Welcome to Tokyo! You will be met at the arrival gate by a representative holding a name sign.

Tokyo (Sake Brewery Tour - Sake Tasting & Lunch / Gotokuji Temple / teamLab Borderless / Ikebukuro Ramen Tasting Tour)

Today, we enjoy a Food and Sake Tour of Tokyo starting with a trip to the Sawanoi Ozawa Sake Brewery. One of the Tokyo area's oldest breweries, Ozawa Brewery was founded in 1702 and has brewed sake loved by Tokyo residents for over 300 years. We enjoy a tour of the brewery and taste their premium products. We then have lunch at the brewery consisting of healthy Japanese cuisine with sake accompaniment. We go from there to Gotokuji Temple, the birthplace of the Maneki- neko, or Welcoming Cat. Hundreds of the cats can be seen waving his cute paw in welcome and is sold in the temple shop. Next, we visit teamLab Borderless. A popular exhibition space for their enormous digital art displays, teamLab borderless astounds visitors with interactive digital art exhibits that create an imaginative illusion of a borderless world. An art display might move from room to room, mingle with other exhibits, and some even respond to visitor interaction. Then, taste delicious ramen dishes on an Ikebukuro Ramen Tasting Tour. Ikebukuro is the birthplace of the Tsukemen "dipping ramen", and has become an area known for its variety of ramen shops.

Tokyo (Toyosu Fish Market Tour - Tuna Auction & Morning Food Tour / Free for Leisure in the morning / Togoshi Ginza Street - Lunch on own / Shibuya - Shibuya Crossing - Hachiko Statue / Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden / Shinjuku Izakaya Hopping - Golden Gai & Omoide Yokocho)

We continue our food tour of Tokyo with a morning visit to the Toyosu Fish Market, where we arrive in time to observe the Tuna Auction. The Tuna Auction was moved from Tsukiji to Toyosu, where it continues to be one of the largest fish auctions in the world. After watching the energetic auction, we go to one of the local eateries to try some fresh-caught seafood. You will have some free leisure time to relax until midday, when we take a stroll along the Togoshi Ginza Shopping Street. Togoshi Ginza is a shotengai - a community street market frequented by locals for their weekly shopping. Because of this, the shops sell many common items and conveniences rather than souvenirs, although Togoshi Ginza is also known for its variety of street food. While there, find a lunch on your own to suit your taste. We proceed from there to Shibuya, known for the Shibuya “Scramble Crossing” which, at the right signal, floods the intersection with oncoming businesspeople, shoppers, and travelers, converging from all directions in a great rush of people that somehow feels both hectic and orderly. On one corner of the crossing is the statue of the faithful Akita dog, Hachiko, who is celebrated for his enduring loyalty. Then, visit Shinjuku Gyoen, a large public park that contains numerous gardens, including a traditional Japanese landscape garden, a French garden, an old-fashioned English landscape garden, and indoor botanical garden.

At the end of the day, we enjoy an izakaya- hopping tour in Shinjuku, which involves hopping to establishments in popular foodie alleys Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho, and trying various dishes. Eating and drinking at izakaya (a uniquely Japanese-style pub) is an essential part of any Japan food experience, where Japanese locals go to socialize with coworkers or friends, or to celebrate special occasions, offering a relaxed, inviting atmosphere.

Tokyo (Tsukiji Outer Market / Drive by Imperial Palace / Sushi Making Experience / Asakusa Sensoji Temple / Tokyo Skytree)

Today, you will visit Tsukiji Outer Market – a bustling outdoor street market known for its fresh and delicious seafood, produce, and kitchenware. From there, we drive by the Imperial Palace, which offers splendid views of the meticulously maintained front lawn and garden areas, the moat, and the old stone walls. Next, enjoy a fun and simple Sushi-Making Experience, where you can enjoy creating your own sushi, and eating it afterwards! Then, we visit Tokyo’s oldest temple complex – Asakusa Sensoji Temple, featuring the Kaminarimon Gate, in which hangs an enormous red lantern. Leading up to the temple is Nakamise Street, which is lined with shops selling all manner of Japanese souvenirs. At the end of the day, we ascend Tokyo Skytree to the observation deck (Tembo Deck), which offers a panoramic 360-degree view of the Tokyo cityscape.

We will depart from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji on our private coach. Along the way, enjoy the changing scenery, from thick vegetation to lowlands to rolling clouds. Stop at Mt. Fuji 5th station (depending on weather) to admire the world famous peak.

Hakone Ropeway / Owakudani

We will depart from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji on our private coach. Along the way, enjoy the changing scenery, from thick vegetation to lowlands to rolling clouds. Stop at Mt. Fuji 5th station (depending on weather) to admire the world famous peak. Next, we will travel to Hakone, which is among Japan's most popular hot- spring resorts, and view the forested slopes of Hakone National Park. We will take a 20 minute ropeway ride from Togendai to Owakundani. Most of the area around Owakundani is considered an active volcanic zone since its creation from the eruption of Mount Hakone some 3,000 years ago.

Shinkansen Bullet Train Ride

Now, you can experience hot springs and hot rivers there, where sulfurous fumes still linger. Owakundani also has splendid views of Mount Fuji in good weather. Next, take a Shinkansen bullet train ride for experience, which can reach speeds of up to 300 km/hr. We will stay at an Onsen Hotel, where you can soak in the therapeutic waters of a spa bath and enjoy dinner in the comfort of your hotel.

Koka (Koka Ninja Mansion / Miho Museum), Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Shrine)

Our group will visit the Koka Ninja Mansion. This mansion used to be resided in by ninja, equipped with many ingenious traps and devices, designed to prevent intruders and to provide a means of escape in times of need. Then proceed to Miho Museum, a stunning architecture that accentuates the surrounding nature while exhibiting a variety of items from different ancient civilizations. Moreover, the museum has been listed as one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die".

We will then continue to Kyoto. The tour will visit the scenic and historic Fushimi district to see the stunning vermilion-colored Fushimi Inari Shrine. This architectural wonder boasts an approximately 2.5-mile (4-km) tunnel of torii gates, showcased during a critical scene of the hit film 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. We will stay two nights in Kyoto.

Kyoto (Arashiyama - Sagano Bamboo Forest - Togetsukyo Bridge / Golden Pavilion / Green Tea Ceremony with a Maiko / Gion Geisha District / Gion & Pontocho Walking Food Tour)

e will tour the Arashiyama district. First proceed through a dense bamboo grove, past several small shrines, tea shops, and private houses before arriving at the Togetsukyo Bridge over Hozu River. Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, so known because it is covered with 18-karat gold leaf. This three-story structure was originally built by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397. Next, you will enjoy a relaxing Green Tea Ceremony. This activity was once only available for the social elite. Today, it will be even more special as your host will be an apprentice Geisha, known as a Maiko. We will end our day in the Gion Geisha District, where its streets are lined with ochaya (teahouses), exclusive establishments where guests are entertained by Geisha and Maiko.

After, we enjoy a Walking Food Tour of Gion and Pontocho. Pontocho shares the classical Japanese ambience of Gion, offering a row of wooden eating establishments by the picturesque Kamo River. Explore these two historic districts and immerse in their old- fashioned atmosphere as you walk from one eatery to the next trying traditional dishes and sake with your guide. Keep an eye out for passing Geisha along the way!

Kiyomizu Temple

Today, we will visit the famous Kiyomizu Temple, best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The stage affords visitors a nice view of the numerous cherry and maple trees below that erupt in a sea of color in spring and fall, as well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance.

Todaiji Temple / Deer Park

From there we continue to Nara, the oldest capital city of Japan. We will visit Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden building in Japan. The temple also houses the largest bronze statue of Buddha at 16.3 meters high, and the surrounding park is filled with over 1,000 Sika Deer.

Osaka Castle / Dotonbori - Shinsaibashi

In the afternoon, we will travel to Osaka by private coach. We will visit Osaka Castle; whose construction began in 1583 on the ruins of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. The castle was the largest of its time and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. Our last visit for the day is Dotonbori, which runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal. A popular shopping, entertainment, and food district, Dotonbori is known for the hundreds of neon and mechanized signs that line the street, including the famous Glico Running Man and Kani Doraku Crab signs.

Kuromon Market / Cup Noodles Museum - Make your own Cup Noodles / Shinsekai - Tsutenkaku Tower - Kuidaore Street Food Tour

We visit Kuromon Market, a covered shopping arcade sometimes called "Osaka's Kitchen", filled with fresh seafood and produce, with restaurants and street stalls selling seafood-based rice bowls and other foods. We go from there to the Cup Noodles Museum, which tells the story of culinary innovator Momofuku Ando, who invented the international phenomenon known as Cup Noodles. You can learn the history of Cup Noodles, see the different flavors that are distributed throughout the world, and even make your own individual Cup Noodle. Then, we end the day with a Kuidaore Street Food Tour of the Shinsekai district. Kuidaore is part of a Japanese proverb that means "to bankrupt oneself with food", and no one knows how to indulge on delicious food like the people of Osaka. Taste the foods that Osaka is famous for, including Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Kushikatsu, and more. While there, visit Tsutenkaku Tower, the symbol of the Shinsekai District, where guests can enjoy delightful views of the Osaka cityscape from the observation deck.

After breakfast, our tour officially ends. Checkout time is 11 am and Osaka Kansai Airport can be reached in a three minute walk.

If you are interested in a 3-day extension to our Best Ever Food Tour Summer that includes Himeji Castle, Hiroshima, Kobe, and Shikoku Island, please contact us for more details!