Autumn Leaves Photography
- Duration : 12 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Mt Fuji (Kawaguchiko), Osaka, Himeji, Kyoto, Nara
Visit Japan in autumn together with a guide-photographer specialising in the country of the rising sun.
A 12-day guided tour to take beautiful photos of well-known and unusual places, enjoying the colours of autumn.
A trip to Japan open to all amateur or specialist photographers, in small, organised groups.
2 week itinerary in Japan (12 days)
- Tokyo (1 day)
- Kawaguchiko - Mount Fuji (2 days)
- Kyoto (3 days)
- Himeji (1 day)
- Osaka (1 day)
- Nara (1 day)
- Tokyo (3 days)
Please find below the itinerary details.
WARNING : The tour departure and end dates presented on this page relate to your stay in Japan. On departure, you will have to leave Europe on the day before. The return flight is on the same day due to the time difference. For further details, refer to "More about your trip".
Why this trip to Japan ?
- Supervision from an English-speaking photographer-guide, a specialist in photography and Japan
- Almost full package : guide, accommodation, transport and most meals
- Small groups of between 9 and 12 people maximum
- 3* hotels and traditional accommodation in ryokan, chosen by us
- Visit the must-see places for a first trip to Japan, with a photographic twist.
- An exceptional period, with sites chosen for the quality of the photos in autumn
- 40 years of expertise from Japan Experience, European leading travel agency in Japan
For both the amateur and experienced photographer. No photographic knowledge or equipment required (iPhone ok). All that is required is a "photo" group state of mind to capture magical moments such as sunrises on certain days.
Please take this into account: This trip has many walking sections, it is best to be in good physical condition and to bring walking shoes.
Your trip in detail
Itinerary
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Day 1 : Sunday - Wake up in Japan
Arrival at Tokyo airport (Narita or Haneda).
Welcome to Japan! Yokoso 日本へようこそ!Welcomed out of customs by our airport assistant, who will give you all your travel documents and Pocket WiFi.
Unaccompanied transfer from the airport to Tokyo (see details).This transfer is done in a shared shuttle or bus, with other guests departing for the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers depart between 1.5 and 3 hours after your scheduled flight arrival and stops can be made before your hotel.
If you would like a private, non-stop transfer directly after the actual arrival of your flight, feel free to take the "Private Taxi from the Airport" option.
Accommodation at Hotel B Akasaka Mitsuke or a 3* equivalent (rooms available from 3:00pm)
Welcome by the guide at 6:00pm.
Introduction of the tour by the guide during a welcome dinner.Dinner provided by Japan Experience.
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Day 2 : Monday - as close as possible to Mount Fuji
Journey from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko (about 2 hours).
Check-in at the hotel at the foot of Mount Fuji, near Lake Kawaguchi. Hotel Mystays Fuji Onsen resort or equivalent.Discover the highest mountain in Japan and admire a magnificent sunset.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure. Your tour guide will be able to advise you on the best spots! -
Day 3 : Tuesday - Unforgettable autumn photos
Located at the foot of Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi is an ideal place to unwind with nature and admire the splendid red autumn leaves at sunrise and sunset.
With the sunrise expected around 5:45, you will have to rise early that day to see the sun rise (sunset around 17:00).Pass through the Chureito pagoda, one of the best photo viewpoints on Mount Fuji.
Accommodation in a ryokan (traditional Japanese accommodation) by the lake. Ryokan Shohoukakou Kogetsu or equivalent.
Traditional Japanese dinner included at your ryokan.
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Day 4 : Wednesday - On the road to the old capital
Traditional Japanese breakfast in your ryokan (mostly savoury)
Journey to Kyoto by train and Shinkansen (about 3h30).
Check into your hotel in the heart of Japan's historic capital. Hotel Tsugu 京都三条 or equivalent.
By mid-afternoon, set off for one of Kyoto's most emblematic sites, the Kinkakuji temple (golden pavilion).
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure. Your tour guide will be able to advise you on the best places to visit! -
Day 5 : Thursday - Memoirs of a Geisha
Departure at first light for the fabulous site of Fushimi Inari, world-famous for its thousands of Japanese sacred gates, the torii, placed in a row on an immense hill. Wonderful photos await you.
Note: sunrise is expected around 5:45, so you will have to get up early on this day to catch it (sunset around 17:00).
Next, your guide will take you off the beaten path and lead you to some glorious maple gardens known only to locals.
Later in the day, visit the historical Gion district, the picturesque streets of Sannen-zaka & Ninnen-zaka, and the Hokan-ji - Yasaka pagoda. You could even see the silhouette of a geisha... However, we would like to remind you that it is strictly forbidden to take pictures in the historical Gion district, due to numerous abuses by tourists towards geishas and locals.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure. -
Day 6 : Friday - Castle & Samurai
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure to Himeji via Osaka (1 hour 30 by train)
Visit to the renowned Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The castle gardens are full of vibrant autumn colours. All you need for some magical photos with this emblematic Japanese castle in the background.Sunset at Himeji.
Return to Osaka by train.
Check into your hotel in the heart of the gastronomic capital of Japan. Hotel Noum Osaka or equivalent.Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure. Your tour guide will be able to advise you on the best places to visit! -
Day 7 : Saturday - Bamboo and maple trees
Travel to Arashiyama, between Kyoto and Osaka, to see the bamboo forest, its river and the hills that offer a magnificent autumn spectacle and you will witness a poetic sunrise.
Afterwards, your guide will take you off the beaten track and lead you to the flaming maple gardens of Arashiyama district, which are known only to locals.
Return to Osaka (30min) and head to the lively Dotonbori district to immerse yourself in the heart of the local scene.
Dinner at your leisure in Dotonbori.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
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Day 8 : Sunday - The first capital away from clichés
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure from Osaka by train to the city of Nara (about 1 hour), famous for its immense Buddha and its park full of deer.
Visit to Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan in the 8th century:
- The Shinto shrine of Kasuga Taisha and its thousands of lanterns,
- The Todaiji, its great bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate,
- The Kofukuji temple with its beautiful pagoda.Depending on the progress of the programme and the weather, it may be possible to return to Kyoto for this day.
Sunset in Nara and return to Osaka.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure in Osaka. -
Day 9 : Monday: Back to the capital
Breakfast at the hotel.
Discover Osaka's historic castle and its charming wooded park.
Train journey from Osaka to Tokyo (about 2 hours 30).
Check-in at your hotel in Tokyo.
Visit the lively Shinjuku and Shibuya districts. Upon your photographer-guide's advice, take a picture of the most famous junction in the world.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure in Shibuya. -
Day 10 : Tuesday - Let's visit Tokyo!
Breakfast at the hotel.
A guided day out according to the group's preferences. Discover the city's must-see sites, or the more exclusive ones with their vibrant autumn colours.
Choose from the following:
- The magnificent Shinjuku Gyôen park
- Akihabara: the electronic and manga district
- The vintage districts of Yanaka and/or Shimokitazawa
- Ueno: Tokyo's must-see with its park and lotus pond
- Harajuku: the avant-garde neighbourhood
- Meiji Jingû, the imperial shrine
- Takeshita-Dori: Japan's most famous street
- Omotesando: The Champs-Élysées of TokyoLunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at your leisure in Shibuya. -
Day 11 : Wednesday - A few last pictures...
Breakfast at the hotel.
A guided day out according to the group's preferences. Discover the city's must-see sites, or the more exclusive ones with their vibrant autumn colours.
Choose from the following:
- Ginza, Tokyo's chic district
- Tsukiji, the small outdoor food market
- Hamarikyu, the Japanese garden between Tokyo's buildings
- Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage, accessible by a cruise down the Sumida River
- Sensô-ji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in the city
- Tokyo Sky Tree, reaching a height of 643m, and its panoramic view of Tokyo.Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Closing dinner also organised and covered by Japan Experience.
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Day 12 : Thursday - Sayonara, and see you next time !
Transfer to Haneda or Narita airport (included but not accompanied).
This transfer is by shuttle or shared bus, with other customers departing from the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers arrive between 3 hours and 1.5 hours before the actual departure of your flight, and stops can be made before you arrive at the airport.
If you prefer a private transfer at a time of your choice, direct to the airport and with no intermediate stops, select the "Private taxi to the airport" option.
Return flight to Europe, North America, Australia.
Do not hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days to Tokyo, Nikko, Kamakura... we can advise you.












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Accommodation
- 10 nights in 3* hotels
- 1 night in a ryokan at Kawaguchiko
The basic rate includes a twin room for two people.
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Transport
- Transfer airport <> Tokyo
- Prepaid public transport card
- Japan Rail Pass for 7 days
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Experiences and meals
- Airport welcome
- Supervision from an English-speaking photographer-guide
- Welcome at the airport by our airport assistant
- Tours and activities mentioned, as well as others off the beaten path
- Almost full package : all meals (except free days and half of the dinners during the stay)
Included in your guided tour
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Additional benefits
- Wi-Fi access (1 Wi-Fi pocket for the whole group)
- Complete e-travel diary sent before your departure
- 24/7 telephone assistance in English; in addition to the guide's assistance during the day
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Not included in the price of your trip
- Flights Europe <> Japan
- Optional insurance policies
- Personal expenses (including 5 dinners at your leisure and expenses for the two free days)
- Drinks with meals (except water and sometimes tea)
- Anything not included in the "included in your tour" section
- Admissions to tourist sites
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About the risk of cancellation of your accompanied tour
Even if there is very little risk that your accompanied tour will be canceled, this risk does exist. It is usually 4%.
If you are unfortunately in these 4%, you are informed 3 to 2 months in advance and we ALWAYS offer you another tour, in the same season and most of the time on the same dates. We also offer, as an alternative, 100% reimbursement of the tour (excluding flights).
In 2023, out of 300 tour clients supported, 12 were redirected to another tour and 0 remained at home.
When you buy, Japan Experience offers you 2 types of protection:
Japan Experience Flex :
Cancellation insurance before departure under conditions.
Japan Experience Protect :
Pre-departure cancellation insurance under conditions and on-site assistance under conditions. COVID protection included.
Frequently asked questions
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- Assistance available in Japan throughout your trip
- A specialised team is available 7 days a week by phone or email
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