Essential Japan Tour: Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Tokyo (6 Days Tour)

Kyoto and Nara – Japan’s Ancient Past

In the morning, you are off by express train to Nara, Japan’s first national capital. Over 1,200 years ago, Nara was the center of cultural, political, and religious life in Japan. When you arrive, you will quickly discover the lengths to which Japan has gone to preserve its cultural heritage.

Just a few minutes walk from Nara Station is Nara Park, where deer roam freely. Deer are sacred in the Shinto religion, and are considered deities. Generations of mingling with humans have made Nara’s deer tame, so don’t be surprised if they come to you, especially if you have food.

Even in Nara Park is it possible to see the grand outline of Todai-ji, the city’s signature Buddhist Temple and the largest wooden structure in the world. Though the structure has been rebuilt many times since its construction in the 8th century, the Daibutsu, the 49-foot high bronze Buddha in the temple’s center, is original to a time when Japan first embraced Buddhism, a religion imported from China.

While at Todai-ji, your guide takes you on a personalized tour of the temple and the surrounding gardens. You avoid tourist crowds and soak in the peace and tranquility this temple was designed to inspire.

In 710 AD, the same year Nara became Japan’s capital, Kofukuji Temple was founded as the family temple for the Fujiwara clan, one of Japan’s most powerful families at the time. Though only a handful of the 150+ original buildings still survive, those that remain are a testament to both the power that Japan’s clans once held and the influence of Buddhism on Japanese life.

Two sights not to miss at Kofukuji are the National Treasure Museum and the two Octagonal Halls. The Museum has hundreds of artifacts on display from the Nara Period, along with fascinating and in-depth information recounting what life was like during this momentous time in Japanese history. The Octagonal Halls are stunning. If you plan your tour accordingly, you can step inside, on one of the few days each year when the doors are open to visitors.

As much as any shrine or temple, Nara’s cuisine keeps alive culinary traditions from an earlier era. Nara is famous for its nyumen, the first noodle dish imported to Japan from China. Best on a hot summer day, the cold noodles are dipped into a dashi broth before eating. Don’t forget to slurp to demonstrate to the chef how much you appreciate the dish!

After lunch, you take the train back to Kyoto. Just outside Kyoto Station, a private transfer picks you up for your afternoon sightseeing. Your first stop is Kyomizu Temple. From the temple’s grand terrace, take in the view of Kyoto and the surrounding mountains.

Since 1606, Kodai-ji temple has stood testament to the grand changes Japan has undergone in the past 500 years. The highlight of the temple is the large rock garden representing the endless ocean. The temple’s bamboo groves provide excellent photographic opportunities, along with a chance to sit and appreciate nature.

Dating back to the 7th-century, Yasaka Shrine is the centerpiece of July’s Gion Matsuri, a Kyoto festival that has been held every year for over a millennium. Beautiful no matter the season, the shrine truly comes to life in the spring, when the cherry trees spread throughout the temple groups go into full bloom.

Your last stop is the Gion District, a protected area of Kyoto where young women still learn the art of the geisha. This evening, you are the guest at a geisha performance followed by a traditional kaiseki ryori dinner. Kaiseki ryori is a Japanese cuisine perfected after hundreds of years. Each small dish is a new experience for the senses, as you are struck by the food’s beauty as well as its taste.  

What’s Included: breakfast, dinner, transfer, guided tour, accommodation.

Mt. Fuji and Hakone – Japan’s Natural Beauty

Today you leave Tokyo for a day trip to Mt. Fuji and Hakone, some of the most beautiful spots in Japan. Your bus from central Tokyo leaves in the early morning for Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station, a two-hour journey. The time flies by, though, as the scenery begins to change just minutes after your bus departs. Tokyo’s concrete fades away, allowing tree lined valleys and rivers come into view.

After 90 minutes, the bus begins to climb Mt. Fuji. You soon arrive at the 5th Station, nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. Though home to plenty of dining options and small shops, the best activity is a brief nature walk along the mountain’s side. Just after a few minutes, the trees give away, presenting visitors stunning, panoramic views of the valley and the Five Lakes Region. The walk also reveals Mt. Fuji’s sheer size. As you look up the mountain, you may think you see the summit, but this is only an illusion.

A separate bus takes you down Mt. Fuji and to the resort town of Hakone, the best place to view Mt. Fuji from afar. As you ride the ropeway and take a lake cruise of Lake Ashi, you are treated to the some of Japan’s most breathtaking vistas, which have for centuries inspired artists and writers from Japan and around the world.

While in Hakone, you stop by Owakudani Boiling Valley. Though Mt. Hakone has not erupted in 3,000 years, the volcano is still active. No matter the time of day or season, volcanic gasses drift off the valley floor. The smell of sulfur is heavy in the air as you walk a path between the smoldering rocks and boiling pools. While there, be sure to eat a black egg, a hard-boiled egg colored by the sulfuric waters.

In the late afternoon, you take the bus back to Tokyo. This evening, expect a casual and filling dinner at a Tokyo izakaya, a type of Japanese gastropub that features a variety of small comfort food dishes paired with sake or beer.

What’s Included: breakfast, dinner, transfer, guided tour, accommodation.

Tokyo – The Story Is Not Over

In just under a week, you have seen awe-inspiring sights, learned about a new culture, and eaten some of the most scrumptious food of your life. Yet this is not the end of your story in Japan. You realize as you take an express train to Narita International Airport that one day you will return to see what this breathtaking country still has in store for you.

What’s Included: breakfast, airport transfer