Compare Inside Japan Cultural Tour by The Table Less Traveled vs Highlights of Japan by Exodus Travels

Day 1:

Meal: Dinner

Welcome to Japan! Upon arrival at one of Osaka’s Interntional Airports (KIX or ITM), a driver and an English speaking assistant will be waiting for you. They’ll take you into the heart of the city in a private car, approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour. Your tour leader will meet you at the hotel lobby upon arrival to help with check in. After you book your tour we’ll help coordinate your international arrival, early check in if necessary, or extra nights of accommodations if you’d like more time to sleep off the jet lag!

Welcome Meeting and Walking Progressive Dinner Tour

Meet your tour leader and the rest of your group for the first time in the hotel lobby. We will have a short introduction and welcome before meeting our first local friend. We’ll walk through neighborhoods where the locals live and stop at small izakayas (casual pubs) where you’ll try dishes like takoyaki and okonomiyaki. And in the spirit of eating like a local, you’ll get a quick intro Japanese lesson and do some ordering on your own! Afterward we will walk back to our hotel for a good night of rest.

Day 2:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Walking Tour of Osaka

Meet our tour guide in the lobby of our hotel for a walk around Osaka’s most popular sites on our way to our first cooking class!

Udon Noodle Class & Lunch

Tie on your apron and prepare for a lesson unlike any other. Learn the trick to making the perfect, chewy udon noodle (hint: it’s not using your hands) and the delicious dashi-based broth for either hot or cold noodles.

After our lesson, we’ll dine on our own preparations before a few hours of free time. You can walk with us back to the hotel (approximately 20 minutes - returning by 2:00 PM) or meander and shop on your own.

Witness a Tea Whisk Master & Dinner

We’ll have a private driver take us about 1 hour from the center of Osaka to a smaller town. We’ll visit a private property with small houses surrounded by beautiful gardens. In the midst of this stunning landscape, we will witness an artisan at work as he makes a bamboo tea whisk (chasen) before our eyes. This is a real treat as the master is one of only 18 people left in Japan who can properly perform this work from start to finish.

During sunset you’ll have some time to wander the property and gardens before we dip into our own private house for a traditional kaiseki (multi-course) dinner.

Relax on our ride home, arriving back at our hotel approximately 9:30 PM.

Day 3:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Check Out of Osaka Hotel

Your luggage will be picked up from your hotel room, and you’ll meet your group in the hotel lobby to check out and prepare for our journey towards a small tea town outside of Kyoto. We’ll drive about 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic.

Tea Picking in the Fields

You’ve seen how the tea whisks are made, now you get to see where the tea comes from. We’ll join our friends who own a small and growing tea business in their fields. Prepare to hike uphill about 20 minutes (wear good walking shoes!). The reward at the top is a beautiful view of the surrounding tea farms. You’ll learn how to pick the perfect tea leaves as well as the process for harvesting and producing tea.

Upon our return to the owner’s cafe, we’ll stop for a tasting of the tea, learning the differences in flavor and enjoying a light lunch before jumping back in the van for a 1 hour drive to Kyoto.

Check in to Kyoto Hotel

We will arrive in Kyoto and check in to our hotel where you can relax or explore on your own for a few hours.

Gion Walking Tour & Dinner

Meet our local guide in the lobby as we begin to explore the city of Kyoto, full of culture and tradition. We’ll walk through main areas of the city and through the Yasaka Shrine before we walk to dinner.

Settle in for an exquisite dinner - a multi-course tempura tasting. You’ll watch master chefs lightly fry the delicious vegetables, shrimp, and other items right before your eyes - so you’re tasting them as fresh as possible.

We’ll return by private car to our hotel after dinner, approximately 9:00 PM.

Day 4:

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Tea Ceremony & Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

We will drive to a local home to have a special, private tea ceremony as many families do at home. First, you’ll pick out your own kimono from a collection of real kimonos, handmade in Japan from silk (beware the impostors in many stores advertising “kimonos”). Many kimonos last for decades and are passed down from generation to generation.

After our tea ceremony, we will visit the Kameyama-kōen park for a shojin ryori (zen vegetarian cuisine) lunch in a private room at a temple-style restaurant. The cuisine reflects Buddhist ideals, creating satisfying, nourishing meals from fresh seasonal vegetables, herbs and plants while depriving no animals of life.

Our relaxing pace continues with a stroll through the Arashiyama bamboo forest toward the scenic Okochi Sanso Villa and surrounding gardens and we will return to our hotel approximately 5:30 PM.

Leisure Evening in Kyoto

After returning to our hotel, you’ll have the rest of the evening at your leisure to explore the city and have dinner on your own. We’re happy to help coordinate dinner reservations or recommendations.

Day 5:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Sashimi from Fish to Plate

Today you’ll start the day in a small, boutique restaurant where you’ll learn the proper Japanese way to turn a whole fish into your own sashimi lunch. First and foremost, you have to have the proper knife and - as any good chef can tell you - knowing how to sharpen and maintain it is a critical component of cooking. You’ll learn the importance of the knife, learn how to sharpen it, and even take it home with you (make sure you have a bag to check home!). After watching your chef, you will have help creating your own beautiful lunch presentation with your sashimi.

We will return to our hotel approximately 12:00 PM for a freshen up.

Fushimi-Inari and Sake Tasting

Meet our local guide at our hotel as we head to the famous Fushimi-Inari Shrine. This Shinto shrine is famous for its thousands of red torii gates. We will walk around the shrine (getting further from the tourists) for about an hour, so be sure to wear good walking shoes.

After our visit to the shrine, we will continue toward the small town of Fushimi, also a prominent place for its sake. Why? Because of the delicious natural water in this area. There we will meet with a sake expert who will show us the details of production and differences in sake before we taste sake with and have a light dinner.

We will return to our hotel approximately 7:00 PM. Still plenty of time for evening shopping - or more sake!

Day 6:

Kimono Dying in a Local Home

You’ve worn kimonos, now see how they are made by a local family that is still dying fabrics in their own home. The fabrics are strung from wall to wall, as they hand paint each and every piece. Peek inside this private home, and see how locals are maintaining the tradition of the precious kimonos.

From this intimate experience we’ll move on to the lunchtime hustle and bustle in the Kyoto station. We’ll go to the famous ramen street where you’ll pick your own ramen style with the vending machine - just like the locals do!

We’ll return to our hotel approximately 2:00 PM

Private Performance with a Maiko

Continue your extremely ‘local’ day by returning to the neighborhood of Gion. We will duck into a dimly lit machiya (tea house) for a private performance by a Maiko, Kyoto’s Geisha-in-training. You’ll have an opportunity to play games, ask questions, and gain some insight into a life so vastly different from your own.

Return from what feels like a different world to the streets of Kyoto where we will indulge in a walking progressive dinner. We’ll visit small eateries to taste some of Japan’s specialties like the famous wagyu beef and local vegetables, and of course, dessert. Because who can resist a Kyoto dessert?!

We will return to our hotel approximately 8:00 PM.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Check Out of Kyoto Hotel

We’ll check out of our hotel and meet in the lobby. You will pack an overnight bag to take with you to the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) while the rest of your luggage will be transferred directly to our Tokyo hotel. More information will be provided about what you need a few nights before.

Our driver will take us to the Kyoto Station where we will catch an express train approximately 2 hours to a small hot spring town.

Soba Lunch and Woodworking

Upon arriving in the small town, we will have a traditional soba noodle lunch.

Then we’ll take a short woodworking class, learning how to make local handmade crafts. You’ll make a small wooden tea bowl which will be perfect to use when you return home with your new matcha skills!

In this small town tucked into the woods, we’ll be dropped off by our driver to walk along the river for about 15 minutes before reaching our quaint, quiet, traditional, tranquil retreat for the night.

Check in to Ryokan

After arriving at our ryokan, you will have a short introduction about what it’s like to stay in this traditional inn, including how your Japanese rooms with tatami mat floors will be prepared with futons. You’ll also learn about the customs for using the traditional shared bathing facilities at the ryokan. The hot spring baths are divided between men and women.

You’ll have the option to have dinner privately in your own room or join the group for dinner.

Upgrade Option

Please note that this is a small, traditional inn with just a few rooms. As such, not every room is the same. The standard room included with your trip package is for a Japanese style room with a private shower facility. You will have access to the shared hot spring bath facility (no clothing allowed). If you would like to upgrade to a room with a private open air onsen bath, please contact us with your request. There are limited spaces and they will be granted on a first come, first served basis, at $295 per room. 

Day 8:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Check out of Ryokan

Have a leisurely morning on your own as you relax in the hot spring bath or visit the town again.

We’ll depart the ryokan together by private vehicle for about a one hour drive to the train station.

There you will choose from a variety of bento box options to take with you on the train. Then we’ll board our bullet train and head to Tokyo. The speeding journey lasts about 3 hours.

Arrive in Tokyo

Upon arrival in Tokyo, we’ll be met by our English speaking assistant and driver who will take us for a short drive to our high-in-the-sky hotel in a quieter part of the city. It has easy access to a subway station in the basement so we can get around like locals! 

Eating Like a Local in Ebisu

After settling in to our hotel, we’ll head to the Ebisu neighborhood to contrast the izakayas in Osaka to those in Tokyo. Indulge in local fare as we taste our way through Tokyo with a local guide.

We’ll return back to our hotel - full and happy - approximately 9:00 PM.

Day 9:

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Inside Tokyo Tour with a Local

We’ll meet our tour guide for a day full of sightseeing like a local - taking the cleanest, fastest, most punctual public transportation in the world to visit small eateries, you’ll get to see Tokyo from the inside perspective. We’ll visit the outer market of the old Tsukiji Fish Market, stopping for a sushi lunch and other snacks before visiting the Hama Rikyu Garden and boarding a small cruise for a half hour toward the popular neighbourhood of Asakusa.

Leisure Evening in Tokyo

We will end our day in Asakusa, where you will have the rest of the evening free. We’ll provide you with a day pass for all public transportation, and you can join us as we go back to our hotel or you can explore Tokyo on your own. We are happy to suggest neighborhoods or restaurants.

Day 10:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Tokyo Sightseeing Tour

Our tour guide will pick us up from the hotel lobby, and we will venture out for a day of seeing the major sites in Tokyo. We’ll visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine, ‘cause you can’t leave Tokyo without visiting this spectacular Shinto Shrine next to the Yoyogi Park. We’ll also make stops in Harajuku and the Roppongi Hills Observatory Deck, among other places.

We’ll return to our hotel by 5:00 PM for some free time or an opportunity to freshen up.

Farewell Dinner

Gather with your fellow travelers to drive about 30 minutes to a Tokyo restaurant surrounded by gardens, which feels like a sanctuary within the city. Enjoy our farewell dinner together in a private room with a choice of tasting menus.

We’ll return to our hotel approximately 10:00 PM.

Day 11:

Meal: Breakfast

On our day of departure, we will have an optional group breakfast at the hotel. Given the distance of the airports in Tokyo, we have arranged for travelers to take the LimoBus shuttle departing from our hotel to either Narita (NRT - approximately 1.5 hours) or Haneda (HND - approximately 1 hour) airport for departures. We will arrange which LimoBus you will depart on given your flight time, and we will escort you to the shuttle.

Optionally, if you would like to upgrade to have a private driver take you to the airport, please let us know. For transfers to Haneda Airport the upgrade fee is $290 per car. For transfers to Narita Airport the upgrade fee is $520 per car.

Day 1 Start Tokyo

The trip begins this afternoon in Tokyo, the futuristic capital of Japan. Later this afternoon, we have a group welcome meeting with the tour leader followed by an optional group dinner and casual tour around Shinjuku, the nightlife district of Tokyo. Accommodation: Dormy Inn Kodenmacho (or similar)

Day 2 A full-day Tokyo tour by metro including Senso-ji Temple

Today we utilise the efficient Tokyo metro system and enjoy a full-day city tour. We start with an early morning visit to Meiji Shrine, the most famous in the city and dedicated to the spirit of the late Emperor Meiji. The surrounding park is a forest of some 120,000 trees of 365 different species, making you forget you are in the most populated city in the world. Outside of Meiji Shrine is Harajuku, a shopping haven for fashionistas and the popular meeting place for teenagers who are usually in eccentric clothing. The landmark of Harajuku is Takeshita Street, a long alley filled with boutiques, shops and cafes. Neighbouring Harajuku is Omotesando, commonly referred to as the Champs-Elysée of Tokyo. This broad, tree-lined avenue features several flagship fashion stores designed by internationally renowned architects. From Omotesando, we can take the metro to Ginza, one of the most famous upscale shopping, dining and entertainment districts in the city. It is said that 11sqft (1sqm) of land in Ginza is worth more than 10m yen (US$71,540). Our last stop Asakusa, the oldest Geisha district in Tokyo and home to Senso-ji Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in the city. The streets around Senso-ji have many traditional shops that sell Japanese crafts and souvenirs – a delight to wander through. Please note, the order of activities and areas visited today may change depending on the weather conditions and other factors. Your tour leader will provide full details of the schedule during the initial trip briefing. Accommodation: Dormy Inn Kodenmacho (or similar)

Day 3 Travel by train to Nikko; enjoy nature and Unesco sites; overnight in a traditional-style guesthouse

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Tokyo and travel by train (approximately two hours) to beautiful Nikko, known for towering cedar trees and Unesco World Heritage sites, such as the Toshogu Shrine. Upon arrival, we visit a few of the most popular sites. The Shinkyo Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in Nikko. This bright, vermillion bridge spans a river on the outskirts of the main shrine complex and is (aside from Toshogu Shrine) the most photographed attraction in Nikko. Often featured in traditional Japanese art prints known as ukiyoe, it is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in Japan and is photogenic in all seasons. No visit to Nikko would be complete without a visit the Toshogu Shrine, which was built as a mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate who ruled Japan for more than 250 years. This lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen Shinto and Buddhist buildings in a beautiful forest setting. We spend the night in Nikko in a traditional-style guesthouse. Accommodation: Turtle Inn Nikko/Annex Turtle Hotorian (or similar)

Day 4 Train to Kyoto; delight your senses in Nishiki Market; explore the traditional Gion district

Today we set out on a longer journey (approximately 4hr 30min) west to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, by local train and shinkansen. As we arrive in Kyoto after 2pm, we can enjoy a bento lunch on the train. After checking into our hotel, we visit Nishiki Market, where we embark on a tour that will delight our senses. We walk through the narrow, covered food markets, where there are many interesting food shops to explore. This is a great opportunity to learn about Japanese produce and snap some photos of goods you won’t find back home. Some of the shops give out or sell samples, so leave space in your stomach. The late afternoon is the best time to visit the Gion district, also known as the Geisha District for being one of the hanamachi (flower towns) where Geisha live and work. The highlight is Hanami-koji, the most popular street in Gion where lavish teahouses and machiya (old houses) are lined up. In the early evening, you may see a Geiko or Maiko on the way to her engagement. Accommodation: Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi (or similar)

Day 5 Experience some Kyoto highlights on foot and by public transport

Today, along with your tour leader, enjoy an exploration of the Kyoto highlights while using the comprehensive bus and metro systems. The tour starts with an early morning visit to one of the most unusual Shinto shrines in Japan. Fushimi Inari is composed of thousands of vermilion torii gates following trails inside the forests of Mount Inari. The Shrine, which was featured in Memoirs of a Geisha, is famous for the impressive contrast and mystical atmosphere created by the colours of the torii gates and the surrounding nature. Next on our schedule is Arashiyama, one of the richest areas in Kyoto for sightseeing, which contains some of the most stunning scenery in the area. Starting at Togetsukyo Bridge, a local landmark, we make our way to the bamboo forest path on the west side of the river before stopping at Nonomiya Shrine. After a lunch break, we continue to the serene Ryoan-ji Temple, which has a well-maintained rock garden. Nearby is the stunning golden pavilion collectively known as Kinkaku-ji Temple. The temple grounds are relatively smaller than that of most temples and shrines in Kyoto but what is undoubtedly impressive is the pavilion completely covered in handmade gold leaves. Accommodation: Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi (or similar)

Day 6 To Hiroshima to visit the Peace Park and Museum; discover the beautiful Himeji Castle en route

Following breakfast, we move further west by Shinkansen to Hiroshima (approximately three hours). Along the way, we break our journey to visit one of the most beautiful castles in Japan, Himeji Castle. Also called Shirasagi-jo (the White Heron Castle) or Hakuro-jo (the White Egret Castle), it resembles a white bird in flight with a white exterior and distinctive roof design. After, we pick up lunch to enjoy on the train and continue to Hiroshima. Perhaps more than any city in the world, Hiroshima is famous for one moment in history; on 6 August 1945, it became the first target of an atomic bomb. However, Hiroshima has risen phoenix-like from its ashes, and rebuilt itself as one of the most laid back and vibrant cities in Japan, full of wide boulevards and museums and famous for great food and welcoming people. This afternoon, we visit the Peace Memorial Museum for a sobering reminder of the events of 1945 before experiencing the surrounding Peace Park, where the atmosphere is one of hope and peace. We spend the night in Hiroshima. Accommodation: Daiwa Roynet Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae (or similar)

Day 7 Morning trip by ferry to Miyajima; bullet train to Osaka for final evening

This morning, we take a short ferry trip to Miyajima, a wooded island in the Inland Sea near Hiroshima. Here is, perhaps, the most photographed site in Japan: the Floating Torii Gate. Please note, while the floating tori of Itsukushima-jinja Shrine is currently undergoing renovation works, we still recommend a visit to this enchanting island. Deer roam freely and we spend time at leisure before we make our way by Shinkansen (approximately 2hr 30min) to our final destination, Osaka. The second-largest metropolitan area in Japan, Osaka has a distinct, vibrant character. The residents are lively and known to work hard and play hard. Osaka is also known as the shopping, dining and nightlife capital of Japan. It’s a good place to buy souvenirs and enjoy our last dinner together or sing in a karaoke box before heading home. Accommodation: Karaksa Hotel Osaka Namba (or similar)

Day 8 End Osaka

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. If you have a late flight or are staying longer, your tour leader will happily give suggestions for your sightseeing plans.