8-Nights Classic Japan - Small Group Journeys from $14,995
Abercrombie & Kent
OFFER ID 1677223
A history-laden land of both continuity and contrast, Japan endlessly fascinates. From the daytime buzz and nighttime flash of cosmopolitan Tokyo to the quiet charms of traditional Kyoto, immerse yourself in a breadth of firsthand experiences, visiting ornate temples, overnighting at a sought-after ryokan and savoring culinary treasures.
8 nights from $14,995 per person
Itinerary Details
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
Meals:
2 Tokyo - Spiritual Centers & Exclusive Workshop
Visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, a colorful pagoda-style temple completed in 645 and 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, 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:
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 Tokyo's Art Scene with a visit to Mori Art Museum or the Museum of 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:
4 Hakone - Traditional Ryokan
Travel to Hakone, among Japan's most popular hot-spring destinations, and immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Board an aerial tram rising above the wooded slopes for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Enjoy lunch before strolling the grassy hillsides of Hakone's Open Air Museum. Admire the impressive contemporary sculptures and artwork on display, including pieces by Henry Moore and Rodin. The museum also features one of the world's finest Picasso exhibits, with over 100 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 accommodation for the night.
Gora Kadan
Meals:
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 to explore the popular Dotonbori District, sampling dishes from the brilliantly lighted and gastronomically creative restaurants that line the street.
The St. Regis Osaka
Meals:
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. Afterward, experience a Shinto ceremony firsthand at the celebrated Kasuga Taisha Shrine. 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:
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.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
Meals:
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.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
Meals:
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:
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
Meals:
2 Tokyo - Spiritual Centers & Exclusive Workshop
Visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, a colorful pagoda-style temple completed in 645 and 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, 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:
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 Tokyo's Art Scene with a visit to Mori Art Museum or the Museum of 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:
4 Hakone - Traditional Ryokan
Travel to Hakone, among Japan's most popular hot-spring destinations, and immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Board an aerial tram rising above the wooded slopes for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Enjoy lunch before strolling the grassy hillsides of Hakone's Open Air Museum. Admire the impressive contemporary sculptures and artwork on display, including pieces by Henry Moore and Rodin. The museum also features one of the world's finest Picasso exhibits, with over 100 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 accommodation for the night.
Gora Kadan
Meals:
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 to explore the popular Dotonbori District, sampling dishes from the brilliantly lighted and gastronomically creative restaurants that line the street.
The St. Regis Osaka
Meals:
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. Afterward, experience a Shinto ceremony firsthand at the celebrated Kasuga Taisha Shrine. 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:
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.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
Meals:
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.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
Meals:
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:
Excursions
Kobe - Osaka Day Tour
Highlights:
- Osaka Castle
- Umeda Sky Building
- Shitennoji Temple
- Dontonbori
Tour can operate: Afternoon
Wheelchair Accessible: No – due to the nature of the sites and the transportation
Physical Activity Level: Moderate – involves walking and exploring multiple sites
Inclusions: (include any info regarding transportation to/from the Cruise ship in this section)
- Transfers and sightseeing as specified in the itinerary by private vehicle
- Services of driver and private English-speaking guide during sightseeing and transfers (different guide and driver in each city)
- Local restaurant lunches including 1 drink per person (soft drink, local beer, bottled water, tea or coffee)
- Pier permits
- Complimentary local bottled water during sightseeing/transfers
- Entrance fees while sightseeing
- Any accommodations/ meals/ flights/ sightseeing/ transfers other than specified
- Excess baggage charges
- Gratuities to the local guides and drivers
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Any expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, minibar charges, telephone charges, etc.
- Any visa
If you can visit only one city in Japan, Kyoto is the one. This ancient city, 30 mi/50 km northeast of Osaka, was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years and still is considered the country's spiritual capital. Thousands of shrines and temples dot the city, including more than a dozen on the UNESCO World Heritage list. That list is far from all-inclusive, and many excellent places that might be the star attractions of other cities crowd the streets of Kyoto. It is a center of Japanese Zen and has several huge monastery complexes where serious students still sit in meditation.
Kyoto is also the nation's capital of traditional arts. Whether your interest be in pottery, textiles, dance, the tea ceremony or any of the other innumerable arts, Kyoto has excellent galleries, museums, shops and tea houses. Japanese people from the countryside and foreign students flock there to learn under the great masters. Much of what is considered Japanese haute cuisine was developed there too, as an offshoot of the tea ceremony.
Kyoto is Japan's heartland of history. With 1,300 years of tumultuous existence, the city's past intrudes upon the present day as in few other Japanese cities. In Gion, you can spot a geisha (or geiko, as they are called in Kyoto), one of the last hundred or so in Japan, slipping down a side-street to entertain rich guests with witty conversation, dance or music. A shopping arcade may suddenly fill with discordant clanging music as a shrine festival passes among the shoppers, or you may hear the long chant as Zen monks pass through the neighborhood, calling for alms.
Kyoto is an understated city that might disappoint visitors at first (at first glance, it is a large city with modern buildings that might not align with one's original perception); its charm lies in small details, pocket gardens, tiny traditional restaurants and refined artwork.
Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.
Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place.
The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions.
Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.
Excursions
Wheeling Your Way Through Tokyo - 6 Hours
Wheeling Your Way Through Tokyo - 6 Hours
Forget the bus, get out of the car, and by no means take the subway – experience Tokyo by bicycle a seemingly unusual way to explore one of the world’s largest megalopolises. But once on your bike and pedaling through the city’s many and varied neighborhoods you will experience Tokyo in a truly unique way.
You will transfer to Chuo-ku, Tokyo where you choose your bicycle and try it out before setting off. Once ready and under the supervision of your cycling guide set off for the Tour de Tokyo pedaling your way through some of the distinctive districts that make Tokyo so memorable:–
↓
Tsukishima (traditional market area famed for its monjayaki savoury pancake) and Tsukiji Outer Market the largest seafood market in the world.
↓
Ginza (Tokyo’s chic shopping district – the city’s “Fifth Avenue”)
↓
Shinbashi Station (Japan’s oldest railway station)
↓
Azabu Juban Village (eclectic, eccentric and exciting – where trendy meets traditional)
↓
Roppongi, Aoyama and Harajuku & Omotesando (iconic architecture and fashion forward for today’s Tokyo)
↓
Yoyogi Park (site of the 1964 Olympic Village – weather permitting enjoy a picnic lunch)
↓
The New National Stadium (site of the 2020 Opening Ceremonies)
↓
Meiji Jingu Shrine (Tokyo’s revered Shinto Shrine set within a verdant forest park)
↓
Yoyogi National Stadium (Tange Kenzo’s stunning design for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games)
↓
Jingu Gaien Mall (the beautiful Gingko lined Avenue)
↓
Akasaka Palace (the magnificent State Guest House)
↓
Parliament House (the site of the National Diet)
↓
Imperial Palace Grounds (The Iconic Nijubashi Bridge and the moat)
↓
Tokyo Station + KITTE (Marunouchi Minami Exit side)
↓
15:00: Arrive at Chuo-ku, Tokyo – the end of this Tokyo tour
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
Reference this number when contacting our agency so we may better serve you. Also keeping this number handy will allow you to locate this document again quickly.
