The first day is a standard affair. Your guide will pick you up at the airport and assist you with preparations for the tour. A private coach will take you to your hotel in the heart of the city. After the check-in procedures are completed, you will have the rest of the day to yourselves.

The famous Tokyo has an impressive way of blending both tradition and modernity. A classic example is Asakusa, your first destination of the day, where the city’s oldest temple stands in stark contrast to the towering Tokyo Skytree. You will once again witness this beautiful contradiction in around the Imperial Palace, whose stone walls and great moat feels almost like a different era next to a highly developed business district.

Later in the afternoon, you will be visiting the great shrine Meiji Jingu where they venerate the spirit of Emperor Meiji, as well as the busy Takeshita Street known for its unique fashion boutiques and trendy stores. Your last stop today will be Shibuya, to be visited around the end of the working day. When pedestrian traffic is at its peak, you will witness the renowned scramble crossing getting populated with a sea of humans.

The Fuji Five Lakes area is about a two-hour drive away from Tokyo. Your first destination is a mountainside shrine known for its Chureito pagoda. Together with Mt. Fuji in the background, they form an iconic view that features in many panoramic shots of Japan. Later in the day, you will also see Mt. Fuji from other angles during lunch or when you circle Lake Kawaguchi. Be it looming over a city or reflected in the water, Mt. Fuji is a classic Japanese sight that you cannot miss.

You will enjoy lunch at the scenic Iyashi no Sato, a small village featuring quaint little houses with thatched roofs. The menu itself is a local delicacy, in which udon noodles are cooked with many locally harvested ingredients. Finally, you will be transferred to Kaneyamaen, an onsen ryokan selected for its high-quality open-air baths from which you can see Mt. Fuji in the twilight. In addition to the hot spring experience that the country is so renowned for, you will also enjoy the rich dinner and cozy tatami rooms for a quintessential Japanese experience.

Today, you will see many famous landmarks of Kamakura. This old coastal city features many historic temples established in the 13th century. Among them, the outdoor Buddha statue of Kotoku-in is an instantly recognizable icon of Japan. The eleven-faced statue of Guanyin that sits in the main hall of Hase-dera is another impressive Buddhist art.

You will have lunch in the long shopping street of Komachi-dori, a walk that leads from the main station to the city’s biggest shrine. Finally, as a last stop in Kamakura, you will experience an authentic tea ceremony in a teahouse in the Jomyo-ji Temple. Enjoy a bowl of matcha and a bite of Japanese sweets as you look at a beautiful garden outside.

Leaving Tokyo in the morning, you will take the famous bullet train to the other coast of Japan. The city of Kanazawa is one of the major cities in the Hokuriku area of the Chubu region, and it is renowned for being the premier production hub of the gold leaf used in many Japanese artifacts and ornaments, among other things.

After sampling the local cuisine for lunch, you will visit the Gold Leaf Museum and learn firsthand about this incredible craft. You can browse its souvenir shop, which sells gold leaf-related goods, You may also obtain food products that feature gold leaf decorations! Afterward, you will check in to your hotel in Kanazawa, where you will stay for 3 nights.

Today, you will experience many facets of samurai culture in Kanazawa. First and foremost is Kanazawa Castle, which was the residence of the richest feudal lord in the Edo period, second only to the shogun’s clan itself. Its outer garden, Kenroku-en, is said to be one of the three most beautiful Japanese gardens. Together, they are a prime example of grand samurai architecture.

You will visit the exciting Ninja-dera in the afternoon. Despite its name, the temple is actually a samurai hideout that earned its name from its many tricks and traps. Your last stop of the day is another legacy of the samurai’s reign in Kanazawa. Explore an example of a samurai residence, and learn about their way of living as you walk through the Naga-machi area.

You will go on an excursion to the Historic Village of Shirakawa-go, a remote settlement amid the Japanese Alps. This iconic spot is known for retaining a lot of Japan’s traditional gassho-zukuri architecture, in which the houses have steep thatched roofs designed to withstand the heavy snowfall of the region. This timeless village is beautiful in any season, and the panoramic view from atop its observation deck is simply marvelous.

Returning to Kanazawa in the afternoon, you will explore its old town district. Enjoy a cup of tea in one of the well-preserved teahouses, and learn about the geisha culture. After another peaceful stroll in an atmospheric setting, you will return to your hotel in Kanazawa, where you will stay for one last night.

It is time to bid Kanazawa goodbye. Taking the Thunderbird express train from Kanazawa, you will arrive in Kyoto. After lunch, you will visit one of the most important temples in Kyoto, Nanzen-ji. As the head temple that presides over the five great Zen temples, Nanzen-ji boasts a massive gate, impressive gardens, and beautiful paintings on gold leaf, among many other things.

Immerse yourself in the preserved traditional atmosphere as you walk through the slopes of Higashiyama. In the evening, you will pick up where you left off in Kanazawa and go sightseeing around Kyoto’s -- and Japan’s -- most famous geisha district. Get a taste of Kyoto’s antiquated atmosphere as you explore the old-fashioned streets of Gion! You will also watch a cultural show where apprentice geisha will perform different kinds of Japanese art.

Classic Kyoto sights await you! You will start the day with a visit to Nijo Castle, a former samurai fortress that also functioned as an interim imperial palace. You will visit the well-preserved palace, hear its squeaking nightingale floors, and see its beautiful decorations. Afterward, you will browse through a gallery of beautiful kimono at Nishijin Textile Center.

After a delightful temari-zushi lunch, you will explore two of the most well-known icons of Kyoto. The first is the golden temple, Kinkaku-ji, whose impressive exterior and reflection in the water are legendary. The second temple features the most renowned “dry landscape” in the country, which is a carefully raked rock garden.

Enjoy an exciting trip to the Arashiyama area, a scenic getaway that is very popular among visitors to Kyoto. This place is known for its many iconic landmarks, including the famed bamboo grove and one of the five great Zen temples, Tenryu-ji, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will explore a portion of Arashiyama on a traditional rickshaw, which is a quintessential classic Japanese experience.

In addition, you will visit two lesser known temples in the northern Arashiyama area. Both of the Nenbutsu-ji temples feature stone sculptures numbering in the thousands. The eerie-looking statues, along with the generally quiet ambience, will leave you in awe as you walk around this remote corner of Arashiyama. As for lunch, you will enjoy an authentic kaiseki meal in an atmospheric restaurant by the river.

Today’s excursion brings you to Nara, best known for the thousands of wild deer that roam in its park. You will have a great time feeding them the specially sold deer crackers. Some of the deer even picked up the Japanese habit of bowing to you! Near the park is the equally famous Todai-ji, the Great Eastern Temple. It has the largest wooden building and Daibutsu statue in the country.

Afterward, you will visit the grand shrine Kasuga Taisha, which is known for its thousands of lanterns. There is even a dark room within the inner area, where the myriad hanging lanterns are fully lit, making this shrine a magical visit. To conclude the classic Nara experience, you will visit the botanical garden just outside Kasuga Taisha. You will then return to Kyoto for another stay.

After four nights in Kyoto, you will leave the old capital city and take the bullet train to Hiroshima. Hiroshima is most known for being the first unfortunate city in the world to be destroyed by an atomic bomb. However, the historic nightmare did not stop the city from attempting to restore its former glory. The Atomic Bomb Dome, which still stands in its dilapidation among the now modern city, is testament to Hiroshima’s resilience and resolve.

After an enlightening experience in the Peace Memorial Park, which was built right under the center of the explosion, you will visit the beautiful garden of Shukkei-en. While it was heavily damaged during the bombing, it has been reconstructed to be as gorgeous as ever. The garden’s serene atmosphere provides a certain calm in the middle of the memories that this city evokes.

Checking out of your hotel in the morning, you will be driven to Hiroshima Port. Just a short ferry ride from Hiroshima is the island of Itsukushima, more commonly known as Miyajima (the shrine island) due to its iconic Shinto shrine. Your driver will be waiting for you on this side as you cross the strait to the legendary island.

The floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine has been widely ranked as one of Japan’s top three scenic views, and today you will get to see it in all its glory. Depending on the tide, you may even be able to get close to the torii gate for a memorable picture. After a pleasant walk and a delightful lunch in Miyajima, you will take the ferry back to Hiroshima, and from there the bullet train to Osaka.

Osaka is a big and lively city, which makes it a great dessert for your classic Japan tour. You will first visit Osaka Castle, which has a classic exterior, but is actually a modern museum in disguise. Then you can enjoy a serving of the city’s most popular crab dishes, and see all the bustle in action on its shopping streets.

In the afternoon, you will be brought to a hotel near Kansai International Airport, which will be your port of exit. Nearby is the Rinku Premium Outlets, which you may want to visit in case you haven’t bought enough for gifts and souvenirs. Enjoy your last night in Japan!

You have completed the Japan Classics tour! We hope that you enjoyed your trip with ILJT! On the last day, you will check out of your hotel and conduct an independent transfer to the airport. Have a safe flight back home, and see you again soon!