A TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAY DESIGNED BY SPECIALISTS
At The Ultimate Travel Company, all our holidays are created individually to suit your preferences. This Ryokan Wanderings itinerary can be used for inspiration or as a starting point and can be tailored around your dates, preferred pace, room category and optional experiences.
ABOUT THE ITINERARY
This 11-day itinerary moves from Tokyo’s energy to Japan’s traditional heartlands, using ryokan stays and onsen time to set the pace. After a guided day in Tokyo, travel to Kaga Onsen and spend a day in Kanazawa visiting Kenroku-en, the castle grounds and Omichō Market, with time in the atmospheric Higashi Chaya district.
Kyoto follows, combining a guided day at key sites with time to choose your own focus, from temples and gardens to evening streets in Gion and Higashiyama. Finish in Hakone for a ryokan stay and optional exploration of the national park, before returning to Tokyo for your onward flight.
TOKYO
On arrival in Tokyo, meet your representative and transfer by private vehicle to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Meet your guide for a full day of sightseeing, beginning at Meiji Jingu, then continuing through Harajuku and Omotesando. After lunch, travel by public transport to Korakuen Garden, finishing in Asakusa with a visit to Sensō-ji and time to browse Nakamise Street.
A further day is at leisure to explore independently. In the evening, you may opt to join an Old Tokyo food walk, visiting a standing bar (tachinomi), a kappo restaurant and a historic venue, with food and drinks included.
Stay: 3 nights at Hoshinoya Tokyo, in a Yuri King Room, including breakfast.
KAGA ONSEN
Travel by bullet train to Kaga Onsen, a hot spring region at the foot of Mount Hakusan. After check-in, the remainder of the day is at leisure. Depending on availability, you may be welcomed with a tea ceremony hosted by the ryokan.
Meet your guide for a full-day visit to Kanazawa, including Kenroku-en Garden and Kanazawa Castle, lunch in Omicho Market, and time in Higashi Chaya District. Visit Nomura House in the former samurai district, with time for green tea overlooking the garden, before returning to Kaga Onsen in the afternoon.
Stay: 2 nights at Beniya Mukayu, in a Western Premier Garden View Room, including breakfast and dinner.
KYOTO
Travel by train to Kyoto and check in to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. You may wish to add a home visit with a tea ceremony, hosted by a tea instructor in a private residence.
Meet your guide for a full day of sightseeing, including Fushimi Inari Taisha, Sanjūsangen-dō, Nishiki Market (with lunch at a local restaurant), Nijō Castle and Nanzen-ji.
A further day is at leisure. In the evening, you may opt to join a guided walk through Kyoto’s geisha districts and Higashiyama after dark, finishing near Gion-Shijō Station.
Stay: 3 nights at The Shinmonzen, in a Washi Suite Room, including breakfast.
HAKONE
Travel by train to Hakone and check in to your ryokan. The remainder of the day is at leisure, with time to enjoy the onsen facilities.
A full day is at leisure. You may wish to add a guided tour of Hakone National Park, which can include the Hakone Ropeway to Ōwakudani, a cruise on Lake Ashi and time at the Hakone Open-Air Museum. Views of Mount Fuji are weather dependent.
Stay: 2 nights at Gōra Kadan, in a Room with Open-Air Bath “Matsu”, including breakfast and dinner.
DEPARTURE TO LONDON
The day is at leisure until your private transfer to Tokyo airport for your departure flight.
11 days price on request
PRICE INCLUDES
- Accommodation as listed, with daily breakfast
- Meals as stated in the itinerary
- Meet and greet on arrival in Tokyo, with private airport transfers (arrival and departure)
- Train tickets (economy class) on travel days as specified
- English-speaking guide on selected touring days
- Entrance fees and local transport included within guided touring days as stated
- WiFi router delivered to the hotel
PRICE EXCLUDES
- International and domestic flights
- Some local transport (outside inclusions stated above)
- Meals other than those stated
- Personal expenses (including drinks, laundry and phone charges)
- Travel insurance
- Any services not clearly indicated within the inclusions
Outstanding service and real attention to detail throughout. Our holiday exceeded expectations in every way, and we wouldn’t hesitate to book with The Ultimate Travel Company again.
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