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This Japan tour is perfect for value-minded travel lovers who enjoy history, beautiful settings, and fascinating architecture. You’ll start in Tokyo, end in Kyoto, and overnight along the way in the Mount Fuji area, Osaka, and Hiroshima. Highlights of this tour through Japan are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites you’ll visit. Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, has long been worshipped as a sacred mountain; enjoy views of majestic Mount Fiji and Lake Kawaguchi during your cable-car ride (weather permitting). In Hiroshima, visit Itsukushima Shrine, built over water and known for its iconic floating Torii gate, and Peace Memorial Park to see the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the only remaining structure from the first atomic bomb in 1945. In Kyoto, visit the Temple of the Gold Pavilion, a Buddhist temple covered in beautiful gold leaf, and participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. In addition to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, famous shrines, and other historic sites, this tour includes visits to two of Japan’s premier gardens dating back to the 1600’s. Walk the tranquil Koraku-En to enjoy the ponds, bridges, waterfalls, and tea house and the Shinjuku Gyoen or “Imperial Garden,” formerly a feudal lord’s property and home to one thousand cherry blossom trees. You’ll enjoy a local lunch and taste the “Japanese pizza”, the legendary okonomiyaki dish. Plus, you’ll ride on the famous bullet train, or shinkansen. History, scenery, culture, cuisine, and fun experiences…this Japan vacation has it all!
About Cosmos
Cosmos makes exploring the world easy and great value, taking care of the details while giving you the freedom to enjoy your holiday your way. Escorted tours include comfortable accommodation, transportation, expert Tour Directors and Local Guides, plus sightseeing and selected meals. With plenty of free time and optional experiences, you can discover each destination at your own pace.
Inclusions
Hand-selected accommodation
Guided sightseeing with Tour Directors & Local Guides, with complimentary headsets.
Seamless transportation between destinations on private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi
Meals: 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches
Guided city sightseeing of Tokyo including admission to Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, Asakusa Kannon Temple, and Nakamise Shopping Arcade
Admission to Mt. Fuji ropeway and Chureito Pagoda
Bullet train ride from Mt. Fuji area to Osaka
Guided city sightseeing of Osaka including admission to the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses, Osaka Castle, and Koraku-en Garden
Guided city sightseeing of Hiroshima including admission to Peace Memorial Park, Miyajima Island and visit to Itsukushima Shrine
Pottery workshop
Admission to Himeji Castle
Guided city sightseeing of Kyoto including admission to the Temple of the Golden Pavilion and Sanjusangendo
Guided walking tour of Nishiki Market
Traditional Japanese tea ceremony
Itinerary
Day 1 | Tokyo
Welcome to Japan’s capital city. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2 |Tokyo
Meet your Tour Director and travel companions prior to morning sightseeing in Tokyo. Your tour starts with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a man-made forest. Next, visit Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. Originally dating from the early 1600s, the garden was destroyed in World War II and reopened in 1949 as a public park, home to one thousand cherry blossom trees. Today, it remains an immensely popular stop for locals and visitors alike. Last stop is the vibrant Asakusa Kannon Temple and the bustling Nakamise shopping arcade. The balance of the afternoon is at leisure.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Day 3 |Tokyo
Enjoy the day at your leisure to explore this sprawling metropolis.
Meals: breakfast
Day 4 | Tokyo–Mount Fuji Area
This morning, leave Tokyo and head south along the coast to the beautiful Five Lakes region. Take a cable-car ride (weather permitting) for panoramic views of Lake Kawaguchi and spectacular Mount Fuji, or Fujisan as the locals call it, Japan’s highest mountain. You’ll also visit Chureito Pagoda for a chance to snap your own iconic image of the pagoda with Fujisan in the background!
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Day 5 | Mount Fuji Area–Osaka
This morning, board Japan’s famous shinkansen (bullet train) for Osaka. Upon arrival, join your Tour Director for a walking tour in Minami. Made up of Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Dotonbori, this area is home to great dining and nightlife and some of the city’s most fashionable shops and department stores. This evening is free to explore the city on your own.
Meals: breakfast
Day 6 | Osaka
Your sightseeing tour starts at the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses, where traditional thatched-roof farmhouses dating from the Edo period have been restored. Be transported back in time as you explore the old architecture. Visit Osaka Castle, then enjoy the afternoon and evening at leisure. Perhaps return to Dotonbori this evening to sample local cuisine and see the sparkling neon lights.
Meals: breakfast
Day 7 | Osaka–Okayama–Kurashiki–Hiroshima
This morning, drive south to Okayama and visit Koraku-en, one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.” The 30-acre garden features ponds, plum groves, and tea fields. The wide lawns, believed to uplift the spirit and promote open mindedness, are unique to Koraku-en and not a traditional feature of Japanese gardens. In Kurashiki, enjoy free time in the Bikan Historical Quarter, once the political and commercial centre of the city. The canal-lined, white-washed, stone streets reflect the Edo period (1603-1867) and are quintessentially Japanese. Continue to Hiroshima.
Meals: breakfast
Day 8 | Hiroshima
Today’s full day sightseeing includes two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Peace Memorial Park, and Itsukushima Shrine. Start at Peace Memorial Park where you’ll visit the Peace Memorial, commonly referred to as the Atomic Bomb Dome, that is preserved and is just as it was on August 6, 1945, immediately after the bombing. You will also visit the Memorial Museum and Memorial Hall, which commemorate the lives lost that day. For lunch, enjoy the country’s legendary dish of okonomiyaki, a delicious Japanese-style savory pancake. Then, travel to Miyajima Island to visit Itsukushima Shrine, known for its beautiful floating Torii Gate.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Day 9 | Hiroshima–Bizen–Himeji–Kyoto
Drive north to Bizen, where you’ll visit a traditional pottery workshop to learn more about Bizen-yaki, one of Japan’s six ancient pottery styles dating back over 1,000 years. Stop in Himeji to visit Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture that combines function with elegance. Continue to Kyoto.
Meals: breakfast
Day 10 | Kyoto
Your day begins with a visit to stunning Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Gold Pavilion, covered in shimmering gold leaf. Walk through bustling Nishiki Market, a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. Participate in a tea ceremony, a time-honoured tradition, and wonderfully choreographed ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea. After lunch, visit Sanjusajendo Temple, famous for its 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Enjoy the late afternoon and evening at leisure. Perhaps stroll through Gion, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Day 11 | Kyoto
Full day at leisure to explore more of Kyoto’s historic sites and shrines. Oh, deer! Consider an optional afternoon trip to the expanses of Nara Park, famous for its free-roaming deer who wander freely amid its shrines and temples.
Meals: breakfast
Day 12| Kyoto
Your tour ends with breakfast this morning.
Meals: breakfast
*Itinerary is subject to change.
Dates/Pricing
Depart
Price from
29 Mar - 9 Apr 2027
$7,059pp
5 Jul - 16 Jul 2027
$6,749pp
9 Aug - 20 Aug 2027
$6,749pp
13 Sep - 24 Sep 2027
$6,899pp
25 Oct - 5 Nov 2027
$6,899pp
8 Nov - 19 Nov 2027
$6,899pp
13 Mar - 24 Mar 2028
$7,629pp
22 May - 2 Jun 2028
$7,329pp
23 Oct - 3 Nov 2028
$7,479pp
Multiples departures available March - November 2027 & 2028
*Advertised price is based on per person twin share on 5 Jul & 9 Aug 2027 departures, correct as of 7 September 2026. Other departures available and may incur a surcharge. Solo supplement applies for sole occupancy.
Booking terms and conditions apply.
*
Term and conditions apply: All pricing subject to change and availability. Advertised prices are per person twin share unless stated otherwise. Offers may be withdrawn at any time. Itineraries are subject to change. Booking Conditions and Phil Hoffmann Travel Schedule of Professionalism* applies. Please speak to your Phil Hoffmann Travel Consultant for more information.
