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Luxury Tailormade Trip
Best of Northern Japan
from AU$29262 per person (twin share)
14 Nights Trip Code: LLT08
Best of Northern Japan takes you beyond the country's classic first-time route, into the northern region of forests, rivers, and rural communities. Read more >
Heading north from Tokyo, this luxury journey is for travellers who want Japan with more space, more nature, and fewer of the places everyone else is already talking about. There are important cultural sites along the way, but the real pleasure of this trip is the opportunity to walk in nature, meet and craft with local artisans, sit in hot spring baths and see a quieter side of the country.
Travel north in Gran Class comfort aboard the Shinkansen bullet train to Aomori, Iwate, Sendai, and Nikko. Walk alongside the clear streams and waterfalls of Oirase Gorge, explore the beech fringed Lake Towada, and cruise through the Geibikei Gorge.
There’s plenty of history too. In Nikko, visit Toshogu Shrine, the final resting place of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and in Kakunodate, step inside former samurai homes.
Craft traditions run deep in northern Japan and you’ll meet the masters keeping traditions alive. In Kakunodate, you’ll learn to craft birch bark with local experts, while at your Azuma farmstay, you’ll meet an 11th-generation Nambu ironware master and make your own kettle.
You’ll stay in some really special accommodation along the way, including a luxury riverside retreat, a boutique farm stay and a renowned onsen resort.
Best of Northern Japan is an ideal choice if you’re planning your second, third (or tenth!) Japan trip, of if you’re simply seeking slower, more rural travel.
What's included
14 nights' luxury stays
Airport transfers by private vehicle
Breakfast daily, 5 lunches, 6 evening meals
All transfers using luxury chartered vehicles and Gran Class shinkansen
Full day private guides in Tokyo & Towada
Half day private guides in Kakunodate & Nikko
Guided Oirase Gorge walking tour
Guided Shiogama food tour
Your personalised InsideJapan Info-Pack
Pocket WiFi device
What's NOT included:
Local transport (buses, subways, taxis) at any destination unless otherwise stated
Baggage handling and luggage forwarding (details will be highlighted in your Info-Pack to pay locally
Trip Highlights
- Explore Oirase Gorge's forests, rivers and trails with a local guide
- Taste the best of Shiogama's food and drink
- Explore the samurai streets and homes of Kakunodate
- Stay at a luxury farm, and meet local artisans
- Visit Towada Lake and the contemporary art of Towada Art Centre
- Visit the gold-leafed Toshogu Shrine in Nikko
Ready to plan your trip?
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 61 7 2104 5561
What, where, when and how...
Best of Northern Japan - 15 Days
Destinations
Best of Northern Japan - 15 Days - Day by Day
Best of Northern Japan - 15 Days - Accommodation
Best of Northern Japan - 15 Days - Experiences
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Day 1-2
In true InsideJapan style, discover Tokyo's architecturally rich and creative neighbourhoods with a private Insider guide.
Begin at Ginza's storefronts: Maison Hermès wrapped in glass bricks, Dior decorated with plant and bird motifs. You'll hit Shibuya Crossing and the architectural design districts of Omotesando and Aoyama. Depending on your interests, your guide might introduce Kenzo Tange's Olympic legacy, Tadao Ando's Omotesando Hills, Toyo Ito's TOD'S building or the Prada Aoyama flagship by Herzog & de Meuron. The route is flexible, with the focus shaped around architecture and urban design.
Suggested Accommodation: Palace Tokyo
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Day 3-5
With your luggage forwarded ahead, board the luxurious Gran Class Shinkansen and travel north to Aomori's ancient forests.
Oirase is your base for the next three nights, giving you time to settle into one of northern Japan's best natural landscapes. With a local guide, follow the Oirase Gorge trail as the river runs through beech and maple forest, past waterfalls, mossy rocks and clear pools.
The following day takes you further into Towada-Hachimantai National Park to Lake Towada, a caldera lake ringed by forested slopes. You'll also visit the Towada Art Center, where large-scale contemporary works sit in sharp contrast to the forests, streams and volcanic landscapes around it.Suggested Accommodation: Oirase Keiryu Hotel By Hoshino Resorts
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Day 6-8
Stay at a luxury farmhouse in Iwate Prefecture.
Horses have been part of Iwate's rural heritage for centuries, so no visit is complete without a horseback ride through the open meadows of Ainosawa Pasture at the foot of Mount Iwate. An hour from the farmhouse, visit the historic samurai town of Kakunodate. Often considered one of Japan's best-preserved samurai districts, Kakunodate is particularly beautiful during cherry blossom season and autumn foliage, but with its traditional streets lined with elegant residences, it's a great day trip any time of year. Meet local wood crafters and make your own birch wood coaster.
Suggested Accommodation: Azuma Farm Koiwai
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Day 9-11
Leaving rural Iwate behind, travel south towards the city of Sendai, with excellent dining, shopping, and cultural attractions.
You'll have some time to explore at your own pace, but, to know what's truly best to eat here, meet your Sendai guide for a food tour. Start with a seafood breakfast fresh from the waters of nearby Shiogama, then take a wander through the Sendai streets, stopping to sip and snack along the way, perhaps traditional dorayaki sweets, sake, a Japanese tea ceremony, and even miso-flavoured gelato. Between tastings, your guide will tell the stories that shaped Sendai and the wider Miyagi region.
Suggested Accommodation: Westin Sendai
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Day 12-13
Your guide will tell you the story of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who brought Japan under his control and whose family ruled for more than 250 years.
Nikko was chosen as his final resting place, with his mausoleum forming part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nikko Toshogu shrine complex. Unlike the understated simplicity often associated with Japanese religious architecture, Toshogu is richly decorated with intricate carvings, gold leaf, and bold greens, blues and reds. Beyond the temples, Nikko National Park opens out to mountains, rivers and lakes, including Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji, a volcanic lake where you will spend the next two nights.
Suggested Accommodation: The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko
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Day 14-15
Your journey comes to an end in Tokyo.
But, the cultural adventure doesn't need to end here. Choose to stay on in Japan, or move to another of our Asian destinations. South Korea, for example, is just a two-and-a-half-hour flight away, or Taiwan, less than a four-hour flight.
Suggested Accommodation: Okura Tokyo
-
Day 1-2
In true InsideJapan style, discover Tokyo's architecturally rich and creative neighbourhoods with a private Insider guide.
Begin at Ginza's storefronts: Maison Hermès wrapped in glass bricks, Dior decorated with plant and bird motifs. You'll hit Shibuya Crossing and the architectural design districts of Omotesando and Aoyama. Depending on your interests, your guide might introduce Kenzo Tange's Olympic legacy, Tadao Ando's Omotesando Hills, Toyo Ito's TOD'S building or the Prada Aoyama flagship by Herzog & de Meuron. The route is flexible, with the focus shaped around architecture and urban design.
Suggested Accommodation: Palace Tokyo
-
Day 3-5
With your luggage forwarded ahead, board the luxurious Gran Class Shinkansen and travel north to Aomori's ancient forests.
Oirase is your base for the next three nights, giving you time to settle into one of northern Japan's best natural landscapes. With a local guide, follow the Oirase Gorge trail as the river runs through beech and maple forest, past waterfalls, mossy rocks and clear pools.
The following day takes you further into Towada-Hachimantai National Park to Lake Towada, a caldera lake ringed by forested slopes. You'll also visit the Towada Art Center, where large-scale contemporary works sit in sharp contrast to the forests, streams and volcanic landscapes around it.Suggested Accommodation: Oirase Keiryu Hotel By Hoshino Resorts
-
Day 6-8
Stay at a luxury farmhouse in Iwate Prefecture.
Horses have been part of Iwate's rural heritage for centuries, so no visit is complete without a horseback ride through the open meadows of Ainosawa Pasture at the foot of Mount Iwate. An hour from the farmhouse, visit the historic samurai town of Kakunodate. Often considered one of Japan's best-preserved samurai districts, Kakunodate is particularly beautiful during cherry blossom season and autumn foliage, but with its traditional streets lined with elegant residences, it's a great day trip any time of year. Meet local wood crafters and make your own birch wood coaster.
Suggested Accommodation: Azuma Farm Koiwai
-
Day 9-11
Leaving rural Iwate behind, travel south towards the city of Sendai, with excellent dining, shopping, and cultural attractions.
You'll have some time to explore at your own pace, but, to know what's truly best to eat here, meet your Sendai guide for a food tour. Start with a seafood breakfast fresh from the waters of nearby Shiogama, then take a wander through the Sendai streets, stopping to sip and snack along the way, perhaps traditional dorayaki sweets, sake, a Japanese tea ceremony, and even miso-flavoured gelato. Between tastings, your guide will tell the stories that shaped Sendai and the wider Miyagi region.
Suggested Accommodation: Westin Sendai
-
Day 12-13
Your guide will tell you the story of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who brought Japan under his control and whose family ruled for more than 250 years.
Nikko was chosen as his final resting place, with his mausoleum forming part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nikko Toshogu shrine complex. Unlike the understated simplicity often associated with Japanese religious architecture, Toshogu is richly decorated with intricate carvings, gold leaf, and bold greens, blues and reds. Beyond the temples, Nikko National Park opens out to mountains, rivers and lakes, including Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji, a volcanic lake where you will spend the next two nights.
Suggested Accommodation: The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko
-
Day 14-15
Your journey comes to an end in Tokyo.
But, the cultural adventure doesn't need to end here. Choose to stay on in Japan, or move to another of our Asian destinations. South Korea, for example, is just a two-and-a-half-hour flight away, or Taiwan, less than a four-hour flight.
Suggested Accommodation: Okura Tokyo
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