

Hotel: The Thousand Kyoto (5 Star Rating)

The Thousand Kyoto is situated 1.2 km from Sanjusangen-do Temple and 2.3 km from Tofuku-ji Temple. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi. The accommodation features a concierge service, luggage storage space and currency exchange for guests.

All rooms at the hotel have air conditioning, TV and a private bathroom with a bath, a hairdryer and free toiletries. The units will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle.

Arashiyama is a district in the western outskirts of Kyoto, the area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural setting. Visit the Okochi Mountain Villa to see the several beautiful gardens and buildings, including living quarters, tea houses and a zen meditation hall. Next, take a walk through Arashiyama's famous bamboo groves and continue the tour to Tenryuji Temple, one of Kyoto's five great Zen temples and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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. At 120 meters, Sanjusangendo is the longest wooden structure in Japan. Inside, you will find 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist saint of Mercy.

Then stop at a 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.

For 74 years during the 8th century, Nara was Japan's capital and many important religious and traditional sites still remain. First, you will visit beautiful Isuien Garden which is divided into two distinct parts that were built two centuries apart. The garden is a striking example of Japanese horticulture, borrowing the water from the Yoshikigawa River and the mountain backdrop of Mt. Wakakusayama to create its striking look.

Next, take a wander through Nara Park, called Deer Park by locals due to the large population of more than 1,000 tame deer living here. Within the park is Todaiji Temple, the world's largest wooden building and home to Japan's largest Buddha.

The next stop is Nara's most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns which have been donated by worshipers. To contrast the many temples and shrines you have enjoyed today, you will end the day with a stroll around Naramachi, a charming historic merchant district showcasing some exceptionally well-preserved "machiya" Japanese town houses. If you have some time to spare, a few of these beautiful houses offer free entry to give you a chance to peek inside and get a feel for traditional Japanese home architecture.

Your guide will take you back to your hotel at the end of the day.

Transfer: Kyoto - City Centre to Osaka - Dotonbori & Namba

Hotel: Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel (5 Star Rating)

Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel occupies from 38th to 57th floors in 60 stories iconic tallest complex building "Abeno Harukas" in Japan. All 360 guest rooms features floor to ceiling window overlooks magnificent Osaka city as far as eyes can see. Our signature restaurant on 57th floor offers Western, Japanese and Teppanyaki with breath-taking views to create the ultimate dining experience. Other than that, a live buffet restaurant for casual mood, or the stylish designed lobby lounge and bar located on the reception area of 19th floor is the perfect for you taking a break between exciting sightseeing or business. Those seeking the perfect venue for a business meeting or ceremony party will enjoy our hotel's intelligently designed, flexible event space. Our location makes it easy to explore the exciting Osaka; easy access to the every corner by subway and JR, and just about 30 min from Kansai International Airport.

First visit Osaka Castle, the largest castle in Japan when first built in 1583. This impressive castle is surrounded by impressive stone walls and moats, and sits in Osaka Castle Park, covering an area of two square kilometers.

Take a walking tour of the Dotonbori, a popular shopping and entertainment district, also known as a food destination. At night it is lit by hundreds of neon lights and mechanized signs, including the famous Glico Running Man sign and Kani Doraku crab sign. Here you will sample some of Osaka's famous Takoyaki (octopus dumplings).

Head across town to the Shinsekai area, known among locals as being part of the "retro" area of Osaka. The old markets and buildings with a mid-1900s feel are a throwback to an age gone by. Contrast this with a visit to the amazing Abeno Harukas skyscraper at the end of the day. At 300 meters, this is the tallest building in Japan and so offers astounding views of the whole city from its observation decks, occupying the top 3 floors of the building. You will have some time here to take in the 360-degree view of Japan's second-largest metropolis.

Transfer: Osaka - Dotonbori & Namba to Osaka Kansai International Airport