Decorative Arts & Gardens of England
(9 Days)
London, Cotswolds
Art Tour of France
(10 Days)
Paris & Versailles, Provence, Cote d’Azur
Art & Design Tour of Berlin
(5 Days)
Berlin & Potsdam
Art & Temples of India
(18 Days)
Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho & Panna National Park, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajanta & Ellora Caves, Mumbai
Culture, Crafts & Cuisine of Ireland
(13 days)
Dublin, Ballyfin, Ballymaloe, Killarney, Adare, Ashford Castle
Italy for Art Lovers
(13 Days)
Rome, Florence & Assisi, Bologna & Ravenna, Venice & Padua, Milan
Ceramics Tour of Japan
(10 Days)
Fukuoka, Saga, Kyoto, Yamashiro Onsen, Kanazawa, Tokyo
Contemporary Art & Architecture of Japan
(14 Days)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto & Miho Museum, Naoshima, Tokyo
Culture, Crafts & Gardens of Japan
(12 Days)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Yamanaka Onsen, Kyoto, Hakone
The Art of Japan
(13 Days)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Yamanaka Onsen, Naoshima, Kyoto
Art, Crafts & Design of Mexico
(9 Days)
Mexico City, Oaxaca
Arts & Crafts of Morocco
(13 Days)
Casablanca, Fez, Rabat, Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Marrakesh
Arts & Crafts of Myanmar
(9 Days)
Yangon & Twante, Bagan & Mount Popa, Mandalay
Design, Architecture & Nature of Norway
(9 Days)
Oslo, Alesund & Atlantic Road, Norangsfjorden, Geirangerfjord, Storfjorden
Art & Design of Portugal
(8 Days)
Lisbon & Sintra, Porto
Contemporary Art & Design in Seoul & Jeju Island
(8 Days)
Seoul, Jeju Island
Swedish Design Tour
(5 Days)
Stockholm & environs
Art Tour of Switzerland
(6 Days)
Geneva, Basel & Weil am Rhein, Zurich with St. Gallen & Winterthur
Design & Gardens Tour of Sicily
(8 Days)
Palermo with Monreale & Agrigento, Taormina with Mount Etna & Syracuse
Art Tour of Berlin & Vienna
(7 Days)
Berlin, Vienna
Food, Design & Culture of Copenhagen & Sweden
(12 Days)
Stockholm, Kingdom of Crystal, Wanas, Malmo, Copenhagen
Dutch & Flemish Art Tour
(10 days)
Bruges & Ghent, Brussels & Antwerp, Amsterdam with The Hague, Delft & Kroller-Muller Museum
(10 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Fukuoka & Saga, Kyoto, Yamashiro Onsen & Kanazawa, Tokyo
This private ceramics tour of Japan features an ideal combination of major cultural sites, interesting smaller towns, and important ceramics destinations. Visit studios and kilns, learn about different types of Japanese ceramics, meet local artists and browse upscale shops. The tour includes private cultural touring with your own guide and driver, accommodation in luxury hotels and ryokan (traditional inns), private airport transfers, internal flights and first-class train travel, luggage transfers and access to a wide range of unique activities that engage you in real Japanese culture.
Begin in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu. During a flexible private excursion in neighboring Saga Prefecture—one of the most important ceramics regions in Japan—visit notable ceramics towns such as Karatsu (known for rustic pottery popular for the tea ceremony), Okawachiyama (the Village of the Secret Kilns that produces Nabeshima), and Arita and Imari, which are synonymous with fine export porcelain.
Next, travel by first-class shinkansen (bullet train) to enchanting Kyoto, the heart of Japanese 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 such as Katsura Rikyu. Enjoy an exclusive private tea ceremony. Stroll through a bamboo forest. Enjoy a Buddhist vegetarian lunch at a local temple. An appointment will be made to meet with one of Japan's leading ceramics experts. Tour traditional geisha districts such as Gion. Explore antiques districts, and browse our favorite shops for exquisite ceramics, lacquerware and other crafts. If desired, also visit the Kiyomizuyaki Pottery Complex. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange a wide range of other unique activities in and around Kyoto, an exclusive private dinner accompanied by geisha and maiko entertainment, private Zen meditation in a local Buddhist temple, meetings with local craftspeople, ikebana (flower arranging) lessons, visiting a master swordsmith, tea tastings and tea plantation visits, attending a sumo tournament, manga drawing lessons, a visit to a private machiya (traditional merchant house) and private Japanese cooking classes.
Continue to Yamashiro Onsen, a resort town famous for hot springs and ceramics. Stay at a luxury ryokan inn, enjoy kaiseki ryori (seasonal tasting menu) dinners served on locally made Kutani-yaki ceramics, and relax in your private open-air bath. During private touring, explore the traditional town and its prestigious ceramics boutiques and temples and shrines. Time permitting, perhaps also visit nearby Yamanaka Onsen, another resort town famous for crafts.
Next, enjoy private touring in Kanazawa, a cultural gem. One of Japan’s wealthiest cities during the feudal era, Kanazawa is known for beautiful gardens, traditional architecture, acclaimed contemporary art and folk art museums, and fresh seafood from the nearby Sea of Japan. With your expert local guide, tour former samurai and geisha neighborhoods. Explore the renowned Kenrokuen Garden, one of the most famous gardens in Japan, and visit museums such as the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and Ishikawa Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts. Also visit the city’s central food market, a pottery kiln and shops specializing in Kanazawa’s celebrated silk, lacquer and gold leaf products.
End in Tokyo, a dynamic city where tradition and modernity co-exist. With your private guide and driver, tour Tokyo’s top cultural attractions, as well as interesting neighborhoods such as Ginza, Harajuku and Aoyama. Also visit top ceramics museums, galleries and shops, such as the Idemitsu Museum, Toguri Museum, Nezu Museum, Mingeikan (Japan Folk Crafts Museum) and Tokyo National Museum.
Itinerary Overview |
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Decorative Arts & Gardens of England
(9 Days)
London, Cotswolds
Art Tour of France
(10 Days)
Paris & Versailles, Provence, Cote d’Azur
Art & Design Tour of Berlin
(5 Days)
Berlin & Potsdam
Art & Temples of India
(18 Days)
Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho & Panna National Park, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajanta & Ellora Caves, Mumbai
Culture, Crafts & Cuisine of Ireland
(13 days)
Dublin, Ballyfin, Ballymaloe, Killarney, Adare, Ashford Castle
Italy for Art Lovers
(13 Days)
Rome, Florence & Assisi, Bologna & Ravenna, Venice & Padua, Milan
Ceramics Tour of Japan
(10 Days)
Fukuoka, Saga, Kyoto, Yamashiro Onsen, Kanazawa, Tokyo
Contemporary Art & Architecture of Japan
(14 Days)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto & Miho Museum, Naoshima, Tokyo
Culture, Crafts & Gardens of Japan
(12 Days)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Yamanaka Onsen, Kyoto, Hakone
The Art of Japan
(13 Days)
Tokyo, Kanazawa, Yamanaka Onsen, Naoshima, Kyoto
Art, Crafts & Design of Mexico
(9 Days)
Mexico City, Oaxaca
Arts & Crafts of Morocco
(13 Days)
Casablanca, Fez, Rabat, Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Marrakesh
Arts & Crafts of Myanmar
(9 Days)
Yangon & Twante, Bagan & Mount Popa, Mandalay
Design, Architecture & Nature of Norway
(9 Days)
Oslo, Alesund & Atlantic Road, Norangsfjorden, Geirangerfjord, Storfjorden
Art & Design of Portugal
(8 Days)
Lisbon & Sintra, Porto
Contemporary Art & Design in Seoul & Jeju Island
(8 Days)
Seoul, Jeju Island
Swedish Design Tour
(5 Days)
Stockholm & environs
Art Tour of Switzerland
(6 Days)
Geneva, Basel & Weil am Rhein, Zurich with St. Gallen & Winterthur
Design & Gardens Tour of Sicily
(8 Days)
Palermo with Monreale & Agrigento, Taormina with Mount Etna & Syracuse
Art Tour of Berlin & Vienna
(7 Days)
Berlin, Vienna
Food, Design & Culture of Copenhagen & Sweden
(12 Days)
Stockholm, Kingdom of Crystal, Wanas, Malmo, Copenhagen
Dutch & Flemish Art Tour
(10 days)
Bruges & Ghent, Brussels & Antwerp, Amsterdam with The Hague, Delft & Kroller-Muller Museum
Our guide in Japan arranged one-on-one conversations with some amazing artisans… lots of credit to Artisans for arranging things so well, understanding our interests and making sure they were communicated to Japan.
~ J.R., Raleigh, NC
The art scene in Mexico City was even better than we could have imagined. Thank you for organizing such a great guide. We never would have been able to experience the city in the same way without him. We really appreciated all of the Artisans of Leisure touches and special connections.
~ L.S., New York, NY
Our recent Vietnam trip was excellent…Thank you for arranging for us to visit the home and studio of the renowned art dealer in Hanoi.
~ A.R., Easton, MD
Recommended by:
Departures
Conde Nast Traveler
The New York Times
Wall Street Journal
Travel + Leisure
Town & Country
Just Back: Art, Wine, History & Interiors in Florence, Tuscany & Rome, Italy
A Private Tour of Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) in Porto, Portugal
The Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul, South Korea
Basalt Columns in Iceland: Architecture Inspired by Remarkable Landscapes
Must Visit: Naoshima, Japan’s Art Island
Interiors & Architecture: A Private Tour of Bayt al-Suhaymi in Cairo, Egypt
Architecture and Design Touring in Vienna
Museum Van Loon, a Historic House-Museum and Garden in Amsterdam
Jeju Island in South Korea: Contemporary Architecture, Tea Plantations, Volcanic Landscapes & More
The Iconic Chapel Bridge in Lucerne
Just Back: French Art, History, Interiors & Fine Dining in Paris & Versailles
Behind-the-Scenes Culinary and Crafts Touring in Japan
Must Experience: James Turrell’s Gathered Sky in Beijing
Ceramics in Japan: Robert Yellin’s Yakimono Gallery in Kyoto
Helsinki: Top 10 Architecture & Design Sites
Luis Barragan: Modern Architecture in Mexico City
Exclusive Tours of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia
Blue-and-white Ceramics and Azulejo Tiles in Portugal
A Conversation with Renowned Art Curator David Elliott
A Private “Sound of Music” Tour in Salzburg, Austria