Beauty of Fall Foliage: 16 Day Luxury Tour of Japan

Osaka is one of Japan’s largest cities and possesses a compelling ambiance shaped by the early days of the Japanese Empire and the modern world. A futuristic skyline, impressive cuisine, and culture featured in museums, galleries, and theaters demonstrate Osaka’s layered beauty and intrigue. You will arrive at Kansai International Airport, where your private transfer will meet you at customs and escort you to your beautiful accommodations in the heart of downtown. Here, contemporary life filters through the shops and aromas from restaurants serving savory pancakes and dishes using dashi tempt. The streets glow with light in November and December for a welcoming and unforgettable ambiance.

Mornings in Osaka can feel quiet and calm, with locals performing exercises in parks to start the day. Your guide will meet you at the hotel after breakfast for a tour of the city, starting at Osaka Castle. The structure was built in the 16th century under the command of a warrior and politician, until it became the largest castle in the country.

The current structure dates back to the 20th century, but retains the incredible 137-foot tower and museum featuring details of life inside the castle throughout its history. You can continue to the Sumiyoshi Taisha to visit a traditional shrine, with features dating back to the third century, before the introduction of Buddhism to the island. Straight roofs decorated with forked ornaments sit beneath the surrounding trees, accentuated by the sound of water trickling beneath the bridge.

After breakfast, you can travel by express train to Kanazawa, a city known for its preserved history. As you explore with a local guide, Samurai and geisha districts take you back in time. The 16th-century tower hovers over the city, surrounded by fragrant gardens, while looking down on the cobbled pathways representing ancient life.

Once in Omicho Ichiba, you can enjoy the city’s largest fresh-food market. The lanes bustle with the sounds of fishmongers, while restaurants fill the air with the aromas of freshly grilled seafood and visions of vibrant, fresh sashimi. In the Samurai district, your guide may take you along the narrow alleyways and private entrance gates to demonstrate the lifestyle of the warriors beside the calm canal.

Today, enjoy Kanazawa at your pace. You can wander the districts and shops, learn about local artisan perspectives with an ikebana flower arrangement or kamisuki paper-making lesson, or enjoy a more active exploration with an Ozuki mountain walk. Visiting the tea factory for a tour can give you a new perspective on the joys, intentions, and purpose of the beverage and its layered flavors when made properly.

You may get a tasting and a guide who can help explain the process thereof, from the subtle to robust flavors, steeping time, and overall production process. When visiting the factory watched over by a master tea maker, the quality can quickly become clear as you learn about green-leaf, pan-roasted, and even semi-fermented teas.

In the morning you can experience Japan’s famous bullet train as you travel from Kanazawa to Okayama, before continuing by ferry to Naoshima island. After settling into your beautiful accommodations, you can enjoy a guided tour of the island known for combining a unique contemporary art aesthetic with the grandeur of the natural surroundings.

Opulent sculptures, including the famous Yellow Pumpkin, decorate and interact with the scenery. The image of the pumpkin has become a symbol for the island, adding to its rich reputation as a world-class art gallery.

The day is yours to explore the museums and galleries of your choice, such as the contemporary exhibits in the Art House Project. You can also visit the Chichu Art Museum, known as much for its architectural design as the pieces inside the galleries.

The Brutalist aesthetic features concrete, geometric slats, with industrial-strength open ceilings allowing in natural light for a remarkable result. When wandering through the exhibits, you may find a room featuring a giant marble sphere perched on stone steps or a room specifically designed to showcase Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies”.

You will depart Naoshima in the morning and venture to Kyoto, the city famous for preserving Japanese tradition. Your guide will meet you at the train station and take you on a fabulous immersion into Kyoto's bucolic ambiance, established by the spectacular fall foliage that turns from green to yellow to auburn, and eventually a blushing red.

Your guide may take you along the herbaceous trails of the Philosopher's Path, known mainly for cherry-blossom viewing, but equally prized for the serene ambiance created by the whispering canal, changing leaves, and Honen-in temple. When visiting the Nanzen-ji Temple, the fall colors frame the 16th-century complex, shining brightly around the grand Sanmon Gate and above the pristine rock garden.

Your full day exploring Kyoto with a guide allows you to embrace the fall foliage as part of the cultural beauty of the city. The changing seasons shift the ingredients used in local cuisine and available in the Nishiki Market, while accentuating the natural splendor in and around the city. You may start your tour at the Miho Museum to explore a hidden jewel of a gallery integrated into the forest and hillside.

You can wander among structures that seamlessly blend man-made designs with the natural environment, contrasting steel and glass with arm stones and breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys. Continue to the Nishiki Market, a lively shopping street over five blocks, for an introduction to local food culture and how autumn unveils different tastes.

The day is at your leisure to enjoy the beauty of Kyoto. When visiting in autumn, you can enjoy the splendor of the changing leaves and the famous beauty of the Golden Pavilion. The Zen temple is covered in gold leaf, which can glow against the surrounding auburn and sunburst-yellow foliage.

Kyoto is also known for its potter ateliers, giving you an introduction to its history and heritage. Around the Sennyuji temple, you can find traditional aesthetics dating back to the Middle Ages, demonstrating the intertwined relationship the area has with pottery and artisans. Find unique shapes, engaging textures, and folklore coinciding with a deeper connection to Kyoto and local culture.

Your transfer will meet you in the early morning to catch your flight to Kagoshima, where you will have a remarkable introduction to the views of the simmering volcano in the background. Kagoshima is the southernmost city on the main island and is often regarded as the friendliest place in the country.

Feudal history shines brightly against the backdrop of the volcanic peak across the bay, creating a captivating ambiance. When visiting the Sengan-en Gardens, you can follow your guide along the peaceful walkways winding up the small hill and offering views of the water and greater bay. Bamboo groves thrive, small ponds trickle, streams rush, and the shrines add to the serenity that sweeps through the 17th-century construction.

You can start the day with your guide visiting the ornate Kirishima-jingu Shrine. The colorful and intricately designed architecture stands beneath the dramatic mountains and speaks to the folklore of the god Ninigi no Mikoto descending from the heavens to rule the Earth. An 800-year-old cedar tree is a spiritual testament to ancient mythology, adding strength and aromatics to the atmosphere. You can continue to visit with local artisans known for making fantastic pottery and ceramics, including the celebrated Satsuma ware. Watch and learn the art of producing porcelain and the intense focus that results in artistic and functional wares.

You have the day to enjoy the quiet, the beauty of your hotel, or the wonders of Kagoshima’s vibrant streets at your pace. Whether you choose to embrace the views of the bay once more or shop in contemporary boutiques, you can find incredible experiences at your doorstep. You can visit a traditional onsen, a hot spring, for an excellent immersion into Japanese culture.

You may find the main bath crafted out of rock and heated naturally. The room may be naturally scented with cedar or pine, allowing you to sink into the relaxing ambiance and feel rejuvenated after nearly two weeks of traveling in Japan.

Before reaching Hiroshima, you will take an early departure from Kagoshima to again enjoy Japan’s famous bullet train. Your guide will meet you at the station and lead you through an introduction to the fascinating and infamous city. Hiroshima is the world’s “peace capital” and an exciting destination, home to the 16th-century Hiroshima Castle, charming Shukkei-en Garden, and inviting Peace Memorial Park.

When walking through the park, your guide may share stories of the important monuments and memorials that populate the landscape before you reach the Flame of Peace. The fire flickers against the surrounding stone walkways and changing autumn leaves act as a symbolic connection to the greater Atom Bomb Dome hovering over the epicenter of the original explosion.

Enjoy a half-day tour of Miyajima, a small island also referred to as Shrine Island. Its more than 11 square miles feature a marvelous shrine dedicated to the daughters of the Shinto wind god Susanoo, whose foundations date back to the 9th century AD. The picturesque architecture features red timber frames and white walls against the backdrop of the bay. The floating torii gate can look as though the shrine, reflected in the bay, is rising directly out of the water, providing a majestic view that reveals engineering prowess and captivating architectural illusion.

Travel by bullet train to Tokyo in the morning and after enjoying your accommodation, you can explore the city. The contrast between old and futuristic will come to life as you embrace the modern energy of a bold future wrapped in connections to tradition.

Walk through the changing foliage of the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden to find pieces of history dating back to the 17th century or tour the Senso-ji Temple to view one of Tokyo’s most famous shrines. Vendors line the street leading to the gate and often display masks, carvings, and kimonos. In the Ginza District, you can join large crowds in the city’s busiest shopping area and cross the famous point where five ancient roads meet.

In the morning, you may have free time to discover more of Tokyo at your leisure. Whether revisiting the Ginza District or touring one of the city’s famous museums, you can continue your embrace of Tokyo before meeting your private transfer in the hotel lobby. You will continue to the airport with plenty of time to check in for your flight, bringing an end to your marvelous journey through Japan.