Tokyo → Matsumoto → Kanazawa → Nagoya → Gifu → Kyoto → Uji → Nara → Osaka → Hakone → Tokyo
Symbiosis between tradition and modernity – the vibrant energy of summer and Japanese festivals
Recommended period:
June – August -> Although the temperatures and humidity during the summer in Japan are high, there is a unique charm to this season. You can enjoy aspects that cannot be found in other seasons, such as cicadas, fireflies and fireworks festivals.
To catch the Sumo Championship and fireworks festival in Tokyo, we recommend the end of July.
Recommended for:
- Travellers who cherish freedom, adventure and novelty;
- Travellers who have at least two weeks to dedicate to visiting Japan;
- Families, teenagers, and those seeking an experience where all members of the group return enriched;
- Enthusiasts of authentic traditions and history, as well as technology and modernism.
Why The way of the modern Samurai?
- For cosmopolitan, lively and vibrant Tokyo, and the unique activities you can experience here.
- For J-pop, manga, anime and everything that falls under Japan's subculture, which has inspired teenagers worldwide.
- For one of the few original castles in Japan and to immerse yourself in the history of the samurai.
- For Kanazawa, Japan's golden city and its most beautiful Japanese garden.
- For the rare and highly coveted sumo matches.
- For thousands of fireflies in their natural habitat.
- For traditional Kyoto with its serene temples in harmony with Zen.
- For authentic green tea from Uji and the thousands of deer in Nara.
- For Osaka, the beautiful and vibrant city, Japan's second-largest city.
- For Mount Fuji and the refreshing Hakone Park, for relaxation in a hot spring bath, gazing at the magnificent landscape from a traditional Japanese inn.
- For Tokyo's largest fireworks festival and one of the oldest in all of Japan
*We continue below by presenting the recommended itinerary with the mention that it can be modified and personalised according to your own desires.
Day 1 Home → Tokyo
Nihon e yokoso!
- You’re boarding the flight to Tokyo. You’ll land on Japan’s main island, Honshu and spend the first week exploring the tourist side of Japan, whose value is undeniable.
Day 2 Tokyo
Lively, cosmopolitan and vibrant
- A day exploring Tokyo guided by one of our colleagues. Your list of must-visit spots in this bustling city includes: Shibuya district and its famous intersection known for the sea of people crossing from five corners simultaneously, Harajuku and the Japanese teen culture, a relaxing break at Yoyogi Park and the shrine Meiji Jingu, followed by the noise and vibrancy of Shinjuku, the neighbourhood that never sleeps.
- Accommodation Tokyo
Day 3 Tokyo
From Edo to Manga
- We’ll only tell you this much: today you’ll traverse 400 years, from areas reminiscent of Tokyo from the 1600s during the Edo period to the shockingly fascinating Tokyo of passionate anime, manga or Jpop enthusiasts. All these sights await you in Tokyo on the route from Asakusa to Akihabara. Don’t miss the chance to visit the Ghibli Museum, but be sure to make reservations well in advance.
- Accommodation Tokyo
Day 4 Tokyo → Matsumoto → Kanazawa
Following the footsteps of the samurai
- Your first journey on the Shinkansen will take you to Nagano, from where you’ll head to Matsumoto and the famous original Matsumoto Castle, a true treasure of samurai history and a gateway to authentic Japanese past. You’ll then proceed to Kanazawa, Japan’s golden city, where you’ll wander through the city’s tea district in search of local delicacies, some of which are cooked with gold leaf and then to the samurai district Nagamachi.
- Accommodation Kanazawa
Day 5 Kanazawa → Nagoya → Gifu
Sumo and fireflies
- In the morning, you’ll visit Japan’s most beautiful garden, Kenrokuen, located near Kanazawa Castle and for lunch, you’ll head to Nagoya. If you choose the period we’ve suggested, you’ll be able to witness the climax of the Sumo tournament here in July. In the evening, you’ll admire thousands of fireflies in Motosu Hotaru Park, in an enchanting atmosphere reminiscent of an authentic Japanese legend.
- Accommodation Gifu
Day 6 Gifu → Kyoto
Rural and traditional urban
- In the morning, you’ll visit Gifu Castle, from where you can enjoy a superb panorama of the surrounding areas. At noon, you’ll board the Shinkansen again and head to the old capital of Japan, Kyoto. You’ll have lunch on the train like most Japanese travellers do on the Shinkansen.
- Whether alone or accompanied by one of our colleagues, we suggest an afternoon in Kyoto where you’ll visit: Higashiyama District with its narrow streets and traditional houses, the Pure Water Temple – Kiyomizu-dera and in the evening, the Gion district in search of geishas.
- Accommodation Kyoto
Day 7 Kyoto
Bamboo and zen
- Today you will head to Arashiyama, a place appreciated for its mountain views since the Heian Period.
- Get acquainted with the sound of the leaves in the Bamboo Forest, a sound that has been included in the top 100 heritage sounds that must be preserved in Japan.
- Then take a stroll through the Zen gardens of Tenryuji Temple, which becomes especially beautiful during autumn, and where there is even a designated room for viewing the garden.
- After a short walk through the centre of Arashiyama, where there are plenty of traditional shops and boutiques, the afternoon of this day is dedicated to two temples, Kinkakuji and Ryoanji, in the northern part of Kyoto.
- Accommodation Kyoto
Day 8 Kyoto → Uji → Nara → Osaka
Deer and green tea
- Today, you’ll change cities, and on your way to the next destination Osaka, you’ll make two magical stops in Uji and Nara. In Uji you can taste and purchase the finest green tea in Japan in all its forms and visit the Byodo-in Temple, which is also depicted on the back of the 10 yen coin.
- In Nara, you’ll encounter hundreds of playful deer greeting you with bows as you stroll through Nara Park on your way to one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, the Todaiji Temple.
- Your evening will be spent in the vibrant city of Osaka, the second largest in Japan. The Namba district and Dotonbori shopping street will provide the perfect atmosphere for an exciting nightlife, with lights reminiscent of Las Vegas. We recommend trying takoyaki, “dumplings” filled with octopus, as Osaka is where they were invented.
- Accommodation Osaka
Day 9 Osaka
The beautiful crazy city
Today you’ll explore Osaka, from traditional to super modernism:
- Abeno Harukas Building – Considered a symbol of the city, standing at 300 metres tall, it offers the opportunity to see an impressive panorama of the surroundings.
- Shinsekai District – The most picturesque district of the city and an important historical area. The name translates to “New World,” as it was built in 1903, featuring the Tsutenkaku Tower, its construction inspired by the Eiffel Tower.
- Osaka Castle – One of the most famous castles in Japan, the castle, now transformed into a museum, is a concrete reproduction nestled amidst the massive walls of its original structure and embellished with the city’s largest park. You can also take a boat ride on the moat surrounding the castle.
- Umeda Sky Building – A building where you ascend on suspended escalators, featuring a sky bar and an outdoor panoramic platform at the top of the building.
- Accommodation Osaka
Day 10 Osaka → Hakone
At the foot of Mount Fuji
- After a day full of positive but overwhelming excitement, you board the shinkansen and after just an hour, you arrive near Japan’s symbol, Mount Fuji. If you still have energy, we suggest a sightseeing route with various fun modes of transportation: from tourist trains to funiculars, cable cars and even a boat ride in the Hakone Fuji National Park. This route will give you the opportunity to see magnificent landscapes and, if the weather is clear, Mount Fuji in all of its splendour. If you’re low on energy and just want to relax, there’s no better place than a traditional Japanese inn with an onsen. The onsen is a Japanese spa where you can relax in thermal water outdoors, enjoying the view of a snow-covered Japanese garden or a perfect panorama.
- Accommodation Hakone
Day 11 Hakone → Tokyo
Cruise to Japan’s Fire Flowers
- You’ll enjoy your final Shinkansen journey before leaving the Land of the Rising Sun, where you’ll admire Tokyo during a cruise starting from Odaiba, the artificial and modern island of Tokyo, to Asakusa, a portal to the past in the midst of the metropolis. In the evening, you’ll enjoy the most anticipated fireworks festival in Tokyo, where you’ll delight in over 20,000 fireworks of various shapes, sizes, and colours! The festival takes place at the end of July, so if you’d like to catch this beautiful spectacle, you might want to consider our recommended period.
- Fun Fact: In Japanese, the word for fireworks is “hanabi” which means fire flowers.
- Accommodation Tokyo
Day 12 Tokyo → Home
Sayōnara, Japan
Today you will bid farewell to Japan and head to the airport for the flight home.
For this itinerary, you can choose one of our consultancy and services packages!
Ideal for a journey you’ll remember as the most spectacular, well-organized and balanced, we recommend the JBM PREMIUM package, which includes:
Dedicated consultation meetings for crafting the program down to the smallest detail.
All tourist services: flight tickets, accommodation, travel passes, transfers, local guides, restaurant reservations, portable WiFi device.
A personalised travel guidebook with information to guide you throughout the entire experience.
A WhatsApp group where we communicate daily and send you audio information about the next day to ensure you have a smooth journey without any unpleasant events and make the most of your time and the Japanese experience.
A customised itinerary based on your interests and passions.
24/7 consultancy at the destination.
