8-Nights Independent Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka City Stays - Independent City Stay from $5,119

Globus

OFFER ID 1488426

Journey through Japan on this fascinating Independence by Globus itinerary. A "prefecture" and capital of Japan, Tokyo is the world’s most populous metro area and home to unlimited choices-shopping, dining, entertainment, historic temples and sites, peaceful gardens, and excellent museums. Your private guided sightseeing tour includes Meiji Shrine, a 20th-century Shinto monument built within a man-made forest; browse the bustling Nakamise Shopping Arcade; and visit one of the city’s most dazzling temples, the Asakusa Kannon Temple. You’ll also ascend the Tokyo Skytree for spectacular views over the city. During your free day, you may choose a trip to Mount Fuji. A highlight of the vacation is the shinkansen (bullet train) ride from Tokyo to Kyoto. Reaching nearly 200-miles-per-hour, this is by far the most entertaining way to travel between cities. The "cradle" of Japan’s cultural heritage, Kyoto, was the country’s capital and residence of the emperor from the 8th until the 19th centuries. Your private guided sightseeing tour includes visits to Sanjusangendo Temple, the Samurai Museum, where you can learn about Japanese history and see authentic swords and armor, and the beautiful Temple of the Gold Pavilion. Built on a lake and surrounded by a thick forest, the image of the temple’s reflection in the water is a can’t-miss photo opportunity and memorable scenic view. You’ll also walk through Gion and explore the thousands of Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine. Take some I-time for a visit nearby Nara or to explore Nishiki Market.

End your exploration of Japan in Osaka with visits to Osaka Castle and Minami, the famous entertainment district and where the locals go for fun.

8 nights from $5,119 per person

Itinerary

Click here for Full Itinerary Details

Itinerary Details

Independent Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka City Stays

Day 1 ARRIVE IN TOKYO, JAPAN

Welcome to Japan! Your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.

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Day 2 TOKYO

• Today, hop on Tokyo’s subway system for a private guided sightseeing tour of the city. Start with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a man-made forest.
• At Tokyo Skytree ascend to Sorakara Point on floor 450 at some 450 meters/1500 feet, the highest point visitors can explore. Here you’ll marvel at the stunning panoramic views over the city and and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji.
• Tour the Samurai and Ninja Museum for a hands-on history lesson of Japan’s famous warriors, including the armor, weapons, and swords from the Medieval era.
• Lastly, visit bustling Nakamise shopping arcade and Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest of their kind in Tokyo.

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Day 3 TOKYO

• Enjoy a full day at your leisure.

Today's I-Time Tips
Enjoy a full day at leisure for your own discoveries. Utilize your included Tokyo Metro Pass to explore more of Tokyo’s unique neighborhoods, take a day trip to Mount Fuji, or visit the street-food markets for local specialties.

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Day 4 TOKYO–KYOTO

• Today, travel by shinkansen (bullet train) to historic Kyoto, former capital of Japan.

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Day 5 KYOTO

• Your private guided sightseeing tour uses efficient public transportation to take you around the city. Start at stunning Kinkakuji, Temple of the Gold Pavilion, covered with shimmering gold leaf.
• Next, take a walking tour through Gion, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, which is also known for its high concentration of machiya-style merchant houses.
• Continue to Sanjusangendo Temple, famous for 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Flanking the main statue are 1,000 life-sized statues, covered in gold leaf, with 40 arms said to have the power to save 25 worlds.
• Finish with a visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine, renowned for the thousands of brightly colored Torii Gate.

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Day 6 KYOTO

• Enjoy a full day at your leisure.

Today's I-Time Tips
Take an excursion to nearby Nara or explore more of Kyotos historic temples and shrines using your included subway and bus pass.

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Day 7 KYOTO–OSAKA

• Drive to Osaka where your private guided sightseeing tour starts at Osaka Castle and the surrounding park.
• Then explore Minami, the city’s famous entertainment district, encompassing the districts of Shinsaibashi and Namba and the famed Dontonbori Street. Start with lunch featuring okonomiyaki, a delicious pancake dish famous in Osaka. Then, explore this exciting area by foot with your guide. From museums and shopping to theater and dining, this is where the locals come for fun!

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Day 8 OSAKA

• Enjoy a full day at your leisure.

Today's I-Time Tips
Return to Minami for further exploration or visit the Open-Air Museum of Japanese Farm Houses. Whatever you choose to do, we’ve included a subway and bus pass to help you get around.

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Day 9 OSAKA

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

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Featured Destinations

Osaka

This large, bustling port is the starting point for tours to the ancient cities of Kyoto and Nara, the cultural fountainheads of classical Japan. Kyoto's Old Imperial Palace and the shogunal Nijo Castle remain glorious symbols of the power the city held for over 1,000 years. Until 1868, Kyoto was the capital of Japan, filled with elegant timber buildings and, perhaps more than any other Japanese city, imbued with Kami, the divine spirit. You'll sense it everywhere, for there are hundreds of Shinto shrines and over a thousand Buddhist temples, as well as sacred treasure-houses of religious sculpture, painting and exquisite gardens. Nara, City of the Seven Great Temples, lies in an idyllic setting.

Excursions

Kobe - Osaka Day Tour

Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.

Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place.

The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions.

Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.

Excursions

Shinjuku - Night in The City - 4 Hours

Wheeling Your Way Through Tokyo - 6 Hours

Forget the bus, get out of the car, and by no means take the subway – experience Tokyo by bicycle a seemingly unusual way to explore one of the world’s largest megalopolises. But once on your bike and pedaling through the city’s many and varied neighborhoods you will experience Tokyo in a truly unique way.

You will transfer to Chuo-ku, Tokyo where you choose your bicycle and try it out before setting off. Once ready and under the supervision of your cycling guide set off for the Tour de Tokyo pedaling your way through some of the distinctive districts that make Tokyo so memorable:–
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Tsukishima (traditional market area famed for its monjayaki savoury pancake) and Tsukiji Outer Market the largest seafood market in the world.
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Ginza (Tokyo’s chic shopping district – the city’s “Fifth Avenue”)
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Shinbashi Station (Japan’s oldest railway station)
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Azabu Juban Village (eclectic, eccentric and exciting – where trendy meets traditional)
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Roppongi, Aoyama and Harajuku & Omotesando (iconic architecture and fashion forward for today’s Tokyo)
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Yoyogi Park (site of the 1964 Olympic Village – weather permitting enjoy a picnic lunch)
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The New National Stadium (site of the 2020 Opening Ceremonies)
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Meiji Jingu Shrine (Tokyo’s revered Shinto Shrine set within a verdant forest park)
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Yoyogi National Stadium (Tange Kenzo’s stunning design for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games)
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Jingu Gaien Mall (the beautiful Gingko lined Avenue)
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Akasaka Palace (the magnificent State Guest House)
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Parliament House (the site of the National Diet)
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Imperial Palace Grounds (The Iconic Nijubashi Bridge and the moat)
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Tokyo Station + KITTE (Marunouchi Minami Exit side)
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15:00: Arrive at Chuo-ku, Tokyo – the end of this Tokyo tour

Kyoto

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

12/14/2024 - 12/22/2024

from $5,119 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $5,119 per person

Length

8 Nights

Air City

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Vacation Rating

Deluxe

Remarks

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1488426

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