Private tour of the Imperial Palace’s blossoming East Garden

Japan Discovery Tour: Culture, Traditions, and Food

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

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

Countries Visited

Japan

Places Visited

Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Shirakawa-go...

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Suggested Duration

11 Days

Your 11-day Japan culture tour will introduce you to the traditions, cuisine, and heritage of the island nation with specialist guides knowledgeable about the treasures often overlooked by visitors. Your journey will take you from a traditional sake brewery to a temple tour guide by a monk, a timeless river sunset cruise to celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants. Witness blossoming gardens, learn customary flavors, and delight in the abundant majesty of Japan.

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Tour a traditional sake brewery in Takayama, and learn about the nation’s most famous drink
  • Indulge in a private Japanese cooking class, exploring a myriad of flavors
  • Walking tour of Nara’s Todai-Ji Temple led by a Buddhist monk
  • Private tour of the Imperial Palace’s blossoming East Garden
  • Embark on a Sumida River sunset cruise and take timeless photos
  • Experience the finest dining at a Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo

Detailed Description

Japan is a country that would take multiple lifetimes to understand fully. In this 11-day tour, get to know the best of Japan as you explore the country’s major cities and rural treasures. Japan is your buffet, and it is your choice of what you want your experience to be.

You begin in Tokyo, the biggest city in the world and Japan’s center of culture, history, and fine dining. Take in the newest attractions, or immerse yourself in the past at one of the city’s many parks and shrines. And no matter where you stop to eat, your food is savory and delectable in ways you cannot begin to imagine.

From Tokyo, you are off to Nikko, the burial site of Japan’s shoguns. Following in the footsteps of samurai, you enter shrines that were once off-limits to commoners. While there, you are introduced to some of Japan’s finest cuisine.

Your trip into the heart of Japan continues the next day as the shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) whisks you off to Takayama, an isolated city surrounded by the Japanese Alps. There, you sample some of the most succulent beef Japan has to offer before touring the old city. In the evening, your hotel has breathtaking views of the Takayama Valley from its onsen baths, open-air pools where you can soak away your troubles and reflect on the day.

From Takayama, you take a day trip to Shirakawa-go, one of the best-persevered villages in Japan. Learn about what life was like centuries ago when the city was the heart of Japan’s silk industry. While there, you gain an insider’s view of daily life as you meet a local family and have a specially prepared lunch in their home.

The next day you leave Takayama behind and take an express bus to Kanazawa, Japan’s seafood capital. Indulge your inner foodie as you sample some of the best sushi in Japan before learning the secrets behind Japan most famous confection, wagashi. In the evening, go out on the town at an izakaya, where you can try some of the city’s finest sake paired with a variety of delicious dishes.

The next three days, you are in Kyoto and Nara, two of Japan’s ancient capitals. Let Buddhist monks teach you the secrets of Zen mediation before going off to a private lesson in tea ceremony led by geisha whose traditions have been passed down for generations.

You return to Tokyo for your last full day in Japan. There you can go on one final adventure, buy a few souvenirs, or simply relax in Tokyo’s many splendid parks. In the evening, you are treated to a farewell dinner at a Michelin star restaurant, a perfect capstone to your journey.

A perfect trip for couples, this tour is best taken in the fall or spring, when Japan’s natural beauty is at its peak. Guides in each city in are fluent in English, and can assist with any issues that may arise during the tour.

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

4.84 stars based on 677 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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