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This two-week journey through Japan offers a perfect blend of modern energy, history, and culture. Starting in Tokyo, you'll explore the city's vibrant streets and tranquil spots like Hamarikyu Gardens, followed by a day trip to the serene Nikko National Park. In Kiso Fukushima, walk the historic Nakasendo Trail through preserved Edo-period towns and lush forests. The adventure continues in Kyoto and Nara, where ancient temples and sacred deer provide a peaceful contrast to the bustling cities. A visit to Mount Koya offers spiritual immersion with Buddhist traditions, followed by a vibrant culinary exploration in Osaka. From tranquil temples to bold flavours, this trip captures the essence of Japan’s rich heritage and dynamic present.
At each port of call you’ll be accompanied by your private driver/guide while staying at our curated collection of utterly unique boutique hotels. There are many ways of seeing Vietnam, this is the Yonder way.
What's Included
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International flights from the UK
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Stunning & unique hotels
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Private, expert-guided tours
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All transfers & collections by private chauffeur
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Dedicated support 24/7
Sample itinerary in full
Remember: Every Yonder itinerary is uniquely created to suit our individual clients. Destinations, hotels, lengths of stay and even modes of transport are all decided by you, with the help of our local knowledge and expert guidance.
DAYS 1-4 | Tokyo
Tokyo is a study in momentum. It is best approached with a blend of curiosity and restraint—let it reveal itself, layer by layer. Your base is a contemporary hotel in the heart of the city, high above the streets of Shibuya, where the energy never dims. A private guide leads your first exploration. Hamarikyu Gardens—an island of calm where tea is served in a centuries-old teahouse, the ritual unchanged for generations. A boat down the Sumida River, tracing the city’s history as it unfolds along the banks. Then, Asakusa, where the scent of incense drifts through the ancient gates of Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest. Another day brings a shift—out of the city, into the green expanse of Nikko National Park. Here, the UNESCO-listed Toshogu Shrine is an architectural marvel, its golden details catching the shifting light. A drive through winding mountain roads leads to the glassy surface of Lake Chuzenji and the cascading power of Kegon Falls. Time slows in these landscapes, offering a different rhythm before your journey moves forward.
Your included hotel
Aman Tokyo
Your alternative hotel choices
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
DAYS 5-6 | Kiso Fukushima & the Nakasendo Trail
Explore preserved Edo-period post towns and countryside
The bullet train carries you westward, then onward into the mountains by local train. Kiso Fukushima is a place of transition, where Japan’s history lingers in the wooden facades of ryokans and quiet shrines. Here, the Nakasendo Trail awaits. Once a route for samurai and merchants, today it is a path through time. You walk through preserved Edo-period post towns, through cedar forests where the only sound is the soft rush of a nearby stream.
DAYS 7-9 | Kyoto & Nara
Walking tour of Kyoto and Nara Park
Kyoto is the counterweight to Tokyo’s restless energy. A private guide shapes your first day. The hushed corridors of Ryoan-ji, where a Zen rock garden invites contemplation. The golden shimmer of Kinkaku-ji, reflected in its perfectly still pond. Then Arashiyama, where the Bamboo Grove sways with a rhythm all its own. Another day brings Nara, where ancient temples rise against low-lying mountains. The Daibutsu—Japan’s Great Buddha—sits in quiet observation, as he has for centuries. The deer of Nara Park move freely, remnants of a time when nature and spirituality were inextricably linked.
Your included hotel
Four Seasons Kyoto
Your alternative hotel choices
Hoshinoya Kyoto
The Hyatt Regency Kyoto
DAYS 10-11 | Mount Koya
Train to Mount Koya and guided tour of Okunoin Cemeter
The journey to Mount Koya is an experience in itself—trains leading to funiculars, which lead to a landscape where time feels suspended. This is one of Japan’s most sacred places, home to over 100 temples and centuries of Buddhist tradition. The cedar-lined paths of Okunoin Cemetery tell stories of those who walked this earth before. Trails wind through dense forest, past moss-covered stupas and hidden shrines. In the evening, a meal of shojin ryori—monastic cuisine, meticulously prepared—offers a different kind of nourishment.
DAYS 12-13 | Osaka
From Mount Koya, the train delivers you to Osaka, Japan’s unapologetic capital of food and flavor. Where Kyoto is refined, Osaka is bold—every street bursting with energy, every dish a celebration. An evening with a food expert takes you into the depths of Osaka’s culinary scene. Down narrow alleyways, past glowing lanterns, to hidden stalls where okonomiyaki sizzles on the grill. Takoyaki, crisp on the outside, molten within. A counter seat where a sushi master serves his craft with quiet precision. Each bite, a final note in this journey through Japan. The next morning, the return flight. A moment of stillness before the plane lifts off, leaving behind a country that never truly lets you go.
Your included hotel
Cross Hotel Osaka
Your alternative hotel choices
The St. Regis Osaka
Tailor-Made Itineraries
THE YONDER DIFFERENCE
Off-the-shelf is off the menu at Yonder: from the moment you first get in touch you'll be in the hands of a senior executive who has spent years getting to know your destination first-hand. Other travel companies might talk a big game about expertise and customisation but, to blow our own trumpet for a minute, we're in a league of our own.
Hotels featured in this itinerary
Aman Tokyo
Aman Tokyo is a serene oasis perched high above the city in the Otemachi Tower, offering an unparalleled blend of modern sophistication and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
View this hotelMandarin Oriental Tokyo
The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is the embodiment of refined luxury, offering a sophisticated escape amidst one of the world’s most bustling cities.
View this hotelHow to go Yonder
What you get for your money
This itinerary would typically cost from £5,990pp inclusive of international flights staying in the specified hotels and having the services of a private chauffeur and guide.
The costs vary based on season, flights, room type and board basis. All our holidays are tailor-made and can be created around your budget.
Every Yonder itinerary is uniquely created to suit our individual clients. Destinations, hotels, lengths of stay and even modes of transport are all decided by you, with the help of our local knowledge and expert guidance.
All Yonder holidays include flights, carefully curated hotels. private drivers, expert guides and local concierges alongside 24/7 support from Yonder should it ever be needed so you know you are in safe hands.We are immensely proud of our unique and in-depth expertise of the destinations we offer. Unlike some travel companies, each hotel we feature is handpicked and personally experienced by us so we can give you the inside story. We also carefully choose our guides based on their their exhaustive knowledge and professionalism to ensure you have a perfect holiday.
What’s the process?
We love to chat. Tell us about your Yonderlust, your travel tastes, your wishes and desires. The more we know the better and we will make a few suggestions based on extensive our first-hand experience.
Once we‘ve glimpsed your travel soul we will start crafting your unique itinerary. And then we will refine it until you’re as excited as we are.
When you are ready to go Yonder you can make your reservation. We usually take a 30% deposit (but this can vary depending on your holiday). The balance payable 90 days prior to departure. Best of all, booking with Yonder really is headache free. You have complete financial protection for all holidays which include flights through our ATOL licence (11237).
And once you’ve booked, you can be absolutely sure that you’ll have someone to turn to whenever you need to. We will be there for you 24/7.
Every great journey starts with one small step
Please get in touch by phone, by email or by filling in our simple enquiry form so that our travel experts can get in touch to discuss your perfect tailor-made holiday.
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As Featured By
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