Essence of Japan

(8 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Tokyo, Kamakura & Hakone, Kyoto

This private tour of Japan is our most popular itinerary in this fascinating country. It features private cultural touring with your own guide and driver, accommodation in Japan’s best luxury hotels and an exclusive ryokan (traditional inn), private airport transfers, first-class travel by shinkansen (bullet train), luggage transfers, and access to a wide range of unique activities that engage you in real Japanese culture.

Begin in Tokyo, the capital of contemporary culture and style in Japan. During touring with your own private guide and driver, visit Tokyo’s most interesting neighborhoods, such as Ginza, Aoyama, Shibuya and Harajuku. Experience Japanese pop culture and also tour important historical sites such as the Meiji Shrine. See striking contemporary architecture and the latest Japanese gadgets. Visit some of Tokyo’s best museums, such as the Edo-Tokyo Museum or the Tokyo National Museum. Also experience Tokyo’s exciting culinary scene by visiting Tsukiji Fish Market, the Kappabashi kitchenware district, and our favorite specialty shops and department store food halls. Upon request, additional experiences can be arranged such as watching sumo wrestlers practice at a sumo stable, meetings with culinary and sake experts, private martial arts lessons, seeing a Japanese baseball game, visiting favorite family attractions such as the Ghibli Museum, and attending local festivals. Artisans of Leisure can also make reservations at our favorite restaurants in Tokyo, which range from local noodle shops to some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world.

Next, see Zen temples, Shinto shrines and the Great Buddha in the beautiful seaside town of Kamakura, an ancient capital of Japan. Continue to Hakone, a volcanic national park renowned for hot springs and views of nearby Mount Fuji. Stay at one of Japan’s most luxurious and renowned ryokan (traditional inns), where you can soak in your own private outdoor hot spring bath and enjoy a gourmet kaiseki (seasonal tasting menu) dinner. During private touring, explore Hakone’s geothermal areas, forested mountains and historical sites. Perhaps also visit one of Hakone’s best art museums.

Next, travel by first-class shinkansen (bullet train) to enchanting Kyoto, Japan’s heart of culture and tradition. During touring with your private guide and driver, experience the best of this elegant city. Visit important temples and shrines. Gain access to imperial villas and private gardens such as Katsura Rikyu, Shugakuin and Saihoji (the Moss Temple). Enjoy an exclusive private tea ceremony. Stroll through a bamboo forest. Enjoy a Buddhist vegetarian lunch at a local temple. Tour traditional geisha districts such as Gion. Visit markets and food purveyors to sample Kyoto’s culinary specialties, considered the most refined in Japan. Explore antiques districts, and browse our favorite shops for exquisite ceramics, lacquerware and other crafts. One day, enjoy a private excursion to the I. M. Pei-designed Miho Museum or to ancient Nara, the birthplace of Buddhism in Japan. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange a wide range of other unique activities in Kyoto, such as an exclusive private dinner accompanied by geisha and maiko, private Zen meditation in a local temple, meetings with local craftspeople, ikebana (flower arranging) lessons, manga drawing lessons, a visit to a private machiya (traditional merchant house), hiking to temples in the hills surrounding the city, and private Japanese cooking classes.

Return to Tokyo for last-minute shopping, dining, and free time to enjoy the city.