Kyoto & Tokyo

Today marks the beginning of your Japanese adventure. Departure takes place from your selected airport, with flights including one or more connecting flight(s) along the way.

Welcome to Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun!

After arriving at Osaka airport, you’ll go through immigration and then continue to the luggage claim area. In the arrivals hall, your driver will be waiting for you with a sign, ready to make sure your Japanese adventure gets off to the best possible start.

From the airport, the journey will continue to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient imperial city, located around an hour and a half away by car. As you drive, you’ll pass bustling industrial ports, urban landscapes with soaring skyscrapers, and distant green mountain silhouettes – all offering an early glimpse into Japan’s fascinating contrast between the ultra-modern and the deeply traditional.

Upon arrival in Kyoto, you’ll check in at your hotel, where you can unpack and settle in, as the rest of the day is at your leisure. You might want to stretch your legs after the flight with a gentle stroll through the neighbourhood, where small shops, glowing lanterns, and local eateries provide an inviting first taste of everyday life in Japan. 

If you still have the energy, you can find a nearby restaurant and enjoy your first Japanese meal – whether you’re tempted by a steaming bowl of ramen, crispy tempura, or freshly made sushi. Afterwards, return to your hotel and allow the calm to settle in as you look forward to the coming days of experiences in one of Japan’s most atmospheric cities.

After breakfast, you’ll meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a welcome meeting designed to give you a reassuring and pleasant start to your tour. The guide will go through the itinerary for the coming days, share practical information, and answer any questions you may have.

You’ll then head to Nijo Castle, built by the founder of the Edo shogunate. The castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens and is famous for its impressive architecture, richly decorated sliding doors, and its renowned “nightingale floors” that chirp as you walk across them. The floors were originally designed as a security measure, enabling occupants to hear anyone approaching uninvited.

From the echoes of history, you’ll continue to Nishiki Market, a narrow shopping street lined with more than a hundred small shops and eateries. Known quite fittingly as “Kyoto’s kitchen”, the market is brimming with everything from fresh fish and pickled vegetables to sweet treats and local delicacies. It’s a bustling hub and the perfect place to discover the great variety of ingredients and flavours that define Japanese cuisine.

The cultural highlight of the day is without doubt taking part in a traditional tea ceremony, offering a fascinating glimpse into some of Japan’s oldest customs. In calm and intimate surroundings, you’ll first be served a small Japanese snack before the skilled tea master demonstrates how to prepare traditional Japanese matcha tea with graceful precision. You’ll have the chance to taste the finished tea and learn about the ceremony’s elegant movements and symbolic meaning, before trying your hand at whisking your own bowl of matcha into a delicate green froth under expert guidance. This centuries-old ritual offers a deep insight into Japanese aesthetics, mindfulness, and respect for detail.

After the ceremony, the afternoon is yours to enjoy. The area around the teahouse is more local and peaceful than the city centre, making it the perfect time to find a small restaurant and enjoy lunch among the locals. Here you’ll get a real sense of everyday life, offering a lovely contrast to the more frequented parts of the city.

Afterwards, you can take the train a few stops south to Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of red torii gates winding their way up the mountainside. Take a walk through the iconic gateways and soak up the sacred atmosphere before returning to the city centre.

In the evening, immerse yourself in Kyoto’s unique atmosphere and settle into one of the city’s many fine restaurants. You might be tempted by local obanzai dishes, enjoyed in a cosy restaurant overlooking the illuminated streets — the perfect atmospheric end to your day.

Kyoto is home to countless temples, shrines, and charming neighbourhoods, and today you can explore whichever sides of the city appeal most to you, as there are no planned activities. You can take inspiration from the suggestions below or have a look at one of our carefully selected optional tours.

A wonderful place to start is at Kiyomizudera Temple in eastern Kyoto, which is best experienced early in the morning. See how one of the city’s most iconic landmarks dramatically balances on a wooden terrace overlooking Kyoto before you continue through the narrow lanes of the charming Higashiyama district. Here, traditional wooden houses, small shops, and teahouses create an enchanting atmosphere that evokes the spirit of old Japan. Visit Kōdaiji Temple with its graceful Japanese garden, and soak up the peaceful mood at Yasaka Shrine and the nearby Maruyama Park before ending your walk in the elegant geisha quarter of Gion.

From here, you can catch a bus northeast to one of Kyoto’s major attractions, Ginkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Silver Pavilion. Take in the temple’s simple elegance and poetic charm, then follow the Philosopher’s Path, an idyllic walkway that runs alongside a narrow canal lined with cherry trees. The path links several smaller temples and leads to one of Kyoto’s most important Zen temples, Nanzen-ji, which is well worth a visit in its own right. From there, continue to the Heian Jingū Shrine, with its impressive torii gate and tranquil gardens. 

If you’d like to experience a different side of Kyoto, head west using public transport to Arashiyama and visit the Tenryu-ji Temple, renowned for its classic garden and stunning views of the verdant hills. Here, you can also enjoy a stroll through Arashiyama’s famous bamboo grove, where tall bamboo stalks create green corridors filled with light and tranquillity. It’s also worth exploring the charming Saga Toriimoto district, with its beautifully preserved houses and cosy, narrow streets.

Although Kyoto boasts many well-known attractions, it’s also worth putting the map aside for a while and simply letting your curiosity lead you through the city’s streets. You’ll often stumble upon hidden moments in the quieter back alleys – anything from small, characterful bars and shops to sacred miniature temples that play an important role in the daily lives of the locals.

When night falls, you have another opportunity to discover Kyoto’s culinary side. Perhaps you’ll be tempted by a small restaurant serving the city’s exquisite kaiseki dishes – each course a delicate work of art – or a more relaxed izakaya, offering grilled specialities and a cup of sake.

After breakfast, you’ll have a couple of hours at your own leisure before your tour continues towards Tokyo aboard Japan’s famous high-speed train, the Shinkansen.

If you’re an early riser, you might have time to explore two of Kyoto’s most renowned attractions. Using public transport, head northwest to visit the magnificent Kinkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. Its golden façade reflects beautifully in the still waters of the surrounding pond, creating one of the city’s most iconic views. Follow the carefully laid path through the temple gardens, surrounded by the season’s striking colours.

From here, you can continue by bus to Kyoto’s former Imperial Palace, enclosed by an impressive park that’s well worth a visit in its own right. With a smartphone, you can access a free, informative audio guide that shares stories of the palace and the Imperial family’s history as you stroll along the wide gravel paths and admire the well-designed ponds in the heart of this ancient imperial city.

Before your afternoon train journey, you can find somewhere to have lunch or do as many Japanese people do and buy a bento box for the trip. These neatly arranged little dishes are an experience in themselves and a perfect way to enjoy one last taste of Kyoto.

You’ll then make your own way to Kyoto Station, where the Shinkansen will take you to Tokyo with impressive precision and speed. Sit back, relax, and watch the scenery pass by as a new chapter of your tour begins in Japan’s vibrant capital.

Upon arrival at Tokyo Station, you’ll step into one of the world’s busiest transport hubs. From here, make your own way to your hotel by metro or local train. Although it may seem a little overwhelming at first, the system is efficient and well organised. The experience itself is a reflection of everything Japan does so well, and Tokyo in particular never fails to impress with its scale and precision.

After checking in at your hotel, you’ll have the chance to explore the city’s vibrant urban life and indulge in everything from local delicacies to cutting-edge cuisine along its neon-lit streets. The capital is renowned for its Edomae sushi, as well as crispy tempura, steaming bowls of ramen, and delicate yakitori skewers at cosy local izakayas.

Tokyo, one of the world’s largest cities, is incredibly diverse and full of contrasts – there’s no set formula for what you should experience here. The coming days are therefore entirely yours to enjoy, giving you the freedom to explore the Japanese capital at your own pace. You can take inspiration from the suggestions below and spread them across your days, or add on one of our exciting optional tours.

Start your exploration in the lively Asakusa district, home to Tokyo’s oldest and most famous temple, Senso-ji. On your way to the temple, stroll along Nakamise-dori, where the scent of freshly made snacks mingles with the allure of stalls brimming with lucky charms, fans, and local treats. Just a few streets away, a completely different calm prevails on Kappabashi Street, where small shops sell Japanese porcelain and chef’s knives side by side. Look up and you’ll see the Tokyo Skytree towering into the sky as a symbol of modern Tokyo. You may simply admire it from below or, with a ticket in hand, head to the top for an unforgettable panoramic view of the metropolis.

If you’d like to explore several of Tokyo’s iconic districts, you’ll find that many are conveniently located along the same train line. From Yoyogi Park, where locals go for a run or relax in the shade of the sprawling treetops, you can stroll to the tranquil Meiji Shrine, tucked away in a dense forest where gravel paths and the scent of cedar provide a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. Continue on to Shibuya to greet the famous Hachiko statue and cross the world-renowned Shibuya Crossing, which after dark transforms into a mesmerising sea of people best admired from a bar high above the city streets.

For lunch, head to the Tsukiji Market, where small stalls serve freshly made sushi, grilled seafood, and Japanese dishes cooked right before your eyes. From here, continue to Akihabara, where neon signs flash in every direction and shops overflow with gadgets, comics, and collectible figures. For a complete change of atmosphere, visit Tokyo’s Imperial Palace, where moats, tree-lined avenues, and immaculately kept gardens offer an elegant glimpse into Japan’s imperial past. End your day in Shinjuku, where soaring skyscrapers, neon lights, and lively streets await, and take the lift up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to enjoy panoramic views of the dazzling cityscape or watch the nightly light show projected onto its iconic façade.

In contrast to the fast pace of the big city, you might like to spend one of your days on an excursion outside Tokyo. In Nikko, you’ll find lavishly decorated temples and shrines surrounded by forested mountains, including the impressive Toshogu Shrine, which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Alternatively, you can visit Hakone National Park, where hot springs, a boat trip on Lake Ashi, and, on clear days, the iconic view of Mt. Fuji, make up the highlights of the day.

Whatever the day has brought, the evening is the perfect opportunity to explore Tokyo’s diverse food scene. Choose a cosy sushi bar with just a few seats, a lively ramen shop with a queue at the door, or a restaurant high above street level, and turn dinner into another highlight of your day.

The tour is drawing to a close, but you’ll be heading home with a suitcase full of experiences, sensory impressions, and unforgettable encounters with Japan’s captivating cities, Kyoto and Tokyo.

Well ahead of your flight departure, you’ll be picked up at your hotel and driven to the airport, where your journey home to Europe begins, with one or more connecting flights along the way.

You’ll land at your selected airport, reflecting on a tour filled with atmospheric streets and encounters with Japan’s many fascinating sides – and perhaps feeling a longing to return one day.