Opera actress in Beijing, China.

Luxury Highlights of China & Japan Tour

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

China, Japan

Places Visited

Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Osaka...

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Suggested Duration

14 Days

Samurai residences and Kyoto gardens, the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army are all yours to explore on this incredible journey. From kaiseki in a ryokan to Michelin Shanghai dining, this itinerary will bring 12 nights of new experiences in the best of luxury China and Japan. Travel through 3,000 years of tradition and then into tomorrow’s world on a handcrafted tour that goes far beyond the usual tourist sights in Beijing, Xian, Zhujiajiao, Shanghai, Mount Koya, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, and...

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Explore the finest Japanese food, including Hida beef in Takayama, a Kaiseki experience, and a sushi workshop in Tokyo
  • Helicopter above the Great Wall of China and walk along lesser-known stretches of the icon
  • Travel behind the scenes in Kyoto with exclusive access to gardens and temples usually closed to the public
  • Discover China’s finest historical legacies with private tours in Beijing and Xian
  • Slow everything down as you spend a night with monks at a monastery on Mount Koya
  • Cruise through the canals of Zhujiajiao, and then compare the experience to nearby Shanghai
  • Stay in two Japanese ryokans and a selection of China’s best contemporary hotels
  • Uncover Tokyo from an artistic perspective with a journey from old to new that includes the city’s most interesting neighborhoods
  • Stand before the Terracotta Army and spend a day exploring Samurai residences in Kanazawa
  • Compare the new and old of Chinese cuisine, including a cooking experience in Xian and a Michelin-starred 22-course Shanghai dinner

Detailed Description

For any traveler to Japan and China, it is not too difficult to see the sights. But to explore the contrasts of these countries and get to feel what they are all about is something different. The obvious contrasts between China and Japan are evident to most – Xian to Kyoto, Beijing to Tokyo, and there is no doubt which country you are in. It is through a mix of destinations and experiences that you can begin to understand the complexities of these exotic nations. Handcrafted to include the countries’ finest hotels, this 12-night luxury tour will take you beneath the surface of both China and Japan, using exclusive experiences to reveal so much more than just what is found on the surface.

China is a place of contradiction, and Beijing is a great place to start. Think contemporary dining high up in a skyscraper, looking down on the Forbidden City. Hutongs, the narrow alleyways, remain and take you on a journey into Beijing from two centuries ago. You will then exit them and move into tomorrow’s world, but around another corner, there are antiques and further old architecture. You will visit the Great Wall of China via helicopter for a stunning impression of the wall’s scale.

From Beijing, you will delve into the old world of Xian, the Chinese capital for over millennia of emperors and dynasties. Walk the thick city walls, go behind the scenes at the Terracotta Army, dive into culinary history, and keep your senses in past centuries. You will end in Shanghai, but not without half a day in Zhujiajiao, a city of canals that is often called the Venice of the East, even though it predates its Italian counterpart. Canal-side history is then brilliantly contrasted with Michelin dining in a Shanghai skyscraper, neon flashing all around in this megalopolis that ends your time in China.

Japan is all about the pursuit of perfection, and this theme runs through all of the destinations you visit, whether they are old or modern. Fly to Osaka, and travel 90 minutes into the mountains. Here, at Mount Koya, you spend a night in a monastery with Shingon Buddhist monks. Descending from the mountains, you will move next to explore Kyoto, a city of grand temples and gardens, where secrets hide in places guides know where to look. This is the heartbeat of Japanese culture, and you will gain exclusive access to experiences not found in guidebooks or tourist itineraries.

Travel onwards for a night in Takayama, home of wooden merchant homes and famous Hida beef, and then to Kanazawa, a town of ancient teahouses and Samurai residences where the dining switches to kaiseki cuisine. For both nights, you will stay in a ryokan, an experiential part of traveling in Japan. Take the bullet train to Tokyo to end with two full days in the capital. With art and food as your lenses, you can explore the most interesting neighborhoods to continue to explore what makes Japan so unique. Your itinerary will include closed-door galleries and a sushi-making workshop for two very different examples of the search for perfection.

Starting Price

$7,200 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.81 stars based on 815 reviews.

Japan Travel Review: Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Sushi, Ryokan,...

Our trip to Japan was well planned and well thought out. Zicasso's travel designer made us feel very well taken care of. We are grateful to the travel designer for his effort in putting together this wonderful trip for us. We loved interacting with our excellent guides. Their expertise truly enhanced our experiences. All our travel assistants were extremely helpful and very thoughtful.

Reviewed By Alok G.

Japan Vacation Review: Local Cuisine, Drumming and Samurai...

Yet another fantastic family trip, courtesy of a Zicasso partner! My family of six just returned from our 10-day trip to Japan, as coordinated with Zicasso's travel company, and we have nothing but wonderful stories and memories to report!

Our agent arranged every detail to perfection, from transportation to guides to activities. All four kids and both parents had a fantastic experience. The guides he selected were incredibly knowledgeable and personable, and the hotels and transportation were spot on. I have nothing to say but that it was a seamless, A+ experience.

Thank you to our agent and travel companyI!

Reviewed By Sara G.

Japan Vacation Review: Private Guides and Driver, 8 Nights...

Our travel expert was professional, accurate, timely, and patient. It was wonderful working with her. Zicasso really made creating a customized itinerary effortless.

Reviewed By Suzy A.

Japan Travel Review: Tokyo, Hakone, Mount Fuji, Mount Inari,...

Zicasso's travel designer had less than three months to bring an amazing trip to life. Our goal was to experience the history, art, culture, and people of Japan. Mission accomplished!

There were so many highlights shared by our exceptional guides and drivers, who felt like friends and family by the trip's end. Some experiences surprised us with their creativity, joy, and value (slapstick sumo skits in Tokyo, the samurai sword experience, sushi class, open-air and Venetian glass museums in Hakone, and especially the Himeji Castle master carpenter tutorial). Though in our late 70s, walking five to seven miles per day and climbing 766-oot sacred Mount Inari weren't an issue.

The veracity of this review is paramount... the only experience we would forgo was spelunking (crawling) in the cold, wet lava cave, as in our ignorance, we were out of our element. We found joints we did not know we had! We are focused on collecting memories, not things. This fabulous trip achieved that goal. Thank you!

Reviewed By William H.

Japan Vacation Review: Public Baths, Shrines, Ryokans, 10...

I was very pleased with our trip, the accommodations, and the personal touch. Zicasso's travel specialist was excellent and even when we had some hiccups during the trip, he was there to make an adjustment. I was very pleased. Some really nit-picky tips for future travelers from out of town.

The Shinkansen is a fun ride and everyone should do it. However, when you need multiple tickets at a time, remind the passenger that you put all the tickets into the ticket turnstile at one time, not individually.

We had to visit in July, but I think the best time to visit Japan would be in the three other seasons because of the heat and humidity (with the exception of Hokkaido).

There are still some places that need cash, like public baths etc. I would carry a little on you. Also, visiting the public baths was one of the truly authentic Japanese experiences we had. If a traveler is into the authentic experience, don't underestimate that experience.

You can get "shrined out." They are great and we appreciated every one. We even caught a monk actively praying at a fairly remote one, which was tremendous. I'm not sure if it's possible to know approximate times, but seeing this happen as a traveler was immensely gratifying. It was 6.30am on a Saturday. So if there is a way to figure out an approximate schedule, you will have elevated your travel game above all the rest. It would be a differentiator for you.

Letting travelers know about the bento boxes and grab-and-go foods is a plus. I was so impressed by them and that info should be shared with every traveler, especially the kiddos.

The Japanese do some things really well and a side list of them might be helpful for tours. For example, we stopped for some anime magazines, kitchen knives, street food, and a baseball game, baths, and hot springs. I'd lean into this and provide some lists for people to pick from, especially the kitchen knives.

Explain the concept of luggage forwarding and the approximate costs. It's a uniquely Japanese thing, and it's awesome and affordable, but needs some getting used to.

Google Translate and the app to read the signs (I forgot its name) is a must. Share the links early and often.

I have so many more ideas, but we will start there. I hope it helps.

Reviewed By Matthew F.

Japan Travel Review: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Miyajima, 17-Day Trip...

Zicasso's travel agent was absolutely fantastic! She created a trip of a lifetime! Furthermore, when our plans changed or we needed something, she was there and helped with ease. We would work with her again, and Zicasso, in a heartbeat.

Reviewed By Erica M.

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