Japan
Japan Golden Route — Tokyo, Hakone & Kyoto
The classic first trip to Japan — Tokyo's neighbourhoods and food, a ryokan night by Mount Fuji, and Kyoto's temples with a day trip to the deer of Nara. Shinkansen throughout on a rail pass.
Highlights
- Tokyo — Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and a guided food crawl
- Ryokan night with an onsen and Fuji views at Hakone / Kawaguchiko
- Kyoto — Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Gion and the Arashiyama bamboo grove
- Nara day trip — Todai-ji's Great Buddha and the bowing deer
Day by day
- 1
Arrive Tokyo
Meet on arrival, transfer to your hotel and collect your pocket wifi and rail pass. Evening walk through the lantern-lit lanes of a local neighbourhood.
- 2
Tokyo — old town
Senso-ji temple and Nakamise street in Asakusa, a boat down the Sumida river, the teamLab digital-art museum, and the observation deck at sunset.
- 3
Tokyo — modern city
The Meiji Shrine and Harajuku, the Shibuya scramble and Shibuya Sky, Shinjuku's back-alley izakaya at night on a guided food walk.
- 4
Tokyo → Hakone
Train to the Hakone hot-spring region. The 'round course' — pirate ship across Lake Ashi, the Owakudani volcanic valley by ropeway, the Hakone Open-Air Museum. Overnight in a ryokan with kaiseki dinner and a private onsen.
- 5
Hakone → Kyoto
Morning Fuji views from the lake, then the shinkansen to Kyoto. Afternoon at Kiyomizu-dera and a walk through the preserved Higashiyama lanes to Gion.
- 6
Kyoto — east and north
Fushimi Inari's torii tunnels early, then the golden Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji's rock garden and Nijo Castle. Evening tea-ceremony experience.
- 7
Nara day trip
Train to Nara for Todai-ji and its bronze Buddha, Kasuga Taisha's stone lanterns and the deer of Nara Park. Return to Kyoto.
- 8
Arashiyama → Osaka
The Arashiyama bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji at first light, then transfer to Osaka. Evening in the neon and street food of Dotonbori.
- 9
Depart
Transfer to Kansai (Osaka) airport.
What's included
- 8 nights — 4-star hotels + 1 night traditional ryokan, with breakfast
- Japan Rail Pass (7-day, ordinary) and a pocket wifi device
- Ryokan kaiseki dinner and private onsen
- Guided tours in Tokyo and Kyoto; all listed transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Meals not specified
- Temple, museum and attraction entry fees
- Optional experiences
Prices are indicative “from” rates per person on twin sharing, land only, and vary with season, hotel category and group size. Send an enquiry for a firm quote on your dates.
Make it yours
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