This 11-day trip through some of Japan’s best-kept secrets gives you a deep and authentic immersion into Japan’s history and culture. First visit the beautiful city of Kyoto, one of the most culturally rich cities in Asia. Here you can meet a Geisha over afternoon tea, with an interpreter who will allow you to gain a deep understanding of the geisha world. From Kyoto, go to the countryside village of Miyama and visit a typical house, a kayabuki thatched-room farmhouse, not known to most tourists. Next, head to Okayama, home to many historical sites, museums and attractions. Here you can take a sake brewery tour or visit a sword museum. Then on to Naoshima, Japan’s famous “Art Island”, where you will visit a unique public bathhouse which is also an art installation itself, and stay at an art gallery which is also a luxury hotel! From here, head to the beautiful, medieval city of Matsue, where you will visit Izumo Taisha, widely considered to be Japan’s oldest and one of its most important shrines. Finally, finish off the trip with a night in Osaka where you can sample some of Japan’s famous cuisines.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1
Details for Today
Arrive in Kyoto, Tokyo
Accommodation: The Junei Hotel, Kyoto
Welcome to Japan! Meet your guide at the airport and transfer by private car to your accommodation in Kyoto.
Kyoto, the previous capital of Japan, offers a culture both traditional and modern in nature. The quiet Buddhist temples sit in juxtaposition against the Gion District, also known as the entertainment and geisha quarter.
Day 2
Details for Today
Kyoto:
- Enjoy a private guided tour in one of the most culturally rich cities in Asia
- Visit Arashiyama, Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Gion
- Optional unique experiences: meet a Geisha; enjoy an authentic tempura dinner
Accommodation: The Junei Hotel, Kyoto
Meals: B
After breakfast, the guide is at your disposal to visit the beautiful city of Kyoto, one of the most culturally rich cities in Asia and home to 17 separate UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The visit will include all traditional sites, including Arashiyama Bamboo & Bridge, Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Gion, but your private guide will also take you off the beaten path to some hidden sights full of legends.
You may also add any of the following unique experiences to your trip for an even deeper immersion into the country’s culture (additional cost):
- Visit Arashiyama district from a seat of a rickshaw passing through the famous bamboo forest and temples.
- Meet a Geisha with interpreter over afternoon tea in a tatami room. The Geisha will entertain you with dances and games. An interpreter will allow you to gain a deep understanding of the geisha world.
- Enjoy a dinner at Yoshikawa Ryokan for an authentic Tempura dinner experience.
Day 3
Details for Today
Kyoto:
- Visit the best gardens in the city, and join an expert potter for a tour of Kyoto ceramic legacy
- OR visit the amazing Fushimi Inari shrine
- Optional: Meditation class with a zen monk
Accommodation: The Junei Hotel, Kyoto
Meals: B
After breakfast, we will continue to explore Kyoto. First, we will focus our touring on the best gardens of the city. Then we join an expert potter and gallery owner for a tour of the Kyoto ceramic legacy.
Alternatively you might visit the amazing Fushimi Inari shrine, whose stone fox guardians are dedicated to the rice gods. After the visit, a sake brewery nearby the temple is a worthwhile visit!
Another experience might be a meditation class in a temple with a zen monk to learn more about Buddhism in daily Japanese life (additional cost).
Day 4
Details for Today
Transfer from Kyoto to the countryside village of Miyama
Miyama:
- Visit a typical house, a kayabuki thatched-room farmhouse, not known to most tourists
- Stroll through the Ashiu Forest to see deer and monkeys
Accommodation: The Junei Hotel, Kyoto
Meals: B
After breakfast, we leave for the countryside to Miyama, which lies north west of Kyoto. The village has more than 200 kayabuki thatched-room farmhouses, many of which are still residences and less known by Western tourists. Time for lunch! We highly recommend getting a taste of ayu sweetfish.
An optional activity is to tour an indigo dyeing studio in one of the typical houses (additional cost).
Weather permitting, you might stroll through the Ashiu Forest to see deer and monkeys.
Day 5
Details for Today
Ohara:
- Visit Sanzen-in, a temple that houses priests that were once members of the imperial family
- Enjoy a guided tour of the elegant temple buildings by one of the priests, and stroll around the beautiful gardens outside the temples
Accommodation: The Junei Hotel, Kyoto
Meals: B
After breakfast, we leave for Ohara, home of Sanzen-in, a temple that houses priests that were once members of the imperial family. We will be shown the elegant temple buildings by one of the priests and we will enjoy the beautiful gardens outside the temples.
Return to Kyoto for your last night.
Day 6
Details for Today
Transfer to Okayama
Okayama:
- Visit the Okayama Castle, a brooding black palace
- Stroll through the flowering grounds of Korakuen, one of the three great gardens of Japan and a three-star holder in the Michelin Green Guide
- Optional experiences: Sake Brewery Tour, Bizen Osafume Sword Museum, Yumeji Museum
Accommodation: ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama
Meals: B
This morning we depart Kyoto by train and head to Okayama. Rich in history and culture, Okayama is home to many historical sites, museums and attractions. In the morning, after breakfast, the guide will take you to visit the main sights of the city like Okayama Castle, a brooding black palace with features considered to be well over 400 years old. You will also stroll through the flowering grounds of Korakuen, one of the three great gardens of Japan and a three-star holder in the Michelin Green Guide.
While in the Okayama area why not have a once in a lifetime experience with one of the below suggested activities (additional cost):
- Sake Brewery Tour – Okayama is well known for sake production, due to the area’s high-quality rice and clean natural water supplies. This traditional Japanese brewery has over 100 years of history, and is a great place to experience a tour of a brewery premises, view the brewing process, have a tasting of traditional rice wine, or buy some great gifts
- Bizen Osafume Sword Museum – Located just 1 hour away from the Okayama is one of the most important Japanese sword museums in the region. Here visitors can learn about the history of the Japanese Katana, as well as see how skilled artisans produce these elegant swords. The museum is extremely popular among sword enthusiasts.
- Yumeji Museum – The Museum was built to celebrate the centenary of Takehisa Yumeji’s (1884-1934) birth. Yumeji developed the Art Nouveau style in Japan at the turn of the century, and the small museum displays various examples of his work, such as its use on songbooks, cards and other items.
Day 7
Details for Today
Transfer by train and ferry to Naoshima, Japan’s famous “Art Island”
Naoshima:
- Visit the famous art museums located on the island, such as the extremely popular Chichu Museum and the famous Lee Ufan Museum
- Visit the famous polka dot pumpkin sculptures of renowned pop artist Yayoi Kusama
- Marvel at the stunning architecture
- Spend the night in Benesse House, an art gallery which is also a luxury hotel
Accommodation: Benesse House
Meals: B
Today your guide will take you by train and ferry to Naoshima, Japan’s famous “Art Island”. Located in the Seto Inland Sea, this remote island is literally covered in artworks; both outside and within its many museums. Marvel at the stunning architecture of Tadao Ando as well as the famous polka dot pumpkin sculptures of renowned pop artist Yayoi Kusama. You could also visit the many famous art museums located on the island, such as the extremely popular Chichu Museum and the famous Lee Ufan Museum.
Spend the night in Benesse House, an art gallery which is also a luxury hotel. Benesse House aims to give guests the experience of staying the night in an art museum, and each room is decorated with its own unique artworks. The hotel itself is a stunning example of architecture.
Day 8
Details for Today
Naoshima:
- Visit I LOVE YU, a unique public bathhouse which is also an art installation itself.
- Optional: Visit nearby islands of Teshima, the rural island home to the famous Teshima Art Museum, or Inujima, the tiny island home to the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
Transfer: Board your ferry back to Okayama
Accommodation: ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama
Meals: B
This morning spend some more time exploring the island. You could visit
I LOVE YU, a unique public bathhouse which is also an art installation itself. You could also visit one of Naoshima’s famous “art houses”; abandoned old homes which have been turned into unique art installations.
Alternatively, you could make a trip to one of the following islands (additional cost):
Teshima – Located only 20 minutes by ferry from Naoshima’s Miyanoura Port, the rural island of Teshima is home to the famous Teshima Art Museum. This unique structure is perhaps one of the most iconic examples of contemporary artwork in Japan today. The main building is located in the middle of secluded rice fields and looks like it arrived from another world. It offers an amazing sensory experience in a surreal and secluded setting.
Inujima: Located approximately 1 hour by ferry from Naoshima’s Miyanoura Port, the tiny Inujima Island is home to the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, a modern art museum built in the ruins of an old industrial copper refinery. The island is also home to an art house project, and several abandoned buildings have been turned into artworks in their own right. The island is so small that it can easily be explored on foot. A former industrial hub, the ruins of several towering brick chimneys are visible around the island and add to its unique atmosphere.
In the afternoon board your ferry and travel back to Okayama, where you will spend the night.
Day 9
Details for Today
Transfer by train to the beautiful, medieval city of Matsue
Matsue:
- Visit Matsue Castle, one of the 12 original castles of Japan and with 400 years of history
- Visit Izumo Taisha, widely considered to be Japan’s oldest and one of its most important shrines
Accommodation: Hotel Ichibata, Matsue
Meals: B
This morning, your guide will take you to the beautiful city of Matsue by limited express train. The medieval city of Matsue is sometimes referred to as the “City of Water,” due to its location both close to the Sea of Japan and between Lake Shinji and Nakaumi Lagoon. The 2 lakes are connected by the Ohashi river which divides the city, and hundreds of canals and waterways pass through Matsue.
Enjoy the expertise of your guide while visiting Matsue Castle. One of the 12 original castles of Japan and with 400 years of history, the Black Castle owes its name to its black painted, wooden exterior. Surviving wars, earthquakes and even fire, the castle was able to preserve itself thanks to its height of 30 meters, as this gave the samurai the advantage when guarding and defending the castle.
Travel by train for approximately 1 hour and visit Izumo Taisha, widely considered to be Japan’s oldest and one of its most important shrines. Izumo Taisha is located within a thick pine forest, adding to its serene and otherworldly atmosphere. The shrine is said to be the annual meeting place of the gods.
Make your way, with your guide, to your accommodation in Matsue for the night.
Day 10
Details for Today
Transfer by train to Yasugi
Yasugi:
- Visit the Adachi Museum, known for its stunning Japanese gardens and huge collection of over 1000 modern paintings and artworks
Transfer by train to Osaka
Osaka:
- Spend the night by the brights lights of Namba district where you might experience the outstanding Osaka cuisine famous for “takoyaki” (octopus ball) and okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes)
Accommodation: The St. Regis Osaka
Meals: B
This morning, leave for Yasugi by limited express train (15 min). From Yasugi take a Shuttle bus to Adachi Museum, known for its stunning Japanese gardens and huge collection of over 1000 modern paintings and artworks. The museum’s award-winning gardens are among the most famous in Japan, and considered by many to be the country’s most beautiful.
Return to the station by shuttle bus and leave Yasugi for Okayama by limited express train (approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes). Change at Okayama to the shinkansen (bullet train), and transfer to Osaka (approximately 50 mins). Transfer to your hotel in Osaka for the night.
Spend the night by the brights lights of Namba district where you might experience the outstanding Osaka cuisine famous for “takoyaki” (octopus ball) and okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes).
Day 11
Details for Today
Transfer: Depart Osaka for your international flight home
Meals: B
After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Osaka for your flight home.
Accommodation
The Junei Hotel is a small luxury hotel that stands just to the west of the Imperial Palace’s historical grounds. With just 8 guest rooms, the rooms guarantee a comfortable space with plenty of facilities that allow guests to relax and unwind. Every guest room is equipped with Kyoto traditional display, paper furnishings known as ”karakami” created by a famous artist using woodblock print patterns and a variety of Japanese traditional papers and colors.
Ideally located, the ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama is connected by a bridge to the JR Okayama station. Major sights including Korakuen, one of three most recognized gardens in Japan, and the Okayama Castle are conveniently located from the hotel. Kurashiki, a historic site is also relatively close and gives tourists a chance to revisit the old merchant quarters where buildings are still painted white and trimmed in black tile. Our facilities include 219 guest rooms, two restaurants and a main bar. We offer superb hospitality and are here to make your stay in Okayama a satisfying experience.
Opened at Benesse Art Site Naoshima in 1992, Benesse House is both a museum and a hotel, incorporating guest rooms and space for display of contemporary art. Benesse House offers guests opportunities to get close to great art and spend a uniquely rewarding time in dialogue with the works and with themselves.
Hotel Ichibata is located near by lake ‘Shinji-ko’ in castle town Matsue. A view from a lake side guest room is wonderful, and from the town side guest room, you can see the Japanese castle ‘Matsue-jo’. Hotel Ichibata has a spa and wellness facilities with a thermal bath and hot tub overlooking the lake.
Reside in the heart of beautiful Midosuji, the Champs Elysées of Osaka. The St. Regis Osaka is located at close proximity to popular destinations such as Universal Studios Japan, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and the city’s most exclusive shopping districts. There is no better address to explore the city center. Discover the epitome of luxurious pampering at our exclusive IRIDIUM featuring SOTHYS Spa. Take in magnificent vistas of the Osaka skyline from the serenity of our 12th-floor terrace. Discover unforgettable ambiance and state-of-the-art amenities in our 160 guest rooms and suites, the most spacious and elegantly appointed in Osaka. Every experience is enhanced with our St. Regis Butler Service, available any time, day or night.
