Preview – Tokyo to Osaka: Discover Japan with Niki Kay

Konnichiwa and welcome to Japan. Touch down in Tokyo and make your own way to the joining hotel in the historic Asakusa district, a pocket of the city where lantern-lit lanes, old-school sweet shops, and the soaring silhouette of Senso-ji set the mood for the days ahead. Settle in, shake off the flight, and get ready for an unforgettable week.

At 6:00 PM, gather with your host Niki Kay and the rest of the group for a welcome meeting to map out the journey ahead. From there, head straight into a group welcome dinner at a local restaurant, where your first taste of Japan’s refined cuisine becomes the perfect introduction to the country and your fellow travellers.

🏨 Accommodation

• THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon by HULIC or Similar, Asakusa, Tokyo

🍽️ Included Meals

• Dinner

✅ Activities

• Welcome Meeting with Your Host
• Group Welcome Dinner at a Local Restaurant

Today is Tokyo at full volume. Begin in Harajuku, where Takeshita Street erupts with kawaii fashion, candy-coloured crêpes, and a youth culture that has shaped global trends for decades. Just a short walk away, the city drops to a hush at Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine wrapped in a towering urban forest where torii gates frame quiet gravel paths and ceremonial offerings of sake line the walkways.

Come lunchtime, roll up your sleeves for a hands-on sushi-making class, learning the craft from a skilled chef before tucking into your own creations (vegetarian and vegan options available). In the afternoon, the energy shifts to Shibuya, where you’ll join the choreographed chaos of the famous Scramble crossing and pay your respects at the Hachiko Statue, a small bronze ode to the most loyal dog in Japan.

🏨 Accommodation

• THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon by HULIC or Similar, Asakusa, Tokyo

🍽️ Included Meals

• Breakfast
• Lunch

✅ Activities

• Harajuku and Takeshita Street Walk
• Meiji Jingu Shrine Visit
• Hands-On Sushi-Making Class
• Shibuya Scramble Crossing
• Hachiko Statue Visit

Trade the neon for nature as you leave Tokyo behind and head into Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Glide across Lake Ashinoko by boat, a cobalt-blue lake cradled inside an ancient volcanic crater, before climbing high above the steaming earth on the Hakone Ropeway. Below you, the active sulfur vents of Owakudani hiss and churn, a reminder that Japan’s beauty is built on a restless landscape.

Before checking in, stop by the Karakuri Secret Box Museum, a small but fascinating tribute to the art of traditional Japanese puzzle boxes. Slide, twist, and outwit centuries-old wooden mechanisms before settling into your mountain stay for the night. Note that your main luggage is sent ahead to Kyoto today, so pack a small overnight bag for Hakone.

🏨 Accommodation

• Mount View Hakone or Similar, Hakone

🍽️ Included Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

✅ Activities

• Lake Ashinoko Cruise
• Hakone Ropeway over Owakudani
• Karakuri Secret Box Museum Visit

🧳 Luggage Transfer

• Your main luggage will be sent ahead from Tokyo to your Kyoto hotel today and will be waiting on arrival in Kyoto. Please pack a small overnight bag with essentials for your one night stay in Hakone.

Today the adventure picks up speed, literally. Board the legendary Shinkansen bullet train and rocket south toward Kyoto, the country’s former imperial capital. Keep your eyes peeled out the window for the snow-capped cone of Mount Fuji, a sight that never fails to draw gasps from a carriage of seasoned travellers.

Arriving in Kyoto, you’ll have time to settle in before joining your guide for an atmospheric evening walk through Gion. Lantern light spills across the cobblestones, wooden machiya houses lean into the laneways, and if luck is on your side, a geiko or maiko may glide past on her way to an evening engagement. The rest of the evening is yours to wander, dine, or simply soak in the city’s quiet magic.

🏨 Accommodation

• Park Hotel Kyoto or Similar, Kyoto

🍽️ Included Meals

• Breakfast

✅ Activities

• Bus and Shinkansen Bullet Train to Kyoto
• Guided Evening Walk Through Gion

Kyoto unfolds its greatest hits today. Start in Arashiyama on the city’s western edge, where the famous bamboo grove rises in a soaring green cathedral and the Hozugawa River winds past historic temples. From there, head to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, a gold-leaf-clad temple that glows above its mirror-still reflecting pond.

Lunch is best chased through Nishiki Market, known locally as Kyoto’s Kitchen, where five blocks of stalls overflow with pickles, yuba, tako tamago, and matcha sweets. Save your energy for the grand finale at Fushimi Inari Taisha, where you’ll walk beneath the breathtaking tunnels of vermilion torii gates as they wind up the forested hillside. It’s one of the most photographed places in Japan, and for very good reason.

🏨 Accommodation

• Park Hotel Kyoto or Similar, Kyoto

🍽️ Included Meals

• Breakfast

✅ Activities

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Visit
• Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion Visit
• Nishiki Market Food Exploration
• Fushimi Inari Taisha Torii Gate Walk

🧳 Luggage Transfer

• Your main luggage will be sent ahead from Kyoto to your Osaka hotel today and will be waiting on arrival in Osaka. Please pack a small overnight bag with essentials for your travel day.

Make your way to Osaka, Japan’s bold, brash, neon-bright counterpart to Kyoto’s quiet refinement. Step into the grounds of the majestic Osaka Castle, its emerald-roofed keep rising above sweeping moats and cherry-tree-lined paths, or trade history for retail therapy along the covered arcades of Shinsaibashi-suji, one of the country’s most beloved shopping strips. Note that your main luggage will be sent ahead to your Osaka hotel, so pack a small overnight bag.

With the afternoon free for last-minute wandering, takoyaki tasting, or one final temple stop, the day builds toward a celebratory farewell dinner. Tuck into the famously hearty, flavour-packed flavours of Osaka-style cuisine as you toast the friendships, photos, and unforgettable moments of the week.

🏨 Accommodation

• Hotel Nikko Osaka or Similar, Osaka

🍽️ Included Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

✅ Activities

• Osaka Castle and Park Visit
• Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping (Optional)
• Osaka-Style Farewell Dinner

Savour one final Japanese breakfast, that lovely spread of grilled fish, miso, rice, and pickles, before checking out and bidding sayonara to your fellow travellers. Whether you’re flying home or extending your adventure deeper into Japan, you’ll leave with a camera full of memories and a brand-new appreciation for one of the world’s most extraordinary countries.

Your tour officially concludes this morning, and the rest of the day is yours.

🍽️ Included Meals

• Breakfast