Landmark of Japan - Torii Gate on Miyajima Island

Best of Japan Itinerary in Seven Days

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Japan

Places Visited

Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara...

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Suggested Duration

7 Days

Indulge in first-class comfort and bask in serene landscapes on your 7-day best of Japan tour. You will travel by bullet train to experience the marvels of modern Japan and the unique traditions of the nation’s preserved heritage. Each destination will bring a lasting memory as you participate in tea ceremonies, discover historic castles, witness a floating shrine, and explore iconic temples that capture the renowned beauty of Japan.

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Gaze across the sea and gawp at the floating shrine of Miyajima
  • Travel in style on the daily railway journeys, with Shinkansen bullet trains providing a window onto wonderfully diverse landscapes
  • Experience a traditional tea ceremony and spend an evening in a Geisha district
  • Marvel at Himeji Castle and the long-rooted traditions of Himeji town
  • Spend two days exploring Kyoto, a magnificent old city with over 2,000 temples and shrines
  • Escape into the future with a day of neighborhoods and flashing lights in Tokyo
  • Discover the world’s largest wooden building and the secret it hides inside
  • Find out what’s happened since 1945 with a day in Hiroshima
  • Escape into the Edo and Dutch heritage of Nagasaki’s harbor that survived the atomic bomb

Detailed Description

Japan’s landscapes will take you on an ever-changing journey. Cities of flashing color will zoom by the window. Mount Fuji stands iconic with its summit carpeted in snow. Small towns appear in a flurry of action, and temples stud hilly slopes before the railway passes the sea. Urban landscapes will meet open mountain pastures and then you will be out in what appears to be the wild, as you zoom further across Japan on a Shinkansen. With only one week in Japan, you will need to be selective about where you go, but with bullet trains, you can cover most of the journey in just seven days. As always in Japan, the journeys are as memorable as the destinations.

Shinkansen trains are world famous for their ingenuity, comfort, and speed. Relax with style in first-class seats complete with a beautiful view of the country. Food and drinks will be served as you relax and enjoy the landscapes as they provide a unique travel highlight. This seven-day best-of tour has been handcrafted to maximize your experience. On most mornings, you will travel by train, and then you will be given downtime to explore the country. By midday, you will have arrived somewhere new, and a local guide will show you the highlights including attractions, neighborhoods, people, and very local experiences. The destinations are well connected by the Shinkansen and are handpicked for their diversity.

You will arrive and depart from Tokyo. The first day is all about contemporary and futuristic highlights. You will explore neighborhoods like Shinjuku, Akihabara, and Harajuku. Although the city has history, you will be going back in time elsewhere in Japan. It is almost five hours by bullet train to Hiroshima, which is a beautiful journey past Mount Fuji and rice paddies that will have you traveling at up to 186 mph. You will then check into a local hotel, and then head for the Peace Park with your guide, exploring the city’s atomic history. Miyajima Shrine is just across the border and makes for a dazzling late-afternoon experience.

The following morning, you will relax on the train to Nagasaki, a city rich with Edo heritage. You will explore the city by tram and stay in Dejima, an artificial island that mixes local and Dutch history. You will then continue across changing landscapes to Kyoto, arriving in time for a full afternoon. This will give you plenty of time to explore the city’s temples and shrines. This was Japan’s capital for many centuries, and it has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than anywhere else on the planet. In Kyoto, you will spend an evening in a Geisha district, enjoy a traditional tea ceremony, and meet with a monk in a bamboo-wrapped temple.

On day five you will take the train to Nara, where wild deer surround the world’s largest wooden building. It is another old capital and makes for an evocative experience, especially on millennia-old streets. It’s only 90 minutes by train to Himeji, so you can see more of Kyoto on day six before traveling. Himeji has a glorious castle and old town that makes for an idyllic final evening in Japan. You will luxuriate once more on the train back to Tokyo, and you have a full afternoon and evening left in the capital city. Day-room hotel use has been arranged so you can continue the adventure and freshen up before your departing flight.

Starting Price

$4,600 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.85 stars based on 592 reviews.

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