Itinerary Details
Abercrombie & Kent: Classic Japan
DAY 1 Tokyo, Japan
Arrive in Tokyo, Japan’s exciting and modern capital.
Transfer to your hotel, located near the Imperial Palace.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Otemachi
Meals:
DAY 2 TokyoThis morning, 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. Continue to a family-owned workshop
that specializes in Japanese drum making, and try your hand
at playing the taiko, on an A&K-exclusive experience. 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. Tonight, gather for a welcome
dinner.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Otemachi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3 TokyoStart your day at a local fish market, a bustling hub of
Japanese daily life boasting a dizzying array of seafood.
Then, receive a lesson in sushi making, followed by lunch,
during a Chef ’s Table experience. This afternoon, enjoy
one of these Design Your Day activities.
Explore the Mori Art Museum to take in local
contemporary art.
Learn the Secrets of the Samurai Warriors and test your
sword skills during a private class led by a modern-day
master samurai.
Indulge in a Sake Tasting, sampling some of Japan’s finest
sake and learning about its cultural importance.
Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Otemachi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4 HakoneTravel to Hakone, among Japan’s most popular hot-spring
destinations, and immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Savor a lunch of Japan’s famed Kobe beef 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
Rodin. The museum also features one of the world’s finest
Picasso exhibits, presenting visitors with over 100 works by
the cubist master. Tonight, experience unparalleled service
and traditional Japanese cuisine at Gôra Kadan, a top-rated
ryokan (traditional inn), which is also your authentic
accommodation for the night.
Gôra Kadan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5 OsakaAfter breakfast at your ryokan, visit the Okada Museum of
Art to view its stunning collection of paintings, ceramics,
lacquerware and bronzes from Japan, Korea and China.
Then, Ride Like a Local 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, take in city views, refreshing drink in hand, on a Scenic Sundowner, before you set out on a foodie tour in
the popular Dotonbori District, sampling dishes from the
brilliantly lighted and gastronomically creative restaurants
that line the street.
The St. Regis Osaka
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6 NaraTravel to Nara, Japan’s first capital, to visit Todai-ji, a temple
complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains the
largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Proceed to Nara Park,
home to hundreds of deer, venerated here as divine spirits,
which you have the opportunity to feed by hand. Complete
your Nara excursion with a visit to celebrated Kasuga Taisha
Shrine, and experience a Shinto ceremony firsthand. Pause for
lunch at a local restaurant before proceeding to the Kehaya-za
Sumo Pavilion, where you observe a demonstration of this
fabled Japanese sport by two sumo wrestlers. Return to your
hotel, where you enjoy dinner.
The St. Regis Osaka
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7 KyotoTravel into Kyoto early this morning to contemplate the
iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, the perfect spot for a
meditative moment, and discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji
Temple (Golden Pavilion) — covered with gold leaf
and surrounded by green gardens — casting its delicate
reflection in the tranquil pond beside it. After lunch, explore
the Arashiyama neighborhood, including the garden of
Tenryu-ji Temple. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling along a winding path
as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots,
considered by many a healing experience.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 8 KyotoVisit Kiyomizu-dera Temple for stunning views of Kyoto.
Proceed to a local temple to experience the art of the
tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and
etiquette, which dates to the time of the samurai. Tonight,
savor traditional Japanese cuisine, while an attending geiko
(as a geisha is known in Kyoto) and maiko (apprentice
geisha) dance, sing, pour sake and share stories about life
in modern Kyoto.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 9 KyotoAfter breakfast, transfer to Kansai International Airport or Itami
Airport, both located just outside of Osaka, for your flight home,
or begin a post-tour extension to Hiroshima.
Meals: Breakfast