Essence of Japan
Essence of Japan
Essence of Japan
14 Days Starting and ending in UK
Visiting: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Nara, Kyoto, Mishima, Hakone
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TTJPN
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Physical rating:
Moderate
Age range:
16-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Please contact Titan with any specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$6312 (USD) including Flights from the UKTour Overview
Ancient and ultra-modern sit shoulder to shoulder in Japan. On this Japan itinerary, we’ll experience both over two weeks, exploring high-paced cities, hushed shrines and temples, and serene gardens. We’ll attend a traditional tea ceremony, learn a little about geisha and samurai culture, catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji and whizz between cities on the sleek, slick Shinkansen (bullet train). Our Japan tours travel in spring, when cherry blossoms and hydrangea bloom, and autumn, when maple trees are a blaze of fiery red and orange.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Tokyo
Location: Tokyo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (4-star)
Meals Included: No Meals
Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your overnight flight to Tokyo.
Day 2 : Tokyo
Location: Tokyo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
On our Japan tours, we stay in Shinjuku, the futuristic, neon-lit neighbourhood in the heart of Tokyo. On arrival the rest of the day is free.
Day 3 : Tokyo
Location: Tokyo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
A tour guide helps us to embrace this dazzling city. As we walk out amidst skyscrapers and the world’s tallest self-supporting tower (the Tokyo Skytree), we find Tokyo’s traditional side. Learn the stories behind legendary landmarks like the moated Imperial Palace, Tokyo’s oldest temple - Sensō-ji, and Meiji Shrine, a serene Shinto shrine set on a tree-lined avenue.
Day 4 : Mount Fuji - Matsumoto
Location: Mount Fuji, Matsumoto
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Matsumoto Buena Vista (3.5-star) or Alpico Plaza Hotel (3.5-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Standing out from its surroundings at 3,776m high, Japan’s tallest mountain has inspired countless artists and photographers. Clouds often linger around this active volcano, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed for you to catch a sight of the iconic snow-capped peak as you travel from Tokyo to Matsumoto. If the weather is clear, you’ll see the volcano’s image reflected on the placid waters of Lake Jawaguchi.
Day 5 : Matsumoto - Takayama
Location: Matsumoto, Takayama
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Takayama Green Hotel (3-star) or Associa Takayama (3-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Known as one of the most beautiful castles in Japan, Matsumoto is a striking timber and stone structure with a unique moon-viewing turret. In the spring, take your time to stroll among the cherry blossoms in the spacious castle gardens.
Stop to sample sake (Japanese rice wine) in a traditional brewery, before we take the breathtaking journey through thick pine forests and snow-tipped peaks of the Japanese Alps to the hill town of Takayama. We’ll call in at the Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum with a collection of antique houses from the region and displays highlighting crafts and ancient traditions.Day 6 : Takayama
Location: Takayama
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Takayama Green Hotel (3-star) or Associa Takayama (3-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Meiji-era inns, hillside shrines and a pretty riverside setting - the hamlet of Takayama is traditional Japan at its finest. Soak in the local character on our walking tour, when we’ll see highlights such as the open-air flower and fruit market and government house.
Day 7 : Kanazawa
Location: Kanazawa
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Next on our Japan itinerary, we transfer by coach to Kanazawa, visiting the World Heritage Shirakawago Village en route. Kanazawa is a historic castle town, boasting beautifully preserved samurai and geisha districts. Our sightseeing tour includes Omicho market and Higashi Chayagai (the ‘teahouse district’).
Day 8 : Kanazawa - Hiroshima
Location: Kanazawa, Hiroshima
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We pack overnight bags whilst our main luggage is transferred to Kyoto for our arrival on day 10. We’ll have another sweep of the city before we leave this morning, stopping at the gorgeous Kenroku-en Garden and BukeYashiki (Samurai’s house).
Located outside the gates of Kanazawa Castle and covering an area of 11.4 hectares, the Kenroku-en Garden was created by the Maeda family in the 1620s and opened to the public in 1874. It’s the epitome of a traditional Japanese garden with plum and cherry blossoms, artificial ponds, hills and buildings.From the quaint, quiet streets of Kanazawa, we’ll go full throttle (quite literally) into one of Japan’s other passions. The Shinkansen (bullet train) will hurtle us from Kanazawa to Hiroshima in perfect comfort - you’ll hardly notice you’re travelling at 198mph.Day 9 : Hiroshima
Location: Hiroshima
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Leafy Hiroshima, with its wide boulevards and friendly locals, might not be what you expected. It’s a vibrant and cosmopolitan city of peace with a devastating history. Today we’ll catch a ferry over to Miyajima Island to admire the ancient Itsukushima Shrine, rising out of the sea (may be under restoration), and spend some time strolling through the park. In autumn, the maples here are ablaze with rich reds and oranges.
Back in Hiroshima, we’ll take a walking tour around the Peace Memorial Park and take some time for reflection at the Atomic Bomb Museum.Day 10 : Nara - Kyoto
Location: Nara, Kyoto
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Kyoto Hotel Okura (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Another bullet train takes us to Osaka, where we’ll board our coach for the onward journey to Nara, a former capital of Japan. The 8th-century Todaiji temple - supposedly the oldest wooden structure in the world - is wondrous, but the real highlight here are the adorable deer roaming through Nara Park. You can buy a packet of crackers to feed them - they’ll even bow to you before you feed them.
We arrive in Kyoto this afternoon. With its wealth of shrines and temples, colourful gardens and variety of arts and crafts shops, it's a real highlight of our Japan tour package. We’ll uncover geisha culture with some time in the Gion area - Japan’s most famous geisha district.Day 11 : Kyoto
Location: Kyoto
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Kyoto Hotel Okura (4-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Highlights of this morning’s tour include the wonderful Ryoanji Temple (a Zen temple with a famous rock garden), and the beautiful Kinkakuji Temple, or ‘Golden Pavilion’, whose top two floors are completely bedecked in gold leaf.
We also visit Nijo, a fortified castle with unique ‘nightingale’ floors designed to replicate the sound of the nightingale song when stepped on.Day 12 : Kyoto - Mishima
Location: Kyoto, Mishima
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Fujisan Mishima Tokyu Hotel (3.5-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We’ll sit down for a cuppa before leaving Kyoto this morning - it is the birthplace of the traditional tea ceremony, after all. Learn the intricacies of this graceful discipline, considering simple details like holding the bowl so your friends can enjoy the beauty of its decoration. You can read about these rituals in any Japan travel guide, but there's nothing quite like experiencing it first hand. You’ll never drink tea at home the same again!
Another bullet train whisks us from Kyoto to Mishima. We’ll check into our hotel and if the weather is kind you’ll have views of Mount Fuji from your room.Day 13 : Hakone - Tokyo
Location: Hakone, Tokyo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei Hotel, Tokyo (3-star)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We drive to Hakone and embark on a cruise on Lake Ashi for stunning views of the snow-capped mountains. We’ll jump in a cable car all the way up to the Owakudani Valley and Hot Springs, in the crater of Mount Hakone.
Later, we’ll arrive in Tokyo.Day 14 : Tokyo - Uk
Location: Tokyo
Meals Included: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
What's Included
-
Accommodation
12 nights in hotels and 1 in flight (accommodation as specified or similar)
-
Meals
13 meals: 12 breakfasts (days 3-14) 1 lunch (day 4)
-
International flights. Prices are based on return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow. Supplements may apply from other airports
-
City tours of Tokyo, Kanazawa (including Kenroku-en Garden), and Kyoto
-
Mount Fuji Visitor Centre
-
Visits to Matsumoto Castle, Shirakawago Village, Miyajima Island and Nara (including Todaiji Temple and Nara Park)
-
Sake tasting at a traditional brewery
-
Walking tours of Takayama and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
-
Three journeys on the bullet train
-
Traditional tea ceremony
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
-
Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
-
Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes
-
Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
16+ years can go on this tour.
-
What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?
3-3.5-4 Star
-
Do I have to pay a Single Supplement?
In most cases a single supplement will apply. If the price for a Single room for sole occupancy is not shown, please ask our team for details and we will be able to check the details for you.
-
Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
-
How long has the tour company been trading?
We've been taking our customers across the world on escorted tours for more than 40 years
-
What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Our commitment to sustainable travel is part of our ethos. We love exploring the world and hope that, alongside our customers, we can be part of a bigger change in respecting the people and wildlife on our planet and minimising the impact we have on our environment.
-
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
With some COVID-19 rules and restrictions still in place there are a few details that you need to know. This information is subject to change. It’s your responsibility to monitor changes and ensure you fulfil all relevant criteria for travel. Rest assured that we’re on hand to help and answer any questions you might have.
-
What documents will I receive before I travel?
You’ll receive your Final holiday documents via email approximately 14 days prior to your departure.
Reviews of this Operator
Dates & Availability
Wednesday - Tuesday
May 08, 2024 - May 21, 2024Friday - Thursday
May 10, 2024 - May 23, 2024Sunday - Saturday
Jul 07, 2024 - Jul 20, 2024Friday - Thursday
Sep 06, 2024 - Sep 19, 2024Monday - Sunday
Sep 09, 2024 - Sep 22, 2024Thursday - Wednesday
Sep 12, 2024 - Sep 25, 2024Friday - Thursday
Sep 20, 2024 - Oct 03, 2024Wednesday - Tuesday
Oct 16, 2024 - Oct 29, 2024Wednesday - Tuesday
Oct 23, 2024 - Nov 05, 2024Wednesday - Tuesday
Nov 06, 2024 - Nov 19, 2024Wednesday - Tuesday
Nov 13, 2024 - Nov 26, 2024Wednesday - Tuesday
Nov 20, 2024 - Dec 03, 2024Wednesday - Tuesday
Mar 19, 2025 - Apr 01, 2025Thursday - Wednesday
Mar 20, 2025 - Apr 02, 2025Friday - Thursday
Mar 21, 2025 - Apr 03, 2025Sunday - Saturday
Mar 23, 2025 - Apr 05, 2025Tuesday - Monday
Mar 25, 2025 - Apr 07, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Mar 26, 2025 - Apr 08, 2025Thursday - Wednesday
Mar 27, 2025 - Apr 09, 2025Friday - Thursday
Mar 28, 2025 - Apr 10, 2025Sunday - Saturday
Mar 30, 2025 - Apr 12, 2025Tuesday - Monday
Apr 01, 2025 - Apr 14, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Apr 02, 2025 - Apr 15, 2025Thursday - Wednesday
Apr 03, 2025 - Apr 16, 2025Friday - Thursday
Apr 04, 2025 - Apr 17, 2025Sunday - Saturday
Apr 06, 2025 - Apr 19, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Apr 09, 2025 - Apr 22, 2025Thursday - Wednesday
Apr 10, 2025 - Apr 23, 2025Friday - Thursday
Apr 11, 2025 - Apr 24, 2025Monday - Sunday
Apr 14, 2025 - Apr 27, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
May 07, 2025 - May 20, 2025Friday - Thursday
May 09, 2025 - May 22, 2025Monday - Sunday
May 12, 2025 - May 25, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
May 14, 2025 - May 27, 2025Monday - Sunday
May 19, 2025 - Jun 01, 2025Monday - Sunday
Jul 07, 2025 - Jul 20, 2025Friday - Thursday
Sep 05, 2025 - Sep 18, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Sep 10, 2025 - Sep 23, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Sep 17, 2025 - Sep 30, 2025Sunday - Saturday
Oct 05, 2025 - Oct 18, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Oct 15, 2025 - Oct 28, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Oct 22, 2025 - Nov 04, 2025Wednesday - Tuesday
Nov 05, 2025 - Nov 18, 2025Book with Confidence
-
Free Date Changes
Titan Travel allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 75 days before the start of the tour.
-
Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Titan Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform titan travel, 75 days before departure.
-
Low Deposit
Titan Travel requires a minimum deposit of 395 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of titan travel charges.
Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 42 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.
At 28 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.