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Have a limited amount of time and want to get the most out of your visit to Japan? This is the tour for you. In between stays in Japan's two greatest cities you'll relax in hot springs, explore the beautiful Izu Peninsula, and make day trips to the fascinating historical sites of Nikko and Nara. Read more >
Starting with three nights in the hectic buzz that is Japan's capital city, your tour leader will help you navigate the whirlwind - accompanying you on a boat trip down the Sumida River, a visit to the serene Hamarikyu Gardens and maybe a night at a traditional izakaya restaurant.
Muse on the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkey carvings in Nikko's extravagant woodland temple complex. Feel dwarfed by the giant Buddha of Todai-ji and feed senbei crackers to the resident deer in the ancient capital of Nara.
Stay in a superb ryokan inn with seven varieties of hot spring bath on the stunning Izu Peninsula - a national park whose views of Mount Fuji, sweeping coastlines and forested interior make it the perfect antidote to the unrelenting crowds of Japan's cities. These are just some of the wonderful experiences you'll have on this short tour of Japan's main island.
Concluding your trip will be three days in Kyoto, Japan's undisputed cultural heart and a city with a very different character from Tokyo. Here it seems as though every sliding door conceals a bewitching garden or a lavish temple - but the real treat comes when you meet a maiko, or apprentice geisha. Geisha embody the mystery and refinement that Japanese culture is famous for, and this is a privileged chance to be in the company of one of these remarkable performers in person.
Throughout the tour you'll stay in superior accommodation, enjoying the very best in Japanese cuisine and travelling by first class rail and private transport.
If this sounds good and makes you want to see even more, why not extend your tour in Japan!
Important Tour Information
The accommodation listed below is for the 2022 departures.
Group Size: 4 - 14
Single Supplement: This tour has a single supplement. This guarantees a single room throughout the tour.
Fitness: Even when not using public transport, sightseeing in Japan often involves walking between sights, climbing up steps in temples and being 'on the go' for much of the day. To enjoy any of our Small Group Tours you should be of moderate fitness, able to walk and climb stairs without difficulty and able to maintain a pace that is comfortable for the majority of the group.
Check-in: Upon arrival you will probably be tired after a long international flight. Please note that rooms at hotels are only available from 3pm.
The tour leader will be staying at the first hotel for two nights before the tour starts so they will be available for advice if you choose to book pre tour nights. We recommend booking at least one extra night to check in and relax before the tour begins.
Transport: We will be using several modes of transport on this tour including private minibuses and taxis. Please note that some transfers are by public transport making use of Japan's first-rate transport network.
Luggage: We highly recommend that to make your stay more enjoyable you pack reasonably light. Large suitcases will be an inconvenience to you. A small case or bag with wheels or a rucksack are most appropriate for this tour as you will have to carry your bags for short distances and some stations do not have escalators or elevators/lifts. You will also need a small overnight back-pack (for up to two nights) for use when we forward our main bags to the next location.
Accommodation: Rooms at the accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto are fully en-suite. The rooms at the Japanese ryokan in Izu have an en-suite lavatory. There is no en-suite bath but all the hot spring baths can be used privately.
Please note that in Japan, twin rooms are very much the norm, and there are far fewer double rooms available. Please understand that even if you are being booked in a double, this will only be in the hotels where there is availability.
International Flights: This tour starts in Tokyo for arrivals at Tokyo Narita Airport or at Tokyo Haneda Airport and finishes in Kyoto for departures from Osaka Kansai Airport. Add-ons back to Tokyo can easily be arranged. Please ask us for details.
What's included
- An experienced InsideJapan tour leader will be there all day every day, making sure everything goes to plan
- Sleep soundly in our selection of handpicked accommodation (8 nights)
- Get your day off to a great start with breakfast every day
- Enjoy our favourite eateries with one lunch and five evening meals
- Touch down to see a friendly face with private airport arrival transfers
- Avoid a last-minute rush with a shared taxi airport departure service
- Forget searching for small change on the subway, your IC transport card has 2,500 yen credit for city transport
- See Tokyo's calmer side with tickets for a cruise on the serene Sumida river and entrance to the beautiful Hamarikyu Gardens
- Don't worry about seat reservations, from bullet train to boat rides, all domestic transport is included
- Have a once in a lifetime experience sipping afternoon tea with a maiko (trainee geisha)
- Lose yourself in thick forests with tickets, transport and an expert local private guide in Nikko National Park
- Explore ancient temples and meet friendly deer with a day trip to Nara (including train tickets and entrance fees)
- Get some sea air with two days sightseeing on the Izu Peninsula by private coach
- Discover Kyoto with an expert local guide and tickets to the cultural capital's most popular highlights
- Lighten the load with luggage forwarding from Izu Peninsula to Kyoto
- Keep connected with shared portable Wi-Fi access throughout
What's NOT included:
- International flights
- Entrance fees (including temples, shrines and museums) unless otherwise specified
- Baggage handling & luggage forwarding unless otherwise specified
Tour Highlights
- Feel dwarfed by Todai-ji's giant Buddha in Nara
- Cruise down Tokyo's Sumida River to Hamarikyu Gardens
- Enjoy a private audience with an apprentice geisha in Kyoto
- Stay in a luxury ryokan with a delicious kaiseki dinner
- Visit the extravagant woodland temple complex of Nikko
- Explore Izu Peninsula, a less visited region of Japan
- Make friends with the sacred deer in Nara
- If all this sounds great and makes you want to see even more, why not extend your stay in Japan!
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 44 117 244 3380
What, where, when and how...
Spirit of Honshu - 9 Days
Destinations
Spirit of Honshu - 9 Days - Day by Day
Spirit of Honshu - 9 Days - Accommodation
Spirit of Honshu - 9 Days - Experiences
Spirit of Honshu - 9 Days - Booking
Please contact us to get all the latest booking and date information
No single supplement! Guaranteed single room in Western style hotels.
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Day 1-3
Discover Tokyo's highlights and take a day trip to Nikko, resting place of Japan's most famous shogun.
Welcome to Japan! Upon arrival at Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airport you will be met by your driver and escorted by private car to you hotel in the Asakusa district. Your tour leader will be waiting to welcome you in the lobby when you arrive.
Asakusa is Tokyo's most traditional quarter, full of lively market stalls and home to the city's oldest temple, Senso-ji. This is a great place to begin exploring the city on your first afternoon. Later this evening, your tour leader will give a full trip briefing over an included welcome drink, then take you out for a first-night meal with your group, where you'll get a great introduction to Japanese food and etiquette – as well as some exciting information about the days ahead!
On day two of your trip you will take a tour of Tokyo by private coach, giving you a chance to explore the city's highlights. You'll cruise down the Sumida River from Asakusa to the lovely Hamarikyu Gardens; visit Meiji Shrine, set in the midst of a wooded park; wander the neon skyscraper district of Shinjuku; and admire the view from the top of the Metropolitan Government Building.
The evening will be free for you to explore the city under your own steam – your tour leader will have plenty of suggestions on how best to spend your time.
On day three of your tour you'll take a day trip to Nikko: resting-place of Japan's most important shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and famous throughout Japan for its dazzlingly ornate architecture. Here you'll wander amongst elaborate shrines and temples set in a thickly forested national park, admire the carving of the “see-no-evil” monkeys and see the famous Shinkyo Bridge. Railway tickets, entrance fees and the services of an expert local guide will all be included in the tour today, and of course, your tour leader will be with you throughout.Overnight: Asakusa View
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Day 4-5
Tour the Izu Peninsula: a beautiful, mountainous area with excellent views of Mount Fuji (weather permitting!)
Today you will hop aboard a private coach bound for the Izu Peninsula, a strip of lush, mountainous land about 140 km (85 miles) to the southwest of Tokyo.
We'll be stopping en route at the newly reopened MOA Museum of Art and taking in the dramatic scenery from the Jikkoku Pass, which on clear days offers views of Mount Fuji.
For your two nights on the peninsula you will be staying at a luxurious ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn set in a beautiful woodland grove. Here you'll sleep on comfortable futon mattresses laid out on tatami mats, and have the chance to take advantage of the ryokan's impressive selection of natural hot spring baths. A top-quality kaiseki dinner will be included on both nights of your stay.
On day five, your adventure continues as you further explore the stunning Jogasaki with visits to Mt. Omuro and the picturesque harbour-side town of Shimoda. Again travelling by private coach, we'll ensure an early enough return to the ryokan for you to enjoy some relaxing down-time in your beautiful rooms and the soothing baths, before a second night of exquisite kaiseki food.Overnight: Hanafubuki
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Day 6-9
Visit Kyoto and Nara: two ancient imperial capitals packed with a dazzling array of shrines, temples and beautiful gardens.
On day six of your tour you will travel by private coach through hilly terrain to the port town of Shimizu at the northern end of the peninsula. On a clear day look out for Mount Fuji on the horizon.
From Shimizu you'll hop aboard the shinkansen bullet train and speed west at speeds of up to 320 kph (200 mph) to Kyoto, once Japan's imperial capital for over a millennium. Later your tour leader will take the group to one of their favourite local restaurants for an included dinner.
On day seven you'll have the services of a knowledgeable Kyoto local as well as your tour leader as you explore the ancient temples, shrines, gardens and teahouses of this magnificent city. Visit the stunning Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji, have a Zen moment at Ryoan-ji's famous rock garden and explore the bamboo groves of Arashiyama – to name a few highlights.
Kyoto is well known as a centre of geisha culture, and this evening you will have an exclusive audience with a maiko (trainee geisha), during which you'll be able to ask questions, take photos and enjoy a rare window into a famously secretive and fascinating culture.
On day eight you will visit an even older capital city than Kyoto: nearby Nara. Nara is a well-preserved city with a small-town atmosphere and many historical treasures. Highlights today will include seeing the giant Buddha, housed in the largest wooden building in the world, and feeding shika senbei crackers to the vast herd of friendly deer that inhabit Nara Park.
Back in Kyoto you'll enjoy a farewell dinner with your group at one of the city's superb restaurants – a great chance to talk over your experiences and say goodbye to your companions and tour leader. The following morning you'll travel by shared taxi to Kansai Airport for your flight home.Overnight: Okura Hotel Kyoto
-
Day 1-3
Discover Tokyo's highlights and take a day trip to Nikko, resting place of Japan's most famous shogun.
Welcome to Japan! Upon arrival at Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airport you will be met by your driver and escorted by private car to you hotel in the Asakusa district. Your tour leader will be waiting to welcome you in the lobby when you arrive.
Asakusa is Tokyo's most traditional quarter, full of lively market stalls and home to the city's oldest temple, Senso-ji. This is a great place to begin exploring the city on your first afternoon. Later this evening, your tour leader will give a full trip briefing over an included welcome drink, then take you out for a first-night meal with your group, where you'll get a great introduction to Japanese food and etiquette – as well as some exciting information about the days ahead!
On day two of your trip you will take a tour of Tokyo by private coach, giving you a chance to explore the city's highlights. You'll cruise down the Sumida River from Asakusa to the lovely Hamarikyu Gardens; visit Meiji Shrine, set in the midst of a wooded park; wander the neon skyscraper district of Shinjuku; and admire the view from the top of the Metropolitan Government Building.
The evening will be free for you to explore the city under your own steam – your tour leader will have plenty of suggestions on how best to spend your time.
On day three of your tour you'll take a day trip to Nikko: resting-place of Japan's most important shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and famous throughout Japan for its dazzlingly ornate architecture. Here you'll wander amongst elaborate shrines and temples set in a thickly forested national park, admire the carving of the “see-no-evil” monkeys and see the famous Shinkyo Bridge. Railway tickets, entrance fees and the services of an expert local guide will all be included in the tour today, and of course, your tour leader will be with you throughout.Overnight: Asakusa View
-
Day 4-5
Tour the Izu Peninsula: a beautiful, mountainous area with excellent views of Mount Fuji (weather permitting!)
Today you will hop aboard a private coach bound for the Izu Peninsula, a strip of lush, mountainous land about 140 km (85 miles) to the southwest of Tokyo.
We'll be stopping en route at the newly reopened MOA Museum of Art and taking in the dramatic scenery from the Jikkoku Pass, which on clear days offers views of Mount Fuji.
For your two nights on the peninsula you will be staying at a luxurious ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn set in a beautiful woodland grove. Here you'll sleep on comfortable futon mattresses laid out on tatami mats, and have the chance to take advantage of the ryokan's impressive selection of natural hot spring baths. A top-quality kaiseki dinner will be included on both nights of your stay.
On day five, your adventure continues as you further explore the stunning Jogasaki with visits to Mt. Omuro and the picturesque harbour-side town of Shimoda. Again travelling by private coach, we'll ensure an early enough return to the ryokan for you to enjoy some relaxing down-time in your beautiful rooms and the soothing baths, before a second night of exquisite kaiseki food.Overnight: Hanafubuki
-
Day 6-9
Visit Kyoto and Nara: two ancient imperial capitals packed with a dazzling array of shrines, temples and beautiful gardens.
On day six of your tour you will travel by private coach through hilly terrain to the port town of Shimizu at the northern end of the peninsula. On a clear day look out for Mount Fuji on the horizon.
From Shimizu you'll hop aboard the shinkansen bullet train and speed west at speeds of up to 320 kph (200 mph) to Kyoto, once Japan's imperial capital for over a millennium. Later your tour leader will take the group to one of their favourite local restaurants for an included dinner.
On day seven you'll have the services of a knowledgeable Kyoto local as well as your tour leader as you explore the ancient temples, shrines, gardens and teahouses of this magnificent city. Visit the stunning Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji, have a Zen moment at Ryoan-ji's famous rock garden and explore the bamboo groves of Arashiyama – to name a few highlights.
Kyoto is well known as a centre of geisha culture, and this evening you will have an exclusive audience with a maiko (trainee geisha), during which you'll be able to ask questions, take photos and enjoy a rare window into a famously secretive and fascinating culture.
On day eight you will visit an even older capital city than Kyoto: nearby Nara. Nara is a well-preserved city with a small-town atmosphere and many historical treasures. Highlights today will include seeing the giant Buddha, housed in the largest wooden building in the world, and feeding shika senbei crackers to the vast herd of friendly deer that inhabit Nara Park.
Back in Kyoto you'll enjoy a farewell dinner with your group at one of the city's superb restaurants – a great chance to talk over your experiences and say goodbye to your companions and tour leader. The following morning you'll travel by shared taxi to Kansai Airport for your flight home.Overnight: Okura Hotel Kyoto
Tour Reviews
Small Group Tour Spirit of Honshu
Read more >I can't say enough good things about Yuri. She's knowledgeable. hardworking, and patient. I'd recommend her to anyone and will request her if and when I'm able to book…
Small Group Tour Spirit of Honshu
Read more >I can't say enough good things about Yuri. She's knowledgeable. hardworking, and patient. I'd recommend her to anyone and will request her if and when I'm able to book…
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Tour Reviews
Small Group Tour Spirit of Honshu
Read more >I can't say enough good things about Yuri. She's knowledgeable. hardworking, and patient. I'd recommend her to anyone and will request her if and when I'm able to book…
Small Group Tour Spirit of Honshu
Read more >I can't say enough good things about Yuri. She's knowledgeable. hardworking, and patient. I'd recommend her to anyone and will request her if and when I'm able to book…
5.0 out of 5 from 3 reviews Show all Spirit of Honshu Reviews
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