Splendors of Japan - Celebrate Takayama Festival
Tour Type: Country Explorer
Brochure Type Asia 2025 v1
Celebrate the changing seasons as the jangle of bells and boom-boom-bang of drums accompany a captivating parade of festival floats on the streets of hillside Takayama. The Activity Level of this tour is Dynamic, meaning this journey features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills.
Be My Guest
Brochure Type Asia 2025 v1
Celebrate the changing seasons as the jangle of bells and boom-boom-bang of drums accompany a captivating parade of festival floats on the streets of hillside Takayama. The Activity Level of this tour is Dynamic, meaning this journey features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills.
Be My Guest
- Kyoto Enjoy a kaiseki lunch at a traditional Japanese ryokan near Kyoto where you will learn about local customs.
- 1 Be My Guest (BMG)
- 2 Dinner (D)
- 1 Farewell Dinner (FD)
- 2 Lunch (L)
- 8 Breakfast (B)
- Takayama Join the locals at the Takayama Festival.
- Ginza With the guidance of your professional sushi chef, make your own selection of sushi specialties. Afterwards enjoy the fruits of your labor with a delicious lunch.
- Mt Fuji Start your day by visiting the small rural village of Oshino Hakkai which is home to eight natural spring water ponds. Next on your travels is a 2,300-meter winding road to Mt. Fuji 5th Station. To end your day, you will ride up to Mt. Tenjo by r
- Kyoto Your city tour takes you to the orange gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Admire this sacred site before visiting Sanjeusangen-do-Hall, where you can view the 1,001 "thousand-handed" goddesses of mercy statues. Continue your exploration of Kyoto wi
- Kanazawa Enjoy a stroll through Omicho market before making your way to the beautiful Gardens of Kenrokuen which have been shaped over the past one hundred years.
- Kanazawa Learn about the delicacy of the 16th-century craft gold leaf painting with your Local Specialist.
- Tokyo Visit Tokyo's renowned landmarks and gain insight into how this modern city preserves its ancient roots.
- Gokayama Take some time to admire the peaceful mountain village of Gokayama. Discover their unique homes that have been built without the use of nails and their sloped thatched roofs.
- Kyoto Admire the beautiful golden pavilion of Kinkakuji Temple.
- Gokayama Help support a local business with a visit to a washi paper workshop. You'll watch the family at work, and test your paper-making skills for yourself.
- Visit the Sensoji Temple, the Skytree Observation Tower, the Edo Tokyo Museum in Tokyo, Mt. Fuji 5th Station, the Kinkakuji Temple and Fushimi Inari Shrine and Sanjusangen-do Hall in Kyoto
- Explore Tokyo and Kyoto
- See the traditional Gassho-zukuri houses in Gokayama and the beautiful gardens of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- Optional Experiences and free time
Call 1 (888) 828-8747 for more information or to book today! Mention code 18030337
- Tour Operator
- Trafalgar Tours
- Duration
- 9 Days
- Escorted
- Escorted - Yes
| Day | Destination | Description |
| Day 1 | Tokyo | Konnichiwa Tokyo: Your in-depth exploration of Japan begins in Tokyo. On arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport, take a shuttle bus transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you'll join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a Welcome drink and local appetizers. Accommodations: New Otani Garden Tower |
| Day 2 | Tokyo | Explore Vibrant Tokyo: We launch our city tour in the old-time entertainment center of Asakusa, where we'll encounter the Sensoji Buddhist Temple. One of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples, Sensoji has been rebuilt countless times since it was founded in 628, making it Tokyo's oldest temple site. Strolling down Nakamise next, we immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds of shitamachi (downtown Tokyo), admiring the wooden dolls, colorful chiyogami (origami paper) and traditional Japanese sweets. We'll ascend Tokyo Skytree, the world's highest free-standing broadcasting tower for panoramic views of the city. Accommodations: New Otani Garden Tower |
| Day 3 | Yamanakako | Off to the Five Lakes District: Our first stop today is the Imperial Palace Plaza from where the two bridges that form the entrance to the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace can be viewed. We'll have the opportunity to explore the leafy Imperial Palace East Gardens before continuing our city tour. At the Tokyo National Museum browse collections of Japanese art, then continue to the Ginza district where we'll learn how to make sushi with a professional sushi chef. We venture to the Five Lakes District next, keeping a keen eye out for the UNESCO listed Mt. Fuji which dominates the landscape. Accommodations: Fuji Marriott Yamanakako |
| Day 4 | Takayama | Majestic Mt. Fuji and Timeless Takayama: Admire the reflections of the sky and landscapes in the clear waters, then ascend Mt. Fuji by road to 2,300 meters at the 5th station. Ride up Mt. Tenjo on the Kachikachiyama Ropeway next, for jaw-dropping views (weather permitting) of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. Then, journey through the Japanese Alps to the beautiful hillside town of Takayama, before enjoying dinner at the hotel. Visit the Takayama Evening festival where you will see the spectacular sight of the floats decorated with lanterns. Accommodations: Associa Takayama Resort |
| Day 5 | Takayama | Join the Locals at the Takayama Festival: Immerse yourself in tradition as you walk through the Edo-style streets of Takayama's Old Town. Indulge in a lunch of Japanese Hida-gyu - beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, renowned as one of the finest quality varieties of beef. After lunch, immerse yourself in the town's festive atmosphere. Admire the intricately carved yatai (floats) that date back to the 17th century and feature karakuri ningyo (marionettes) which move and dance as their strings are managed by the tsunakata (puppeteers). Later, return to the hotel by coach. Accommodations: Associa Takayama Resort |
| Day 6 | Kanazawa | Experience Gokayama and on to Kanazawa: Journey back in time this morning during a visit to the peaceful UNESCO-listed Gokayama, a mountain village set amidst five valleys. Admire the unique construction of the local Gassho-zukuri wooden houses that have been built without the use of nails with steeply sloped thatched roofs to prevent snow from building up on them. Later observe local artisans making washi paper and trying your hand at making your own. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience contributes to the sustainability of this small business. Then, continue to Kanazawa and take a short walk through the Omicho market and enjoy an insider's view of everyday life in a busy coastal town. Next, visit the gardens of Kenroku-en, shaped over a hundred years before continuing with a visit to a Local Specialist to learn the secrets of painting gold leaf. Stay overnight in Kanazawa. Accommodations: Kanazawa Tokyu |
| Day 7 | Kyoto | Onwards to Kyoto Connect with Locals: We board an Express train this morning to Kyoto. We'll Connect With Locals at a traditional ryokan and enjoy a Be My Guest lunch, learning about local Japanese customs from our hosts. After lunch, we visit the UNESCO-listed Kinkakuji Temple with its famous Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion), the proud symbol of Kyoto and a Zen temple, which has its origins as a 14th-century villa. Accommodations: The Hotel Higashiyama |
| Day 8 | Kyoto | Discover Enchanting Kyoto: The blazing orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine guide our path through the forest, up into the mountains and to a sacred site that has heard prayers for prosperity and happiness since the 8th century. We continue to Sanjusangen-do Hall and admire the minute detail of each of its 1,001 ?thousand-handed? goddesses of mercy statues, then enjoy a walking tour of the Gion area. This evening, we indulge in a Farewell Dinner with your Travel Director and fellow guests. Accommodations: The Hotel Higashiyama |
| Day 9 | Kyoto | Sayonara Japan: Our encounter with Japan's age-old traditions and modern cityscapes at its end, we take a transfer by airport shuttle service to Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami Airport for our onward flight. Alternatively, continue to Hiroshima by choosing the 13 day Splendors of Japan with Hiroshima itinerary. Accommodations: |
- Dates/Pricing
- Disclaimer
- Twin prices are per person.
- These prices are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking.
- All tour information is correct at time of tours going live, however is subject to change, please confirm all details at time of booking.
- For full terms and conditions, please refer to our Conditions page.
- Hotel Class Key: D: Deluxe SF: Superior First Class F: First Class
