Nature and Tradition of Japan
- Duration : 14 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Nikko, Kyoto, Nara, Ise, Osaka
This private tour takes you away from the crowds while passing through the must-see places of the Land of the Rising Sun.
After a short stay in Tokyo, get immersed in nature in Nikko, then in traditions in Kyoto and Nara, the two ancient capitals.
Round off the tour in the Ise region, the cradle of Japan's soul, and meet the fishermen of another era.
2 week itinerary
- Departure city/airport : Tokyo (Narita : NRT or Haneda : HND)
- Tokyo (3 nights)
- Nikko (1 night)
- Kyoto (5 nights)
- Nara (1 night)
- Ise/Toba (2 nights)
- Osaka (1 night)
- End Return airport : Osaka (Kansai International Airport : KIX)
Please find below the itinerary details.
Tour length : 13 nights / 14 days (+ 1 day at the beginning if you leave from Europe)
Indeed, the tour departure and end dates presented on this page relate to your stay in Japan. On departure, you will have to leave Europe on the day before. The return flight is on the same day due to the time difference.
Example :
- Departure from Europe : January 1st
- Arrival Sapporo (date to be selected in the tour calendar while booking) : January 2nd
- Return flight from Kansai International airport : January 15th
Why this trip to Japan ?
- Welcomed at the airport by our team, you will be taken to your hotel in Tokyo by shuttle bus
- Reach Nikko, in the heart of the forest for a stay in a ryokan
- In Kyoto, a travel angel will welcome you to a traditional Japan Experience house
- In Kyoto, a night-time guided tour of the Gion district awaits you
- Optional : an overnight stay at a farm in the countryside near Kyoto
- Enjoy an overnight stay in Nara, Japan's first capital
- Board an unconventional train to meet the fisherwomen of the Ise region
- Take advantage of your transport passes : Nikko Pass, Kansai Pass, Shinkansen...
- Recommendations available in your travel diary
- Enjoy unlimited internet access thanks to your pocket Wi-Fi
- If necessary, contact our assistance from 8am to 10pm Japanese time, 7 days a week, in English or Japanese.
- A number of guided days or other optional activities are available
- Benefit from the expertise of Japan Experience, European leading travel agency in Japan.
Your trip in detail
Itinerary
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Day 1 : Wake up in Tokyo 東京
Arrival at Tokyo airport (Narita or Haneda).
Welcome to Japan! Yokoso 日本へようこそ!Welcomed out of customs by our airport assistant, who will give you all your travel documents and Pocket WiFi.
Unaccompanied transfer from the airport to Tokyo (see details).This transfer is done in a shared shuttle or bus, with other guests departing for the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers depart between 1.5 and 3 hours after your scheduled flight arrival and stops can be made before your hotel.
If you would like a private, non-stop transfer directly after the actual arrival of your flight, feel free to take the "Private Taxi from the Airport" option.
Check-in at Hotel OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka by Hoshino Resorts or same category hotel 3* (rooms available from 3:00pm);
You can pick up your pocket Wi-Fi at the hotel reception desk. -
Day 2 : First steps in the capital
What is there to do in Tokyo on the first day?
We advise you to slowly start visiting Tokyo from its western districts:
- Harajuku: the avant-garde district
- Meiji Jingû, the imperial shrine
- Takeshita-Dori: the most famous street in Japan
- Omotesando: Tokyo's Champs-Élysées
- Shibuya and its unmistakable "crossroads"One of our many experienced English-speaking guides can also accompany you to visit the classic sights of Tokyo (optional, from 9:00 to 17:00).
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Day 3 : The big loop
For this second day of visiting Tokyo, we recommend the following "loop".
Start from Tokyo Central Station, with its original architecture, then go to visit:
- Ginza, Tokyo's chic district
- Tsukiji, the small outdoor food market
- Hamarikyu, the Japanese garden between Tokyo's buildings
- Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage, accessible by a cruise on the Sumida River
- Sensô-ji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in the city
- Tokyo Sky Tree reaching a height of 643m, and its panoramic view of Tokyo at sunsetEnjoy a cruise on the Sumida River between Hamarikyu and Asakusa.
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Day 4 : The mountain at the gateway to Tokyo
In the morning, we advise that you have your luggage sent to the hotel in Kyoto (details in your travel diary, check with the hotel reception) and that you travel light for your night in Nikko.
Go to Tokyo station to take the Shinkansen to Nikko. After one change and a total of 1 hour 30 of travel time (all included with your Japan Rail Pass), you will arrive in a valley in the middle of a lush Japanese mountain.
Settle in your ryokan in the heart of the valley (ryokan Kozuchi no Yado Tsurukame Daikichi or same category ryokan 3*).
In the afternoon, visit Nikko, with its many UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Toshogu and Futarasan - Jinja shrines and the Buddhist temple (Rinno-ji) located in the heart of an outstanding natural setting.
In the evening, traditional Japanese dinner in your ryokan.
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Day 5 : On the way to the former capital
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
In the morning, discover the heights of Nikko: the Tamozawa imperial villa, the Kegon waterfall, the Chuzen-ji lake and the old European embassies bordering it (40 minutes by local bus, payable on the spot).
In the early afternoon, leave for Kyoto (2 changes, 4 hours 30, all included with your Japan Rail Pass), the capital of Japan for over a thousand years, surrounded by forests and mountains. This city of more than one million inhabitants in the heart of nature awaits you!Before 8:00 pm, you can settle into your traditional Japan Experience house! A Travel Angel will welcome you, show you some unique details and help you to have an unforgettable stay in Kyoto. You will be able to "live the Japanese way" for a few days, with a space much bigger than a hotel room and a kitchen to prepare good Japanese food!
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Day 6 : First steps in the old capital
You have 3 days to visit Kyoto.
Start in the afternoon in the historic Gion district near your accommodation :
- Kiyomizu-Dera, the great water temple
- The historical streets of Sannen-zaka & Ninnen-zaka
- Kodai-ji, the maple and bamboo temple of KyotoFinish off seeing the sunset in Gion. Meet your guide at 7:00pm to start your late stroll around Gion, Kyoto's historic district.
More details on the exact time and location in your travel diary. At the end of this 1 hour 30 walk, your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to eat out! Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photographs in the historic district of Gion.
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Day 7 : Gold and Silver Treasures
We recommend the following itinerary for this second day's visit to Kyoto:
- Ryoan-ji Zen Garden
- The Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
- The bewitching path of philosophy
- The Nanzen-ji templeOne of our many experienced English-speaking guides can accompany you on a tour of these symbolic sites (optional, from 9:00am to 5:00pm).
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Day 8 : A complete change of scenery in the Japanese countryside
For this third day in Kyoto, we suggest an optional excursion into the Japanese countryside, 1 hour from Kyoto by train (included with your Japan rail Pass), to spend 1 night in a farm in the heart of a typical village. Your hosts speak English, and in some cases even French. Discover their way of life for 2 days! Luggage: no problem, you can leave it in your house in Kyoto and pick it up the next day.
If this excursion does not appeal to you, you can continue to visit Kyoto heading west :
- Nishiki, Kyoto's culinary market
- Nijo castle, former residence of the shogun
- Arashiyama, to visit the bamboo grove and its monkey mountain -
Day 9 : Now for some activity...
For this day, if you stay in Kyoto, make the most of our many optional activities:
- Want to enjoy nature? Check out our cycling activities along the Kamogawa River or hiking in the Takao Gorge!
- Prefer Japanese arts? Tea ceremonies, meditation activities or private visits to secret gardens will seduce you.
- Looking for Japanese countryside? Let yourself be tempted by a trip to Ohara, or try our flagship activity: on the Tea Road!Last night in your Kyoto house.
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Day 10 : Between temples and deer
For your last day in Kyoto and its surroundings, we recommend taking the 50 minute journey to Nara, which is included in your package.
Visit to Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan in the 8th century.
Discover:
- The Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha and its thousands of lanterns
- The Todaiji, its great bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate
- Kofukuji temple and its beautiful pagodaEnjoy a night in the heart of this small town, very calm when all the tourists have left for Kyoto in the late afternoon!
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Day 11 : At the heart of tradition
Breakfast at the hotel.
Early in the morning, stroll through Nara Park, still emptied of tourists sleeping in Kyoto...
Around 10am, reach Ise by a special train. This comfortable train, with massage seats, is specially designed for observing the journey. Large windows, bay windows, a bar-restaurant on 2 floors open to the exterior: everything is done in order to contemplate the surrounding Japanese countryside.
After a 1.5 hour train ride, welcome to Ise, ideal destination for all lovers of wide open sea.
Reach your ryokan, between the towns of Ise and Toba, right by the sea. All local buses are included in your package.
In the afternoon, we recommend a visit to the great shrine of Ise, Ise-jingū, one of the most important of the Shintō religion, dedicated to the deity of the sun. People come here from all over Asia to worship and be purified. Set in a dense forest where streams abound, this shrine makes for an exciting and spiritually rewarding visit.
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Day 12 : Meet the fishermen
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
In the morning, go to the Mikimoto pearl museum, where you can watch a (somewhat touristy) demonstration of the ama, the fisherwomen who perpetuate a thousand-year-old tradition. Then Japan Experience offers you a few hours off the beaten path, to get acquainted with the world of fishing.
Together with your English-speaking guide, in 25 minutes you will reach a small offshore island where very few tourists venture! On this island, you can see a fish market, an auction, lunch with an ama, and a walk around the island to meet its inhabitants. Return to the coast at the end of the afternoon, with a head full of memories.2nd night at the ryokan.
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Day 13 : Back to modern Japan
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
In the morning, continue exploring Ise with the seaside walk of the Married Rocks (Meoto Iwa: 30min bus ride from Ise, included in your package). After lunch in the old streets of Ise, take the train back to Osaka (2 hours 30, no change before arrival in Osaka), where you will spend your last night in your 3* hotel.
Enjoy the lively Namba district and Dôtonbori Street. The many restaurants there have earned Osaka the title "gastronomic capital of Japan".
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Day 14 : Sayonara, and see you next time!
Direct transfer to Kansai International Airport (included but not accompanied).
Return flight to Europe, North America, Australia.
Do not hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days to Kansai or elsewhere... We will be able to advise you!














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Accommodation
- 3 nights in a 3* hotel in the heart of Tokyo, close to public transport
- 1 night in a 3* ryokan in Nikko, traditional half-board
- 5 nights in a traditional Kyoto house (cleaning, bed linen/towels and tourist tax included)
- 1 night in a 3* hotel at the edge of Nara Park
- 2 nights in a ryokan in Ise, near the sea
- 1 night in a 3* hotel in Osaka
The basic rate includes a twin room for two people.
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Transport
- Airport transfers to Tokyo
- Return airport transfer to Osaka
- Prepaid public transport card
- Japan Rail Pass for 7 days
- Kansai Kintetsu Rail Pass 5 days +
- Supplement for trip to Ise by Shimakaze comfort train
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Experiences and meals
- Airport welcome
- Welcome to Kyoto by a travel angel
- Guided night tour of Gion (1h30)
- A meeting with fishermen in Ise
- Traditional dinner in Nikko
- All breakfasts except in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka
Included in your self-guided tour
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Additional services
- Unlimited Wi-Fi access with pocket Wi-Fi
- Complete e-travel diary sent 20 days before your departure
- The helpline is available from 8am to 10pm Japanese time, 7 days a week, in English and Japanese. The number will be given to you in your travel pack. It is valid for telephone calls and Whatsapp.
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Not included in the price of your trip
- Flights Europe <> Japan
- Optional insurance policies
- Personal expenses including meals (breakfast optional)
- Public transport when your transport cards have run out (see details)
- Anything not included in the "included in your tour" section
When you buy, Japan Experience offers you 2 types of protection:
Japan Experience Flex :
Cancellation insurance before departure under conditions.
Japan Experience Protect :
Pre-departure cancellation insurance under conditions and on-site assistance under conditions.
Frequently asked questions
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