8-Day Japan Golden Route Private Tour

Check in and settle in

Arrive at your Tokyo hotel and check in at the property’s usual time. If you arrive early, we can ask about luggage storage; early access to your room is subject to availability.

Airport pickup can be arranged around your flight and is quoted separately.

Dinner near your hotel

Rest after the journey or head out for dinner nearby. We can suggest an area that suits your arrival time and food preferences; the evening is independent.

Two nights in Tokyo

Stay in the same Tokyo hotel tonight and tomorrow, so there is no packing between arrival and the Asakusa day.

Senso-ji and the temple town

Approach Senso-ji through Nakamise, where snack stalls and craft shops line the route to the temple. Your guide explains the worship customs and the connection between the temple and the neighbourhood that grew around it.

• Senso-jiThe temple courtyard, its approach and an introduction to worship customs.
• NakamiseSnack and craft stalls on the temple approach; purchases are optional.

Lunch in Asakusa

Stop for lunch near the morning route. Your guide can suggest places to suit your preferences and budget; choose and pay for your meal on the day.

Side streets and the Sumida waterfront

Continue through Asakusa’s smaller streets, looking at shopfronts and everyday trade beyond the main temple approach. Finish beside the Sumida River, where the open waterfront gives a different view of eastern Tokyo.

• Asakusa side streetsShopfronts and local trade beyond the main approach.
• Sumida RiverA waterfront walk near Asakusa, with distance adjusted to conditions.

Tell us about your walking preferences so the day can be adjusted sensibly.

Second night in Tokyo

Return to the same Tokyo hotel. Dinner is independent; tomorrow’s journey continues to Hakone.

Private transfer to Hakone

Travel from Tokyo to Hakone by private ground transfer. Departure and any breaks are arranged around the road journey, your party and the inn’s check-in time.

A stop beside Lake Ashi

If conditions allow, stop beside Lake Ashi for views across the water and surrounding hills. Mount Fuji may be visible in clear weather, but is never guaranteed; this is a lakeside stop, not a boat cruise or ropeway circuit.

Check in for an onsen evening

Spend the evening at your inn, with time for bathing after the transfer. Your quote confirms the property, room and proposed Japanese dinner. A private bath is a separate request, subject to availability.

Tell us about bathing preferences, tattoo policies or mobility needs before the property is selected. Private bathing is not part of the base arrangement.

Hakone → Odawara → Kyoto

Travel from the inn to Odawara Station, board the public Shinkansen to Kyoto and continue to your hotel by local transfer. The itinerary uses the train for this longer journey, with the departure and seat arrangements confirmed for your date.

Carry your luggage through the stations and onto the train. Bag sizes and any required baggage reservations are checked before seats are confirmed.

Check in, then make your own plans

Settle into your Kyoto hotel at its usual check-in time. Rest, take a short independent walk nearby or find dinner locally; no guided sightseeing is scheduled after the transfer.

Three nights in one Kyoto hotel

Unpack for three nights. You will visit eastern Kyoto and Arashiyama on separate days without changing hotels.

Kiyomizu-dera and the Higashiyama lanes

Visit Kiyomizu-dera with your guide before walking down into Higashiyama. Look beyond the familiar street views to the ceramics in shop windows, the shape of the lanes and the relationship between the temple and its neighbourhood.

• Kiyomizu-deraTemple visit at the eastern edge of Kyoto.
• HigashiyamaSloping lanes, traditional façades and ceramics in local shop windows.

The route includes slopes and steps. Tell us if a gentler walking route would suit you better.

A lunch break in eastern Kyoto

Choose somewhere near the route with your guide’s suggestions. Lunch is paid separately; there is no fixed menu or restaurant reservation in the starting itinerary.

Yasaka and the public streets of Gion

Continue towards Yasaka, then walk through Gion’s public streets. Your guide puts the district’s teahouse traditions in context while keeping to permitted routes. This is a neighbourhood walk, not a private performance or a meeting with geiko.

• Yasaka areaContinue through eastern Kyoto after lunch.
• GionPublic streets and an introduction to the district’s teahouse traditions.

Please follow photography restrictions and signs marking private lanes.

Second night in Kyoto

Return to the same Kyoto hotel after the guided day. Tomorrow’s route heads west to Arashiyama.

Tenryu-ji garden, bamboo and the river

Begin with Tenryu-ji’s Sogenchi pond garden. Your guide draws attention to its borrowed scenery: the surrounding hills become part of the view beyond the garden boundary. Continue through the nearby bamboo and towards the river on one connected walk.

• Sogenchi garden at Tenryu-jiPond, rocks and borrowed mountain scenery.
• Arashiyama bambooA connected walk through the nearby bamboo; this is a popular public route.
• Arashiyama riversideViews of the river and wooded hills before lunch.

Lunch and the end of guided services

Break for lunch and agree where the guided morning ends. Before parting, confirm how you will return to your hotel or continue independently. Lunch is paid separately.

An afternoon of your own

Stay longer in Arashiyama, return to central Kyoto for independent browsing, or rest at the hotel. There is no guide or vehicle on standby; any independent travel, admissions and purchases are arranged and paid separately.

Third night in Kyoto

Spend one more night at your Kyoto hotel before continuing to Osaka tomorrow.

Continue directly to Osaka

Travel from Kyoto to Osaka, then leave your luggage at the hotel if the property can store it before check-in. Transfer details and luggage arrangements are confirmed in your proposal.

Osaka Castle Park

Walk through Osaka Castle Park, looking at the broad moats and stone ramparts around the castle. The starting route covers the park; entry to the castle tower or museum is not included unless specified in your quote.

• Osaka Castle ParkA walk beside the moats and stone ramparts; tower entry is separate.

Your final night in Osaka

Check in for one night in Osaka. Dinner is independent. If you want to explore after dark, we can suggest a route for your own evening and explain the journey back to your hotel.

Breakfast and check-out

Have breakfast if your departure time allows, then check out. For an early flight, ask us to check the hotel’s breakfast hours and any alternative arrangement in advance.

Continue your journey

Leave according to your onward travel arrangements. If you request an airport transfer, we confirm the airport, pickup time, luggage and price before booking.