Japan World Heritage Tour

PERFECT FOR:

  • Families & travelers of all ages
  • Those who love everything Japanese
  • Nature, History & Architecture Lovers
  • Food Lovers
  • First time & return travelers of Japan

A Tour of Japan’s World Heritage Sites – TokyO, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto & Nara

12 Days / 11 Nights – Tour Code (JPW) – Land Only – private tour – daily departure

This unforgettable Japan tour takes you on a time journey to retrace the kingdom’s remarkable civilization, catching a glimpse of its revered UNESCO World Heritage Sites across seven alluring cities. Your introduction to Japan begins by touching down in one of most vibrant cities in the world – Tokyo. Its contrasts between the old and the new, the traditional and modern make this ancient and present-day capital an exciting place for travelers from all over the world. Here, soak up Tokyo’s bustling nightlife, sensational cuisine and electrifying cityscape.

Your Japan voyage continues on to Hakone, where the majestic Mt. Fuji warmly welcomes the visitor with its lush countryside, tranquil lakes and invigorating onsens. Then, journey to the heart of Japanese civilization to Takayama, a charming castle town of wooden homes and cobbled alleyways nestled in the Japan Alps, offering the visitor a rare glimpse into Japan’s Shogunate period. Here, visit the enchanting UNESCO World Heritage village of Shirakawa-go before continuing on to Kanazawa, yet another castle town steeped in Shogunate Era and home to the famous Kenrokuen Garden. Here, enjoy the city’s charming Higashi Chaya District, plus a fun-filled Japanese culinary lesson.

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Route Map, Luxury Japan Tour: Tokyo, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara

TOUR INCLUDES:

  • 7 Day Japan Rail Pass (Tourist Class)
  • 11 nights hotel accommodations per itinerary
  • Hotel breakfasts daily
  • Extensive private sightseeing with services of private guides via public transportation
  • Separate baggage transfer between Tokyo / Takayama / Kyoto

TOKYO (3 nights)

  • 3 nights at Cerulean Tower Hotel
  • Half-day Tokyo private walking tour visiting Meiji Shrine, Tsukiji Market & Sensoji Temple
  • Airport transfers by private car upon arrival

HAKONE (1 night)

  • 1 night at Ryokan Tensui Saryo | Hyatt Regency Hakone
  • Full-day sightseeing in Hakone, including rides on Hakone Ropeway and Lake Ashi Cruise

TAKAYAMA (2 nights)

  • 2 nights at Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan | Ryokan Hidatei Hanaougi
  • Half-day walking tour of Takayama Town
  • Full-day tour of UNESCO Shirakawa-go

KANAZAWA (2 nights)

  • 2 nights at Hyatt Centric | Hotel Nikko Kanazawa
  • Half-day tour of Kanazawa, including visits to the beautiful Kenroku-en Garden, Nomurake Samurai House and Higashi Chaya District
  • Japanese culinary lesson including Omicho Market Visit

KYOTO (3 nights)

  • 3 nights at Hotel Okura Kyoto | Dhawa Yura Hotel 
  • Full-day sightseeing of World Heritage Kyoto & Nara (1994)
  • Depart transfers to Osaka Airport (KIX o ITM) by shared shuttle van
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Day 1 Arrive Tokyo
Upon arrival, be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2 Tokyo
Today, enjoy a morning walking tour of Tokyo accompanied by your private guide (using public transportation). Visit Meiji Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a popular place for traditional Japanese weddings. Continue to Tsukiji Market, formerly the world’s largest fish market that is now a vibrant local market lined with street food stands, seafood, produce vendors and sushi stalls. Last and certainly not least, visit Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and wander down Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. Afternoon free at leisure to shop, eat and explore Tokyo on your own. (B)

Day 3 Tokyo 
Full day free at leisure to eat, shop and explore Tokyo on your own. (B)

Day 4 Tokyo / Hakone
This morning, travel by Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Odawara Station in Hakone. Commence sightseeing of this scenic area, home to the ever-sacred Fuji San. Here, enjoy various sights within Owakudani Valley, known for its beautiful lush mountain scenery, and enjoy rides on the Hakone Mountain Rail and Hakone Ropeway, a boat cruise on Lake Ashi and a visit to Hakone Sekisho, an important site for the history of transport and communication during the Edo period.  We’ll also visit the Hakone Open Air Museum if time permits. Check in at your Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) where a Kaiseki dinner (Japanese banquet style meal) will be served. Overnight in Hakone. (B,D)

Day 5 Hakone / Takayama
Transfer to Odawara Station on your own by taxi (at your expense) and board a Shinkansen (bullet-train) for Takayama, a heritage town steeped in rich history and nestled amidst stunning mountain scenery of the Japan Alps. Enjoy a tour of Takayama's Old Town with a visit to the famed Takayama Jinya followed by some sake tasting at a local brewery. Check-in at your ryokan and enjoy an authentic Japanese experience where an delectable Kaiseki Dinner (multi-course Japanese banquet meal) and soothing onsen (natural hot spring bath) await. (B,D)

Day 6 Takayama (Shirakawa-go)
After breakfast, enjoy a stroll through the morning market of Takayama. Afterwards, continue to Shirakawa-go, famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some dating 250 years back. Gassho-zukkuri translates as ‘Praying Hands,’ as the farmhouses’ steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer, and are designed to withstand the heavy snows which fall in the region. Return to Takayama in the afternoon. (B)

Day 7 Takayama /Kanazawa
Board your Shinkansen for Kanazawa. Upon arrival, commence sightseeing of the coastal heritage town of Kanazawa. Visits include Kenrokuen Garden, Nomurake and its charming Old Town (Higashi Chaya District). Overnight in Kanazawa. (B)

Day 8 Kanazawa
This morning, enjoy a fun-filled cooking lesson featuring Sushi-making, Tempura-making or local Kanazawa cuisine. Afternoon free at leisure to relax and explore charming Kanazawa on your own. (B)

Day 9 Kanazawa / Kyoto
Board your two-hour bullet train ride to Kyoto. Upon arrival, be met and enjoy an afternoon tour of beautiful Kyoto, visiting Kiyomizu Temple, Golden Pavilion and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. (B)

Day 10 Kyoto (Nara)
This morning, enjoy a visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates straddling a network of trails behind its main buildings leading into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari. Afterwards, travel via Express Train to Nara, on the outskirts of Kyoto. Nara is Japan’s first Capital from 710-784 A.D. and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Todaiji Temple, famed for being the world’s largest wooden building and houses one of the country’s largest Buddha statues. It is adjacent to Nara Park, where over 1,000 free-roaming deer abound. Last stop is Kasuga Taisha, one of the most celebrated shrines in all of Japan. Return to Kyoto in the afternoon. (B)

Day 11 Kyoto
Full day free at leisure to soak up Kyoto’s serene atmosphere and explore its many temples, shrines and heritage sites on your own. (B)

Day 12 Depart Kyoto
Transfer to Osaka Airport (Itami or Kansai) by shuttle van for your departure flight onward. (B)

****END OF PROGRAM****

2024 Price Chart (Prices valid through December 20, 2024)

Departs Daily

Twin SharingSingle Supplement
January – February6,9752,275
Mar. – Apr.7,7752,875
May7,5752,675
June – August6,9752,275
September7,3752,475
October – November7,5752,675
December7,3752,475
Tour requires minimum of 2 passengers to operate 

  • Prices are per person, based on double occupancy
  • Price includes entrance fees, hotel taxes and service charges
  • Price excludes all airfares, personal expenses, and meals not specified in itinerary
  • All sightseeing on private basis via use of public transportation
  • Tour commences in Tokyo and ends in Kyoto
  • Tour prices are based on travel completing within the above said period. Due to hotel rate differences, pro-ration of tour price may be required for travel spanning two calendar months. Contact us for details.
  • Peak Season Surcharges or blackout dates apply during Sakura season (Cherry Blossoms in late March – mid April), Golden Week Holiday (April 29-May 6) & December Holiday period (Dec. 24- Jan. 03). Please contact us for details and restrictions.
  • All hotels and tours are subject to availability at time of reservation

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Tokyo’s bright lights & big city vibes 
  • Sensoji Temple & Tsukiji Market  
  • Hakone & Fuji
  • Takayama Town & Shirakawa-go
  • Kanazawa’s Kenroku-en Garden & Higashi-Chaya District
  • Japanese Cooking Lesson 
  • Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple, Fushimi Inari & Golden Pavalion
  • Nara’s Todaiji Temple & Kasuga Shrine

  Price Starting From:
   $6,975

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TESTIMONIALS

I looked up 5-6 different travel agencies before going and I was so glad I ended up choosing Explorient for me and my wife's first anniversary trip...From making sure our dietary restrictions were met at all the hotel sites, to on-time pick ups/drop offs of every tour guide/transfers, it was one of the smoothest trips I have ever taken."
Shakil S.
November 2018
“Kervin was excellent in communicating with us and facilitating our preferences for our first trip to Japan. Our guides were always on time and enjoyable companions; the sites we visited were what we had expressed interest in seeing/doing. We enjoyed our trip tremendously !”
Vivian & Craig Fendel
November 2019
"Explorient did an outstanding job in making sure we had a fabulous time visiting Tokyo and Kyoto. A great deal of time was invested up front planning hotels and tours so high expectations were set early on. Accommodations were excellent. The tours were interesting and nicely paced so we were busy easy day but not exhausted. And enough can not be said about how knowledgeable, engaging and friendly our four tour guides were over our 10 day stay. Bravo and well done!“
Albert Young & Family - New Jersey
June 2019