Japan escorted tours are gaining popularity as Japan as a travel destination is seeing massive influx of Western tourists. Compared with independent travel, escorted group travel to Japan has its advantages. When you are on an escorted Japan tour, you leave all the hassles of logistic planning to others so that you can focus on enjoying your vacation. Japan being a country where most of the residents speak no English is better navigated with the help of tour guides fluent in both your language and Japanese.
It can be extremely frustrating trying to figure out how the system works without adequate knowledge of the country and its language. A good example is you hold a bullet train ticket purchased from a ticket vending machine only to be stopped at the gate while the train is about to depart. Although the machine has English user interface, it does not actually remind you to buy yet another add-on fare to go with your train ticket for the train ticket to be valid! The locals take it for granted that this is common knowledge, but as a first-time visitor to Japan how can anyone blame you for know knowing that!
You are here because you are looking for escorted Japan tours. We hope you’ll find one of our escorted Japan tours suitable. If you don’t know where to start, we’d recommend our 14-day Best of Japan because this tour has been very popular among travellers going to Japan for the first time.
Best of Japan Escorted Tour (14 days)
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“It was outstanding and definitely exceeded our expectations.” | Testimonials |
Tokyo – Mt. Fuji – Hakone – Kanazawa – Takayama – Shirakawa-go – Kyoto – Nara – Osaka – Hiroshima – Miyajima – Tokyo
This leisurely paced escorted tour of Japan is a perfect choice for first-time visitors. With a focus on history and culture, this premium small-group Japan tour showcases the best of the Land of the Rising Sun. From the present capital of Tokyo to the former imperial seat of Kyoto, Japan’s illustrious blend of ancient traditions with state-of-the-art modernity is on full display.
Important Features
- Small group size – 20 maximum
- Experienced professional guides
- Inclusion of tips for local guides & drivers
- No shopping stops to waste your time
- Quality Japanese & Western cuisines
- Kaiseki dinner with geisha dancer (maiko) performance
- Sukiyaki (hot pot) dinner featuring premium Japanese beef
- Luggage forwarding (Tokyo/Kyoto/Kyoto, 1 piece per guest & within 20kg)
Meal Code: B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner
Day 1/Mon: Departing Home City
The journey begins with your transpacific flight departing from a city of your choice. You’ll lose a day upon crossing the International Date Line.
Day 2/Tue: Arrival in Tokyo
Welcome to Tokyo!
Please make your way to the hotel on your own. Detailed up-to-date information on how to get to the hotel will be provided in the pre-trip update two weeks before departure. Private transfer can be arranged on request.
Day 3/Wed: Tokyo (B/L)
Tokyo, literally meaning “eastern capital” and officially named Tokyo Metropolis, is one of the most populous mega-cities in the world with a population of 14 million. Formerly known as Edo, the city has been the de facto seat of the Japanese government since 1603 when shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu chose the city for his headquarters. The shogun (general) was a hereditary commander ceremoniously appointed by the emperor but held real power over the country during the shogunate period between 1192 and 1867. Edo was renamed Tokyo after Emperor Meiji moved his seat from Kyoto in 1868 when the last shogun was forced to return power to the imperial court. The city covers an area of 2,187 square kilometres following the merger in 1943 of the city of Tokyo and Tokyo Prefecture.
Our full-day sightseeing begins at Senso-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo dating back to 628.
We then drive through ritzy Ginza shopping district to arrive at the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace (the palace itself is closed to tourists) for a stroll.
After lunch, we tour the grounds of the tranquil Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji (1852 -1912) and his wife.
We end the day with a visit to the observation deck inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. On a clear day, the visitor should be able to see the peak of Mount Fuji which is located about 84 km to the west.
Day 4/Thu: Tokyo – Mt. Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo (B/L)
We depart at 7:30 AM for a full-day excursion to Mt Fuji and Hakone.
Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain (3,776 metres) in Japan, is a two-hour drive from Tokyo. We stop by the Fujisan World Heritage Center to view the summit and learn about the history, formation and ecology of Mt. Fuji through exhibits and a short film. However, it is purely a matter of luck whether the summit is visible as Mt. Fuji is often shrouded in clouds. Our schedule does not include hiking the mountain – the trails are open between July and early September and it would take the average person at least six hours to hike to the summit even if one starts from the highest station at 2,305 metres above sea level.
We then proceed to Lake Ashi in Hakone for a short cruise across the lake. This is followed by a 10-minute cable car ride that transports us to the station overlooking the sulphur-spewing Owakudani Geothermal Valley. On a clear day, the cable car ride provides stunning views of Mt. Fuji and its surrounding mountain slopes.
We expect to arrive back at the hotel around 6:00 PM.
Day 5/Fri: Tokyo – Kanazawa (B)
Enjoy some downtime before boarding the express train (Hakutaka #561, 11:24/14:17) to Kanazawa.
On the shores of Sea of Japan, Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. The city has a population of 463,000 and is considered a jewel of Japanese tourism that is often overlooked by foreign tourists due to its relatively remote location. Travellers coming here are richly rewarded with the well-preserved Edo-period city, where the samurai, merchants, geisha, and daimyo (lords) all left their mark. Kanazawa is also part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Crafts and Folk Art.
After hotel check-in, walk around on your own and bask in the charm of this pedestrian-friendly city.
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Escorted Japan Tours – Customer Testimonials
Our 14 day Best of Japan tour was simply “the best” and then some. We had a spectacular time while visiting a place I had dreamed of for many years, on our 30th wedding anniversary. Our guides and our tour mates were a joy. I look forward to future journeys with Laurus Travel and would highly recommend them to my family and friends.
Elizabeth R
Miami, Florida
