Are you looking for Japan tours from Seattle? If so, please check out what Laurus Travel has to offer.
We specialize in fully guided small-group travel to Asia with Japan being one of our key destinations. Our satisfied customers can be found across North America including Seattle. Our stellar reputation since 1998 is your best guarantee for a successful vacation in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Direct Flights to Japan from Seattle
At the moment, there are three airlines offering non-stop flights between Seattle and Japan (Tokyo). They are Delta, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines is set to join the game beginning on May 12, 2025.
Guests from Seattle who prefer flying business class have several options available. In addition to the above four airlines, Air Canada is also an aggressive competitor in offering business class deals to US West Coast consumers through its hub in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Japan Tours from Seattle
Our Japan tours are offered as land only, but airfares from Seattle can be easily added on request. We are particularly proud of our record in tracking down the best business class deals for our tour guests.
Among the Japan tours we currently offer, the 14-day Best of Japan below has been very popular:
Best of Japan Tour (14 days)
Tokyo – Mt. Fuji – Hakone – Kanazawa – Takayama – Shirakawa – Kyoto – Nara – Osaka – Hiroshima – Miyajima – Tokyo
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 – average 16, maximum 20
- Experienced professional guides
- Premium hotel accommodations
- Quality Japanese & Western cuisines
- Sushi making lesson
- Kaiseki dinner with geisha dancer (maiko) performance
- Yakiniku (BBQ) dinner featuring premium Japanese beef
- No shopping stops
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 final 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 the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace. A stroll across the plaza accompanied by commentaries on the imperial family and the history of Tokyo gets the tour off to a good start.
We then proceed to Senso-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo dating back to 628.
After lunch, we drive through the ritzy Ginza shopping district on the way to 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 atop the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. On a clear day, the visitor could see the peak of Mount Fuji which is located about 84 km to the west. The building complex completed in 1990 at a cost of US$1 billion consists of three main structures each taking up a city block. The architect of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is Kenzo Tange (1913 – 2005), who in 1987 became the first Japanese to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture.
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 half-hour 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 high-speed train (Hakutaka #561, 11:24/14:17) to Kanazawa. Be sure to grab some snacks for lunch before getting on the train.
On the shores of the 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.
Due to the proximity of the attractions, our sightseeing in Kanazawa is done exclusively on foot with occasional use of taxi to cover the short distances between some of the locations. Please expect to walk 5 to 8 km per day.
After hotel check-in, we walk, or go by taxi (2 km, 6 minutes) if the weather is rainy, to Higashi Chaya district. This is one of the three preserved historical geisha districts in Kanazawa (along with Nishichayagai and Kazuemachi) where geisha still entertain today.
Testimonials
Our 14-Day Best of Japan Land Tour was a trip we will always cherish. Learning about the people, culture, history, and visiting the parks, palaces, shrines and Mt. Fuji met or exceeded our expectations! Laurus Travel is very helpful and responsive in preparing for the trip. Our guides were knowledgeable and attentive. The group was small so we got lots of attention. We left with many fond memories and too many photos! It was special and received our highest recommendation!
Patti & Mick H
Sarasota, Florida
