Classic Japan

Arrive in Tokyo, Japan’s exciting and modern capital. Transfer to your hotel, located near the Imperial Palace.

Visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, a colorful pagoda-style temple completed in 645 and dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy in several East Asian spiritual traditions. Continue to a family-owned workshop that specializes in Japanese drum making — and try your hand at playing the taiko — on an A&K-exclusive experience. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before exploring the Tokyo National Museum, home to a vast collection of Japanese art and antiquities. Continue to Meiji Shrine, a Shinto complex dedicated to an emperor that was rebuilt after World War II. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner.

Start your day at a local fish market, a bustling hub of Japanese daily life boasting a dizzying array of seafood. Then, receive a lesson in sushi making, followed by lunch, during a Chef’s Table experience. This afternoon, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities. Explore Tokyo’s Art Scene with a visit to Mori Art Museum or the Museum of Contemporary Art. Learn the Secrets of the Samurai Warriors and test your sword skills during a private class led by a modern-day master samurai. Indulge in a Sake Tasting, sampling some of Japan’s finest sake and learning about its cultural importance. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Travel to Hakone, among Japan’s most popular hot-spring destinations, and immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Board an aerial tram rising above the wooded slopes for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Enjoy lunch before strolling the grassy hillsides of Hakone’s Open Air Museum. Admire the impressive contemporary sculptures and artwork on display, including pieces by Henry Moore and Rodin. The museum also features one of the world’s finest Picasso exhibits, with over 100 works by the cubist master. Tonight, experience unparalleled service and traditional Japanese cuisine at Gôra Kadan, a top-rated ryokan (traditional inn), which is also your accommodation for the night.

After breakfast at your ryokan, visit the Okada Museum of Art to view its stunning collection of paintings, ceramics, lacquerware and bronzes from Japan, Korea and China. Then, ride like a local by bullet train to Osaka. Historically known as a merchant city, it is today renowned as Japan’s undisputed culinary capital, where diners indulge in everything from octopus dumplings to okonomiyaki, a battered, grilled concoction of chopped cabbage, meat or seafood, and seaweed, topped with mayonnaise. This evening, take in city views, refreshing drink in hand, on a Scenic Sundowner before you set out to explore the popular Dotonbori District, sampling dishes from the brilliantly lighted and gastronomically creative restaurants that line the street.

Travel to Nara, Japan’s first capital, to visit Todai-ji, a temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Proceed to Nara Park, home to hundreds of deer, venerated here as divine spirits, which you have the opportunity to feed by hand. Afterward, experience a Shinto ceremony firsthand at the celebrated Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Pause for lunch at a local restaurant before proceeding to the Kehaya-za Sumo Pavilion, where you observe a demonstration of this fabled Japanese sport by two sumo wrestlers. Return to your hotel, where you enjoy dinner.

Travel into Kyoto early this morning to contemplate the iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, the perfect spot for a meditative moment, and discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion) — covered with gold leaf and surrounded by green gardens — casting its delicate reflection in the tranquil pond beside it. After lunch, explore the Arashiyama neighborhood, including the garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling along a winding path as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots, considered by many a healing experience.

Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple for stunning views of Kyoto. Proceed to a local temple to experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and etiquette, which dates to the time of the samurai. Tonight, savor traditional Japanese cuisine while an attending geiko (as a geisha is known in Kyoto) and maiko (apprentice geisha) dance, sing, pour sake and share stories about life in modern Kyoto.

After breakfast, transfer to Kansai International Airport or Itami Airport, both located just outside of Osaka, for your flight home, or begin a post-tour extension to Hiroshima.