Tokyo and Kyoto

Arrive at Tokyo Narita or Haneda airport. Meet the English-speaking assistant in the arrivals hall and transfer to the hotel via shared service (airport limousine bus or shared van), unassisted. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Tokyo.

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day city tour with a private guide using public transportation. You will visit Meiji Shrine, the fashionable district of Harajuku (with the bustling and colorful Takeshita Street, a meeting point for Japanese cosplay youth) and Omotesando (connecting Shibuya with Minato with its palaces built by the world's most famous architectural studios). Also, the Gyoen Garden in Shinjuku (a typical Japanese garden and an oasis of peace and tranquility within the bustling district of Shinjuku), Shinjuku (with the Kabukicho area, full of nightclubs and restaurants) and Shibuya (with the Hachiko statue and Shibuya Crossing, the world's busiest pedestrian crossing). Finally, we will stroll through the Ginza district. Overnight in Tokyo.

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day to explore the city. Optional activities such as a trip to Nikko or Mt Fuji & Hakone can be arranged. Overnight in Tokyo. OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO NIKKO Full-day private tour (08:00-18:00 approx). Transportation and lunch included. We visit the grand Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls, Rinnoji Temple, and Futarasan-Jinja. OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO MOUNT FUJI & HAKONE Full-day private tour (08:00-17:30 approx). Transportation and lunch included. We visit Fuji-Hakone National Park with a brief cruise on Lake Ashi and a cable car ride to Mount Komagatake for panoramic views of Mount Fuji. Weather permitting, we suggest visiting the Hakone Open Air Museum.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the train station on your own (the guide will show you how to take the bullet train during the tour on day 2). Depart by bullet train to Kyoto. Upon arrival in Kyoto, meet the guide and visit Arashiyama in the northern area of Kyoto using public transportation. You will visit the famous bamboo forest, the iconic Togetsu Bridge, and the Tenryu-ji Temple, considered one of the five most important Zen temples in Kyoto. Overnight in Kyoto. Opportunity to stay one night in a Ryokan in Arashiyama with a traditional dinner (at an additional cost).

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day to explore the city. Optional activities such as excursions to Nara or Hiroshima & Miyajima can be arranged. Overnight in Kyoto. OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO NARA & FUSHIMI INARI Full-day private tour (08:30-16:30 approx). Transportation and lunch included. We visit Todaiji Temple and its Great Buddha, Deer Park, and Kasuga Shrine. On the way back to Kyoto, we stop to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine. OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA Full-day private tour (08:00-19:00 approx). Transportation and lunch included. We visit the Peace Park and museum. Transfer to Miyajima Island by ferry and visit Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage Site, with its spectacular floating Torii gate.

Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day city tour with a private guide using public transportation. You will visit the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji), the Zen temple Ryoan-ji, Sanju Sangendo Temple, Kiyomizudera Temple, the historic and traditional Nishiki Market, and stroll through the typical Gion district. Overnight in Kyoto.

Breakfast at the hotel. At a time suitable for your departure flight, transfer to Kansai Osaka or Itami Airport by shared service, unassisted.