Splendours of Japan
From CAD $8050
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(10 reviews)
Celebrate the changing seasons as the jangle of bells and boom-boom-bang of drums accompany a captivating parade of festival floats on the streets of hillside Takayama. The Activity Level of this tour is Dynamic, meaning this journey features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 8 Breakfast (B)
- 3 Lunch (L)
- 4 Dinner (D)
Be My Guest
- Kyoto: Meet Nakamura Family for a kaiseki lunch at a traditional Japanese Restaurant near Kyoto and learn about local customs.
Dive into Culture
- Ginza: With the guidance of your professional sushi chef, make your own selection of sushi specialties. Afterwards enjoy the fruits of your labor with a delicious lunch.
- Takayama: Join the locals at the Takayama Festival.
Iconic Experience
- Tokyo: Visit Tokyo's renowned landmarks and gain insight into how this modern city preserves its ancient roots.
- Tokyo: Visit the Tokyo National Museum to browse collections of Japanese art and archaeological objects.
- Mt Fuji: Start your day by visiting the small rural village of Oshino Hakkai which is home to eight natural spring water ponds. Next on your travels is a 2,300-meter winding road to Mt. Fuji 5th Station. To end your day, you will ride up to Mt. Tenjo by ropeway and bask in the breath-taking views.
- Gokayama: Take some time to admire the peaceful mountain village of Gokayama. Discover their unique homes that have been built without the use of nails and their sloped thatched roofs.
- Kanazawa: Learn about the delicacy of the 16th-century craft gold leaf painting with your Local Specialist.
- Kanazawa: Enjoy a stroll through Omicho market before making your way to the beautiful Gardens of Kenrokuen which have been shaped over the past one hundred years.
- Kyoto: Admire the beautiful golden pavilion of Kinkakuji Temple.
- Kyoto: Your city tour takes you to the orange gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Admire this sacred site before visiting Sanjeusangen-do-Hall, where you can view the 1,001 "thousand-handed" goddesses of mercy statues. Continue your exploration of Kyoto with a walking tour through the Gion district.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Gokayama: Help support a local business with a visit to a washi paper workshop. You'll watch the family at work and test your paper-making skills for yourself. Your experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Tokyo and Kyoto
- Visit the Sensoji Temple, the Skytree Observation Tower, the National Museum in Tokyo, the 5th Station of Mount Fuji, as well as the Kinkaku-ji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and Sanjusangen-do Hall in Kyoto.
- View Mt. Fuji
- See the traditional Gassho-zukuri houses in Gokayama and the beautiful gardens of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa
Trip Details
Product Code: 34489
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Explorer
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 177.1556C
Starts: Tokyo, Japan
Finishes: Osaka, Japan
Duration: 9 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $8050 ($894 /day)
Itinerary
Your in-depth exploration of Japan begins in Tokyo. On arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport, take a shuttle bus transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you’ll join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a drink and local appetizers.
Accommodation: New Otani Garden Tower
Begin your city tour in Asakusa,Tokyo's historic entertainment district, where you’ll encounter the Sensoji Buddhist Temple, one of the city's most colorful and popular temples. Founded in 628 and rebuilt many times over the centuries, Sensoji is Tokyo’s oldest temple site. Next, stroll down Nakamise Street and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Shitamachi (downtown Tokyo), admiring the wooden dolls, colorful chiyogami(origami paper) and traditional Japanese sweets. Ascend Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest free-standing broadcasting tower, for panoramic views of the city skyline.
Accommodation: New Otani Garden Tower
Meals: Breakfast
Your first stop today is the Imperial Palace Plaza, where you can view the two bridges that form the entrance to the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace. You'll have the opportunity to explore the leafy Imperial Palace East Gardens before continuing your city tour. At the Tokyo National Museum, browse collections of Japanese art, then continue to the Ginza district to learn the art of sushi-making with a professional sushi chef. Next, venture to the Five Lakes District, keeping a keen eye out for the UNESCO-listed Mt. Fuji, which dominates the landscape.
Accommodation: Fuji Marriott Yamanakako
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Admire the reflections of the sky and landscapes in the clear waters, then ascend Mt. Fuji by road to the 5th station at 2,300 meters. Ride up Mt. Tenjo on the Kachikachiyama Ropeway next, for jaw-dropping views (weather permitting) of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. Then, journey through the Japanese Alps to the beautiful hillside town of Takayama, where you'll enjoy dinner at the hotel. In the evening, visit the Takayama festival where you'll see the spectacular sight of floats decorated with glowing lanterns.
Accommodation: Associa Takayama Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Immerse yourself in tradition as you walk through the Edo-style streets of Takayama's Old Town. Enjoy a lunch of Japanese Hida-gyu – beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, renowned as one of the finest quality varieties of beef. After lunch, soak up the town’s festive atmosphere. Admire the intricately carved yatai (floats), some dating back to the 17th century, featuring karakuri ningyo (mechanical marionettes) that move and dance under the skilled control of tsunakata (puppeteers). Later, return to the hotel.
Accommodation: Associa Takayama Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Journey back in time this morning during a visit to the peaceful, UNESCO-listed village of Gokayama, nestled among five mountain valleys. Admire the unique construction of the local Gassho-zukuri wooden houses that have been built without the use of nails with steeply sloped thatched roofs to prevent snow from accumulating. Later observe local artisans making washi paper and try your hand at crafting your own. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience contributes to the sustainability of this small business. Then, continue to Kanazawa, take a short walk through the Omicho market and enjoy an insider’s view of everyday life in a busy coastal town. Next, visit the gardens of Kenroku-en, shaped over a hundred years before meeting a Local Specialist to learn the secrets of gold leaf painting.
Accommodation: Kanazawa Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast
Board an express train this morning to Kyoto, where you'll connect with locals at a traditional restaurant on your Be My Guest experience. Learn about local Japanese customs from your hosts. After lunch, visit the UNESCO-listed Kinkakuji Temple, home to the famous Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion), the proud symbol of Kyoto and a Zen temple, which has its origins as a 14th-century villa.
Accommodation: Kyoto Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
The blazing orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine guide your path through the forest, up into the mountains and to a sacred site that has heard prayers for prosperity and happiness since the 8th century. Continue to Sanjusangen-do Hall and admire the intricate detail of its 1,001 statues of the “thousand-handed” goddesses of mercy. Then, enjoy a walking tour through the Gion district, known for its traditional wooden machiya houses and geisha culture. This evening, indulge in dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travelers.
Accommodation: Kyoto Tokyu
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your encounter with Japan’s age-old traditions and modern cityscapes comes to an end, take a transfer by airport shuttle service to Kansai International Airport for your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Robert Ferrucci - Traveled, June 2025
Yes. This is my 6th trip with Trafalgar, starting with the Scandinavian countries in 2001. I have not done any group tours with other groups. 6 trips speaks for itself. Great trip to 5 cities. I had never been across the Pacific before. I enjoyed experiencing the culture and friendliness of the Japanese people. I could have spent more time at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima. I had this same feeling on another Trafalgar trip at the Viking Museum in Oslo. The food was good too, especially the Japanese pizza on the final night. We were a congenial group of 21 travelers, 19 Americans and a couple from Australia. I myself met a friend who lives just outside Niigata, who took a 2 hour bullet train to stay at our first hotel, the New Otani in Tokyo., with a beautiful Japanese garden with a waterfall and a great view of Skytree from my 23rd floor room. going up Skytree was a great experience. I'm glad I made the trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/05/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2025
Booking was easy and service provided by our tour director was very good. A great itinerary as there were lots of interactive activities such as paper making, sushi making and tea ceremony. There was also a lot of site seeing and we covered a good part of the country. The food was excellent, the included dinners were good and not too rushed. Most accommodation was good but some hotel rooms were quite small. Out tour director, *Personal information removed by Feefo*, was exceptional with great knowledge and humour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/22/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2025
Yes Good tours. More time in Hiroshima Advance notice that our luggage would not be at every hotel. Tour director was very knowledgeable and helpful. Should have organized email addresses of this on the tour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/28/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2025
The tour guide, *Personal information removed by Feefo*, was excellent. She could not have been more caring and knowledgeable about Japan. It is a busy itinerary that keeps you on your toes. There are two long bus days. The hotels were of a high standard, some better than others. Included meals were good, with the exception of the "special" lunch in Kyoto which was almost universally poorly received by the group. The meal consisted of small portions of gourmet fish dishes, but it lacked popular appeal. The meet and transfer at Haneda was handled wonderfully.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/22/2025
Myra Mazlin - Traveled, May 2025
very accommodating took great care of us. tour operator Ako great hotels great location pace was excellent good group.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/13/2025
Nigel Hall - Traveled, May 2025
Wonderful service. Showcased many amazing aspects of Japan. Food, history, temples, shrines, onsens, great hotels, fabulous tour director and safe efficient bus drivers.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/13/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2025
*Personal information removed by Feefo* our guide was excellent, she clearly loves her country. All the drivers were good, professional and the buses were clean. Overall the itinerary was good. It would have been better if we had spent less time at the smaller shrines allowing for more time to explore on our own.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/02/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2025
Overall Trafalgar service was very good with nice hotels in good locations. Tour manager could have a bit more organized. Bus seats should have been assigned and seat rotation explicitly implemented rather than asking people to do it voluntarily which didn't work very well. Tour manager should make sure that all people are out of the bus before we start walking for sightseeing. Providing name tags will result in better communication within the group. It was a good itinerary. Tour manager was very nice, knowledgeable and helpful with extensive knowledge about history and culture of Japan.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/04/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2025
Some public places were extremely busy and hard to follow our tour guide. Some hotels were short handed and the arrival arrangements were a little dis-organized. We got to see a lot of Japan and learned about its history through our tour guide.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/02/2025
Cesario Gentallan - Traveled, April 2025
Trip was well organized, *Personal information removed by Feefo* our Travel Director was very efficient and Coach Drivers were highly trained and safe. My recent trip to Japan was amazing, especially the places I visited, delicious food, bullet train experience, culture, observed how disciplined are the Japanese people, their hospitality and honesty.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/06/2025
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