Between Manga and Tradition
- Duration : 15 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Hakone Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Okayama, Miyajima, Osaka
Are your children fans of manga? Would you like to discover the land of the rising sun with them?
This Japan tour allows you to combine the discovery of the manga universe with the main tourist sites: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and its sacred island Miyajima, without forgetting the majestic Mount Fuji and Japanese inland sea.
An organised trip to Japan for the whole family!
2 week itinerary
- Departure city/airport : Tokyo (Narita : NRT or Haneda : HND)
- Tokyo (5 nights)
- Hakone Mount Fuji (1 night)
- Kyoto (3 nights)
- Okayama and Tomonoura (2 nights)
- Miyajima Island (1 night)
- Osaka (2 nights)
- End Return airport : Osaka (Kansai Airport : KIX)
Please find below the itinerary details.
Tour length : 14 nights / 15 days (+ 1 day at the beginning if you leave from Europe)
Indeed, 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.
Example :
- Departure from Europe : January 1st
- Arrival Tokyo (date to be selected in the tour calendar while booking) : January 2nd
- Return flight from Osaka Kansai Airport : January 16th
Why this trip to Japan ?
- Welcomed at the airport by our team, you will be taken to your hotel in Tokyo by shuttle bus
- Discover this huge city and learn how to draw manga
- Must-see visits for manga fans : The Akihabara district
- Head to the edge of Mount Fuji for an unforgettable dinner and overnight stay in a ryokan
- Travel by Shinkansen to Kyoto : a guided tour of the traditional geisha quarter awaits you
- Visit the fishing port that inspired Miyazaki before an overnight stay on the island of Miyajima
- End the trip in Osaka where you can spend an optional day at Universal Studios
- Recommendations available in your travel diary
- Enjoy unlimited internet access thanks to your pocket Wi-Fi
- If necessary, contact our English-speaking assistance 24/7
- A number of guided days or other optional activities are available
- Benefit from the expertise of Japan Experience, European leading travel agency in Japan.
Your trip in detail
Itinerary
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Day 1 : Wake up in Tokyo 東京
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.
Check-in at the hotel OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka by Hoshino Resorts or same category hotel 3* (rooms available from 3:00pm).
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Day 2 : First steps in the capital
What is there to do in Tokyo on the first day?
We advise you to slowly start visiting Tokyo from its western districts:
- Harajuku: the avant-garde district
- Meiji Jingû, the imperial shrine
- Takeshita-Dori: the most famous street in Japan
- Omotesando: Tokyo's Champs-Élysées
- Shibuya and its unmistakable "crossroads"Starting from 5pm, make your way to meet your guide in Akihabara. Take a tour of Akihabara and discover the fascinating Otaku universe, manga and anime enthusiasts who live their passions in this district dedicated to them. A highlight of the visit will be a break in a maid cafe, where you can have something to eat or drink, and other virtual and interactive activities according to your desires!
At the end of this 3-hour stroll, your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to dine!
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Day 3 : The big loop
For this second day of visiting Tokyo, we recommend the following "loop".
Start from Tokyo Central Station, with its original architecture, then go to visit:
- 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 on 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 at sunsetEnjoy a cruise on the Sumida River between Hamarikyu and Asakusa.
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Day 4 : Back to the future
Travel back in time for this 4th day:
- Yanaka, the old Tokyo
- Ueno, the place of resistance of the last Samurai, and its park full of cherry trees
- Odaiba, the island of futuristic entertainment in Tokyo Bay -
Day 5 : Manga and animation studios
In the morning, learn to draw manga with the help of a professional! Each lesson is adapted to your level, whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist!
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Day 6 : On the way to visit the emblem of Japan: Mount Fuji!
Head to Hakone (1.5 hour journey from Shinjuku station, 1 change, included in your package).
Check-in at your ryokan Ichinoyu Shinkan or same category ryokan.
You will be charmed by the magnificent scenery of this spa resort, Lake Ashi and its view of Mount Fuji (in good weather!). Not forgetting the volcanic site of Owakudani, accessible by cable car.
If you wish to be accompanied for this day, one of our English-speaking guides will reveal all the secrets of the Mount Fuji region.At night at the ryokan, you will be treated to a tasty traditional Japanese dinner before retiring to your tatami room.
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Day 7 : The Japan of traditions
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
In 2h40, reach Kyoto (2 changes, included in your package) check into the RAKURO 京都 by THE SHARE HOTELS or same category hotel.
You have 3 days to visit Kyoto.
Start in the afternoon in the historic Gion district near your accommodation :
- Kiyomizu-Dera, the great water temple
- The historical streets of Sannen-zaka & Ninnen-zaka
- Kodai-ji, the maple and bamboo temple of KyotoFinish off seeing the sunset in Gion.
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Day 8 : Gold, silver and manga
We recommend the following itinerary for this second day's visit to Kyoto:
- Ryoan-ji Zen Garden
- The Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
- The bewitching path of philosophy
- The Nanzen-ji templeOne of our many experienced English-speaking guides can accompany you on a tour of these symbolic sites (optional, from 9:00 to 17:00).
And for our fans : the manga museum, right in the heart of Kyoto!
The library of 300,000 manga books awaits you: the art of manga will hold no secrets for anyone. -
Day 9 : Between temples and deer
For your last day in Kyoto and its surroundings, we recommend taking the 50 minute journey to Nara, which is included in your package.
Visit to Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan in the 8th century.
Discover:
- The Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha and its thousands of lanterns
- The Todaiji, its great bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate
- Kofukuji temple and its beautiful pagodaReturn to Kyoto and stop for sunset at Fushimi Inari, the huge 10,000 torii sanctuary in Kyoto. If you wish to be accompanied on this day, one of our English-speaking guides will unveil all the secrets of Japan's first capital (optional, return trip from Kyoto).
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Day 10 : A crossroads between two islands
Travel by Shinkansen to Okayama (about 1 hour 30, direct, included in your package). Check into your hotel between the station and the castle.
We advise you to head out early to explore the castle and its magnificent Koraku-en park, before leaving in the middle of the afternoon for the romantic town of Kurashiki, a 17-minute train ride from Okayama (included with JR Pass):
Kurashiki, an old commercial metropolis lined with canals, will seduce you:
- Bikan, a district with typical architecture
- The Ohara Museum, keeper of paintings by Monet, Matisse, Renoir...
- The Museum of Popular Arts dedicated to regional historyNight in Okayama.
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Day 11 : The whole world of Miyazaki
Breakfast at the hotel.
From Okayama, we recommend an excursion to Tomonoura, a typical Japanese seaside village (15 minutes by train included in your offer and 30 minutes by bus, paid with your pre-paid card. (Details in your travel diary)
In recent years, the small port town of Tomonoura has been chosen as the location for several international and local films, such as "The Wolverine" with Hugh Jackman.Return to Okayama at the end of the day by the same route as in the morning, in the middle of the Japanese countryside.
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Day 12 : The Sacred Island
Breakfast at the hotel.
Shinkansen train ride from Okayama to Miyajima (1 hour 15, 1 change) then boat (20 minutes). The train and boat included in your package.
Reach your ryokan near the island's ferry terminal.
Explore the island: its Itsukushima-jinja shrine and its large gate (ootorii) standing in the sea. (Please note: The ootorii is under construction until an unspecified date). Take the cable car up to Mount Misen and then descend on foot. A breathtaking view of Hiroshima Bay is waiting for you!
Traditional Japanese dinner at the ryokan.
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Day 13 : First steps in the capital of Kansai
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
In the morning, make a stop in Hiroshima (30 minutes by train from Miyajimaguchi Ferry Station, included in your JR Pass), to visit the Peace Park and its memorial. Then head to Osaka (Shinkansen, direct, 2h).
Check-in at Hotel Intergate Osaka Umeda or same category hotel.
If you have time in the afternoon, you can visit medieval Osaka Castle before strolling through the restaurant district in Dotonbori !
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Day 14 : Universal Osaka
We recommend spending the day at Universal Studios, located near the centre of Osaka (optional tickets on this tour).
Alternatively, you may decide to continue to explore the city.We advise you to visit Osaka from the northern and eastern districts:
- The medieval castle of Osaka, with its park full of plum and cherry trees
- The city centre and its Nakanoshima Island, with its rose park in the middle of the buildings
- Utsubo Park, an oasis of freshness in the business district
- Rendezvous in Umeda, temple of Japanese style shopping
- End up at the Umeda Sky building at dusk for a 360° view of Kansai (including Kyoto on a clear day!)As an option, you can book a river cruise between the different parts of the day.
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Day 15 : Sayonara, and see you next time!
Direct transfer to Kansai International Airport (included but not accompanied).
Return flight to Europe, North America, Australia.
Do not hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days to Kansai or elsewhere... We will be able to advise you!














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Accommodation
- 5 nights in a 3* hotel in the heart of Tokyo, close to public transport
- 1 night in a 3* ryokan in Hakone Mount Fuji, traditional half-board
- 3 nights in a 3* hotel in the heart of Kyoto, close to public transport
- 2 nights in a 3* hotel in Okayama, near the train station
- 1 night in a 3* ryokan in Miyajima, traditional half-board
- 2 nights in a 3* hotel in Osaka
The basic rate includes a twin room for two people.
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Transport
- Airport transfers
- Prepaid public transport card
- Hakone Free Pass for 2 days
- Japan Rail Pass for 7 days
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Experiences and meals
- Airport welcome
- Traditional dinner and breakfast in the ryokan at Hakone and Miyajima
- Breakfasts excluding Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka
- Discounts at many Hakone tourist sites
- Private guided tour of Akihabara, Tokyo
- Manga drawing lessons, Tokyo
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Additional services
- Unlimited Wi-Fi access with pocket Wi-Fi
- Complete e-travel diary sent 20 days before your departure
- 24/7 telephone assistance in English
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Not included in the price of your trip
- Flights Europe <> Japan
- Optional insurance policies
- Personal expenses including meals (breakfast optional)
- Public transport when your transport cards have run out (see details)
- Anything not included in the "included in your tour" section
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.
Frequently asked questions
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