Signature Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto & Luxury Ryokan

On arrival at Tokyo's Narita Airport you will be met by Goway's local representative and transferred to your accommodation in the city.

The balance of the day is at leisure to being your explorations of this cosmopolitan city.

Travel around Tokyo using the city's sophisticated and efficient subway and train lines together with your private guide to visit some of Tokyo's main sites. Start the tour with a visit to Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple. After visiting the temple grounds, stroll along Nakamise shopping street to look for souvenirs. Then travel to the Imperial Palace East Gardens, a part of the inner palace area. The palace itself is not open to the public as it is the residence of the emperor, but you can walk through the garden grounds to see the moats, remains of Edo castle and gardens. Next, visit either Ginza or Tsukiji Outer Fish Market. Your guide will then say goodbye so you can continue exploring these areas at your own pace.

Day at leisure to explore Tokyo at your own pace. 

Tonight, go on a evening food tour. Japanese cuisine is not only the refined sushi and tempura, but it has a wide range of equally delicious, more casual dishes that the locals love. Discover these delicacies with a local guide.

Today's tour will take you to a famous foodie spot not too far from your hotel. You will be sure to try delicious yakitori, chicken grilled on skewers and served either with salt or "tare", a kind of sweet soy-based sauce. Most yakitori restaurants also serve a selection of other Japanese comfort dishes.

Let your guide know if anything interests you. Depending on where you are, other Japanese delights await you this evening. Sashimi, monjayaki or okonomiyaki, crispy Japanese fried chicken, braised vegetables, and seafood are among the dishes you might try.

One drink is included as well as a set food budget but be advised that once you exceed this, you will need to cover the bill.

This morning, leave Tokyo behind as you journey to Hakone, the gateway to Mt Fuji and surrounding national park. Your local guide will accompany you on the journey there and assist with forwarding your luggage to your destination after Hakone. Then you will travel together to Hakone and have the chance to explore the Hakone "Loop". The loop can be done in clockwise or anti-clockwise order and your guide will decide the best course depending on where you are staying tonight, the season, and how busy Hakone is when you visit.

The loop typically includes a journey up to the Gora area to ride the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani volcano crater, where you can try the tasty black eggs boiled in water bubbling up from within the volcano itself. Also included in the day's arrangements is a cruise across Lake Ashi. On clear weather days, you may be able to see Mt. Fuji peeping over the mountains (visibility is best from November to March). 

At the end of the tour your guide will drop you off at your luxury ryokan, Gora Kaden, located on the grounds of Kan'in-no-miya Villa, the former summer villa of a member of the Imperial Family. Enjoy the private hot spring bath in your room and the authentic kaiseki cuisine meals prepared with seasonal ingredients.

Today is totally free and at leisure. Continue to enjoy the hot springs at your ryokan, book a spa appointment or explore more of Hakone.

After breakfast, take a private transfer from your ryokan to Odawara Station (most likely by prepaid taxi). At Odawara station, board the bullet train to go to Kyoto, an approximately 3 hour journey.

The rest of the day is at leisure to settle into your Kyoto hotel or take advantage of optional activities. 

Start your full day tour at one of Kyoto’s most celebrated sites, the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine. The shrine complex spans over the entire Mt. Inari (233m/765ft) and thousands of bright red torii gates line the mountain trail. You will visit the main shrine hall and the famed vermillion gate tunnel.

Next, travel to central Kyoto to visit Sanjusangendo Temple, the longest wooden structure in Japan. Inside, you will find 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist saint of Mercy.

Then visit another celebrated site, Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This temple is older than Kyoto as the capital of Japan and is famous for its wooden platform stage, the Kiyomizu Butai. The massive stage was constructed out of wood and joints – no nails. At four story’s high, it was once a popular wish-making spot.

In the afternoon visit Kinkakuji Temple, a favorite to millions of visitors each year. You will quickly see why this jewel set into the northern hills is one of the most visited sites in Japan, it is covered in real gold leaf and vibrant at any time of year no matter the weather.

Continue to Kintano-tenmangu, a remarkable shrine to scholarship that was built to appease the spirit of an angry ghost. The shrine’s surrounding entertainment district was first built after a fire in 1444, when a large section of the temple had to be rebuilt, and the remaining timber was used to construct 7 tea houses that became the first ‘flower town’ or Geisha district in Kyoto.

Explore the Kamishichiken district, every bit as charming as its more touristy cousin the Gion district, with the added bonuses of fewer crowds and excellent photo opportunities.

Arashiyama is a district in the western outskirts of Kyoto, the area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural setting.

Visit the Okochi Mountain Villa to see the several beautiful gardens and buildings, including living quarters, tea houses and a zen meditation hall. Here you will enjoy some matcha green tea with a snack.

Next, take a walk through Arashiyama’s famous bamboo groves and continue the tour to Nonomiya Shrine and Tenryuji Temple, one of Kyoto's five great Zen temples and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Following breakfast, transfer to Osaka's Kansai Airport for your onward flight.