Best of Japan Private Tour Package 9 Days
Do you simply want to see and experience the best that Japan has to offer in your chosen travel season with full flexibility? Then our extended 10-day Best of Japan Private Tour Package that lets you discover Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka at your own pace is perfect for you!
Best of Japan Private Tour Package Description
Your discovery of Japan starts in Tokyo, where you will do a fun and insightful private tour of the city on your 2nd day. You will do similar guided day tours in Nara and Kyoto, and there will be plenty of time for extra experiences in the schedule as well. We offer optional tours, or we can give you personalized advice on fun and interesting activities to do by yourself.
So what is the best time to come to Japan? Which season you can best come to Japan depends on what you want to see and experience, and how important it is to you to avoid larger crowds. All seasons have their pros and cons, and you can click on the link to each article about the season if you would like to know more about traveling in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Extra: we offer free concierge service by phone or WhatsApp while staying in Japan. Please let us know if you have any requests or need a reservation in a restaurant and we help you out!
Best of Japan Private Tour Price and Date
Arrival and departure: Start in Tokyo and end in Kyoto
Tour date: set your own dates
This tour is not available from March 23 to April 10,2023
Tour price: USD 2,480 per person (based on twin/triple room occupancy)
Child price (age 4-11): USD 1,200
Optional: Ryokan Experience and Kaiseki Dinner Plan for Day 4 (only one night): an additional USD 150 per person.
This tour package is not available from March 23 to April 10
Best of Japan Private Tour Highlights
Day 1: Meet and Greet at Airport (Narita or Haneda) – Transfer to hotel, free afternoon in Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo tour – 8-hour tour with an English-speaking guide
Day 3 : Free day in Tokyo – we offer several optional tours and tickets!
Day 4 : Tokyo – Tour in Nara with an English-speaking guide – Kyoto
Day 5: Kyoto tour – 8-hour tour with an English-speaking guide
Day 6: Free day in Kyoto
Day 7: Kyoto – Osaka afternoon tour
Day 8: Free day in Osaka – we offer several optional tours and tickets!
Day 9: Free morning in Osaka – Airport transfer
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 : Meet and Greet at airport (Narita or Haneda) – Free afternoon in Tokyo
Welcome to Japan! You will be greeted by our driver at the airport after custom and transfer to hotel by private van. You will have the rest of the afternoon to explore Tokyo by yourself. We are happy to advice you on how to fill in your time!
Hotel Check in : 15:00 ~
Royal Park Iconic hotel or similar
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Day 2 : Tokyo (8-hour tour with private guide)
Your guide will pick you up in the lobby of your hotel at 9 am, and the first visit of the day is to Asakusa. Your guide will explain you all about the history of this charming traditional area and take you not just to the main streets but show you some of its side streets as well.
Then it is time to see a very different side of this multi-faceted metropolis as we head to Akihabara. The guide will tell you about Tokyo’s subcultures and show you some surprising sights you wouldn’t have found so easily by yourself. You will also get the opportunity to play a high-energy game.
After the madness of Akihabara you will go to Imperial Palace Plaza where you will see the surroundings of where the Emperor and his family live including the famous Megane bridge.
Next on the itinerary is Shibuya, a must-see for its crazy scramble crossing and loyal dog Hachiko. Don’t worry about getting lost, as your expert guide will lead the way.
*As this is a private tour, if there is anything specific you would like to do with the guide that is not on the itinerary you can always adjust the itinerary in consultation with the guide
Royal Park Iconic Hotel or similar
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Day 3 : Free day in Tokyo
Today you have a day for yourself to explore more of Tokyo’s highlights and lesser-known areas. Your guide can make you personalized recommendations at the end of the tour of day 2, or if you’d like to plan ahead you can have a look at our recommendations as well.
If you’d like to see highlights that were not included in the tour yesterday you can check out the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, or Ginza if you like (window) shopping.
If you’d like to go a bit more off the beaten path in Tokyo you can go to Shibamata, Kagurazaka, Monzennakacho, or Nihonbashi for a more historical feel. If you are looking for some more ‘hip’ and younger areas then Kiyosumi, Shimokitazawa or Koenji might be just what you are looking for. If you want to go deeper into subcultures be sure to check out Nakano or Ikebukuro. Either way, your guide can help you with making a plan for today.
If you are looking to make a day trip outside of Tokyo you can go to Nikko, Kawaguchiko, Hakone or Kamakura.
In the evening the Shimbashi/Yurakucho area or Shinjuku are worth checking out for dinner and drinks.
Royal Park Iconic hotel or similar
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Day 4 : Tokyo – bullet train – Nara tour – Kyoto
Our English-speaking assistant picks you up at your hotel lobby to bring you to the bullet train that will take you to Kyoto within 2 hours. Another guide will meet you in Kyoto to help you drop your luggage at the hotel and proceed to Nara by local train. In Nara, toegether with the guide you will visit the world-famous Todaiji Temple, the surrounding Nara Park full of deer, and the Kofukuji Temple. You will then return to Kyoto where the guide drops you off at your hotel.
Century hotel Kyoto or Ryokan experience
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Day 5 : Kyoto (8-hour tour with private guide)
Today your guide will pick you up in the lobby of your hotel at 9 am and take you straight to the Philosopher’s Path. This area is especially amazing during cherry blossom and autumn foliage season and is best visited a bit earlier to avoid the most crowded times. Next on the itinerary is the Silver Pavillion, or <Ginkakuji, which played a large role in spreading the arts in Japan. Your guide will tell you all about the illustrious history of the temple which will make the place come alive.
The Heian Shrine is modeled after the original Imperial Palace and has a short but interesting history which you will learn about while walking around the beautiful grounds. The Kiyomizudera temple and its surrounding district are some of Kyoto’s popular highlights. By yourself, it is a bit easy to get lost and miss out on the most interesting details, but your guide will help you make the most of your visit to this impressive place.
The tour will end in one of Kyoto’s most talked-about district, the Gion area. This is where the geiko and maiko, Kyoto’s geisha and apprentice geisha, entertain their guests in one of the many teahouses. If you are lucky you might spot one of the ladies going about her business and the guide will tell you what their job entails and the history of this work. Your guide will drop you off and give you some tips to enjoy the rest of the evening here.
*As this is a private tour, if there is anything specific you would like to do with the guide that is not on the itinerary you can always adjust the itinerary in consultation with the guide
Century Hotel Kyoto or similar
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Day 6 : Free day in Kyoto
Today is a free day to fill in as you like. Yesterday you already saw some of the city’s most famous highlights, but there is much more to discover. How about you visit the bamboo forest of Arashiyama, the Nishiki Market with its many local delicacies, and the historical Nijo Castle today?
Century hotel Kyoto or similar
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Day 7 : Kyoto – Osaka Tour
Today, the guide picks you up in your hotel lobby, after which you take a local train to Osaka. Leaving the luggage at the hotel, the guide will then take you on an Osaka walking tour that features Osaka Castle, the modern Umeda Sky Building, and the colorful Dotonbori area. For lunch, you get to sample an Osaka delicacy called kushiage, delectable fried meat and vegetables on a skewer.Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka
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Day 8 : Free day in Osaka
Today you have a day for yourself to explore more of Osaka’s highlights and lesser-known areas. Your guide can make you personalized recommendations at the end of the tour of day 7. You can also opt for booking our optional tour or tickets. Today’s optional tour is a 1-day tour to Hiroshima to learn more about the city’s history and see the most interesting highlights. Alternatively, tickets can be arranged for Universal Studios Japan, one of the country’s best and largest theme parks.
Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka
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Day 9 : Free morning in Osaka – Airport
Depending on the time of your flight home or other plans, you might still have the morning in Osaka to spend freely. In that case, you could do some last-minute souvenir shopping in Shinsaibashi-suji street or Tenjinbashi-suji street or visit the iconic Namba Yasaka shrine. You will get a private van transfer to the airport. Thank you very much for coming to Japan and we hope to see you again! Do you want to stay in Japan longer? Please mention this on your inquiry form and we are happy to help you plan the rest of your trip, too!
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INCLUDED
8 nights Western-style accommodation
Meet and greet upon arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport
Airport transfers on arrival and departure
Private guided tours in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka
Meals as described in the itinerary
Admission fees to sites, gardens, and museums listed in the itinerary
EXCLUDED
International airfares
Meals that are not included in the itinerary
Travel insurance
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Personal expenses such as telephone and laundry bills
EXTENDED PLAN
You can also extend your vacation before/after the tour in Tokyo, Osaka, or other areas. We can provide an extension of your stay in the same hotel as during the tour for XXX yen ~ per night, per person. Please contact us for inquiries!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Arrival / Departure Airports: For arrivals at Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND) airport, this tour starts in Tokyo and ends in Osaka, with departures at Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX)
Meal Requests: Vegetarian, halal or special meals can be arranged
Tour schedule and prices subject to change without notice
CANCELLATION POLICY
46 days or more prior to arrival date in Japan: no penalty
45-31 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 10% of the tour fee
30-15 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 20% of the tour fee
14- 8 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 30% of the tour fee
7 – 3 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 50% of the tour fee
Less than 3 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 100% of the tour fee
Anna Leano – 2022 summer –- We are really grateful we found you guys online, it was truly a great vacation. We had so much fun. And thank you so much for all the help and all the new information we learned about your culture. My daughter is super sad that we are leaving Japan. From day 1 to going home, you were always there assisting us. From the bottom of our hearts, DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU to all!
Silvana group from Italy – 2022 summer –- We have arrived safely back from Japan and I am back in the office again this morning. I would like to thank you for all the services you gave us, everything was very well organized and professional. Everyone was very kind, always on time, and very nice, including the three guides we had. It was very good and helpful to have the guides in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto especially, where we got a lot of good advice and information. Once again thank you very much from me and all the rest of the group. We really enjoyed Japan, it was so different from Italy but so charming! Really hope to come back one day.
