10-Day Private Tour of Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka

Welcome to Tokyo - the ultramodern and the traditional at the same time capital of Japan! A private driver meets you at the arrivals hall and takes you to your hotel. Upon arrival in the hotel, you check in and have the rest of the day at leisure to relax after your trip or start exploring the vibrant city on your own.

In the morning, you meet your private guide and start your first half-day tour of Tokyo. First, you see from the outside the incredible Imperial Palace to get a taste of Japanese culture. Notably, The Imperial Palace has served as the residential place of successive Emperors since 1868.

Then you have a visit to the Tokyo Sky Tree, a television broadcasting tower, and the tallest structure in Japan. Its observation decks offering spectacular views over Tokyo are the highlights of the tower. You visit the deck located at the height of 350 meters (1148 feet), so make sure to have your camera and phone charged! After that, you will visit Asakusa Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo, and learn the legend of how this temple was built. The temple is known to bring good luck in almost anything, so make sure to make a wish! Here you can feel the traditional Japanese culture the moment you step onto the temple grounds. After the tour, you return to your hotel.

Your first stop is Meiji Shrine. Located near Harajuku station and Yoyogi Park, this shrine is popular among travellers. In addition to its vast size, it includes a gorgeous, serene forest surrounding the sacred approach to the shrine. Meiji Jingu Shrine gives you the opportunity to experience a peaceful atmosphere in the heart of Tokyo, the largest city in the world. Then you visit Harajuku. Since Harajuku has its own charm, you can fully immerse yourself in the Japanese atmosphere and fully appreciate the surrounding.

The next stop on the itinerary is Shibuya, Tokyo's paradise for shoppers. Despite the abundance of stores, it's probably best known for its cross walk. As soon as the traffic lights turn red, pedestrians are free to roam wherever they like. Moreover, it is a symbol of modern Japan and of Tokyo itself: action in all directions. People are constantly pouring across the street from all directions, three huge television screens mounted on the buildings flash all day, and the area is covered with lights. The intersection is a popular filming location for movies, and it has appeared in the films Lost in Translation and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, as well as numerous music videos and newscasts. Hence, this is one of the things that travellers can experience only in Japan.

Before returning to your hotel, you explore Ginza, Japan's premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district, which has one of the most expensive real estate in all of Japan.

In the morning, after breakfast and check-out you meet your private driver to the train station to catch your bullet train.

Upon arrival at Odawara Station, together with your guide, you get to the hotel in Hakone and continue your exploration of Hakone Shrine. This day is full of amazing scenery and iconic views, so make sure to have your cameras and phones charged. One of the classic images of Japan is the red shrine gates floating on the water with Mt. Fuji in the background. This is the Hakone Shrine, which you have a chance to see today, a place of history, culture, and tradition. The high peaks of Hakone have been worshipped for thousands of years as a place where the souls of the dead would go to travel to the next world, for this reason, several shrines were established on the surrounding peaks and later combined at the Hakone Shrine, founded over a century ago. Hakone Shrine played an important role in the history of Japan, which you have a chance to discover during your visit.

Then you enjoy a cruise on Ashi Lake. The lake was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano's last eruption 3000 years ago.

Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone. The cruise gives you an opportunity to take in the best views of Mount Fuji and the lake. After the tour, you take a public bus and arrive at your traditional Ryokan hotel overnight.

In the morning, after breakfast, you have some leisure time to enjoy the hot spring baths at your ryokan hotel. Later you meet your private driver which takes you to the train station to catch your bullet train.

Upon arrival at Kyoto, your private driver takes you to the hotel. After check-in you have a half day tour to explore Fushimi Inari Shrine and Sanjusangendo. Fushimi Inari Shrine is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of red torii gates, which stand astride a network of trails. The trails lead into the forest of the sacred Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. You can take a hike on these trails and learn how the thousands of the torrid gates appeared here.

Then you proceed to the Sanjusangendo Temple, famous for its 1001 human sized statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Once inside, you see a large wooden statue composition of the Kannon, equipped with numerous heads and arms, the goddess of mercy can better witness the suffering of humans and better help them fight the suffering. After the tour you return to your hotel in Kyoto and have the evening at leisure.

In the morning after breakfast you meet your private guide and start your full day exploration of Kyoto.

You start with the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Imperial Family's residence from 794 until 1868, during the times when Kyoto was the capital of Japan. Here you have a chance to explore the palace buildings (from the outside) and the gardens, which was just recently opened to the public.

Head to Arashiyama, the second-most important sightseeing district in Kyoto that is filled with temples and shrines. The highlight of the district is the famed Bamboo Forest, one of the most photographed sights in Kyoto. Standing in the midst of this sprawling bamboo grove is like being in another world, it has a sense of otherness that is very much unlike that of any other forest. This is an experience that is not to be missed!

Your tour continues with visiting Kinkakuji, one of the top UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the most remarkable Buddhist temples, and a gorgeous golden must-see attraction! So welcome to one of the most luxurious temples in Japan, also known worldwide, reflecting its fame in traditional arts and modern media. Here you will find peace, tranquillity, and spiritual renewal. Conclude your day with a Japanese tea ceremony experience, that provides an engaging induction to the traditional tea ceremony. This activity dates back hundreds of years and is the most idealistic pastime of ancient Japan. In this ceremony you will have an opportunity to wear traditional kimono robes, taste the green matcha tea and eat unique Japanese sweets specifically made to match the tea's flavour. After the ceremony you return to your hotel and have the evening at leisure.

In the morning after check-out, your driver meets you and transfers to Osaka.

Upon arrival in Osaka, your driver takes you to your centrally located hotel, you check in and have the evening at leisure.

In the morning after breakfast you meet your private guide and to explore Osaka on a full day tour of the city.

First you visit the Umeda Sky Building, a high rise building that consists of two towers connected with each other by the "Floating Garden Observatory" on the 39th floor. The observatory offers great views of the city through its windows and from its open-air deck.

Then you have a chance to see the Osaka Castle. The construction of the original castle, that was intended to become the center of a new, unified Japan under Toyotomi rule, started in 1583. It was the largest castle at the time. Your guide will share with you the history of the castle, that was destroyed and rebuilt since then.

After some time for lunch, you proceed to the Shinsaibashi shopping area, the best-known shopping area in Osaka, and a symbol of the city that has its own history of nearly 400 years. Among the numerous shops you can find here local specialties and great cafes and restaurants. After having some free time at the Shinsaibashi, you return to your hotel.

In the morning after breakfast you meet your private guide and embark on a full-day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Together with your guide you take a bullet train to Hiroshima, a city that was mostly destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. Here you visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park located in the area that used to be the political and commercial heart of the city, before the bomb. The main site at the park is the Peace Memorial Museum that focuses on the events of August 6: the dropping of the bomb and its outcome in human suffering. The exposition serves as a reminder that peace should not be taken for granted. The A-Bomb Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing when the bomb exploded. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the A-Bomb Dome today is a tangible link to Hiroshima's unique past.

After some time for lunch, together with your guide you take a ferry to Miyajima Island. The island is officially named Itsukushima, but more popularly known as "Miyajima", literally "shrine island" in Japanese, thanks to its most important attraction - the centuries-old Itsukushima Shrine. The shrine and its torii gate are unique for being built over water, as if floating in the sea during high tide. After the tour, you return to Osaka by bullet train and have the evening at leisure.

This is the final day of your amazing exploration of Japan. After breakfast and check-out your private driver transfers you to the Osaka airport in time for your flight back home.