Japan Grand Tour: The Complete Journey
Eighteen days to know Japan completely — its cities, its countryside, its art and its soul
From
£5,895pp
About this tour
Beyond Tokyo and Kyoto lies a Japan that most visitors never reach: the thatched-roof farmhouse villages of the Shirakawa-go valley, buried in mountain snow in winter and viridian in summer; Kanazawa, the "Kyoto of the Japan Sea coast" with its perfect Kenroku-en garden and samurai districts untouched since the Edo period; Naoshima, the island in the Seto Inland Sea that has been transformed into one of the world's great contemporary art destinations with museums by Tadao Ando and installations by James Turrell and Yayoi Kusama; and the mountain temples of Koyasan, where over a hundred Shingon Buddhist monks still practise esoteric rituals in the mist-shrouded cedar forest. This eighteen-day journey, led throughout by Emma Thornton, covers the full spectrum of Japan's extraordinary offer. The classic Tokyo–Kyoto axis is given proper depth; but the additions — the Alps road, Kanazawa, Naoshima, Koyasan — transform a great tour into an unforgettable one.
“Emma Thornton leads this as the tour she considers her most complete — eighteen days that allow Japan's full range to be experienced and properly understood.”
Why this works for travellers over 50
- Emma Thornton's eleven years in Kyoto gives this tour a depth of access that no other guide can match
- The Naoshima art islands — world-class contemporary art in a remote, beautiful sea setting — are one of the world's great travel discoveries
- Koyasan monastery accommodation (shukubo) offers a night in a working Buddhist temple — vegetarian kaiseki dinner, early morning ceremony, cedar forest walks
- Shirakawa-go's thatched farmhouses are among the most beautiful vernacular architecture in the world
- The Japanese Alps roads are as beautiful as the Swiss Alps and largely undiscovered by Western tourists
- Kanazawa's samurai and geisha districts are better-preserved than Kyoto's and a fraction of the crowds
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Your journey
Day-by-day itinerary
1Arrival Tokyo
Tokyo
ArrivalPark Hyatt Tokyo
Arrival Tokyo
Tokyo
Airport welcome. Park Hyatt Tokyo. Shinjuku evening walk.
2Tokyo: Teamlab & Senso-ji
Tokyo
GentlePark Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo: Teamlab & Senso-ji
Tokyo
Teamlab Planets digital art, Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, evening in Yanaka.
3Tokyo: Imperial & Tsukiji
Tokyo
GentlePark Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo: Imperial & Tsukiji
Tokyo
Imperial Palace East Gardens, Tsukiji outer market lunch, tea ceremony in Yanaka old town.
4Tokyo: Museums
Tokyo
GentlePark Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo: Museums
Tokyo
Tokyo National Museum (East Asian art) and teamLab Borderless. Evening Ginza.
5Bullet Train — Kyoto
Kyoto
EasyTawaraya Ryokan, Kyoto
Bullet Train — Kyoto
Kyoto
First-class Nozomi to Kyoto, Mount Fuji visible en route. Tawaraya Ryokan check-in. Evening Gion walk.
6Kyoto: Fushimi Inari & Arashiyama
Kyoto
ModerateTawaraya Ryokan, Kyoto
Kyoto: Fushimi Inari & Arashiyama
Kyoto
Pre-dawn Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji garden.
7Kyoto: Golden & Silver Pavilions
Kyoto
GentleTawaraya Ryokan, Kyoto
Kyoto: Golden & Silver Pavilions
Kyoto
Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion), Philosopher's Path, evening kaiseki in private restaurant.
8Nara & Private Workshop
Kyoto
GentleTawaraya Ryokan, Kyoto
Nara & Private Workshop
Kyoto
Nara day trip, afternoon private kodo incense ceremony at Emma's Kyoto contact studio.
9Drive to Shirakawa-go
Shirakawa-go
Scenic drive; farmhouse eveningFurusato, Shirakawa-go
Drive to Shirakawa-go
Shirakawa-go
The scenic mountain drive to Shirakawa-go — the UNESCO-listed thatched farmhouse village in the Japanese Alps. One night at a working gassho-zukuri farmhouse inn, the traditional dinner cooked over an irori hearth fire.
10Shirakawa-go — Kanazawa
Kanazawa
Scenic drive with dawn walkHyatt Centric Kanazawa
Shirakawa-go — Kanazawa
Kanazawa
Morning walk through the village at dawn, then drive to Kanazawa — the Kyoto of the Japan Sea coast. Check in to the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa.
11Kanazawa: Gardens & Samurai
Kanazawa
GentleHyatt Centric Kanazawa
Kanazawa: Gardens & Samurai
Kanazawa
Kenroku-en garden (the finest strolling garden in Japan), the Higashi Chaya geisha district and the Nagamachi samurai district — both extraordinarily intact. The D.T. Suzuki Museum of Zen philosophy is Emma's personal favourite.
12Bullet Train to Osaka — Naoshima Ferry
Naoshima
Travel dayBenesse House, Naoshima
Bullet Train to Osaka — Naoshima Ferry
Naoshima
Train to Okayama, ferry across the Seto Inland Sea to Naoshima — the contemporary art island. Check in to the Benesse House, designed by Tadao Ando, where the hotel IS the museum.
13Naoshima: Art Island
Naoshima
GentleBenesse House, Naoshima
Naoshima: Art Island
Naoshima
The Chichu Art Museum (Monet, Turrell, De Maria buried in the hillside by Ando), the Lee Ufan Museum, Yayoi Kusama's polka-dot yellow pumpkin on the harbour jetty. Art in a sea setting unlike anywhere in the world.
14Ferry to Osaka — Drive to Koyasan
Koyasan
Travel day; temple arrivalEko-in Temple, Koyasan
Ferry to Osaka — Drive to Koyasan
Koyasan
Ferry to Okayama, train to Osaka, cable car up to Koyasan — the sacred mountain of esoteric Shingon Buddhism, 1,000m above the Osaka plain, its 117 temples wreathed in cedar forest.
15Koyasan: Morning Ceremony & Okunoin
Koyasan
EasyEko-in Temple, Koyasan
Koyasan: Morning Ceremony & Okunoin
Koyasan
The 6am morning ceremony in the temple — drums, chanting monks and incense smoke in the cedar-scented mountain air. Then Okunoin cemetery: 200,000 stone lanterns and ancient moss-covered grave markers in an ancient cedar forest. The most atmospheric place in Japan.
16Osaka — City Highlights
Osaka
Active food dayThe St. Regis Osaka
Osaka — City Highlights
Osaka
Train down from Koyasan to Osaka — Dotonbori district, street food (takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu), Osaka Castle and the extraordinary Kuromon Ichiba covered market.
17Hiroshima & Miyajima
Osaka
Full day tripThe St. Regis Osaka
Hiroshima & Miyajima
Osaka
Day trip to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Miyajima island — the full impact of this extraordinary day managed by Emma's careful preparation. Return to Osaka for a final dinner.
18Departure from Osaka
Osaka / KIX
Departure
Departure from Osaka
Osaka / KIX
Final morning in Osaka then transfer to Kansai International Airport. Emma accompanies you to departure.
Like what you see?
Our specialists can tailor every day to your preferences.
Fitness & mobility
Pacing & accessibility
An ambitious journey covering more of Japan than most visitors ever reach. Two long driving days (Kyoto to Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa to Kanazawa) are broken with scenic stops. Otherwise gentle.
Walking
3–6km/day. Two longer days (Fushimi Inari, Kanazawa). All flat except Fushimi Inari lower trails.
Transport
First-class Shinkansen; ferries; mountain cable car to Koyasan; private vehicle for select transfers.
Altitude
Koyasan at 1,000m — pleasantly cool. Light layer needed. Shirakawa-go at 500m.
Heat / Climate
Oct–Apr optimal. Spring cherry season most celebrated.
Accommodation
Your hotels
Park Hyatt Tokyo
★★★★★Tokyo · 4 nights
Floors 39–52 of the Shinjuku Park Tower with the finest views in Tokyo.
- City views
- New York Bar
- Indoor pool
Tawaraya Ryokan
★★★★★Kyoto · 4 nights
Japan's most celebrated ryokan — 18 rooms, founded early 1700s.
- Founded 1700s
- 18 rooms
- In-room kaiseki
Furusato
★★★★Shirakawa-go · 1 night
Working gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouse inn — traditional Japanese dinner cooked over irori hearth.
- Working farmhouse
- Irori hearth dinner
- UNESCO village
Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
★★★★★Kanazawa · 2 nights
Modern luxury in Japan's most underrated city, steps from Kenroku-en garden.
- Near Kenroku-en
- City centre
- Design-led rooms
Benesse House
★★★★★Naoshima · 2 nights
Tadao Ando's masterpiece — a museum hotel where art is in every corridor, bedroom and garden.
- Hotel is the museum
- Ando architecture
- Sea views
- Art collection
Eko-in Temple
★★★★Koyasan · 2 nights
Stay in a working Shingon Buddhist temple on the sacred mountain — vegetarian shojin cuisine, morning ceremony, cedar forest setting.
- Working temple stay
- Morning ceremony
- Shojin vegetarian cuisine
- Cedar forest
The St. Regis Osaka
★★★★★Osaka · 2 nights
Osaka's finest hotel — central, impeccably appointed with a superb Japanese restaurant.
- Central Osaka
- Japanese restaurant
- Butler service
- City views
Pricing
Holiday pricing
All prices are per person, based on two people sharing. We arrange departures throughout the year to suit your preferred dates.
Starting from
£5,895
per person · 2 sharing
Solo traveller supplement: +£1,895 pp
Travelling solo?
Single supplement: +£1,895 pp
Full details
What’s included & not included
Included in your price
- 17 nights in 5-star hotels and traditional accommodation
- All bullet trains first-class
- All internal transport (trains, ferries, cable cars)
- Emma Thornton throughout
- Private incense ceremony workshop
- Morning temple ceremony at Koyasan
- Meals as specified (17 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 10 dinners)
- All entrance fees
- IC transport cards
- Mineral water throughout
- Airport transfers
- ATOL-protected
Not included
- Travel insurance
- Single supplement
- Gratuities
Your specialist
Who will plan your holiday
Emma Thornton
The Grand Tour represents the full range of Emma's Japan knowledge — from the art islands of the Inland Sea to the temple mists of Koyasan. She considers it her masterpiece itinerary.
Tailor-made
Like this tour but want it adapted?
Extra nights, alternative hotels, private transfers — our specialists will build your perfect itinerary from scratch.
What our guests say
Guest reviews
The finest journey of fifty years of travel
“We have travelled Japan twice before and thought we knew it. This tour revealed an island we had never suspected. Naoshima was the revelation — world-class art in a remote sea setting unlike anywhere on earth. Emma's knowledge is at a level we have never encountered from a guide anywhere in the world. Koyasan at night, alone in the lantern-lit cemetery forest, is the single most extraordinary travel experience of our lives.”
Lord and Lady Ashdown
Hampshire · 2024-10-28
Before you go
Practical information
Visa requirements
UK citizens: visa-free 90 days.
Currency
JPY cash essential. IC cards provided.
Tipping
No tipping in Japan.
Electricity
100V, Type A.
Health & vaccinations
No vaccinations required. Excellent healthcare.
Flights
Tokyo Haneda or Narita in; Osaka Kansai out. Open-jaw flights.
Local transport
First-class Shinkansen, ferries, cable car, private vehicle.
Travel with like-minded people
Join a Small Group Departure
Prefer to travel with a small group of fellow over-50s rather than as a couple or solo? Our fixed-departure group tours put you alongside eight to twelve like-minded travellers with a dedicated tour manager for the entire journey.
- Maximum 12 travellers — intimate by design
- Dedicated tour manager throughout
- Social dinners and shared discoveries
- Single supplement waived on selected departures
- Like-minded over-50s travellers
- No single friends needed — just arrive and enjoy
Register Your Interest
Tell us your preferred dates and travel companions — we’ll match you with the right departure and send full details.
Our team will respond within 1 working day.
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a temple stay (shukubo) at Koyasan like?
Koyasan's shukubo are working Buddhist temples that open their guest rooms to visitors — the oldest form of Japanese hospitality. Rooms are tatami-floored with futon bedding; meals are shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, extraordinarily refined despite the absence of meat or fish). The 6am morning ceremony — fire rituals, chanting and incense — is the centrepiece of the Koyasan experience. Emma briefed on what you are witnessing makes the ritual fully comprehensible. Many guests describe the Koyasan night as the most memorable of the entire eighteen-day journey.
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