Tokyo and Kyoto in style

Head to your nearest international airport and board your flight to Tokyo

Arrive at Tokyo Narita airport, where you will be met and transferred to Aoyama Grand Hotel, where you will spend four nights. After check-in, the rest of the day is at your leisure to explore Tokyo or relax after your long journey.

Today's itinerary starts with breakfast at the hotel before a full day of sightseeing in Tokyo. Highlights include visiting Meiji Shrine, known for its pure Shinto architecture, and the trendy Shibuya and Harajuku neighborhoods, home to Japanese pop culture. After lunch, we'll visit the Nezu Museum to admire its collection of Japanese and East Asian art and wander through its peaceful gardens. The day wraps up in the lively Shinjuku Golden Gai area, where we'll embark on a 3-hour foodie walking tour to sample 10 different kinds of sushi, skewers, ramen, and other classic Japanese fare. It's a full day of culture, cuisine, and exploration in Tokyo.

After breakfast at the hotel, we'll embark on a full day of sightseeing in Tokyo. The highlights include visiting the Tokyo Skytree, the city's tallest structure, for spectacular views from the observation deck. Next is a unique sumo experience - we'll watch an exhibition by professional wrestlers, then suit up to take them on ourselves! A lunch of tonkatsu pork and chanko soup follows. In the afternoon, we'll explore the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, an iconic Tokyo landmark. The tour wraps up with a return to the hotel by 5:30pm after a busy day immersed in Japan's traditions and scenery. The evening is at your leisure.

After breakfast, we'll have a behind-the-scenes tour of Toyosu fish market with a sushi chef, observing how the pros select the catch of the day. We'll then visit the chef's restaurant to watch him prepare the fresh fish into sushi for us to sample. Lunch follows at the sushi restaurant Imayoshi. In the afternoon, we'll experience the futuristic digital art exhibits at teamLab Planets museum followed by a visit to the Imperial Palace Plaza, home to Japan's royal family. The day wraps up with an incredible teppanyaki dinner of Kobe beef while admiring the nighttime views of Shibuya before returning to the hotel.

After breakfast and sending luggage ahead to Kyoto, we'll transfer by private car to Tokyo Station. We'll board a bullet train to Kyoto, arriving early afternoon. An English-speaking guide will meet us and we'll begin sightseeing Kyoto's charming Arashiyama district. After a shojin ryori lunch, we'll visit the atmospheric bamboo forest and 14th-century Tenryuji Zen temple, a UNESCO site with an exquisite zen garden. After exploring this serene area and its fine temples, we'll return to Kyoto in the evening, ending our tour at the Hotel Genji Kyoto, where you will stay for the next three nights.

After breakfast, we'll embark on a full day excursion to Nara and Fushimi. In Nara, we'll visit the magnificent Todaiji Temple and its Great Buddha statue, along with the picturesque stone lanterns of Kasuga Shrine. Both are UNESCO sites. After an independent lunch, we'll head to Fushimi to walk under the thousands of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine. The day ends with a special closed-door sake brewery tour and tasting at the 300-year old Tokubei Masuda Shoten to learn about sake production and sample their sparkling nigori sake. We'll return to our Kyoto hotel after a day immersed in Japanese history, culture, architecture and cuisine.

After breakfast, we'll have a full day of sightseeing in Kyoto. We'll visit the Golden Pavilion temple with its golden building and stunning gardens. Next is Kiyomizu Temple, known for its scenic hillside location and sacred spring. After an independent lunch, we'll see the imposing Sanjusangendo Temple with its 1,001 Buddha statues. A highlight is experiencing a traditional tea ceremony and maiko performance while dressed in kimono. The day ends with a local foodie tour of Kyoto's backstreets and neighborhoods to sample authentic cuisine and immerse in local culture. Return to the hotel after a day steeped in Kyoto's beauty, traditions, architecture, and cuisine.

After your final breakfast at the hotel, you are free to explore Kyoto until it is time for your private driver to take you to the Osaka-Kansai airport for your flight home.

Land back in your home country, with incredible memories of an amazing destination.