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Eight-day luxury Japan itinerary

Day 1

Tokyo

Your adventures in Japan will get under way when you are met at the exit to customs at Narita Airport. Your driver will be waiting for you as you enter into the arrivals lobby holding a sign with your name on. You will transfer by private vehicle to your accommodation in Tokyo, making for a smooth and relaxing start to your trip. Narita Airport is some 40 miles to the east of Tokyo, so journey time is in the region of 90 minutes (dependent upon traffic). Sit back, relax and enjoy the views of Tokyo’s skyscrapers as you approach the city.

Stay: Imperial Hotel Tokyo

 

Day 2

Tokyo

Today you will have the services of a private guide for four hours. You will be travelling by public transport, as Tokyoites do, in order to help you to get a real feel for the Japan’s capital. This will be a fantastic introduction to the city and you can ask your guide any questions you may have about Tokyo and life in Japan. Your guide will come to the Imperial Hotel Tokyo at around 9:00 AM  to meet you and your guiding will proceed from there.

Sumo

This evening you will be in for a fabulous evening in Tokyo with one of our ex-pat “Insider” staff. These guys live in Tokyo and really know where all the best places are so you can be sure to see a side of Tokyo that is indecipherable to first time visitors.

You’ll be met after watching some sumo wresting at 6:30pm this evening by our Insider who will take you for dinner at an izakaya. At one of these tapas-style gastropubs you’ll have the chance to try some delicious, traditional dishes while also gaining local knowledge about eating out in Japan from a real expert. Food and the first couple of drinks are on us but if you feel like a few extra rounds with dinner you can always settle the bill on the night.

After dinner you’re welcome to stay out for a few more drinks with your Insider or maybe take a walk to check out some neon-lit scenes of night time Tokyo. Whatever you choose, the night can be tailored to suit your style so if you want to move on to a more exclusive establishment for some post-dinner drinks or do a bit of back street bar-hopping just ask your Insider and they will be pleased to oblige. But be warned, he’ll need to leave you by 11 pm before he turns into a pumpkin (or perhaps to catch the last train home – one or the other). Of course they’ll be sure to leave you in a great place so you can stay for a few more there, try another place or head back to the hotel. The choice is yours!

Stay: Imperial Hotel Tokyo

Meals: Breakfast

 

Day 3

Toyko

Day at leisure

Stay: Imperial Hotel Tokyo

Meals: Breakfast

Deluxe room at the Imperial

 

Day 4

Tokyo – Odawara – Hakone

You will be met today at your hotel and will transfer by private vehicle to Tokyo station, making for a smooth and relaxing transfer.

You will be taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara Station, the gateway city for the Hakone National Park. Journey time is just 40 minutes. We will be supplying you with Green car first class Shinkansen Super Express tickets for this journey.

You will be picked up from Odawara station and transfer to your accommodation in Hakone by private taxi. The driver will be holding a name board. Your driver will probably not speak that much English but will ensure you get to your accommodation safely and comfortably. Travel time is in the region of 40-60 minutes.

Upon arrival at Hotel you will start using your 2 Day Hakone Freepass. The pass is valid for two days from today and entitles you to unlimited use of 6 different forms of transport in the Hakone region. These include the mountain buses and railway, one of the longest cable cars in Japan and a funicular railway as well as a pirate ship which cruises across Lake Ashi! These all criss-cross the region making it easy to explore and enjoy the surroundings as well as some of the many top quality art museums. The pass also gives you small discounts at many attractions in the area so be sure to show your pass when purchasing tickets. And of course, if you are lucky with the weather, you will be rewarded with stunning views of Mount Fuji.

Stay: Gora Tensui

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5

Hakone – Odawara – Kyoto

This morning you will be picked up at your accommodation and will travel to Odawara station by private taxi. Your driver will probably not speak that much English but will ensure you get to the station safely and comfortably for your onward journey. Travel time is in the region of 40-60 minutes.

Today you will travel to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital and the cultural centre of the nation. From Odawara the journey to Kyoto will see you racing down Japan’s eastern seaboard by Shinkansen and takes 2 hours 10 minutes.

Stay: Granvia Kyoto

Meals: Breakfast

Granvia exterior

Day 6

Kyoto

For today I have scheduled in a full day tour of the city by public transport with a private guide. Your guide will come to your accommodation at around 9:00 AM and take you on a tour that will encompass some of the more famous sights but also some lesser known places of interest.  With a knowledgeable local by your side you will be set for a great day in this amazing city and are sure to discover things that you might otherwise miss. Please let us know in advance if there are any sights you particularly wish to see, or areas of interest you have, as we can pass this information on to the guide for you. Your day of guiding will finish at around 5:00 PM either back at your accommodation or anywhere else in the city you wish to spend the evening.

For many people the quintessential image of Japan is a graceful geisha in an exquisite kimono darting through a sliding screen door into a traditional tea house. It’s a scene that embodies both the geisha’s beauty and mystery, as the geisha and their maiko apprentices move almost in secret through a world largely hidden behind closed doors. Often misunderstood in the West, geisha are essentially artists, highly skilled in traditional arts such as fan dancing and shamisen playing and are masters of wordplay and social etiquette. Although geisha numbers have dropped dramatically since their heyday in the 1920s, in today’s Japan, they are also the caretakers of these traditions making sure time-honoured Japanese arts and crafts are not lost.

The majority of geisha live and work in Kyoto and are known as geiko in the local dialect. Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district with a large concentration of ochaya tea houses where the geiko entertain guests most evenings. Not just anyone can enter an ochaya however; in traditional Japanese society, hierarchy and social connections are everything and most Japanese will never have the honour of an official invitation.

Fortunately we have strong ties with the Gion Maruume teahouse and we will arrange for you to visit for 45 minutes for a fascinating glimpse into the geisha world. Over a cup of green tea and a Japanese cake, you’ll be entertained by a geisha or maiko who will perform a traditional dance for you.  During the experience you’ll be able to take photos and ask any questions you may have.

Please note that a visit to such a special tea house is subject to availability and cannot be arranged at short notice. Date or time changes are also unlikely to be accommodated.

Stay: Granvia Kyoto

Meals: Breakfast

 

Day 7

Kyoto

Day at leisure

Stay: Granvia Kyoto

Meals: Breakfast

 

Day 8

Kyoto – Shin Yokohama

Today you will take the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Shin Yokohama station in the port city of Yokohama.  The 480km journey takes around 2 hours.

We will be arranging a private car transfer for you from the station to Yokohama Port, to join your cruise (Celebrity Millennium Cruise). We hope you had a fantastic time in Japan!

Meals: Breakfast

 

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