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8 days from $3,099 per person
Your 8 day hosted tour features first class and deluxe hotels, 8 meals, in-depth hosted sightseeing, and on-tour transportation.
Experience Japan’s rich and lively traditions… on this delightful journey across the Japan Alps. Thrill to the modern vibrancy of the capital, discover centuries-old architecture in Takayama and Kyoto, and observe paper-making and pottery artisans at work in Kanazawa. Choose from our handpicked, city-center hotels and let our terrific English-speaking guides enhance your travels with their attentive service, insight and expertise.
Tokyo, Takayama, Kanazawa and Kyoto, Japan
Engaging Discoveries
Our expert guides reveal the colorful traditions behind gigantic, centuries-old parade floats still used during annual spring and autumn festivals.
- Stroll in Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s finest gardens, and learn about the six classical elements that are flawlessly incorporated here.
- Explore the Alpine region of Shirakawago and see the hand-hewn construction of the famous “Joined Hands” farmhouses.
- 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Day 1 - Welcome to Tokyo
Check in to the city-center hotel of your choice.
Day 2 - A morning tour in Tokyo
Your morning sightseeing begins atop Tokyo Tower for great views over the city. With clear skies, you might even espy Mt. Fuji in the distance. Continue to the picturesque Imperial Palace Plaza and drive through Akihabara Electric Town. Stroll among the traditional merchants of the colorful Nakamise Arcade to visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest in the city. Your tour ends downtown at Tokyo Station where dining and shopping options abound.
Meals B
Day 3 - Tokyo as you please
A free day to enjoy at your own pace. Your hotel’s heart-of-it-all location makes it so easy to explore, shop and dine on your own! From April to November a tour is available to visit the magnificent Toshogu Shrine, set against the splendor of Nikko National Park .
Meals B
Day 4 - Through the Alps to Takayama
Travel by rail to Takayama, a captivating mountain town. Your walking tour begins at the Festival Exhibition Hall to see enormous, centuries-old parade floats, still used annually during popular Spring and Autumn festivals. Visit the unique Folkcraft Museum and delight in the splendidly preserved architecture of Old Town.
Meals B
Day 5 - Visit Shirakawago and on to Kanazawa
Explore Takayama’s bustling morning market and then journey along picturesque Lake Miboro to Shirakawago, a charming mountain hamlet of rural villages famous for their Gassho-Zukuri. These “Joined Hands” farmhouses are named for their steeply-pitched roofs which give the appearance of hands joined in prayer. Many are hundreds of years old and meticulously maintained. Visit Gokayama to experience the traditional art of Japanese papermaking and continue on to Kanazawa, where you check in to the hotel of your choice. Meals B
Day 6 - From Kanazawa to Kyoto
Delight in the beauty of Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three finest traditional gardens in all of Japan. “Roku” means six, and Kenrokuen is famed for its perfect presentation of the six critical elements of a classical garden – including majesty, views and abundant water. Then visit the Kutaniyaki Pottery Studio and stroll along historic Higashi-chaya Street. Travel to Kyoto by express train and transfer to your choice of city-center hotel.
Meals B
Day 7 - Out and about in Kyoto
Your morning sightseeing tour explores the city’s most significant sites, starting with the oft-photographed Kinkaku-ji Temple ; this Golden Pavilion shimmers in its tranquil setting surrounded by pine forests on the edge of a peaceful pond. Then enter into the Age of the Samurai at Nijo Castle . Marvel at the ingenuity of the famed Nightingale Floor, cleverly designed to chirp in warning if intruders gained entry into the Shogun’s quarters! Visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace and end your sightseeing at the Kyoto Handicraft Center.
Meals B
Day 8 - Depart Kyoto
Your journey ends this morning.
Meals B
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