DAY 1

• TOKYO

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• You’ve Arrived
• Welcome to Japan!
• Welcome to Tokyo! An English-speaking assistant will be waiting for you upon your arrival at the airport, holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will introduce you to your driver for a transfer back to your hotel.
• Meet your driver for an enjoyable airport transfer with a private vehicle.

DAY 2

• TOKYO

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• Get a Lay of the Land
• here’s no better way to start your family trip to Japan than with getting a ‘lay of the land’ using Tokyo’s sophisticated and user-friendly public transport system with the help of your local guide. Start this exciting day with a visit outside of the Imperial Palace – home of Japan’s Imperial Family – to get your bearings in the city’s center. From there, it’s on to Asakusa, Tokyo’s ‘old town.’ Don’t let the name fool you. The atmosphere of Tokyo’s yesteryear is palpable here as you walk the narrow, tiled streets leading you to Sensoji Temple – its crowning feature. Sensoji backs on to Nakamise, a shopping street that will send you back in time with its traditional locals souvenirs ands snacks that have been served for centuries.
• Next it’s a quick subway ride across the city to Meiji Shrine – one of Tokyo’s most famous landmarks dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a very popular place for traditional Japanese weddings. Tokyo saw the end of its feudal system and came to modernize during the Meiji period and so this site holds much significance for locals and visitors alike. Lastly, with enough time, it’s on to nearby Omotesando shopping street. This area juxtaposes Asakusa as the modern, tree-lined avenue is home to flagship stores of the worlds’ top fashion brands and is reminiscent of a post-modern, global city. At the end of this tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel.
• Please note that this tour includes a private guide. However, rather than traveling by private vehicle, you will explore Tokyo by making use of Tokyo’s efficient local transit system.
• This afternoon, explore three of Tokyo's vibrant centers of youth fashion and pop culture with your private local guide. Begin in Shibuya, Tokyo's main center for youth fashion and culture. Its streets are the birthplace of many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends and the area is also home to the famous five-way "scramble crossing". The Shibuya Crossing is rumored to be the busiest intersection in the world. Next, travel to Harajuku and Takeshita-Dori (Cat Street). This famous street is lined with quirky fashion boutiques, cafes, and restaurants for your enjoyment. Harajuku caters to every imaginable style and is the epicenter of Japanese “kawaii”, the culture of cuteness. Continue to Akihabara, also known as Electric Town, an area that was originally famous for its many electronics shops. Akihabara is renowned as the center of Japan’s otaku culture, a culture of diehard fans in anime and manga fandom. Many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. The last stop at one of Tokyo’s famous pet cafes. Here you can enjoy a beverage and dessert and befriend a few of Tokyo’s cuddly creatures. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel. Rather than traveling by private vehicle, you will explore Tokyo by making use of Tokyo’s efficient local transit system.

DAY 3

• TOKYO

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• Secrets of the City
• When the sprawling metropolis that is Tokyo ran out of space, it inevitably turned toward the sea. Odaiba is a man-made island created by massive landfills, featuring many hypermodern and strange buildings memorably described as the result of a preschooler’s architecture class. Today, venture into this futuristic corner of Japan’s capital alongside a private guide. First, visit the Mori Digital Art Museum, affectionately known by locals as the "Instagram Museum"! Inside, projection mapping cleverly melds with human interaction, creating a fantasy world of illusions that is shaking the very foundations of what art is. As part of your visit, head to the museum's beautiful En Tea House, where you may choose a bowl of tea of your liking. A flower coordinated with your drink will bloom within the liquid, shattering into petals when you take a sip. Next, visit the Museum of Emerging Science, a highly interactive and bilingual museum that includes exhibits about environmental issues, robots, information technology, biology and space exploration. Take a ride on Tokyo’s monorail back to the mainland and return to your hotel.
• Please note that with this tour you will have a private guide, but rather than travelling by private vehicle, you will make use of Tokyo’s efficient local transit system.
• This evening, enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

DAY 4

• TOKYO

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• A Sight To Behold
• This morning, enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.
• Take a day tour of this fascinating city with a local guide by private transportation. Start at Shibuya, Tokyo’s main center for youth fashion and culture, whose streets are the birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends. It is also home to the famous five-way “scramble crossing.” From new to old Tokyo, we then take a walk through Kagurazaka – Tokyo’s old geisha district. It's back alleys reveal a Tokyo from another time and still retain the old teahouses, now often transformed into refined restaurants and boutiques. End the day at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku is one of Tokyo’s tallest and most distinctive skyscrapers. The 243-meter tall building has two towers, and each houses an observatory at the height of 202 meters, which provide excellent panoramic views of Tokyo and beyond. With favorable weather conditions, famous landmarks such as Mount Fuji, the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine and the Tokyo Dome can be seen from here.

DAY 5

• TOKYO

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• A Sight To Behold
• Today, experience what (in our humble opinion) is considered to be the best theme park in Japan. No one does theme parks like Japan and while you can find Disney 'Worlds' and 'Lands' across the globe, Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are the only two parks in the world not owned by The Walt Disney Company. Instead, Japan was given full reign of the design and operation of these parks and the results are Disney-themed parks unlike you've ever seen. This day will fly by as you are transported out of Japan entirely and into a fantasy unlike anything you have experienced or will experience (until you come back).
• Please Note: As the Tokyo Disney Parks are one of the most connected and easily-accessible sites in all of Japan, today you will make your own way to the park. The day-pass tickets are included in your cost and will be given to you at the beginning of your trip. If you prefer to arrange a car for the day, please talk to your Japan Destination Expert.

DAY 6

• TOKYO TO HAKONE

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• A Dazzling Drive
• Leave behind the hustle and bustle of Tokyo in favor of a day in Hakone, the gateway to Japan’s tallest mountain Mt. Fuji and the surrounding national park. Your local guide will meet you at your hotel this morning and accompany you on your private drive from Tokyo. Spend the day exploring Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, making use of your private vehicle as well as Hakone’s experiential forms of transport. Ride the world’s second longest cable car up Mt. Owakudani, passing over sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers in this active volcanic area. Sample Hakone’s famous local treat, the black eggs of Owakudani. The eggs are hard boiled in Hakone’s well known sulfuric hot springs, and local legend has it that eating one of these eggs will add seven years to your life. Board a majestic pirate ship and sail across Lake Ashinoko, a lake formed by a volcanic eruption 3000 years ago. Throughout the day there is a chance to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, however, please keep in mind that she is a notoriously shy mountain and it needs to be a clear day.  

DAY 7

• HAKONE TO KYOTO

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• Cultural Immersion
• Meet your driver for a train station transfer with a private vehicle.
• Relax on the scenic train from Hakone's Odawara station to Kyoto. The train ride is approximately 2 hours.
• The Hotel Granvia Kyoto is located directly above the Japan Rail Kyoto Station. The walk from the train to your hotel is quite short and simple, but for your added comfort, an assistant will greet you at the station and help you find the entrance to the hotel.
• When using the Shinkansen bullet train: Exit via the Shinkansen Main Exit, turn right and walk straight through Nanboku-Jiyu-Tsuro (North-to-South main corridor) until you reach the escalator to the hotel entrance on your right.
• When using the Haruka Express from Kansai International Airport: Exit via the JR Chuo Main Exit and take the escalator on your right to the Lobby on the 2nd floor of the hotel.
• Japan is world-renowned for a thriving traditional arts scene, and many of these crafts are meticulously practiced in the privacy of a Traditional Arts Instructor’s home. This afternoon, a local guide will meet you at your hotel and accompany you to the Traditional Arts Instructor’s home to learn about origami, a traditional craft of artistic paper-folding. Sheets of square paper can be carefully folded into various creative shapes such as animals, flowers, furniture, toys, etc., without the use of scissors. The instructor will teach you how to fold some basic shapes such as a crane, a box, or even a samurai warrior's helmet. Your origami creations are a memorable souvenir to take home with you. At the end of the cultural experience, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

DAY 8

• KYOTO

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• Hone Your Skills
• Today, accompanied by your private guide, enjoy the 1.5-hour private vehicle journey to Iga Village. Iga is known as the birthplace of the Iga-ryu ninja, one of Japan’s leading schools of ninjutsu (the art of stealth). Ninjutsu developed here and Iga ninja historically played important roles as intelligence all through Japan. Originally, it was a castle town developed in the early 17th century, inhabited by samurai warriors. The historic buildings built more than 100-200 years ago still remain. Ueno Park, which once formed the grounds of Ueno Castle, is located in the central area of the city. It is home to Iga’s most popular attraction: the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum. It is the reassembly of a ‘dogo’ residence (the house of an influential local person). Here, guides in ninja costumes will show you a wide range of clever tricks hidden in this residence. Ninja weapons including ninja stars and many other ninja tools such as protective gears and those for intrusion are on display. Try your hand at throwing ninja stars under the guidance of a ninja guide and enjoy a thrilling show of Ninja combat performed with real weapons by Ashra, the Iga Ninja group. At the end of the tour you will transfer back to your Kyoto hotel via private vehicle.
• IMPORTANT: The show is performed daily but irregularly some days the show will not be available.

DAY 9

• KYOTO TO OSAKA

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• Leave behind Japan's 'cultural capital' of Kyoto and continue on to energetic Osaka via the breathtaking Nara Park. Your local guide will meet you at your hotel this morning and accompany you on local trains to get to and from nearby Nara (travel time approx 45 min). Previously Japan’s capital for 74 years in the 8th century, Nara is home to many ancient temples and shrines from that time. Today’s tour will include a visit to Todaiji temple, the world’s largest wooden building and famous for its Great Buddha. You’ll also visit Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns which have been donated by worshipers. Next, take a stroll through Nara Park, nicknamed Deer Park known for being home to 1,000 tame deer living there. This park is a must-see at all times of year but especially during the spring and fall when the cherry blossoms and fall colors respectively, create a completely enchanting atmosphere.
• At the end of your tour, your guide will accompany you via local train to Osaka, where your transfer will be waiting at the train station to take you to your Osaka hotel
• With a private guide, you’ll integrate yourself in local culture by making use of Osaka’s efficient transit system instead of a private driver.  Regarded as the gastronomic hub of Japan, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the splendors of Osaka’s casual cuisine, venturing into the nation’s most famous restaurant district: Dotonbori. Wander through the colorful eateries and neon-filled streets of this food paradise with a vast array of culinary options, from street-side ramen bars to upscale restaurants serving the finest wagyu beef. As part of this tour you’ll have the opportunity to sample a variety of local foods, including the famous takoyaki (a snack in the shape of little round balls made of fried octopus) and kushikatsu (skewered meats and vegetables). Your private guide can also take you to a variety of other establishments, from ramen noodle stands to izakaya bars at your own additional cost. Following some of the best cuisine Osaka has to offer, your tour ends with the option of your guide taking you back to your hotel or exploring the nearby area on your own.

DAY 10

• OSAKA

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• Explore with an Expert
• After all the temples, it's time for some family-friendly fun in Osaka! Visit Expocity, the entertainment complex built on the site of the Universal Exposition held in Osaka in 1970, which was the first world fair in Asia.  First, you will visit NIFREL Museum, produced by Osaka Kaiyukan, the biggest aquarium in the world. NIFREL is not just an aquarium, zoo, or art museum, though. This is a new type of museum that appeals to your five senses. It hosts approximately 2,000 animals of 150 kinds, including water creatures, large land mammals, and birds, some of which you can only see in Japan, in an innovative and interactive setting that is unlike any other zoo or aquarium in the world. After lunch (not included), travel to central Osaka to enjoy a unique experience. Japanese restaurants often have displays outside with incredibly realistic and detailed food samples for their dishes, made with a special wax. Visit a sample laboratory in central Osaka, where you will see how they are created and follow the staff’s guidance to make two pieces of sushi-shaped samples yourself, which you can keep as a one-of-a-kind souvenir! One of them will also be mounted on a keychain for you. End the day with a stroll on the riverside Dotonbori with its neon lights, food stalls, and game arcades.
• Please note that with this tour you will have a private guide, but rather than traveling by private vehicle, you will make use of Osaka’s efficient local transit system.

DAY 11

• OSAKA

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• Cross an Item off the Bucket List
• Meet your local guide at your hotel for today’s adventure to Himeji, a 30-minute train ride from Osaka. The first stop of the day will be at Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle. The 400-year-old, six-story castle is a one of Japan’s twelve original castles, as most of the others have been destroyed by war or natural disaster. A UNESCO world heritage site, this site is a beloved Japanese natural treasure that’s especially gorgeous during fall’s peak foliage when the leaves turn into a stunning array of reds, oranges and golds or the popular cherry blossom season. Afterwards, you’ll head to the nearby Kokoen garden, a beautiful traditional Japanese garden in nine different styles.
• Please note that with this tour you will have a private guide, but rather than traveling by private vehicle, you will make use of Osaka’s efficient local transit system.

DAY 12

• OSAKA
• Safe Travels!
• Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle.

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Keio Plaza Tokyo

Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu

Granvia Kyoto

Conrad Osaka