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Classic Japan: Land of the Rising Sun

12 Day Tour from Tokyo to Kyoto
This Japan tour is perfect for value-minded travel lovers who enjoy history, beautiful settings, and fascinating architecture. You’ll start in Tokyo, end in Kyoto, and overnight along the way in the Mount Fuji area, Osaka, and Hiroshima. Highlights of this tour through Japan are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites you’ll visit. Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, has long been worshipped as a sacred mountain; you’ll enjoy views of majestic Mount Fiji and Lake Kawaguchi during your cable-car ride (weather permitting). In Hiroshima, visit Itsukushima Shrine, built over water and known for its iconic floating Torii gate, and Peace Memorial Park to see the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the only remaining structure from the first atomic bomb in 1945. In Kyoto, visit the Temple of the Gold Pavilion, a Buddhist temple covered in beautiful gold leaf, and participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. In addition to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, famous shrines, and other historic sites, this tour includes visits to two of Japan’s premier gardens dating back to the 1600’s. Walk the tranquil Koraku-En to enjoy the ponds, bridges, waterfalls, and tea house and the Shinjuku Gyn or “Imperial Garden,” formerly a feudal lord’s property and home to one thousand cherry blossom trees. You’ll enjoy a local lunch and taste the “Japanese pizza”, the legendary okonomiyaki dish. Plus, you’ll ride on the famous bullet train, or shinkansen. History, scenery, culture, cuisine, and fun experiences…this Japan vacation has it all!
All This. Included
The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi (where available). Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

Your tour includes:
•Guided city sightseeing of Tokyo including admission to Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyn Garden, Asakusa Kannon Temple, and Nakamise Shopping Arcade
•Admission to Mt. Fuji ropeway and Chureito Pagoda
•Bullet train ride from Mt. Fuji area to Osaka
•Guided city sightseeing of Osaka including admission to the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses, Osaka Castle, and Koraku-en Garden
•Guided city sightseeing of Hiroshima including admission to Peace Memorial Park, Miyajima Island and visit to Itsukushima Shrine
•Pottery workshop
•Admission to Himeji Castle
•Guided city sightseeing of Kyoto including admission to the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Sanjusangendo, and Fushimi Inari shrine
•Guided walking tours of Nishiki Market and the Gion district
•Traditional tea ceremony

Notes:
  • The option for an overnight stay at a traditional ryokan requires an additional fee and must be pre-booked ahead of your travel to Japan. Space is very limited and on request only. Your stay includes a traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast. Dietary restrictions generally cannot be accommodated.

    The cable-car ride at Mount Fuji is weather dependent.

Tour details Collapse
Tour Provider Cosmos
Number Of Days
12
Price From
RRP: $6,189 Our price: $5,570
Start Location
Tokyo, Japan
End Location
Kyoto, Japan
Age Range
Avg. 40+
Group Size
14 to 24
Tour Style
Standard
Tour Themes
Small group
Physical Rating
Easy to Moderate
Itinerary Expand all
Day 1 - TOKYO, JAPAN
Welcome to Japan’s capital city. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Day 2 - TOKYO
Meet your Tour Director and travel companions prior to morning sightseeing in Tokyo. Your tour starts with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a man-made forest. Next, visit Shinjuku Gyn Garden. Originally dating from the early 1600s, the garden was destroyed in World War II and reopened in 1949 as a public park, home to one thousand cherry blossom trees. Today, it remains an immensely popular stop for locals and visitors alike. Last stop is the vibrant Asakusa Kannon Temple and the bustling Nakamise shopping arcade. The balance of the afternoon is at leisure. (B,L)

Day 3 - TOKYO
Enjoy the day at your leisure to explore this sprawling metropolis. (B)

Day 4 - TOKYO–MOUNT FUJI AREA
This morning, leave Tokyo and head south along the coast to the beautiful Five Lakes region. Take a cable-car ride (weather permitting) for panoramic views of Lake Kawaguchi and spectacular Mount Fuji, or Fujisan as the locals call it, Japan’s highest mountain. You’ll also visit Chureito Pagoda for a chance to snap your own iconic image of the pagoda with Fujisan in the background! (B,L)

Day 5 - MOUNT FUJI AREA–OSAKA
This morning, board Japan’s famous shinkansen (bullet train) for Osaka. Upon arrival, join your Tour Director for a walking tour in Minami. Made up of Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Dotonbori, this area is home to great dining and nightlife and some of the city’s most fashionable shops and department stores. This evening is free to explore the city on your own. (B)

Day 6 - OSAKA
Your sightseeing tour starts at the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses, where traditional thatched-roof farmhouses dating from the Edo period have been restored. Be transported back in time as you explore the old architecture. Visit Osaka Castle, then enjoy the afternoon and evening at leisure. Perhaps return to Dotonbori this evening to sample local cuisine and see the sparkling neon lights. (B)

Day 7 - OSAKA–OKAYAMA–KURASHIKI–HIROSHIMA
This morning, drive south to Okayama and visit Koraku-en, one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.” The 30-acre garden features ponds, plum groves, and tea fields. The wide lawns, believed to uplift the spirit and promote open mindedness, are unique to Koraku-en and not a traditional feature of Japanese gardens. In Kurashiki, enjoy free time in the Bikan Historical Quarter, once the political and commercial center of the city. The canal-lined, white-washed, stone streets reflect the Edo period (1603-1867) and are quintessentially Japanese. Continue to Hiroshima. (B)

Day 8 - HIROSHIMA
Today’s full day sightseeing includes two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Peace Memorial Park, and Itsukushima Shrine. Start at Peace Memorial Park where you’ll visit the Peace Memorial, commonly referred to as the Atomic Bomb Dome, that is preserved and is just as it was on August 6, 1945, immediately after the bombing. You will also visit the Memorial Museum and Memorial Hall, which commemorate the lives lost that day. For lunch, enjoy the country’s legendary dish of okonomiyaki, a delicious Japanese-style savory pancake. Then, travel to Miyajima Island to visit Itsukushima Shrine, known for its beautiful floating Torii Gate. (B,L)

Day 9 - HIROSHIMA–BIZEN–HIMEJI–KYOTO
Drive north to Bizen, where you’ll visit a traditional pottery workshop to learn more about Bizen-yaki, one of Japan’s six ancient pottery styles dating back over 1,000 years. Stop in Himeji to visit Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture that combines function with elegance. Continue to Kyoto. This evening, you may choose an optional style of accommodation at a traditional Japanese ryokan (additional fee and pre-booking required).

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ACCOMMODATION HIGHLIGHT FUTON, ANYONE? Choose an overnight stay at a ryokan to fully immerse yourself in the Japanese culture and hospitality. Your ryokan features traditional touches like tatami mat floors, a thin sleeping mattress, and the chance to experience a Japanese-style bath – as well as the modern convenience of a private bathroom. Traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast are included in your stay. Please note that space is very limited. You must pre-book this ahead of arriving in Japan for your tour, and an additional fee applies.

Day 10 - KYOTO
Your day begins with a visit to stunning Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Gold Pavilion, covered in shimmering gold leaf. Walk through bustling Nishiki Market, a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. Participate in a tea ceremony, a time-honored tradition, and wonderfully choreographed ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea. After lunch, visit Sanjusajendo Temple, famous for its 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy and Fushimi Inari Shrine, renowned for the thousands of brightly hued Torii Gate. Then, take a walking tour through Gion, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, and sample a local Japanese treat. (B,L)

Day 11 - KYOTO
Full day at leisure to explore more of Kyoto’s historic sites and shrines. Oh, deer! Consider an optional afternoon trip to the expanses of Nara Park, famous for its free-roaming deer who wander freely amid its shrines and temples. (B)

Day 12 - KYOTO
Your tour ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Inclusions Expand
10 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches
Departure dates Expand
Start End Availability Price AUD
06 Jul 2026 17 Jul 2026 Please call $5,729
31 Aug 2026 11 Sep 2026 Available $5,729
09 Nov 2026 20 Nov 2026 Available $5,889
15 Mar 2027 26 Mar 2027 Available $6,469
22 Mar 2027 02 Apr 2027 Available $6,469
29 Mar 2027 09 Apr 2027 Available $6,469
05 Apr 2027 16 Apr 2027 Available $6,469
12 Apr 2027 23 Apr 2027 Available $6,469
03 May 2027 14 May 2027 Available $6,189
24 May 2027 04 Jun 2027 Available $6,189
$5,570
05 Jul 2027 16 Jul 2027 Available $6,189
$5,570
09 Aug 2027 20 Aug 2027 Available $6,189
30 Aug 2027 10 Sep 2027 Available $6,189
13 Sep 2027 24 Sep 2027 Available $6,349
20 Sep 2027 01 Oct 2027 Available $6,349
27 Sep 2027 08 Oct 2027 Available $6,349
04 Oct 2027 15 Oct 2027 Available $6,349
11 Oct 2027 22 Oct 2027 Available $6,349
25 Oct 2027 05 Nov 2027 Available $6,349
08 Nov 2027 19 Nov 2027 Available $6,349

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