Welcome to Japan! Upon landing at Tokyo’s Narita Airport or Haneda Airport, go directly to the arrival hall and you will meet our enthusiastic and helpful English-speaking assistant, who will usher you to board the shared shuttle to take your family to the hotel. Have a good rest at the hotel carefully selected by our picky accommodation experts, and get ready for your wonderful family tour to Japan.

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Our guide will be waiting for you in the lobby after breakfast. We will start with the Meiji Jingu Shrine to experience the long and profound Shinto history of Japan.

Tokyo National Museum

Next, we’ll visit the Tokyo National Museum. Take a close look at a variety of artifacts that have survived thousands of years of history, including paintings, pottery and carvings from Japan and other Asian countries, as well as distinctive kabuki costumes and samurai armors, complemented by helpful cultural notes and stories narrated by our guide. ► Tip: Visit the Fukagawa Edo Museum instead if it happens to be a Monday when the museum is closed.

Tsukiji Fish Market

At noon, visit the Tsukiji Outer Market and get amazed by a variety of food shops and authentic sushi and teppanyaki restaurants here.

Senso-ji Temple

Next, let’s delve into the Asakusa area. Walk through the magnificent Kaminarimon Gate leading to the bustling Nakamise-dori Street, and visit the Senso-ji Temple at the end of the street. At the big incense burner in front of the main hall, remember to do like the locals to bath your head and body with the incense smoke, which is said to dispel diseases and eliminate disasters.

Tokyo Skytree

Looking east from the Senso-ji Temple, you can see the towering Tokyo Skytree, which at 634 meters (2,080 feet) is the second tallest man-made structure in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Our guide will take you there, point out the best place to take photos, and give you the tickets. Climb up the tower by yourself to the Tembo Deck at a height of 350 meters (1,148 feet), and enjoy your free time taking in the panoramic view of Tokyo. On a clear day, the Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance. After enjoying the sunset or night view, please return to the hotel by yourself. It takes 35 minutes and costs USD 2 by rail transit.

Nikko Tosho-gu

In the morning, our guide will pick you up from the hotel lobby at 8:00 for an express train ride to Nikko. After 2.5 hours, we will arrive at the Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine for a visit. Part of the Nikko World Heritage Site, it was founded in 1617 AD as a shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 - 1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Lake Chuzenji

Around noon, our guide would be willing to recommend you some popular local restaurants for your self-paid lunch. Afterwards, we will travel west by bus via the Irohazaka Winding Road, a thrilling yet scenic mountain path with 48 hairpin turns. Arrive at the Chuzenji Lake for a visit. Formed by volcanic lava eruptions, this is the highest natural lake in Japan.

Kegon Falls

Follow our guide for a hike on the lakeside trails and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding hills and woodlands. On the east bank of the Chuzenji Lake, the water rushes down into the valley below, forming a waterfall of nearly 100 meters (328 feet) high, which is the famous Kegon Falls. ★ Privilege of Our Guests: Unlike other tour operators who only take you to see the whole waterfall from a free viewing platform at the top, our guide will also take you down the elevator to the exclusive viewing platform (paid by us), which will give you an even more impressive view of the waterfall from below.

Mt. Fuji 5th Station

Today, we’re going to visit the iconic sight of Japan, Mt. Fuji. After breakfast at hotel, please go to the meeting place in Shinjuku by yourself before 8:15, on the 3rd Floor of Keio Plaza Hotel, which is a 15-minute walk northwest of your hotel. You can also take a taxi to the departure point in 5 minutes at a cost of USD 5. From here, the guide will accompany you on a 2 hours’ bus ride to the Mt. Fuji. The bus will run along the Subaru Line and directly take you to the Mt. Fuji 5th Station, a viewing platform halfway up the mountain, with an altitude of 2,300 meters (7,546 feet).

Hakone Ropeway

★ Lake Ashi Sightseeing Boat & Hakone Ropeway After lunch, the guide will take you to the Lake Ashi, one of the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko). Take a 15 to 20 minutes’ sightseeing boat on the cool blue waters of the lake, and you can spend a relaxing time just gazing quietly at the Mt. Fuji in the distance. Next, take the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway for 7 minutes up to the top of the Mt. Komagatake. Hike for about an hour at the top to visit the Hakone Mototsumiya Shrine and enjoy panoramic views of the Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi at its base from the observation deck. Our energetic guides will show you the best angles to take photos from. If time permits, we’ll drop by a souvenir corner before making our return trip. Take the bus for 2 hours to get back to Tokyo. We’ll return to Shinjuku Station around 20:30 in the evening, and you can walk just 1 minute south to your hotel.

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

We will reserve the train tickets from Tokyo to Nagano for you in advance. In order to have enough time to visit Nagano, we’ll arrange for you a train leaving early, at around 8:00. After an early breakfast, please pack your luggage and make your way to Tokyo Station in 20 minutes. Walk 7 minutes north from your hotel to Shinjuku Station to take the Chuo Line for 13 minutes (4 stops) to Tokyo Station. Here, please take the 1.5-hour bullet train ride to Nagano. Our local guide will meet you at Nagano Station. Walk 1 minute to the hotel to drop off your luggage, followed by a bus ride of about 1 hour to the Jigokudani Valley parking lot. This is the most distinctive feature of Nagano, and the highlight of your visit today. From the parking lot to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, there is a mountain path that is slippery with snow in winter and muddy in other seasons. After an enjoyable stay in the park, head back to downtown Nagano with the guide.

Kenrokuen Garden

After breakfast, pack your bags and walk 1 minute to Nagano Station and take the bullet train for 1.5 hours to Kanazawa (train tickets reserved and included). Upon arrival, our Kanazawa guide will meet you at the train station and accompany you to the hotel to drop off your luggage before we get to know the city. We’ll start with the classic Kenroku-en Garden, one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. Enjoy this beautiful garden, which dates back to the mid-17th century, with rivers and ponds running through and rockeries and pavilions everywhere.

Kanazawa Castle Park

Next, walk to the nearby Kanazawa Castle Park, famous not only for its 16th century castle, but also for the extensive green spaces and gardens that surround it, which is a great place for viewing cherry blossoms during spring and red maple leaves in autumn.

Omicho Market

At noon, head to the bustling Omicho Market, which is alive with a dizzying array of food stalls. If you like, you can try the local cuisine on the advice of the guide.

In the afternoon, we will take a walk in the Higashichaya Old Town, a former geisha district that has produced many famous geishas, traditional Japanese female performers. Now, you can see antique flagstone streets lined with two-story old wooden buildings, many of which are traditional tea houses. You can wander around the shops and buy Kanazawa’s specialty gold leaf handicrafts if you like. Finally, the guide will take you to the Nagamachi Samurai District. Look at the place where the samurais and their families once lived, with original earth walls and stone roads remaining intact. The guide will finally take you back to the hotel.

This morning, our guide will accompany you on a 1.5-hour express bus ride from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go. ★ Shirakawa-go Village is a Must-Visit World Heritage Site. Hidden in the mountains of Gifu and Toyama prefectures, this historic village has its own unique charm. Visit the most representative Wada House and Kanda House, and then board the Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck to enjoy the panoramic view of the whole village. Afterwards, the guide will take you to the Shirakawa-go Bus Terminal and give you the tickets to Takayama. The guide will leave and you need to take the express bus for 1 hour to Takayama. Upon arrival, please walk 10 minutes southwest to the hotel for check-in.

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

After breakfast, you need to pack your luggage and walk a few minutes to Takayama Station, which is next to the bus station where you got off the day before. Please take the express train for 2.5 hours to Nagoya (train tickets reserved and included). Upon arrival, our local guide will pick you up from the railway station and lead you to your hotel to drop off your luggage. Afterwards, we will visit the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, where you can see the collection of various Toyota vehicles, and more interesting, you can learn about the struggling journey of Toyota Group from an automatic loom manufacturer to an internationally renowned automobile brand.

Atsuta Jingu Shrine

Next, head to the Atsuta Jingu Shrine, a 1,900-year-old shrine that is revered in Japan. Worship the Atsuta-no-Okami, the chief deity enshrined here, and see the legendary sacred sword ‘Kusanagi-no-tsurugi’.

Later, the guide will take you past the tall Nagoya TV Tower (Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER) and Oasis 21 shopping mall before leaving you in Sakae, a bustling business district in the city center. Enjoy your leisure time here having dinner or going shopping on your own. Finally, you can easily walk 5 minutes east back to your hotel.

At 9:00, our guide will pick you up from your hotel and accompany you on a bus ride to Magome, the start of our trek along the Nakasendo Way. After a 2-hour bus to Magome, follow the guide and start hiking from here to Tsumago, which is about 9 km (5.6 mi) long and takes 3 hours. ­ Finally, we’ll get to Nagiso Station by bus, take the 1.5-hour express train back to Nagoya, and your guide will escort you to the hotel.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

After breakfast, please pack up and go to the Nagoya Station and take the train to Kyoto by yourself. We will book the trian tickets for you in advance. After half an hour, your local guide will meet you at Kyoto Station and escort you to your hotel to drop off your luggage. We’ll start by visiting the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which was the residence of Japanese imperial family from 794 to 1868 AD.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Next, head to the Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

After lunch, the guide will take you on a tour of the Pure Water Temple (Kiyomizu-dera Temple). Next have a walking tour from the busy streets of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka to the Yasaka Shrine for a visit

Gion

Finally, we'll reach Gion, the famous geisha district. Before 17:00, your guide will take you to a traditional tea house. Here, you will have an hour to enjoy the tea ceremony performed by a maiko, a younger geisha. Afterwards, enjoy Gion’s wonderful night view and take a taxi back to the hotel at your own expense.

Kyoto Railway Museum

At 9:00, our guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby and take you first to the Kyoto Railway Museum, where a series of locomotives and model trains are on display.

Philosopher's Walk

Next, go to the famous Philosopher’s Path, actually a walk of 1.5 km (1 mi) along a canal.

Follow your guide to stroll along the path until you come to the end, where lies the Ginkaku-ji Temple, commonly known as the Temple of Silver Pavilion and officially named the Higashiyama Jisho-ji.

Nishiki Market Shopping District

Around noon, your guide will take you to the bustling Nishiki Market, where you can tuck into Japanese delicacies such as dango, tempura, croquette, and matcha ice cream. ­ ­ ★ Unique Experience: Ninja-Samurai Lesson at a Dojo In the afternoon, visit a samurai dojo, put on ninja clothes or samurai armor, and think of yourself as an ancient samurai. Finally, the guide will accompany you back to your hotel.

Nara Park

Pack up after breakfast, and our guide will pick you up from the hotel to Kyoto Station for a 40-minute train ride to Nara. Walk a few minutes to the hotel to drop off your luggage, and we’ll begin exploring this ancient city with an unrivalled long history. Take a leisurely stroll to the Nara Park, a perfect blend of nature and history, and a landmark of Nara and a World Heritage site.

Kofuku-ji Temple

Visiting the Kofuku-ji Temple, you will be impressed by the ruins of its Five-story Pagoda and Buddhist halls, as well as the precious historical relics displayed in its National Treasure Hall.

Isuien Garden

After that, the guide will take you to a secluded spot, the Isuien Garden, an exquisite place that few people know about.

Next, explore the Great Eastern Temple to the north of the garden and behold the majestic giant bronze Buddha statue in its main hall.

Continue your stroll through the park and delve into a worship path lined with ancient stone lanterns, and you’ll uncover the Kasuga Taisha Shrine hidden in the pristine forest. The deer, revered as messengers of the divine, will accompany you through the Shinto halls. The guide will finally escort you back to the hotel.

Osaka Castle Park

After breakfast, walk with your luggage to the nearby Kintetsu-Nara Station for a half-hour train journey to Osaka on your own (train tickets included). Our guide will meet you at the train station and escort you a short walk to the hotel. After settling in, we’ll head to the Osaka Castle Park, featuring the towering Osaka Castle, a historic landmark that established in 1583.

Shinsekai

Next, head to Shinsekai, a colorful business district. Follow your guide as you go through the bustling streets lined with shops and restaurants, and here you can see the 103-meter-high (338-foot-high) Tsutenkaku (exterior).

Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine

After lunch near Shinsekai, we will start the afternoon trip to the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, for its must-see – the huge, photogenic vermillion arch bridge across the pool.

Sakai City Hall Observatory 21st Flour

Next visit the Sakai City Hall. Climb to the Observatory Lobby on the 21st floor and you will be amazed at the view of Osaka from above.

In the late afternoon, your guide will take you to Dotonbori, one of the busiest and most famous commercial and food districts in downtown Osaka. If time permits, we’ll walk down the Hozenji Yokocho filled with Japanese izakayas. Your guide will leave around 17:00, giving you some free time. Have dinner on your own and take a night stroll along the Dotonbori River before making your way back to the hotel.

Mt. Koya

Let’s get an early start today at 8:00. Your guide will pick you up from your hotel for a JR train to Mt. Koya, which takes 2.5 hours on the way. Take the Nankai Koyasan Cable to climb up, follow the guide on an unusual route, getting on the sightseeing bus to the farthest end of Koyasan Okunoin, and taking the reversed route to avoid the crowds. Visit the Koyasan Okunoin, whihch lies Japan’s largest cemetery and bears a mysterious atmosphere. Next, pay a special visit to the 1,200-year-old Kongobuji Temple, the largest temple in the center of the mountain. Continue to visit the Danjo Garan Sacred Temple. Appreciate its Kompon Daito Pagoda painted bright red, Golden Hall (Kondo), and antique Fudodo Hall. Finally, our guide will take you down the mountain and back to Osaka by express train.

Kitano Ijinkan-gai

In the morning, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and leave for Shin-Osaka Station for a half-hour ride to Kobe. After arriving, we’ll first visit the Kitano Ijinkan-Gai, a beautiful historic district with many foreign architectural features.

Next, head to the Port of Kobe, enjoy the magnificent sea view. At noon, your guide will take you to a reputable local restaurant for a taste of Kobe beef.

Himeji Castle

Afterwards, your guide will take you on a train ride of about an hour to Himeji, a small but elegant ancient city. Being one of the 12 original castles in Japan, the Himeji Castle is widely considered the most spectacular of them. Around 17:00, your guide will escort you to the Himeji Station. Please take a 20-minute train to Okayama by yourself (tickets reserved and included) and check into the hotel.

Okayama Korakuen Garden

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel at 9:00 and start the day from the Okayama Korakuen Garden.

Okayama Castle

After enjoying a lovely morning with fresh air here, we’ll take a 5-minute walk across the Tsukimi Bridge to the Okayama Castle opposite.

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

At noon, we will take the JR train for half an hour to Kurashiki. After a short break, our guide will take you on a tour of the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter. ­ Late in the afternoon, the guide will accompany you back to Okayama Station for a train to the next station, Hiroshima. Please take a 35-minute train there by yourself (tickets reserved and included), upon arrival at Hiroshima station, check into the hotel.

Itsukushima Shrine

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel at 9:00 for a convenient public transport ride to the dock, from where we will take the ferry to the beautiful Miyajima Island. Passing the grand torii, you will enter the Itsukushima Shrine. Before noon, return to the downtown for lunch. Your guide will show you the most distinctive local food Hiroshimayaki, a pan-fried dish made of flour, vegetables, and noodles.

Atomic Bomb Dome

In the afternoon, we’ll begin a special tour to the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Then we will explore Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum. ­ About 17:00, your guide will take you to Hiroshima Stationfor a train Fukuoka (tickets reserved and included). From here you need to take the bullet train by yourself for 1 hour to Hakata Station of Fukuoka and check into the hotel.

Meet our guide at your hotel lobby at 9:00, and we’ll first head to the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, a must-see in Fukuoka, by convenient public transportation.

Ramen Stadium

Before noon, we’ll head back to Hakata to visit the Ramen Stadium, which is home to many different ramen shops where you can sample Hakata flavored noodle soup and varieties of ramen from all over Japan.

Kushida Shrine

Next, walk a few minutes north with our guide to the Kushida Shrine. This shrine is not large, but it is the main venue for the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, Kyushu’s biggest festival every July.

Ohori Park

Later, the guide will take you to the Ohori Park, a poetic water park where you will spend an enjoyable afternoon visiting several representative sites on the island in the heart of a pond.

Momochi Seaside Park

Finally, we’ll visit the Momochi Seaside Park to experience Fukuoka’s charm as a major port. Look out over the beautiful Hakata Bay and take pictures of the high-rise Fukuoka Tower not far away for a perfect end to the day. The guide will finally accompany you to Hakata Station. From here, you need to travel on your own to Nagasaki by train (tickets reserved and included). Arrive in 1 hour and 40 minutes and walk 7 minutes north to check into the hotel we have booked for you.

Nagasaki Peace Park

Our guide and the driver will meet you at the hotel for a day trip of Nagasaki by private car. In the morning, we will learn about the tragic history of Nagasaki, Hiroshima’s twin city and also a victim of the atomic bombing in 1945. Visit the Nagasaki Peace Park, where you can lay flowers at the Peace Statue like other visitors.

Atomic Bomb Dome

Stroll through the Hypocenter Park to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and see the only wall of a church destroyed by the bomb. On the wall hangs a clock that had been deformed by the bomb and the clock hands stopped at 11:02, the moment the bomb was dropped.

Spectacles Bridge (Meganebashi)

Next, say goodbye to Nagasaki’s traumatic past and follow our guide to see what the city looks like now. Visit the Spectacles Bridge, the oldest stone arch bridge in Japan, built in 1634.

Shinchi Chinatown

Then we will drop by Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, a great place for lunch.

Glover Garden

Afterwards, visit the Glover Garden, a cluster of garden villas once inhabited by European merchants and rich people in the mid-19th century, and the inspiration and setting for Puccini’s opera ‘Madame Butterfly’. Take a walk and admire these fine buildings, and overlook the entire port of Nagasaki.

Dejima

★ Special Visit to Dejima - An Old Trading Port Finally, we’ll head to Dejima, where you might get a glimpse of a major step in Japan’s transition from feudal times to modernity. At about 17:00, the guide will take you to the Nagasaki Station. From here, you need to take the express train by yourself for 2 hours to Kumamoto (tickets reserved and included) and check into our selected hotels, which is just 3 minutes’ walk east of Kumamoto Station.

Kumamoto Castle

After breakfast, our guide will pick you up from your hotel. First, go to the Sakuranobaba Josaien at the entrance to the Kumamoto Castle, a commercial area where you can enjoy folk shows and local delicacies.

Kato Shrine

Visit the nearby Kato Shrine, which honors Kato Kiyomasa (1562 – 1611 AD), a general and the founder of the Kumamoto Castle.

Former Hosokawa Mansion

Next, walk to the nearby Former Hosokawa Mansion to see one of Japan’s few superior samurai residences.

Kumamon Square

★ Meet Kumamon – Japan’s Superstar Mascot Take a walking tour to the Kumamon Square, where you can visit the office of Kumamoto Prefecture’s official mascot, Kumamon, from which he travels around Japan and the world. You can take photos and leave messages here.

Suizenji Jojuen Garden

In the afternoon, we will visit the Suizenji Jojuen Garden. Leisurely walk in, and you can not only worship the Izumi Shrine, but also enjoy the tranquil landscape. The most interesting are the 53 scenic spots of Japan’s eastern Tokaido region in miniature, among which the imitation of Mount Fuji is the most striking.

Next, the guide will lead you to the Shimotori Arcade, Kumamoto’s most vibrant shopping street, where you can comfortably walk through the glass-roofed corridor and explore the food and souvenir stores. The guide will take you to the Kumamoto Station in the late afternoon. Please travel by bullet train for 1 hour to Kagoshima (tickets reserved and included) and check into the hotel by yourself. It takes about 10 minutes by bus or tram from the Kagoshima Station to the hotel.

After breakfast, our guide and the driver will be waiting for you in the hotel lobby to take you in a private car to begin today’s tour. We’ll start by exploring Sakurajima, a unique island in Kagoshima Bay having one of the most active volcanoes in Japan, with frequent small eruptions and smoke coming out of the crater. After landing, we will travel around the island, visiting the Yunohira Lookout, Akamizu Observatory Square, Arimura Lava Lookout, and Kurokami Buried Shrine Gate. Climbing to the Yunohira Lookout halfway up the Mt. Sakurajima, you can look out over Kirishima in the distance on a clear day.

Sengan-en

At noon, head back to downtown Kagoshima for a stroll through Tenmonkan Street. In the afternoon, visit the Sengan-en Garden to enjoy the unique rocks and beautiful man-made landscape that blend perfectly with the natural scenery.

Shiroyama Observatory

Next, our guide will take you to the Shiroyama Observatory on the Mt. Shiroyama, where you can overlook Kagoshima city and Sakurajima.