Compare Japan: the Grand Tour by Culture Trip vs Visions of Japan with Osaka by Globus
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 12 days | 13 days |
| Price From | $ 4,259 | $ 6,799 |
| Price Per Day | $ 355 | $ 523 |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | No |
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| Description |
From neon-lit skyscrapers to bamboo forests dotted with ancient temples, there’s nowhere quite like Japan. This 12-day trip will take you from the foodie capital of Osaka, to the city lights of Tokyo and even down to the floating Torii Gate of Miyajima Island, which sits in Hiroshima Bay. Along the way, you’ll get to see geishas in Kyoto, sample sake in Takayama and watch sumo wrestlers train in the capital. You’ll even get the chance to stay in a traditional ryokan-style hotel and sing your heart out at karaoke alongside your fellow travellers. |
Forget everything your mother taught you about table manners. In Japan, it’s perfectly acceptable to slurp! Get ready to joyously drink in traditional hot sake, green tea, big brothy noodle bowls and the delicious views from neon-lit Tokyo to historic Kyoto. Peaks, palaces, pavilions, and pagodas provide picture-perfect backdrops for your photos, but don’t expect to stand still for very long on this enthralling tour of Japan. A hands-on calligraphy class, a special kimono fitting, an interactive cooking demonstration, and a gold-leaf design class—where you’ll make your own keepsake bento box—are all part of the fun. Browse the produce at a Takayama farmer’s market, stroll through Kanazawa’s famous Kenroku-en gardens and experience the thrill of a ride on the famous bullet train. Prepare to be floored in more ways than one! End your exploration of Japan in Osaka. Hop on the bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka where you will visit the Osaka Castle and Minami, the city's most famous entertainment district where the locals go for fun. |
Day 1: Arrive in Osaka
Accommodation: Hotel Gracery Osaka Namba
Activities Included: Welcome dinner
Osaka is a heady mix of cultural sights, foodie heaven and lively nightlife, making it the perfect introductory city to Japan. After landing at Kansai International Airport, make your way to the hotel where our Local Insider – who will accompany the group throughout the trip – will help you check in. Meet your fellow travellers at 5pm before receiving an introductory talk about the cultural dos and don’ts of the country. You’ll then head for dinner at a local restaurant to get your first taste of Japan. Make sure you get a good night’s rest – tomorrow is jam-packed with exciting explorations.
Day 2: Explore Osaka city, including the castle and Kuromon Market
Accommodation: Hotel Gracery Osaka Namba
Activities Included: Full-day guided Osaka tour
Today is all about exploring the best bits of the city on foot and by metro, led by our Local Insider. Marvel at the 400-year-old Osaka Castle as well as the uber-modern Umeda Sky Building. Explore the eclectic Shinsekai neighbourhood; built in 1912 and largely unchanged, its home to souvenir shops as well as traditional eateries. Lunch is served at a local restaurant, after which you can explore the Kuromon Market and the famed Dotonbori strip (home to the first sushi train in the world). Rest your weary feet back at the hotel before dinner.
Day 3: Learn aikido and try ‘okonomiyaki’ in Hiroshima
Accommodation: Nest Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae
Activities Included: Aikido lesson
After breakfast, it’s time to climb aboard the bullet train to Hiroshima. On arrival, you’ll have the afternoon to explore at leisure – take a stroll around the Shukkei-en garden, dotted with maple and ginkgo trees. You’ll also have the chance to try aikido, a Japanese martial art that involves breathing and stretching as well as self-defence techniques. Come dinner, try okonomiyaki, a popular savoury pancake, topped with meat or seafood. You’ll spend the next two nights in Hiroshima.
Day 4: Visit the Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum, plus Miyajima Island
Accommodation: Nest Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae
Activities Included: Hiroshima and Miyajima Island tour, Guided Mount Misen hike
A fully guided day awaits, starting with a visit to Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum to learn more about the city's past. Afterwards, take the ferry to Miyajima Island, where you’ll hike Mount Misen; the peak, at 500m (1,640ft) above sea level, offers spectacular views over Hiroshima city. Descend to the floating Torii Gate, an ancient Shinto shrine, and snap pictures of a thousand tame deer that mingle with locals here. After sunset, you’ll hop on the ferry back to your Hiroshima hotel.
Day 5: Wander through the Arashiyama bamboo forest
Accommodation: Sakura Terrace The Gallery
Activities Included: Bamboo forest visit & Temple hike
Pack your bags – it’s time to head to Kyoto. Whizz east by train to the outskirts, ready for your afternoon tour in Arashiyama. You know those towering green bamboo forests? Get ready to stroll through them, camera at the ready. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable walking shoes as you’ll then hike up to a sacred temple in the mountains. Hop on the train back to Kyoto, where you'll bed down in your next hotel.
Day 6: Take snaps of torii gates and see geishas in Kyoto
Accommodation: Sakura Terrace The Gallery
Activities Included: Fushimi Inari sunrise tour, Kyoto bicycle tour
Optional Activities: Geisha district walking tour
It’s an early wake-up this morning, for good reason: to hike through the thousands of bright orange torii gates at Fushimi Inari while attempting to avoid the crowds. After a hearty breakfast back at the hotel, you’ll take a leisurely bike tour through the maze of backstreets in Kyoto to Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and the Nishiki food market. As the sun sets, you can join the optional geisha district tour of Gion to see geishas walking the streets before their shows.
Day 7: Explore the Japanese Alps and taste sake
Accommodation: Spa Hotel Alpina Hida Takayama
Activities Included: Hida Folk Village visit, Sake tasting
Bid sayonara to Kyoto this morning, and hop on a train to Takayama. In the mountainous Gifu prefecture, this area is known as the Japanese Alps. Today you’ll visit the Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum with 30 old farmhouses that showcase the traditional architecture of the area. After a good wander, spend your afternoon sampling sake – alcohol made from fermented rice – at a local brewery.
Day 8: Soak in an onsen in Hakone
Accommodation: Ryokan Hakone Ashinoko Toranoyu
Activities Included: Miyagawa market tour & Traditional ryokan experience and onsen soak
Spend the morning browsing the Miyagawa market in Takayama – it is the perfect place to pick up souvenirs. After the market tour, you’ll head to the fellow alpine town of Hakone, which sits just outside Tokyo. Check in to the hotel for a traditional Japanese ryokan experience with dinner included. The town is known for onsens (natural hot springs) – luckily, the hotel has a steaming tub for you to soak in.
Day 9: Cruise on Lake Ashi and hike to volcanic geysers
Accommodation: Hotel Resol Ueno
Activities Included: Lake Ashi cruise, Ropeway to Hell cable car & Geyser visit
Optional Activities: Guided Taito City walk
Prepare yourself for a morning cruise on Lake Ashi. Beyond the water and forested hillsides, you’ll be rewarded with expansive views of Mount Fuji. Disembark onto dry land before ascending the Ropeway to Hell. Don’t worry, it’s just a cable car that will scoot you over the Hell Valley mountain peaks to Owakudani, the Great Boiling Valley. The jagged landscape is filled with bubbling geysers and volcanic pools. Afterwards, it’s time to make tracks to Tokyo. For those with energy left, join the optional evening walk around Taito City.
Day 10: Watch sumo wrestlers and make sushi in Tokyo
Accommodation: Hotel Resol Ueno
Activities Included:
Sumo wrestler training visit (season permitting)
Tsukiji Outer Market tour
Sushi-making class
Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park tour
You’ll spend the last few days of your trip exploring Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Your first morning will be spent watching sumo wrestlers at a local training session, followed by a visit to the fish market, Tsukiji Outer Market. Lunch revolves around a sushi-making class, where you’ll eat your own creations. Spend the afternoon visiting Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, and Shibuya Crossing, the busiest crosswalk in the world. Kick back at your hotel in the evening.
Day 11: Try taiko drumming and sing karaoke in Kabukicho
Accommodation: Hotel Resol Ueno
Activities Included:
Asakusa tour
Sensō-ji temple visit
Taiko drumming class
Shinjuku tour
Farewell dinner and karaoke night
Your final full day in Japan will see a visit to the Asakusa district and the glorious Sensō-ji temple. After lunch, take part in a taiko drumming class where the expert instructor will have you thumping in time to the rhythm. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring at leisure. Come nightfall, it’s time for our celebratory farewell evening. Enjoy a tour around the buzzing, neon-lit Shinjuku district, where you’ll be afforded panoramic city vistas from the TMG Building, before moving onto the nightlife area of Kabukicho for dinner. End the trip on a high note (quite literally) by singing karaoke in the Golden Gai district until the early hours.
Day 12: Depart from Tokyo
It’s time to wave goodbye to Japan. Don’t worry if you’ve got a slightly sore head this morning, as you can enjoy a lie-in before breakfast. Checkout is by midday. Say your final farewells before starting the journey home – or extend your stay in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Day 1: ARRIVE IN TOKYO, JAPAN
Konnichiwa Japan Welcome to Tokyo, Japan’s capital city. Hotel check-in is available mid-afternoon.
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Day 2: TOKYO
Monumental Metropolis Start with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a man-made forest. At an artist’s studio, learn to write like a local during a calligraphy lesson with a master calligrapher, have the opportunity to try on a traditional kimono, and partake in a [LF] tea ceremony. After lunch, visit the Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest tower. Last stop is the Asakusa Kannon Temple and Nakamise shopping arcade. Tonight, join your travel companions at a welcome dinner hosted by your Tour Director. (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
LOCAL FAVORITETEA TRADITIONS Participate in a tea ceremony, the ancient tradition and wonderfully choreographed ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea.TOUR HIGHLIGHTSKY HIGH At Tokyo Skytree, ascend to Sorakara Point, on floor 450 at some 450 meters or 1500 feet, it is the highest point visitors can explore. Here you’ll have stunning panoramic views over the city and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji.
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Day 3: TOKYO. MOUNT FUJI EXCURSION
Soaring Heights & Sweeping Views Drive south along the coast to Kamakura to see the 750-year-old Great Buddha. Continue to Hakone where you’ll take a cable-car ride for panoramic views of spectacular Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. After lunch, cruise on Lake Ashi for more views of this beautiful area. Conclude the day with a thrilling shinkansen (bullet train) ride back to Tokyo! (Breakfast,Lunch)
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Day 4: TOKYO
Wondrous Wandering Enjoy a full day at your leisure to explore the city. (Breakfast)
FREE TIME TIPSEXPLORE MORE Tokyo has something for everyone so visit one of the city’s unique neighborhoods likeGinza or Shibuya districts, dine at the street food markets, or catch a game at the Tokyo Dome. This and more options throughout your tour are available for purchase with MyGlobus.
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Day 5: TOKYO–MATSUMOTO–TAKAYAMA
City to Farm to Table Journey to Matsumoto, gateway to the ruggedly beautiful Japanese Alps. Visit a local wasabi farm and Matsumoto Castle, a National Treasure of Japan dating back to the 16th Century. Tonight, enjoy a wonderful Japanese-style dinner at your hotel. (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
TOUR HIGHLIGHTWHY WASABI Take a private tour of a wasabi farm to learn more about how it’s grown and the importance of wasabi in Japanese culture and cuisine. Eat lunch at the farm and sample wasabi ice cream.
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Day 6: TAKAYAMA
Takayama Treasures Today begins at the morning market, where farmers display locally grown fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Visit Takayama Jinya, a former government office during the Edo Period from 1692-1868. This well-preserved building is a national historic site and the only remaining building of its kind in Japan. End with a fun [LF] sake tasting. (Breakfast)
LOCAL FAVORITEFOR SAKE’S SAKE Go sake tasting in the San-Machi Suji historic district—famous for lacquerware shops and sake breweries, and identified by the “sugidama,” balls made of cedar branches that adorn the entrances.
FREE TIME TIPSEXPLORE MORE After included sightseeing, the balance of the day is at leisure, providing you with time to explore the narrow streets where merchants buy and sell as they have for 300 years. Transfers between town and your resort will run every two hours.
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Day 7: TAKAYAMA–SHIRAKAWA–KANAZAWA
Enchanting Valleys & Tranquil Gardens This morning, enjoy a drive through the mountainous Shokawa Valley to Shirakawa; a remote region of Japan home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here explore the unique Gassho-Zukuri style (joined hands) thatched houses that can be found only here. Continue to the scenic town of Kanazawa, situated between the mountains and the Sea of Japan. Explore Kenroku-en Garden and take part in a gold leaf class, where you’ll learn about this ancient craft and make your own bento box. (Breakfast,Lunch)
TOUR HIGHLIGHTPERFECTION OF TRANQUILITY Kenroku-en is one of Japan’s three great gardens and dates from the 1670s. Translated to English the name means “Garden of Six Qualities,” referring to the six essential attributes that make up a perfect garden: spaciousness, tranquility, artifice, antiquity, water, and magnificent views. One of the garden’s most stunning attractions is Kasumigaike pond with its island called Horai, which is meant to symbolize long life and eternal prosperity.
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Day 8: KANAZAWA–KYOTO
Sushi, Shrines & Temples This morning, drive south to Kyoto. On arrival, participate in a [LF] Japanese cooking class for lunch. Then, you’ll visit two of the city’s most important sites: Fushimi Inari Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple. This evening, you have the option to stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan (additional expense and pre-booking required). (Breakfast,Lunch)
LOCAL FAVORITETURNING JAPANESE, I REALLY THINK SO Japan is known for its cuisine, which is deeply engrained into the culture. What better way to gain insights into the local way of life than through your stomach? Participate in a special cooking class under the instruction of a local chef to learn how to make miso soup, teriyaki chicken, and makizushi, more commonly known as a sushi roll.TOUR HIGHLIGHTSENSATIONAL SHRINES While in Kyoto one must take a step back in time to explore this historic former capital and its important wooden shrines and temples. Explore Fushimi Inari Shrine, renowned for the thousands of brightly hued Torii Gate. Afterward, continue to the Higashiyama District to visit Kiyomizu Temple, the “Pure Water Temple,” with stunning views over Kyoto. Along the way, walk through the busy streets, where shops and restaurants have been catering to pilgrims for centuries.
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Day 9: KYOTO
Golden Gift This morning starts with a visit to stunning Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Gold Pavilion. Next, visit Yuzen Handmade Corner to learn about the Yuzen dyeing technique used to decorate kimonos by painting dye directly on the cloth. Make your own souvenir using this traditional method. End the day at Sanjusajendo Temple, famous for its 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Flanking the main statue are 1,000 more life-sized statues, covered in gold leaf, with 40 arms believed to have the power to save 25 worlds! (Breakfast)
FREE TIME TIPSEXPLORE MORE Join your Tour Director for a walking tour through Gion or visit more of Kyoto’s historic temples. This and many more options throughout your tour are available for purchase with MyGlobus.
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Day 10: KYOTO–NARA EXCURSION
Living Large, No Giant Travel to nearby Nara to visit Kasuga Shrine and Todaiji Temple, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a farewell dinner to celebrate your discovery of Japan. (Breakfast,Dinner)
TOUR HIGHLIGHTNARA GIANTS Travel to Nara Park, one of the largest in Japan, and famous for its free-roaming deer amid its shrines and temples. Kasuga Shrine, the most celebrated in Nara, is a Shinto shrine with some 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns. On the opposite end of the park is Todaiji Temple, one of Japan’s most significant temples. Originally built in 752 AD and again after a fire in 1692, the temple is only two-thirds its original size yet remains one of the world’s largest wooden buildings. The Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) inside the main hall is made of copper and bronze, weighs 250 tons and is 49 feet tall.
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Day 11: KYOTO–OSAKA
Old Town to the Big City Transfer by bullet train to Osaka, known for its food, history, and nightlife. Start sightseeing with your Local Guide at Osaka Castle and the surrounding park. Visit Minami, the city’s most famous entertainment district, encompassing the districts of Shinsaibashi and Namba and the famed Dontonbori Street. Enjoy lunch featuring okonomiyaki, a delicious pancake dish famous in Osaka. Then, explore this exciting area on foot with your guide. From museums and shopping to theater and dining, this is where the locals come for fun. (Breakfast,Lunch)
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Day 12: OSAKA
Easy Exploration Enjoy a full day at your leisure. (Breakfast)
FREE TIME TIPSEXPLORE MORE Return to Minami for further exploration or perhaps visit the Open-Air Museum of Japanese Farm Houses. Whatever you choose to do, we’ve included a subway and bus pass to make exploring easy.
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Day 13: OSAKA
Say it Ain’t Sayonara Your tour ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)
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