Japan Discovery: Tokyo, Hakone & Kyoto
7 Days
from
$3995 per person*
Highlights:
Japan
(Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto)
Trip Start/End:
Tokyo
/
Kyoto
This signature tour of the Land of the Rising Sun allows you to experience everything that makes this country unique. Combining the big, bustling cities of Tokyo and Kyoto with more intimate locales such as Hakone.
Overview
| Day | Activities | Hotel |
- Day 1
- Tokyo
| - Welcome to Japan - Arrival
- Transfer - Shared - Airport - Hotel - Vehicle/Driver/From Narita
| Park Hotel Tokyo (4*)
Premium Twin/King (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 2
- Tokyo
| - Private - Tokyo Highlights Tour (8hrs) - Guide/ Public Tranport
| Park Hotel Tokyo (4*)
Premium Twin/King (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 3
- Tokyo - Hakone
| - Transfer - Private - Train Station (Guide & Taxi) - Guide/Taxi
- Train - Tokyo - Odawara [(0.5 hrs)] - Standard Class
- Transfer - Private - Train Station - Hotel - Vehicle/Driver
| Fuji Hakone Guest House (3*)
Japanese Room (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 4
- Hakone - Odawara - Kyoto
| - Transfer - Private - Train Station - Hotel - Vehicle/Driver
- Train - Odawara - Kyoto [(2 hrs)] - Standard Class
- Transfer - Private - Train Station - Hotel - Vehicle/Driver
| Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*)
Standard Room (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 5
- Kyoto
| - Private - Kyoto City Tour - Guide/Public Transport
| Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*)
Standard Room (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 6
- Kyoto
| - Private - 1/2 Day Nara Tour (4hrs) - Guide/Public Transport
| Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*)
Standard Room (B)1 DBL (2 Adults)
|
- Day 7
- Kyoto
| - Transfer - Private - Hotel - Kansai Airport - Vehicle/Driver
| Depart (Int`l Airport)
|
| B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, 1/2d = Half Day, Al = All Inclusive |
Trip Itinerary
Tokyo
Park Hotel Tokyo
Day 1: Tokyo
Welcome to Japan!
You will be met and greeted at the airport by an airport assistant and transferred by a coach bus to your Tokyo hotel.
Accommodation: Park Hotel Tokyo (4*) Park Hotel Tokyo is ideally situated in Shiodome, a flourishing new center of business and culture. The hotel offers an extraordinary level of service and coordinated interior designs. The Park Hotel Tokyo also shows respect for local traditions of nature, translated in the hotel's glass-roofed atrium. A soothing haven of trees and greenery, it stretches between the building's 25th and 34th floors, creating a well of warming sunlight that augments the sensation of balance and vitality fostered by the architecture.
Sensoji Temple
Day 2: Tokyo
Take a full day tour of this fascinating city with a local guide, making use of Tokyo’s comprehensive and user friendly public transport system.
The day begins with a visit to Hamarikyu garden, an Edo Period Japanese garden surrounded by the Shiodome district’s futuristic skyscrapers: a great example of how Japan is the land of contrasts. After stopping for a cup of steaming macha in a tea house on a small island in the park’s lake, take a boat cruise on the Sumida River passing under 12 bridges. Disembark in Asakusa, Tokyo’s old town where you can soak in the atmosphere of the Tokyo of old. Visit Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple and wander down Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. In the afternoon take the subway across town to Meiji Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a popular place for traditional Japanese weddings. If time permits, you can take a walk down Omotesando shopping street, a broad tree lined avenue home to the flagship stores of the world’s top fashion brands. Please note that with this tour you will have a private guide, but rather than travelling by private vehicle, you will make use of Tokyo’s efficient local transit system.
Accommodation: Park Hotel Tokyo (4*) 
Hakone
Exterior
Day 3: Tokyo - Hakone
You will be transferred between the train station and your hotel, using a local taxi with the assistance of an English speaking guide.
Transfer from Tokyo to Odawara by train. Approximately 30 minutes.
You will be met by your driver and transferred by private vehicle between the train station to your hotel.
Accommodation: Fuji Hakone Guest House (3*) Fuji Hakone Guest House is a cozy family style Inn nestled in the resort town of Sengokuhara, in Fuji-Hakone National Park, which is located next to Mt.Fuji. There are 14 rooms in the hotel. The rooms are traditional Japanese style without attached bathroom and toilet. Restaurants, hiking trails, museums, convenience stores, and beautiful mountain trails are all within walking distance. The hotel provides you with authentic amenities such as Tatami Mats, Futons and Yukata robes as well as a bathrobe, TV and Natural Hot Spring Bath. The indoor Hot Spring Baths are open 24 hours a day.
Kyoto
Westin Miyako, Kyoto
Day 4: Hakone - Odawara - Kyoto
You will be met by your driver and transferred by private vehicle between the train station to your hotel.
Realx on the train ride from Odawara to Kyoto which should take approximately 2 hours.
A private vehicle will transfer you between your hotel and the train station. An assistant will be available to pick up/drop off at the appropriate train platform.
Accommodation: Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*) A refreshing solitude and peacefulness surrounds the Westin Miyako, in Kyoto. Beautifully laid out, the 516 rooms overlook traditional gardens and scenic trails. Each room includes luxurious linen and bedding, along with all the amenities of home. Special features available include rainforest showers, tea rooms, and wooden bathtubs, to accentuate traditional Japanese living. Meals are tasteful, with the option of buffet or sit down meals. Steak, seafood, and baked goods are just a few eatables offered. A short trip into the center of the city may provide more varied pricing and choices, as well. There is plenty to do at the hotel and in its surroundings. Get some fresh air at the trails, outdoor tennis courts, and the jogging track.
Kinkakuji Temple
Day 5: Kyoto
Today you explore the former imperial capital with a knowledgeable local guide, utilizing Kyoto’s comprehensive bus system to visit some of Kyoto’s World Heritage Sites. You will start your day with a visit to Nijo Castle. This ornamental castle was built by the founder of the Edo Shogunate as his Kyoto residence and is surrounded by stunning surrounding gardens. The main building was completed in 1603, and is famous for its architecture, decorated sliding doors and ‘chirping’ nightingale floors. Kinkakuji, (Golden Pavilion) was originally built as a retirement villa for the Shogun, after his death it became a Buddhist Temple at his request, and is now one of Kyoto’s most famous temples. Heian Shrine was built on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto and is dedicated to the spirits of the first and last emperors who reigned from the city, Emperor Kammu (737-806) and Emperor Komei (1831-1867). Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple. Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, and arts developed and refined during the time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design and architecture.
Final stop today is Kiyomizu (Pure Water) Temple. From the 13m high veranda jutting out from the Main Hall you can enjoy amazing views of the whole of Kyoto, whilst pondering the fact that both the Main Hall and Veranda were built without the use of nails or any kind of joiners.
Accommodation: Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*) 
Nara Deer
Day 6: Kyoto
Transfer from your hotel to Nara by train (45min) with a local guide. For 74 years during the 8th century Nara was Japan’s capital and many of the temples and shrines built at that time still remain. Visit Todaiji temple, the world’s largest wooden building and home to Japan’s largest Buddha. Next stop is Nara’s most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns which have been donated by worshipers. Take a wander through Nara Park, called Deer park by locals due to the large population of more than 1,000 tame deer living there.
Accommodation: Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*) Day 7: Kyoto
You will be met at your Kyoto hotel and driven to Kansai airport in Osaka by private vehicle with driver.
Accommodation: Depart (Int`l Airport)
Accommodations
- Park Hotel Tokyo
Park Hotel Tokyo (4*) - Tokyo
Park Hotel Tokyo is ideally situated in Shiodome, a flourishing new center of business and culture. The hotel offers an extraordinary level of service and coordinated interior designs. The Park Hotel Tokyo also shows respect for local traditions of nature, translated in the hotel's glass-roofed atrium. A soothing haven of trees and greenery, it stretches between the building's 25th and 34th floors, creating a well of warming sunlight that augments the sensation of balance and vitality fostered by the architecture.
- Exterior
Fuji Hakone Guest House (3*) - Hakone
Fuji Hakone Guest House is a cozy family style Inn nestled in the resort town of Sengokuhara, in Fuji-Hakone National Park, which is located next to Mt.Fuji. There are 14 rooms in the hotel. The rooms are traditional Japanese style without attached bathroom and toilet. Restaurants, hiking trails, museums, convenience stores, and beautiful mountain trails are all within walking distance. The hotel provides you with authentic amenities such as Tatami Mats, Futons and Yukata robes as well as a bathrobe, TV and Natural Hot Spring Bath. The indoor Hot Spring Baths are open 24 hours a day.
- Westin Miyako
Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto (4*) - Kyoto
A refreshing solitude and peacefulness surrounds the Westin Miyako, in Kyoto. Beautifully laid out, the 516 rooms overlook traditional gardens and scenic trails. Each room includes luxurious linen and bedding, along with all the amenities of home. Special features available include rainforest showers, tea rooms, and wooden bathtubs, to accentuate traditional Japanese living. Meals are tasteful, with the option of buffet or sit down meals. Steak, seafood, and baked goods are just a few eatables offered. A short trip into the center of the city may provide more varied pricing and choices, as well. There is plenty to do at the hotel and in its surroundings. Get some fresh air at the trails, outdoor tennis courts, and the jogging track.
Travel Info
Travel tips of Japan
VISA/PASSPORT
A valid passport and an onward/return ticket are required for tourist/business "visa free" stays of up to 90 days for both US and Canadian citizens. Passports must be valid for three months past the intended period of stay in Japan.
Please note obtaining a visa is your responsibility. These requirements change often and therefore it is best that you check with the Embassy of Japan for the most up to date visa information.
HEALTH
Health insurance is recommended. Medical facilities are widespread and first world quality - although the cost of treatment can be very high. We recommend that you see a health-care provider who specializes in Travel Medicine. The doctor or health-care provider will determine what vaccinations and medication you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, and planned activities. For more information on travel requirements, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/japan.aspx
COUNTRY INFO
Capital: Tokyo.
Government: Constitutional monarchy.
Language: Japanese is the official language. Some English is spoken in Tokyo, but is less usual in other big cities.
Religion: Shintoism and Buddhism (most Japanese follow both religions, although religion does not play a major everyday role in most Japanese lives, with frequent temple visits being more usually attributed to tourism). There is a Christian minority, and in the island of Okinawa, some people believe in Niraikanai, a paradise that lies beyond the sea.
Time: GMT + 9.
Electricity: 100 volts AC, 60Hz in the west (Osaka); 100 volts AC, 50Hz in eastern Japan and Tokyo. Plugs are flat two-pin plugs.
Telephone: Country code +81.
Mobile Telephone: The Japanese mobile network uses PDC (Personal Digital Cellular System) technology, which is not compatible with GSM or other mobile services. Visitors can hire handsets from companies such as NTT or Sony Finance.
Internet: Internet is available; there are many Internet cafes in Tokyo and in the main cities in Japan. Most Tokyo hotels have Wi-Fi access. The new grey telephones have modular sockets for computer network access.
What's Included:
- Guaranteed departure - Accommodation, Activities, Transfers, Meals, Fees where indicated as per the itinerary - Local and international traveler assistance during your tour - Specialised and personalised services
What's not Included:
- Tips - Laundry - Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages unless explicitly noted - Optional activities/extras – Visas (unless noted) - Vacation insurance
Trip Terms & Conditions
- Your deposit is due immediately on booking (30% of program price, minimum $350). The balance is due 90 days prior to departure.
- Cancellations of confirmed bookings 90 days or more prior to departure will receive full refund minus a $350 (per person) administrative fee and any non-refundable paid fees (e.g. non-refundable airfare, cruise or hotel deposits). 60-89 days will be subject to loss of 30% of program price. 30-59 days will be subject to loss of 50% of program price. 29 days or less will be subject to loss of 100% of program price.
- Tour quotes do not include airfare to/from the trip start point unless noted on the itinerary
- Cost increases in currency exchange, government fees, taxes, surcharges or hotel/lodge tariff increases between quote date and start date are payable by the client.
- Availability cannot be guaranteed until booked. We will exercise best efforts to book hotels per the itinerary, however, in busy seasons and with client bookings made within 90 days of tour date we may be forced to offer substitutes.
- Payment of the program price constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out at www.kensingtontours.com/terms-and-conditions
- Living Standards and practices at destination may differ from those in North America with respect to provisions of utilities, services and accommodation.
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