Japan Old & New (trip)

Japan Old & New

  • Tokyo airport, Japan
  • Active & Adventure
Japan, Asia

from $15,350* per person10 DaysYear-round
Luxury accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Artisans of Leisure 12 people max
This tour features the historic and contemporary cultural highlights of Japan, visiting the ultra-modern city of Tokyo, the rural island of Naoshima, and ancient Kyoto.

Begin with private touring of Tokyo's most interesting neighborhoods and cultural attractions.

Next, travel to Naoshima Island, a magnificent contemporary art destination located in the Seto Inland Sea. Stay at Benesse House, a Tadao Ando-designed boutique hotel and contemporary art museum perched like a modernist stone castle on a ridge high above the sea. Explore Benesse Art Site and see artwork by important artists such as Richard Long and Hiroshi Sugimoto inside the museum, and installations by Yayoi Kusama, Cai Guo-Qiang and others along the waterfront below. Visit Art House Projects, where installations by James Turrell and others inhabit buildings— some hundreds of years old, some brand new—in one of the island's local villages. Dine on kaiseki (seasonal tasting menu) cuisine each night.

Continue by bullet train to traditional Kyoto for several days of private touring and exclusive access to the city's most enchanting gardens, mountain towns, temples and shrines, local specialty shops and food markets, restaurants, and residential districts. Accommodation is at one of Japan's most venerable ryokan.

Return to Tokyo for last-minute shopping and free time in the city before departing Japan.

Throughout the tour, sightseeing is private and very flexible. Accommodation is in Japan's most acclaimed luxury properties.

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Locations visited/nearby

Japan, Asia

0 testimonials about this trip.

3 testimonials about the provider, Artisans of Leisure:

  • Reviewer: L.A located in Los Angeles CA
    My Spain trip was perfect. Where to begin? I loved it all. Everything totally exceeded my expectations (which were considerable!).
  • Reviewer: S.D located in New York NY
    Our honeymoon in South Africa and Mauritius was incredible! Thank you for putting together the trip of our dreams. We loved the lodges and hotels and the rooms you selected in each place. We were treated like royalty! The activities you planned were amazing and we really enjoyed being with each of the guides. We are telling everyone we know to travel with Artisans of Leisure! Thank you!
  • Reviewer: L.L. located in Toronto Canada
    Japan was wonderful! Everything ran smoothly and we adored our guide.

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Special information

  • This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.

Itinerary

Day 1       Arrive Tokyo
Private arrival transfer to hotel for 2 nights

Day 2     Tokyo
Half-day private city tour

Day 3     Tokyo - Naoshima Island (Benesse)
Transfer by train, private car and ferry to Naoshima Island for 3 nights

Days 4 & 5     Naoshima Island (Benesse)
At leisure to explore the island

Day 6     Naoshima Island (Benesse) - Kyoto
Transfer by ferry, private car and train to Kyoto for 3 nights at ryokan

Day 7     Kyoto
Full-day private tour of Kyoto's best gardens, temples and shrines, mountain towns, specialty shops and traditional neighborhoods

Day 8     Kyoto
Private morning tour or cooking class

Day 9     Kyoto - Tokyo
Transfer by bullet train to Tokyo for overnight

Day 10     Depart Japan
Private airport transfer

More information from Artisans of Leisure: