Highlights
- Experience Tokyo's legendary markets, palaces, and temples with a private tour
- Cruise Lake Kawaguchi and view Mount Fuji from Arakurayama Sengen Park
- Visit Kyoto, Japan's cultural heartland, and experience a traditional tea ceremony
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Tokyo, Michelin Fine Dining Experience | Tokyo |
| Day 2 | Full-Day Tokyo City Tour, Luxury Afternoon Tea | Tokyo |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Mount Fuji, Cruise Lake Kawaguchi & Whisky Tasting | Fujikawaguchiko |
| Day 4 | Bullet Train to Kyoto, Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, Geisha Performance & Dance | Kyoto |
| Day 5 | Visit Kyoto's Zen Temples, Kimono Tea Ceremony, Samurai & Ninja Museum | Kyoto |
| Day 6 | Day Trip to Nagoya, Maruya Hatcho Miso Factory Tour | Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Transfer to Tokyo, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo, Michelin Fine Dining Experience
Welcome to Japan! With over 2,000 years of history and a mesmerizing blend of ancient tradition and cutting-edge innovation, the country is home to some of East Asia's most beautiful scenery and natural landmarks. Upon arrival at the airport, you'll take a private transfer to the city's capital, Tokyo, where ancient temples stand in the shadows of gleaming skyscrapers. Your destination is the Peninsula Hotel, located opposite the Imperial Palace and close to Ginza, the capital's glamorous shopping neighborhood.
Check into your deluxe room or suite, internationally styled with modern elements of Japanese design and furnished in soft grays and earth tones. Floor-to-ceiling windows with views over the Tokyo skyline and marble bathrooms complete the look. Ease into your stay with a cocktail at the hotel's hip and stylish Peter's Bar, then relax as your driver transfers you to one of the city's Michelin-starred restaurants. Whether you choose authentic Japanese and kaiseki cuisine or delicious French or Italian fare, you'll spend the evening sampling the city's gastronomy.
Day 2: Full-Day Tokyo City Tour, Luxury Afternoon Tea
Spend today discovering Tokyo's myriad sights and dynamic foodie scene with a private city tour. You'll start with a visit to the Tsukiji Outer Fish Market. Dating back to the Edo period, the market comprises around 400 shops and restaurants jostling for attention in the area's historic lanes. Roam the counters with your guide and try an array of delicacies, including fresh and dried seafood, traditional snacks, and cooking ingredients. Meanwhile, hear tales of Japan's culinary culture, how washoku (traditional Japanese food) is prepared, and feast on fresh seafood sushi for breakfast.
Next, you'll visit the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, the only public part of the palatial complex. Admire the seasonal flowers, fountains, and teahouses, and take in the views of the double-arched Nijubashi Bridge. Continue to the colorful Senso-ji in Asakusa, one of the city's most significant Buddhist temples. Slip past the giant lanterns on the Kaminarimon (the temple's outer gate) and stroll the lively Nakamise-dori, a street lined with traditional souvenirs, snacks, and sweets.
You'll end your immersion into Tokyo city life with afternoon tea at one of the city's premier locations. Choose between the Lobby Bar at The Tokyo EDITION, for sweeping views of the capital and the infamous Tokyo Tower, or visit The Lounge at Four Seasons Tokyo. Here, you'll enjoy an assortment of sweets and savories in the modern, elegant setting while soaking up the city skyline. Later on, the nearby roof bar at Shibuya Sky, a 360-degree open-air observation deck, is the perfect spot to unwind with a glass of fizz and take in the panoramic views.
Day 3: Transfer to Mount Fuji. Cruise Lake Kawaguchi & Whisky Tasting
This morning, leave behind Tokyo's bustling city streets in favor of one of Japan's most revered natural attractions, Mount Fuji. The country's highest peak and an active volcano (known as Fuji-san to locals) towers more than 12,000 feet (3,776 m) into the sky and is considered one of Japan's three sacred mountains, attracting pilgrims from all over the world. Your private tour starts with a 2.5-hour scenic drive to Arakurayama Sengen Park, the perfect spot to see Mount Fuji framed against the beautiful Chureito Pagoda.
Continue your tour of the area in the afternoon with a cruise on Lake Kawaguchi—nestled within the mountain's foothills and banked by forests and grasslands; it's a serene location to glimpse the famous peak from a distance. Your final stop is the Fuji Gotemba Whisky Distillery. After learning about and seeing the whisky-making process firsthand, you'll enjoy a tasting of the different spirits before your driver drops you at your accommodation.
Your home for the night is Hotel Konansou in the Fuji Kawaguchiko Onsen resort, ideally situated for splendid views of the volcano and with a delightful rooftop terrace overlooking the lake. Check in to your deluxe room, traditionally furnished in a Japanese, minimalist style with warm neutrals and featuring an outdoor bath with views to the snowcapped peak. Unwind after a day of sightseeing in the hotel's onsen (spa) and when you're ready, opt for dinner, served either in your room or in the hotel's restaurant.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 4: Bullet Train to Kyoto, Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, Geisha Performance & Dance
Kyoto has long been established as Japan's cultural and ancient heartland, synonymous with temples, geishas, and tea houses. You'll discover the city's traditions, landmarks, and more as you board a high-speed Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. Meet your driver and private guide at the station, then head straight out to one of the city's most memorable sights, the eighth-century Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine.
Stroll the walkway composed of thousands of vermillion-colored torii gates (all donated by individuals and businesses as a sign of appreciation to the god Inari). After a gentle hike up the mountain, you'll reach the shrine. Take in the sweeping views of the countryside before returning to your driver. Your accommodation for the next three nights is Ryokan Genhouin, a 100-year-old traditional Japanese inn, once the aristocratic mansion of Count Yamashina. Luxury rooms feature terraces leading directly onto the inn's highlight—a beautiful Japanese garden.
The decor throughout the ryokan is traditionally Japanese and minimalist, with beautiful wooden furnishings and screens. After a soak in the hot tub, it's time to get ready for this evening's visit to a traditional machiya, where you'll experience a geisha dance performance and dine on an authentic Japanese kaiseki meal of fish, meat, vegetables, rice, soup, and pickles. At the end of the show, you'll have the opportunity to take photos with the performers.
Day 5: Explore Kyoto's Zen Temples, Kimono Tea Ceremony, Samurai & Ninja Museum
Continue your discovery of Kyoto's temples this morning, starting with a private tour of one of its most famous—Kinkaku-ji, known as the Golden Pavilion. Set within a beautifully landscaped garden overlooking a serene pool, the temple is considered one of the world's 100 most holy sites. With a history dating back to 1397, your guide will reveal how the temple exchanged hands over the years. Don't miss a visit to the temple's top two floors, entirely covered in gold leaf.
Your next destination is the Ryoan-ji temple. A UNESCO World Heritage site with a history dating back to the 11th century, Ryoan-ji gained international fame primarily for its rock garden—one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui, a style of Japanese gardening founded on Zen ideology. Pause on the veranda of the adjacent Hojo Hall and immerse yourself in the peaceful vibe.
In the afternoon, you'll experience one of Japanese culture's most unique traditions—the highly ritualized art of taking tea, a ceremony known as sado or chanoyu, born in late 16th century Kyoto. Meet your driver and head to a tea house in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward. Here, you'll be invited to change into a kimono and learn the importance of Zen and meditation before sampling traditional Japanese sweets and drinking traditional matcha green tea. Afterward, stop at the Samurai and Ninja Museum, a fascinating opportunity to glimpse the ninja's secret items, weapons, and tools.
Day 6: Day Trip to Nagoya, Maruya Hatcho Miso Factory Tour
Just half an hour's train journey from Kyoto lies Nagoya, famous as the home of Toyota and its state-of-the-art automobile, aircraft, and manufacturing industry. You'll explore the city's renowned tech heritage with private tours of Toyota's Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology and the Toyota Automobile Museum. Discover the history and cultural significance of one of the region's most important companies, then delve into the world of cars with a fascinating exhibition of over 120 automobiles from all eras of the motoring age, including Porsche, Subaru, and Rolls-Royce.
Next up is a trip to the Maruya Hatcho Miso Factory in Okazaki. Meet your driver and transfer an hour outside the city to one of the oldest manufacturers of this classic soybean seasoning. With a history dating back almost 700 years, the factory still employs traditional methods to make its hatcho miso (a variety of the red miso and the Aichi prefecture's most popular variation). Enjoy a private guided tour of the facilities and the vast rows of miso tubs before concluding your tour with a tasting of Japan's signature seasoning.
Toward the end of the afternoon, return to your hotel and spend your last night in Kyoto dining at one of the town's exceptional restaurants before raising a toast to your trip.
Day 7: Transfer to Tokyo, Depart
Your week of luxury in Japan has come to an end. At the scheduled time, your driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your onward connection or your flight home. Safe travels!
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