Private Japan

Arrive in Tokyo, Japan’s exciting capital. Transfer to your hotel, located near the Imperial Palace.

This morning, begin your day at a family-owned workshop that specializes in Japanese drum making, and try your hand at playing the taiko, on an A&K-exclusive experience. Afterward, visit Asakusa Kannon Temple. This colorful pagoda-style temple was completed in 645 and is dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy in several East Asian spiritual traditions. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before exploring the Tokyo National Museum, the oldest national museum in Japan and home to a vast collection of Japanese art and antiquities. Continue to Meiji Shrine, a Shinto complex dedicated to an emperor that was rebuilt after World War II.

Start your day at a local fish market, a bustling hub of Japanese daily life where a dizzying array of seafood can be found. Then, receive a lesson in sushi making, followed by lunch, during a Chef ’s Table experience. The remainder of your day is at leisure, free to relax or explore on your own.

Travel to Hakone, among Japan’s most popular hot-spring destinations, and immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Board an aerial tram rising above the wooded slopes for inspiring views of Mount Fuji. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before strolling the grassy hillsides of Hakone's Open-Air Museum. Admire the impressive contemporary sculptures and artwork on display, including masterpieces by Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin. The museum also features one of the world’s finest Picasso exhibits, presenting visitors with over 100 works by the cubist master. Tonight, enjoy unparalleled service at Gôra Kadan, an exclusive ryokan (traditional inn).

After breakfast at your ryokan, head to the Okada Museum of Art to view its stunning collection of paintings, ceramics, lacquerware and bronzes from Japan, Korea and China. Then, ride by bullet train to Osaka. Historically known as a merchant city, it is today renowned as Japan’s undisputed culinary capital, where diners indulge in everything from octopus dumplings to okonomiyaki — a battered, grilled concoction of chopped cabbage, meat or seafood, and seaweed, topped with mayonnaise. This evening, head out to explore the popular Dotonbori District, sampling dishes from the brilliantly lighted and gastronomically creative restaurants that line the street.

Travel early this morning to Nara, Japan’s first capital. Visit Todai-ji, a temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Continue to Nara Park, home to hundreds of tame deer, venerated here as divine spirits, which you have the opportunity to feed by hand. Next visit the celebrated Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Conclude your Nara excursion with an exploration of the Naramachi District, comprised of winding Japanese streets and modernized merchant houses.

Travel to Kyoto early this morning to contemplate the iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji and glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion). Covered in gold leaf that casts a shimmering reflection in the tranquil pond beside it, the temple exhibits three different styles of architecture — shinden, samurai and Zen — one on each floor. After lunch, explore the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling along a winding path as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots, considered by many a healing experience. Proceed to nearby Tenryu-ji Temple and its wonderful gardens before continuing to your hotel.

This morning, visit Kiyomizu Temple, a celebrated Buddhist temple known for its stunning views of Kyoto. Marvel at the city from afar and enjoy the panorama of cherry and maple trees that come into color in the spring and fall. Proceed to a local temple, where you experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and etiquette, which date to the time of the samurai. The remainder of the afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Transfer to Kansai International Airport or Itami Airport, both located just outside of Osaka, for your international flight home.