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Luxury Tailormade Trip
Insider Highlights of Japan
from US$16046 per person (twin share)
8 Nights Trip Code: LTT06
If you haven't got much time in Japan, but you do want to see the highlights through an expert lens, without sacrificing comfort, this trip idea is for you. Read more >
Insider Highlights of Japan does what it says on the tin. You’ll hit the big names, Tokyo, Kyoto and the Mount Fuji region but in a way that steers you clear from the biggest crowds, with private guiding, first-class rail travel and high-class hotel stays we really rate.
This goes beyond the usual temple trail and sightseeing bus tours to get beneath the surface, with some exclusive experiences that are pretty much impossible to book for yourself. To unlock these doors, we’ve teamed up with the most passionate, knowledgeable guides in the business.
In Tokyo, your Insider guide will lead you through an architecture-focused tour in Tokyo, from the high-gloss beacon of fashion, Gucci, in Ginza, to the Pritzker Prize winner 1964 Olympic Stadium. You’ll get hands-on with a kintsugi workshop, repairing broken ceramics with lacquer and gold, then sit down for a lesson and lunch with a master sushi chef.
In Kyoto, you’ll slip into lesser-known temples that aren’t necessarily on the tourist map, even in a city that can feel relentlessly busy. And on one truly special evening, you’ll spend time with a geisha over dinner, with your Insider on hand to translate.
As your Japan holiday draws to a close, slow down with a stay in a traditional ryokan inn, away from the Golden Route crowds. Mount Fuji will pop into view from your window on clear days. It’s the kind of place where doing nothing can easily be the only plan.
Consider this itinerary your flexible foundation. Tell us what you’re most excited to eat, drink, see and do, and we’ll shape this trip to you. Whether that’s adding an extra night's stay at Mount Fuji, or checking into a hotel you’ve had on your favourites list for a while.
What's included
8 nights' luxury stays
Airport transfers by private vehicle
Breakfast every day, 3 lunches, 2 evening meals
All transfers using luxury-chartered vehicles and 1st class Shinkansen
Full day private guide in Tokyo and Kyoto including entrance fees and lunch
Private sushi master class including lunch
Private evening with a geisha including dinner
Private kintsugi gold leaf workshop
Your personalised InsideJapan Info-Pack
Pocket WiFi device
What's NOT included:
International flights
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
- Insider-led Tokyo architecture tour
- Insider-led Kyoto hidden temples and gardens tour
- Evening with geisha incl. dinner
- Lesson and lunch with master sushi chef at private sushi counter
- Kintsugi gold leaf repair workshop
- Stay in a Japanese ryokan with kaiseki dinner and onsen (hot springs)
Ready to plan your trip?
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 44 117 244 3470
What, where, when and how...
Insider Highlights of Japan - 9 Days
Destinations
Insider Highlights of Japan - 9 Days - Day by Day
Insider Highlights of Japan - 9 Days - Accommodation
Insider Highlights of Japan - 9 Days - Experiences
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Day 1-3
Explore the city with your private Insider guide with a focus on architecture, before rolling out the sushi mat at an exclusive sushi masterclass and lunch with a renowned chef.
Skip lugging your luggage onto a train or shared bus and meet your private car driver, who will take you to your hotel. Our Insiders are carefully selected for their deep knowledge and personal connection to the places they call home. In Tokyo, your guide on day two is a true architecture enthusiast, offering a private, tailored introduction to the city's design landmarks:from the Ginza fashion district with its glass, geometric flagship stores, to the 1964 Olympic Stadium with its acclaimed suspended roof, and more. Sushi is celebrated worldwide for its precision and simplicity. In a private masterclass, learn to make your own with a chef with over 40 years' experience, using the freshest seasonal ingredients. You'll get to eat your creations with the chef themselves. If sushi isn't to your taste, just let us know, and we'll swap it for something that is.
Suggested Accommodation: Palace Tokyo
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Day 4-6
Travel by bullet train to Kyoto in first-class comfort, and arrive in time for a private kaiseki dinner and geisha performance. The next day, step away from the busy sights to explore the more hidden away temples with your Insider guide, and a hands-on kintsugi workshop.
In contrast to Tokyo, Kyoto feels distinctly different. Once Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years, its atmosphere is traditional and refined. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of giving broken ceramics a new lease of life by mending cracks with powdered gold and lacquer dust, turning imperfections into something even more beautiful. Your dinner with a geisha is a truly privileged experience – something few visitors, or indeed locals, ever get to do. Your meal will be a multi-course kaiseki meal, where ingredients are carefully chosen, and each dish is beautifully presented.
Suggested Accommodation: Six Senses Kyoto
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Day 7
Take the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train in first-class comfort toward the Mount Fuji region. Here, you'll stay in an exceptional ryokan, away from the Hakone crowds, where views of Fuji's perfectly formed peak can be taken in from the privacy of your room.
Surrounded by nature, this is a place to slow down and spend time together in a more intimate setting, over dinner and bathing in the natural hot springs (onsen).
Suggested Accommodation: Gora Kadan Fuji
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Day 8
Your final day brings you back to Tokyo for one last evening.
Time to revisit a favourite spot, have dinner at one of its exceptional restaurants, or simply take a walk through an unfamiliar neighbourhood, Info-Pack in hand, there to guide you, even when exploring independently. If time allows, speak to your travel consultant about extending your stay in Tokyo, or moving on to South Korea or another InsideAsia destination…
Suggested Accommodation: 1 Hotel Tokyo
-
Day 1-3
Explore the city with your private Insider guide with a focus on architecture, before rolling out the sushi mat at an exclusive sushi masterclass and lunch with a renowned chef.
Skip lugging your luggage onto a train or shared bus and meet your private car driver, who will take you to your hotel. Our Insiders are carefully selected for their deep knowledge and personal connection to the places they call home. In Tokyo, your guide on day two is a true architecture enthusiast, offering a private, tailored introduction to the city's design landmarks:from the Ginza fashion district with its glass, geometric flagship stores, to the 1964 Olympic Stadium with its acclaimed suspended roof, and more. Sushi is celebrated worldwide for its precision and simplicity. In a private masterclass, learn to make your own with a chef with over 40 years' experience, using the freshest seasonal ingredients. You'll get to eat your creations with the chef themselves. If sushi isn't to your taste, just let us know, and we'll swap it for something that is.
Suggested Accommodation: Palace Tokyo
-
Day 4-6
Travel by bullet train to Kyoto in first-class comfort, and arrive in time for a private kaiseki dinner and geisha performance. The next day, step away from the busy sights to explore the more hidden away temples with your Insider guide, and a hands-on kintsugi workshop.
In contrast to Tokyo, Kyoto feels distinctly different. Once Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years, its atmosphere is traditional and refined. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of giving broken ceramics a new lease of life by mending cracks with powdered gold and lacquer dust, turning imperfections into something even more beautiful. Your dinner with a geisha is a truly privileged experience – something few visitors, or indeed locals, ever get to do. Your meal will be a multi-course kaiseki meal, where ingredients are carefully chosen, and each dish is beautifully presented.
Suggested Accommodation: Six Senses Kyoto
-
Day 7
Take the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train in first-class comfort toward the Mount Fuji region. Here, you'll stay in an exceptional ryokan, away from the Hakone crowds, where views of Fuji's perfectly formed peak can be taken in from the privacy of your room.
Surrounded by nature, this is a place to slow down and spend time together in a more intimate setting, over dinner and bathing in the natural hot springs (onsen).
Suggested Accommodation: Gora Kadan Fuji
-
Day 8
Your final day brings you back to Tokyo for one last evening.
Time to revisit a favourite spot, have dinner at one of its exceptional restaurants, or simply take a walk through an unfamiliar neighbourhood, Info-Pack in hand, there to guide you, even when exploring independently. If time allows, speak to your travel consultant about extending your stay in Tokyo, or moving on to South Korea or another InsideAsia destination…
Suggested Accommodation: 1 Hotel Tokyo
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