Classic Japan: A Private Journey

With approximately 40 million residents, Tokyo is a dazzling city unique in the world. From the many-angled pedestrian dashes across Shibuya Crossing to the extravagant looks worn with panache in the Harajuku district, Tokyo offers a mad whirl of eclectic energy and culture framed by the distant backdrop of iconic Mount Fuji. Settle into your hotel, located near the Imperial Palace.

Visit a family-owned workshop that specializes in Japanese drum making — and try your hand at playing the taiko — on an A&K-exclusive experience. Explore Asakusa Kannon Temple, a colorful pagoda-style temple completed in 645 and dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, as well as the Edo-Tokyo Museum, built to preserve the heritage of the city’s last 400 years. Finish at Meiji Shrine, a Shinto complex dedicated to an emperor.

Peruse the Tsukiji Outer Market, a vibrant food-and-market district composed of several blocks of retail and wholesale shops. You’ll find fresh seafood, kitchen tools, cutlery, vegetables, street snacks and plenty of sushi restaurants. While the famous tuna auctions have moved, this market immerses you in a vital hub of Tokyo daily life. Receive a lesson in sushi making, followed by lunch, during a chef-led culinary experience. This afternoon, let curiosity be your guide as you explore this buzzing city on your own.

Travel to Hakone, among Japan’s most popular hot-spring destinations and a peaceful contrast with bustling Tokyo. Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, boarding an aerial tram for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Stroll the grassy hillsides of Hakone’s Open Air Museum, admiring the sculptures and artworks 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. Experience unparalleled service and traditional Japanese cuisine at Gôra Kadan, a top-rated ryokan (traditional inn), which is also your hotel for the night.

Start at the Okada Museum of Art to view its stunning collection of paintings, ceramics, lacquerware and bronzes from Japan, Korea and China, and then ride 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, 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 UNESCO-listed temple complex that holds the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Proceed to Nara Park, home to hundreds of deer, venerated here as divine spirits, which you may feed by hand. Experience a Shinto ceremony at the celebrated Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Explore the Naramachi District, once a business hub for local merchants dating to the Edo Period. View the well-preserved machiya — long, narrow buildings that served both as shops and living quarters — as well as today’s boutiques, shops, cafés and restaurants, before returning to Osaka.

This morning, travel to Kyoto, a beloved city with more than 1,200 years of history. Considered by many to be the spiritual heart of Japan, it is graced with more than 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Stop for a meditative moment at the iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, and then discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion). Covered with gold leaf and surrounded by green gardens, it casts its delicate reflection in a tranquil pond. After lunch, explore the Arashiyama neighborhood, including the garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots, a tranquil and some say healing experience.

Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple for inspiring views of Kyoto. At another temple, experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and etiquette, which dates to the time of the samurai. The afternoon is yours to explore the city at your own pace.

Take your private transfer to the airport for your departing flight.