Urban and Rural Japan

Arrival at Tokyo airport (Narita or Haneda)

Reception at the exit of customs by our English-speaking airport assistant.

Unaccompanied transfer from the airport to Tokyo (see details)

Accommodation at Hotel Metropolitan Ikebukuro or an equivalent 4* (rooms available from 15:00)

Welcome by the guide at 18:00.

Introduction of the tour by the guide during a welcome dinner.

Dinner provided by Japan Experience.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure around 8:30 am, guided tour of Tokyo:

- Ginza, Tokyo's chic district

- Tsukiji*, the small outdoor food market

- Hamarikyu, the Japanese garden amongst Tokyo's buildings

- Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage, accessible by cruise on the Sumida River.

- Sensô-ji Buddhist temple, one of the city's oldest

- Rue Nakamise Dôri, a long and narrow street lined with thousand-year-old shops

- Tokyo Sky Tree** and its panoramic view of Tokyo.

Lunch provided by Japan Experience.

Dinner at your leisure. Your tour guide will be able to advise you on the best places to visit!

Transportation for the day on public transport, by boat and on foot (about 8 km in total).

(*) The "big" Tsukiji market was relocated to Toyosu in October 2018. Only the "external market" remains accessible from now on...

(**) One of the three tallest towers in the world, reaching a height of 643m. In case of bad weather or reduced visibility, Japan Experience reserves the right to replace this visit with another viewing point.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Continue to visit Tokyo with your tour guide

- Visit to Ueno district : The park full of cherry trees and the lotus pond Shinobazu ;

- The trendy district of Harajuku  ;

- The imperial Meiji Jingû yemple ;

- The young and crazy Takeshita-Dori alley ;

- The Japanese "Champs-Elysées": Ometesando, fashion capital ;

- Shibuya and its famous “crossing”.

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.

Day trips by public transport and on foot (about 10 km in total).

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free day(*), which you can spend seeing many other monuments and interesting sites of the capital and its surroundings: your guide will be able to advise you.

In the capital :

- Tokyo Museum (Edo Tokyo Museum) ;

- Shinjuku Gyôen (park) ;

- Akihabara : electronic and manga district ;

- Vintage districts of Yanaka and/or Shimokitazawa.

Around Tokyo, we offer a guided tour of Kamakura (from Kamakura station) and its large bronze Buddha statue (not included in the tour, contact us).

(*)Please note only breakfast at the hotel is provided by Japan Experience. The other meals, transport and visits are your choice.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Baggage transfer to Kyoto organised by Japan Experience (1 bag per person). Take a small bag for the night in Hakone - Mount Fuji.

Travel by train and shinkansen to your hotel in the centre of Hakone - Mount Fuji (around 1 and a half hours).

Depart by minibus to the heights of Hakone for a breath-taking view of Mount Fuji*

- Promenade along the old Tokaido road which linked Tokyo to Kyoto ;

- Lake Ashi-no-ko and its Japanese portico torii with feet in the water ;

- The incredible volcanic site of Owakudani**.

Stay in your ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel).

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.

*If weather conditions allow it.

**The sight can be inaccessible due to volcanic activity.

Daily trips by train, minibus and on foot (about 2 km in total).

Traditional Japanese breakfast at Ryokan (quite salty).

Depart on foot and public transport to open air sculpture museum in Hakone.

At the end of the morning, leave for Kyoto by shinkansen (2 hours).

Note, January 30, 2020 : the Hakone Tozan train line leading to the museum has been partially destroyed by the weather events at the end of 2019, and will definitely not be rebuilt. Therefore access to the museum is provided by bus which takes much longer than the train. This is why it was decided that the group will travel to Kyoto earlier, to visit, among other things, the huge Kyoto station before joining the brewery.

Visit to sale brewery.

Tasting several kinds of this traditional Japanese alcohol (between 12 and 20 degrees) to celebrate your arrival in the historic Japanese capital.

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.

Day trips by public transport, ultra-fast shinkansen train, and on foot (about 5 km).

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit Kyoto by minibus :

- Ryoan-ji zen garden ;

- Kinkaku-ji (Gold Pavilion) and Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion), the bewitching path of philosophy ;

- The charming village of Ohara, in the suburbs of Kyoto : the Sanzen'in green temple and visit the surrounding Japanese countryside (rice field, Japanese vegetable fields: tsukemono, shiso, etc.).

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.

Day trips by minibus.

Breakfast at the hotel.

- Excursion by shinkansen (50 minutes) to Himeji castle (UNESCO heritage sight) ;

- Lunch at Himeji and return to Kyoto by shinkansen ;

- Visit the fabulous sanctuary of Fushimi Inari to discover an incredible sunset(*) ;

- Evening stroll in the Pontocho district.

(*)If weather conditions allow it.

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience. 

Day trips by shinkansen, taxi and on foot (around 7 km in total including ascent and descent of Fushimi Inari).

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free day(*): enjoy the former capital’s incredible sights at your own pace. Your guide will be able to advise you.

(*)Please note only breakfast at the hotel is provided by Japan Experience. The other meals, transport and visits are your choice.

Breakfast at the hotel.

- Depart by minibus for Miho Museum built on the top of a mountain by the architect I. M. Pei. (Famous for his design of the Louvre Pyramid) ;

- Excursion off the beaten track, in the Kyoto countryside, to discover the fields and tea producer ;

- Evening walk through the picturesque Sannen-zaka & Ninnen-zaka streets of the Gion district.

We must draw your attention to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to take photos in the historic district of Gion.

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.

Daily trips by minibus and by foot in the evening (around 3km).

*On certain dates, not currently defined, the museum will be temporarily closed to renew their collections.

Breakfast at the hotel in Kyoto.

Baggage transfer to Osaka organised by Japan Experience (1 bag per person). Take a small bag for your two nights in Nara and Koyasan : Train journey to Nara (50 minutes

Visit Nara, the first Japanese capital in the 8th century.

- The Shinto Kasuga Taisha temple and its thousands of lanterns;

- The Todaiji, its large bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate;

- The Kofukuji temple and its lovely pagoda.

Meals (lunch, dinner) provided by Japan Experience.

Day trips by train and on foot (about 4 km in total).

Breakfast at the hotel.

Depart on train and cable car to the sacred mountain of Koya-san (2h30).

- Visit the sumptuous Kongobuji temple;

- Visit Danjo-Garan, one of the main religious sites of the village.

Meals (lunch, dinner) provided by Japan Experience.

Day trips by train and on foot (about 3 km in total).

Enjoy a unique experience with a traditional vegan dinner and overnight in a temple with the monks.

Due to the altitude, the temperature in Koyasan is often lower than other cities visited previously.

Note: Due to the very small number of 4 **** hotel temples, there is a possibility, depending on availability, that you will be accommodated in a 2/3 *** temple of equivalent comfort. 

Traditional vegan breakfast served in the temple.

Depending on availability of the monks, possibility to attend a Buddhist ceremony (availability not guaranteed currently).

- In the morning, discover the fabulous mystical necropolis of Okunoin.

- Head to Osaka by train (2 hours), afternoon shopping, and night tour of the city : the lively district of Namba and Dotonbori street.

Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.

Day trips by train and on foot (about 4 km in total).

Breakfast at the hotel. 



Depart for Kobe, cosmopolitan city :

- Sannomiya and Kitano districts ;

- Explore an old sake brewery ;

- Visit the Hanshin earthquake museum, depending on the time left.



Board the ferry and cruise overnight to the port of Oita on Kyushu island.



Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.



(*)The Sunflower company reserves the right to move the departure to Osaka, Japan Experience may have to modify the program for the day. The visit to Kobe can be replaced by this city: vintage Shinsekai district (Tsutenkaku tower) and Keitakuen garden. The ferry will arrive in Beppu in this case, the group will visit two of the most famous offshore lighthouses (jigoku) there, before continuing on the normal route (Usuki).



Day trips by minibus, on foot and ferry. 

Breakfast aboard the ferry



Route to Usuki : visit to stone Buddha sights.



Route to the sacred Takachiho sight, mountain village known for its Japanese legends and magnificent ravines.



Takachiho : 

- Gokase river gorges one of the most beautiful natural sites in Kyushu ;

- Amanoiwato Jinja Shinto temple, Japan's second most sacred site ;

- Evening show of sacred dances (divine gestures) Iwato Kagura.



Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.



Day trips by minibus and by foot.

Breakfast at the family-run hotel.



Before going to Kumamoto, visit the famous Mount Aso en route. It’s the largest volcano in Japan, and has an unmissable caldera and its volcano museum.



In Kumamoto, the magnificent Suizen-ji garden.



Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.



Day trips by minibus, public transport and by foot.

Breakfast at the hotel.



We head to Yanagawa, the Venice of Kyushu.

Located in the south west of Fukuoka prefecture, the city of Yanagawa is surrounded by hundreds of canals which you can travel by gondola.



Depart from Yangawa to Nagasaki via Okawachiyama, birthplace of pottery and ceramics.



In Nagasaki, discover the Megane Bashi “glasses” bridge.



Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.



Daily trips by ferry, minibus, and on foot. 

Breakfast at the hotel.



Free day(*): enjoy the charms of the old port, gardens, churches and temples at your own pace.

Your guide will be able to advise you.



We can offer you tours of the following sights :



In Nagasaki

- Glover's garden (former foreign concession) and Oura basilica ;

- Dejima museum-polder (former Dutch concession) ;

- The memorial and museum of 26 martyrs ;

- The Sôfukuji Chinese temple ;

- The Atomic Bomb Museum.



Around Nagasaki :

- Gunkanjima ghost island tour.



(*)Please note: only breakfast at the hotel is provided by Japan Experience. The other meals, transport and visits are your choice and not organised by Japan Experience.

Breakfast at the hotel and baggage transfer to Osaka organised by Japan Experience (1 bag per person). Take a small bag for the night in Miyajima.



In the morning, take the shinkansen train to Hiroshima  (3 hours) :

The Peace Memorial Park and its museum (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum) ;

The peace monuments (the dome, the memorial to the young Sadako Sasaki, one of the many victims of the radiation).



Ferry to Miyajima, sacred Shinto island.



Visit to Itsukushima-jinja sanctuary and its big entrance gate (ootorii)*.



Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.



Daily trips by public transport, by shinkansen, by boat and on foot.



*The ootorii is under construction until an indefinite date. 

Breakfast at Ryokan



Visit to Miyajima : between temples and deer.



- Folklore museum (Egami house) ;

- Senjôkaku Shinto temple and pagoda ;

- Shopping street for your final purchases.



Depart for Osaka : ferry to Miyajimaguchi (Miyajima), train then shinkansen (2 hours 50 minutes).



Meals (lunch, dinner), provided by Japan Experience.



Day trips by public transport, by shinkansen, by boat and on foot.

Breakfast at the hotel.



Transfer to Kansai International airport (KIX) from your hotel :

- By shared taxi for customers taking the direct flight Paris AF291 taking off at 10:30am ;

- By direct train for customers taking another flight (take off between 8am and 2am the next day).



The transfer to Itami Airport (ITM) is not provided by Japan Experience.



Meals not covered by Japan Experience.



Return flight to Europe.