Japan Culinary Tour
- Duration : 13 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Osaka, Miyajima, Kyoto
Discover Japan with this tour that will awaken all your senses!
Embark upon an unforgettable gastronomic journey by visiting Japan's most beautiful sites and by participating in numerous activities: discovery of tea fields, a guided tour of the Japanese countryside, a visit to a typical market, an evening of gastronomy...
2 week itinerary
- Departure city/airport : Tokyo (Narita : NRT or Haneda : HND)
- Tokyo (4 nights)
- Osaka (2 nights)
- Miyajima (1 night)
- Kyoto (5 nights)
- End Return airport : Osaka (Kansai International Airport : KIX)
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 Tokyo (date to be selected in the tour calendar while booking) : January 2nd
- Return flight from Kansai international airport : January 14th
Why this trip to Japan ?
- A tour to discover all the gastronomy through several activities
- In Tokyo, you will participate in a tour of the typical restaurants of the Shinjuku district
- Then, move on to Osaka, a gastronomic city !
- Possibility of travelling to Kobe to taste the famous "Kobe beef"
- Reach Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima where you will spend a night in a ryokan
- Kyoto will offer you all its culinary refinement through several themed guided tours
- 5 culinary activities included: visit of the tea fields, the countryside, the market
- 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).
You can pick up your pocket Wi-Fi at the hotel reception desk. -
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).
In the evening, enjoy a typical Japanese dinner in the Shinjuku district! Your guide will accompany you to several unique "izakaya" restaurants, where few tourists set foot!
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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
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)!If you wish to continue the visits at your own pace, Kamakura will seduce you. This small coastal town just 45 minutes by train (no reservations required) from Tokyo was once a shogun capital. The great Buddha of Kamakura is the symbol of the city. Our English-speaking guides can help you discover this city full of history.
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Day 5 : First steps in the capital of Kansai
Depart for Osaka by train (2,4 hour direct journey, included in your package).
Check-in at Hotel Intergate Osaka Umeda or same category hotel 3* (rooms available from 15:00).
We advise you to start out slowly visiting 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.
For those who love high-quality red meat, there is also the possibility of travelling to Kobe in the evening or the next day for lunch to taste the famous "Kobe beef". 22-minute train ride, every ten minutes until midnight, included in your package.
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Day 6 : Gastronomic introduction
We recommend the following itinerary for this second day's visit to Osaka:
- The Osaka Kaiyûkan aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world in terms of volume
- The Tennoji district and its Shitenno-ji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in Japan
- Spa World, Japan's largest spa (onsen)
- Shinseikai, with retro charm
- DenDen machi, the technologeek village
- End with Dotonbori, the liveliest districtIn the evening, discover the temple of gastronomy in Dotonbori!
You can sample Osaka's specialities: takoyaki, okonomiyaki and many others.
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Day 7 : The Sacred Island
A short 2h30 trip (1 change, all-inclusive) awaits you to reach the coast of the Sea of Japan. Although more touristy, this coastline is nonetheless exceptional, as witnessed by the fabulous island of Miyajima. This sacred place of Shintoism, twinned with the Mont St Michel, is accessible from "the mainland" in 15 minutes by boat (included in your offer).
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!
In the evening, traditional Japanese dinner in your ryokan.
An opportunity to taste all of the region's specialities, most of which are based on seafood. A truly refined experience!
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Day 8 : The former capital
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.
In the afternoon, reach Kyoto (1h40, included in your package) and check into the RAKURO 京都 by THE SHARE HOTELS Hotel or same category hotel 3*.
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 Kyoto -
Day 9 : Between temples and deer
For the last day of the Japan Rail Pass' validity period, 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 : On the Tea Road
It's the day to leave to discover the tea fields and the thousand-year-old culture surrounding them! Meet your guide early in the morning and spend the day in Uji, the region where the best matcha (green tea powder) in Japan is produced. Visit the Japanese countryside, in a private vehicle, passing through green tea fields, then meet the growers. Of course, you will taste several types of tea from the fields around you in order to learn about the subtleties of this beverage. A day full of discovery!
Return to your hotel in Kyoto and stay overnight.
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Day 11 : Market and Saké
In the morning, explore Kyoto's culinary market, Nishiki, with your guide. Taste local dishes on this tour followed by the included lunch. You will learn a lot about the preparation of typical Japanese dishes and the city's culinary culture.
In the afternoon, as an option, treat yourself to a saké tasting! In the Fushimi district, take advantage of a Japanese saké professional's expertise for a sake tasting that will surprise and delight your taste buds!
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Day 12 : Discovering the Japanese countryside
Getaway to Ohara Village.
Leave the city behind and head out on a private minivan tour to discover rural Japan in the Buddhist village of Ohara. This day offers curious visitors the opportunity to see an important but little known side of rural Japan: the rice fields, the woods and the fields, with the added bonus of visiting two wonderful temples in the same day, which are often unjustly overlooked.
Return to Kyoto at the end of the day.
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Day 13 : 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
- 4 nights in a 3* hotel in the heart of Tokyo, close to public transport
- 2 nights in a 3* hotel in Osaka
- 1 night in a 3* ryokan in Miyajima, traditional half-board
- 5 nights in a 3*hotel in the heart of Kyoto, close to public transport
The basic rate includes a room with double bed in the hotels.
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Transport
- Airport transfers
- Prepaid public transport card
- Japan Rail Pass for 7 days
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Experiences and meals
- Airport welcome
- Traditional dinner and breakfast in the ryokan at Miyajima
- Culinary evening in Tokyo with a guide
- Guided tour of Nishiki, Kyoto's culinary market
- Guided day trip on the Tea Route
- Guided day trip to the Japanese countryside
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 20 days 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" sectio
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
- A specialised team is available 7 days a week by phone or email
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