Sacred Japan: Pilgrimage Sites, Ancient Forests & Cultural Treasures

(15 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Tokyo, Koyasan (Mount Koya), Kyoto & Nara, Ise-Shima region, Osaka, Yakushima, Hakone & Kamakura

This private luxury tour of Japan emphasizes the unique natural beauty, traditional spirituality and top cultural highlights of the country. It includes touring of some of Japan’s most important pilgrimage destinations, including Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, as well as immersion in ancient forests and time to relax at two of Japan’s best hot springs resorts.

Begin in Tokyo, the capital of contemporary culture and style in Japan. Stay at one of the city’s best luxury hotels, and enjoy flexible city touring with your private guide and driver. Tour important historical sites such as Meiji Jingu Shrine and Sensoji Temple, and visit Tokyo’s most interesting neighborhoods, such as Ginza, Asakusa, Harajuku and Aoyama. See traditional and contemporary architecture, visit specialty shops, and tour Tokyo’s best museums, such as the Tokyo National Museum. Experience Tokyo’s exciting culinary scene at the Tsukiji Outer Market or Toyosu Market, the Kappabashi kitchenware district, and our favorite specialty food shops and department store food halls. We also make reservations for our travelers at our favorite restaurants in Tokyo, which range from local noodle shops, sushi bars and izakaya(pubs) to some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world.

Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional experiences in Tokyo, such as watching sumo wrestlers practice at a sumo stable, a private sushi-making lesson, visiting a teamLab Borderless immersive video installation, shopping for the latest Japanese gadgets, meetings with culinary and sake experts, private martial arts lessons, seeing a Japanese baseball game, attending a kabuki performance and visiting the Ghibli Museum. We can also arrange touring to include Japanese seasonal events such as ohanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties in the spring, fireworks festivals in the summer and viewing koyo (fall foliage) in the autumn.

Continue to atmospheric Koyasan (also known as Mount Koya), an ancient Buddhist site in a magical forest of giant cedar trees high in the mountains. During private touring of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, see important temples, and walk paths through the vast ancient cemetery inside the forest, passing hundreds of stone lanterns and moss-covered graves. Stay at a traditional temple lodge, and enjoy shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian) meals and the opportunity to participate in ritual Buddhist chanting at a temple.

Next, transfer to enchanting Kyoto, the heart of Japanese culture and tradition. Stay at one of Kyoto’s best luxury hotels or ryokan (traditional inns), and enjoy flexible private touring of the best of this elegant city with your private guide and driver. Visit the city’s most important historic attractions and temples and shrines such as Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), Ryoanji and its famous Zen rock garden, Kiyomizudera Temple, Nijo Castle, Ginkakuji, Saihoji (Moss Temple) and Fushimi Inari, famous for its tunnel of red torii gates. Take a private excursion to Arashiyama, a beautiful mountainside district, to see its enormous bamboo forest, historic gardens and sites, and to have a vegetarian lunch at a Zen temple. Enjoy a private tour of Gion, Kyoto’s traditional geisha district, walk on the Philosopher’s Path, and see traditional architecture in our favorite neighborhoods. Also browse Nishiki Market, antiques districts, small specialty museums, and historic shops that have been selling traditional goods for centuries. Upon request, we can arrange access to imperial villas and private gardens such as Katsura Rikyu and other less-visited attractions. One day, enjoy a private excursion to ancient Nara, the eighth-century capital of Japan, as well as nearby Horyuji Temple, where Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the seventh century. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Artisans of Leisure will also arrange an exclusive private Japanese tea ceremony in a tea villa and reservations at Kyoto’s best restaurants.

Upon request, other activities that can be arranged around Kyoto include an exclusive private dinner with geisha entertainment, private Zen meditation in a local Buddhist temple, meetings with local craftspeople, private ikebana (flower arranging) lessons, visiting a master swordsmith, meetings with ceramics experts, tea tastings and tea plantation visits, visits to sake breweries and tofu factories, manga drawing lessons, a visit to a private machiya (traditional merchant house), hiking to temples in the hills, attending local festivals, private Japanese cooking classes, and visiting the best places around Kyoto to view cherry blossoms and fall foliage.

Continue to Amanemu, a luxurious onsen (hot spring) resort overlooking the sea in off-the-beaten-path Mie Prefecture. During private touring in the Ise-Shima region, visit fascinating Ise Jingu Shrine, Japan’s most important Shinto shrine and a major pilgrimage site inside a sacred forest. Also see other local highlights such as the famous “wedded rocks” and Mikimoto Pearl Island, where cultured pearls were first developed. During leisure time, enjoy the beautiful setting and amenities of the Aman resort, including your own private hot spring bath. Artisans of Leisure can arrange helicopter transfers to and from Amanemu.

Spend one night in Osaka, a city known for food and fun. During introductory touring, visit Dotonbori and other interesting neighborhoods filled with neon signs, funky shops and great street food. Other activities we arrange in the region include touring a renowned Japanese whisky distillery, visiting the Cup Noodles Museum, attending a sumo tournament, visiting the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and creating your own Japanese cooking knife in a city famous for metalworking.

Next, transfer to the airport, and fly to Yakushima Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its ancient cedar trees and enchanting natural scenery. Stay at a luxurious resort with panoramic views of the forest and the Pacific Ocean. During private touring, explore Yakushima’s otherworldly landscapes, including hiking in the primeval rainforests of Yakusugi Land and Shiratani Unsuikyo among cedar trees, moss-covered boulders and mountain waterfalls. Upon request, we can arrange kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, biking, yoga classes, spa and wellness treatments, guided forest meditation, cooking classes and other activities.

Fly to Tokyo and transfer to Hakone, a volcanic national park renowned for hot springs and views of nearby Mount Fuji. Stay at one of Japan’s most luxurious and renowned ryokan inns, where you can soak in outdoor hot spring bath and enjoy a gourmet kaiseki ryori (seasonal tasting menu) dinner. During private touring in the region, explore Hakone’s geothermal areas and historical sites, and perhaps stop by one of Hakone’s best art museums or a studio dedicated to yosegi (inlaid wood), a local craft. Also visit the seaside town of Kamakura, an ancient capital of Japan with dozens of beautiful Zen temples and Shinto shrines along the coast and in the hillside forests and bamboo groves. Tour the highlights of the region including the Great Buddha, a monumental bronze statue built in the 13th century. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can incorporate hiking, a drive up the base of Mount Fuji or a boat ride on Lake Ashi for views of Mount Fuji.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:

• Private touring with your own personal guides and drivers
• Preferred rooms in the very best luxury hotels
• Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our travel specialists
• Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and schedule
• Artisans of Leisure upgrades and amenities
• A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, skipping lines during touring whenever possible, restaurant and spa reservations, performance tickets, private airport transfers, internal transportation, VIP and fast-track airport assistance in many destinations
• Around-the-clock support in each destination during your trip
• Unique, insider travel experiences and access to the Artisans of Leisure network of experts around the world