Capitals and Treasures of Japan
- Duration : 13 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Hakone Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Tokyo
Ideal for a first trip to Japan, this tour offers you the opportunity to visit the most emblematic sites of the country.
Tokyo and the former capitals of Kyoto and Nara are on the programme as well as other marvels : Mount Fuji, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and its island of Miyajima.
This self-guided tour includes accommodation, transport, pocket Wi-Fi and a guided tour.
13-day itinerary (Tokyo -> Tokyo loop)
- Departure city/airport : Tokyo (Narita : NRT or Haneda : HND)
- Tokyo (4 nights)
- Hakone-Mount Fuji (1 night)
- Kyoto (3 nights including 1 day in Nara)
- Hiroshima (2 nights including 1 day in Miyajima)
- Kanazawa (1 night)
- Tokyo (1 night)
- End Return airport : Tokyo (Narita or Haneda International Airport : NRT or HND)
Please find below the itinerary details.
Tour length : 12 nights / 13 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 Sapporo (date to be selected in the tour calendar while booking) : January 2nd
- Return flight from Ishigaki international airport : January 14th
Like this tour but you are also drawn to the Japanese Alps?
Instead, we recommend "Highlights of Japan".
Would you rather skip Kanazawa? Our other tour "Classic Japan" will surely appeal to you.
Why this trip to Japan ?
- Welcomed at the airport by our team, you will be taken to your hotel in Tokyo by shuttle bus
- 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
- Reach Hiroshima and visit the sacred island of Miyajima
- Head back to Tokyo, spending a day in Kanazawa on the Sea of Japan
- Take advantage of your transport passes : Japan Rail Pass, Hakone Free Pass...
- Recommendations available in your travel diary
- Enjoy unlimited internet access thanks to your pocket Wi-Fi
- If necessary, contact our assistance from 8am to 10pm Japanese time, 7 days a week, in English or Japanese.
- 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 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"One of our many experienced English-speaking guides can also accompany you to visit the classic sights of Tokyo (optional, from 9:00 to 17:00).
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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 : Follow the guide
There are still many places to discover according to your taste ! Ueno, Yanaka, Odaiba...
Don't hesitate to follow the many suggestions in your travel diary.
Or better still, book an English-speaking guide for the day (optional) to visit Tokyo off the beaten path!
Make the most of our many optional activities:
- Are you looking more for fun? Ghibli Museum, Disneyland or Hello Kitty Park are waiting for you!
- Do you prefer a themed activity? book a visit on an architecture tour, gardens, home cooking or Noh's theatre.
- Chasing thrills? Let yourself be tempted by a helicopter ride or a sumo tournament (in season)! -
Day 5 : At the heart of the Japanese soul
In the morning, we advise that you have your luggage sent to the hotel in Kyoto (details in your travel diary, check with the hotel reception) and that you travel light for your night in Hakone.
Go to Shinjuku station to activate your Hakone Free Pass and board a train to Hakone Yumoto (1.5 hour journey, details in your travel guide, all inclusive). The train will gradually leave the Japanese megalopolis behind and head deeper into the valleys of the Mount Fuji region. You will arrive in Hakone in the late morning. Reach your Ichinoyu Shinkan ryokan or equivalent to drop off your small bag and explore the area.Be charmed by the beautiful scenery of this spa, Lake Ashi and its view of Mount Fuji (on a clear day!). Not forgetting the volcanic site of Owakudani, accessible by cable car. All transportation (train, bus, cable car, funicular) is included in your package.
If you wish to be accompanied during this day, one of our English-speaking guides can show you all the secrets of the Mount Fuji region (optional).Come back to the ryokan in the late afternoon as your traditional Japanese dinner awaits you around 18:30, before enjoying a Japanese-style night!
Details below on the night in the ryokan. -
Day 6 : The former capital
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.
Head to Hakone-Yumoto then Odawara Station to board one of the fastest trains in the world: the Shinkansen!
In 2 hours 30, reach Kyoto and check into the RAKURO 京都 by THE SHARE HOTELS Hotel or same category hotel3*.
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. Meet your guide at 19:00 to start your late stroll around Gion, Kyoto's historic district.
More details on the exact time and location in your travel diary. At the end of this 1 hour 30 walk, your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to eat out! Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photographs in the historic district of Gion.
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Day 7 : Gold and Silver Treasures
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).
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Day 8 : 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 9 : Make way for history
Shinkansen trip to Hiroshima (about 2 hours, free with your Japan Rail Pass).
Arrive in Hiroshima in the early afternoon. Check into your 3* Intergate Hotel or same category hotel.
Visit the park and the peace memorial, the castle and its park full of cherry trees before tasting one of Hiroshima's specialities: okonomiyaki! -
Day 10 : The Sacred Island
Breakfast at the hotel.
A short 30-minute train and boat ride to Miyajima 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!In the late afternoon, make your way back to Hiroshima.
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Day 11 : Castle and samurai
Breakfast at the hotel.
Before leaving the hotel, we recommend that you contact the hotel reception to have your luggage sent directly to Tokyo for your last stop (more details in your travel diary).
Afterwards, visit the park and the peace memorial, then take the Shinkansen to Osaka, after which you will change to a direct train to Kanazawa (about 4 hours in total, included in your Japan Rail Pass). On the way, we advise you to stop at Himeji Castle (UNESCO Heritage).Check-in at the Kaname Inn hotel or same category hotel.
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Day 12 : The pearl of Japan
Breakfast at the hotel.
Explore Kanazawa, between the North Sea and the Japanese Alps.
- Kenroku-en, the beautiful Japanese garden of Kanazawa
- The contemporary art museum and its outdoor gallery
- Omicho, the sea of Japan fish market
- The Nomura house, residence of the samurai and its picturesque old quarter.In the late afternoon, make your way to Tokyo by Shinkansen, (about 2h45) and check into the OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka by Hoshino Resorts Hotel or same category hotel 3*.
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Day 13 : 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, 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 Hiroshima, between the train station and the Peace Memorial Park
- 1 night in a 3* hotel in Kanazawa, between the station and the city centre
The basic rate includes a twin room for two people.
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Transport
- Airport transfers <> Tokyo
- 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
- Discounts at many Hakone tourist sites
- Traditional dinner and breakfast in the ryokan at Hakone
- 2 breakfasts in Hiroshima and 1 in Kanazawa
- Guided night tour of Gion (1h30)
Included in your self-guided tour
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Additional services
- Unlimited Wi-Fi access with pocket Wi-Fi
- Complete e-travel diary sent before your departure
- The helpline is available from 8am to 10pm Japanese time, 7 days a week, in English and Japanese. The number will be given to you in your travel pack. It is valid for telephone calls and Whatsapp.
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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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- Assistance available in Japan throughout your trip
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