Abercrombie & Kent Classic Japan

• Capture the spirit of Japan in a traditional tea ceremony.
• Experience Japan’s culture, from ancient traditions to ultra-modern bullet trains.
• Meet a geiko and a maiko at an exclusive shabu-shabu dinner.
• Relax in an authentic ryokan at a popular hot-spring destination.
• View cherry blossoms in spring or enjoy astonishing autumnal colours.

• Five-star luxury accommodation
• Resident tour director & English-speaking expert local guides
• Airport meet & greet, & return private transfers
• Entrance fees, taxes & tips, & excursions as stated
• Welcome & farewell dinners
• 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 4 dinners
• Wifi in accommodation
• Scenic sundowner
• Design your Day® on Day 3
• Travelling Bellboy®
• Traveller’s Valet® once per journey
• Complimentary breakfast in bed on two selected days

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo, Japan’s exciting and modern capital. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy the expansive views over the city’s skyline.

Day 2: Tokyo

Start your day at Tsukiji Fish Market, a bustling hub of Japanese daily life where a dizzying array of seafood is on show. Continue to an exclusive local workshop that specialises in Japanese drum making and try your hand at playing the taiko. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, and then visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, completed in 645 AD, before pausing in the tiny shops of Nakamise-dori. This afternoon visit the Edo-Tokyo Museum before enjoying a welcome dinner in the evening.

Day 3: Tokyo

Today, Design your Day® – giving you the freedom to choose the experience that is best suited to you. Select from the following options:

Option 1: Experience Tokyo’s art

Option 2: Step back in time

Option 3: Sample Japan’s finest sake

Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Day 4: Hakone

Travel to Hakone, among Japan’s most popular hot-spring destinations, and view Hakone National Park’s coastlines, mountains, lakes, and many volcanic islands. Board an aerial tram for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Enjoy lunch of Japan’s famed Kobe beef, before strolling the grassy hillsides of Hakone’s Open Air Museum to admire sculptures by the likes of Rodin and Moore. Also on display are some 300 works by Picasso, the cubist master. Tonight, enjoy unparalleled service and traditional Japanese cuisine at Gôra Kadan, a top-rated ryokan (traditional inn).

Day 5: Osaka

After breakfast at your ryokan, visit the Okada Museum of Art to view its stunning paintings, ceramics, lacquerware, and bronzes from Japan, Korea, and China. Then, Ride like a Local by bullet train to Osaka. Historically known as a merchant city, today Osaka is Japan’s undisputed culinary capital. Indulge in everything from octopus dumplings to okonomiyaki – a battered, grilled concoction of cabbage, meat, or seafood, and seaweed, topped with mayo. This evening, explore the popular Dotonbori district on a foodie tour, stopping at a diverse array of restaurants.

Day 6: Nara

Travel to Nara, Japan’s first capital, to visit Todai-ji, a temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Proceed to Nara Park, home to hundreds of deer, venerated here as divine spirits, which you can feed by hand. Complete your Nara excursion with a visit to Kasuga Taisha Shrine to experience a Shinto ceremony. Pause for lunch at a local restaurant before proceeding to the Kehaya-za Sumo Pavilion. Observe a demonstration of this popular Japanese sport. Return to your hotel for dinner.

Day 7: Kyoto

Travel early this morning to contemplate the iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, the perfect spot for a meditative moment, and discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion) – covered with gold leaf, surrounded by green gardens and casting its delicate reflection in the tranquil pond beside it. After a traditional bento box lunch, explore the Arashiyama neighbourhood, including the garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling through the towering shoots.

Day 8: Kyoto

Visit newly reopened Kiyomizu-dera Temple for scenic views of the city and surrounding hills, and then continue to the home and studio of the late Kawai Kanjiro, one of Kyoto’s most famous potters. View his creations as well as his personal collection of ceramics, sculptures and wood carvings. Proceed to a temple to experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined etiquette.

Tonight, savour traditional Japanese cuisine, while attending geisha dance, sing, pour sake, and converse about their fascinating lives.

Day 9: Depart Kyoto

After breakfast, transfer to Kansai International Airport or Itami Airport, both located just outside of Osaka. Alternatively, begin a post-tour extension to Hiroshima.

A chauffeur will drive you to the airport from where you will depart.

Holiday prices are fluid and dynamic and may be changed at a moment’s notice, prior to booking, at which point they are confirmed. Please call the team free on 0800 707 6229 for more departure dates available and a quote.

Travelling solo?

Book early and the first four solo places won’t pay any single supplement. The same journey, the same luxury, guaranteed at the same price.

Design your Day®

On these days you have the freedom to pick an experience that is suited to you and your interests. See Day 3 for more details.

Flights

To provide you with flexibility and the latest flight offers, we don’t include international flights. Our specialists will be able to find the best travel options to suit you.

Guaranteed departures

As long as we have at least two people booked on an A&K Escorted Tour, it will take place. So you don’t need to worry about a last-minute phone call saying your holiday has to be cancelled. If you’re committed to going, then so are we.