Met at Haneda or Narita and driven to a hotel near the Imperial Palace. The rest of the day is yours.
Photo by Spenser Sembrat on Unsplash
Japan / Honshu
Classic Japan
Tokyo, a Hakone ryokan, Osaka's kitchens and three nights in Kyoto
A real itinerary we have designed for a client. Leave your email and we will send the full brochure.
Duration
8 nights, 9 days
Pace
Full days in the cities, one slow night in the mountains
Best time
March to May, and October to November
From
$22,200 per person
The idea
Why this works
Nine days that read the country in the right order. Tokyo first, for the scale and the noise, then a night at a Hakone ryokan where dinner is the event and the bath looks onto the garden. Osaka for the food, Nara for the temples and the deer, and Kyoto last, when you have the context to understand what you are looking at. Bullet trains between cities, private guiding throughout.
What sets it apart
- A family workshop making taiko drums, and a turn at playing one
- Sushi lesson with a chef after a morning in the fish market
- A night at Gora Kadan, a ryokan in Fuji Hakone Izu National Park
- Todai-ji and the deer at Nara with a private guide
- Kinkaku-ji, the Ryoan-ji rock garden and the Arashiyama bamboo grove
The plan
Day by day
Open any day to see where you are, where you sleep and what the day holds. The map follows along, and every point on it opens the day that belongs to it.
Senso-ji at Asakusa, then a family workshop that has made taiko drums for generations. The Edo Tokyo Museum in the afternoon and the cedar approach to Meiji Shrine.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Breakfast, lunch
A morning walking the market stalls, then a chef led sushi lesson followed by lunch of what you made. The afternoon is free.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Breakfast, lunch
Travel to Hakone for the aerial tram and its view of Fuji, and the sculpture park with its Picasso collection. The night is spent at Gora Kadan, with kaiseki dinner and a private onsen bath.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The Okada Museum of Art, then the shinkansen to Osaka. In the evening, eat your way along Dotonbori, which is where the country goes when it wants dinner.
Four Seasons Hotel Osaka
Breakfast, lunch
A day in Japan's first capital. Todai-ji holds the largest bronze Buddha in the country, and the deer in the surrounding park are treated as messengers of the gods. A Shinto ceremony at Kasuga Taisha before returning to Osaka.
Four Seasons Hotel Osaka
Breakfast, lunch
On to Kyoto, and a slow morning at the Ryoan-ji rock garden before Kinkaku-ji and its reflection. Arashiyama in the late afternoon, when the light comes down through the bamboo.
Breakfast, lunch
The hillside temple and its view over the city, then a tea ceremony conducted the way it has been since the time of the samurai. The afternoon is free.
Breakfast
Private transfer to Osaka airport for your flight home.
Breakfast
9 days|from $22,200Speak to an advisor
Where you would stay
The hotels we partner with
Your ZOMA perks
Held on every stay in this itinerary
Because we book through preferred partner programmes, the rate matches or beats what you would get direct, and the extras are guaranteed before you travel, not negotiated at check in.
- Room upgrade on arrival, whenever the hotel can offer it
- Daily breakfast for two
- Property credit for spa, dining or experiences
- Early check in and late check out where possible
- VIP welcome and a direct line to your advisor while you are away
The fine print
What the price covers
Included
- Hotels and lodges held under ZOMA preferred partner programmes
- Private guiding and all ground movement between stops
- Restaurant, spa and experience reservations confirmed before departure
- A printed and digital itinerary with every confirmation in one place
- On trip support from your advisor across time zones
Not included
- International flights, quoted separately
- Travel insurance
- Visas where required
- Meals and experiences marked as at leisure
Customize this itinerary
Send us a message with your dates, travelers and any requests and we will customize this journey to ensure it's fully personalized for you.
