A week in Japan
Tokyo & Kyoto
Overview
June 5 - 6 | Travel to Tokyo
June 6 – 9 | Tokyo | The Kitano Tokyo (3 nights)
June 9 – 12 | Kyoto | Ace Hotel Kyoto (3 nights)
June 12 | Departure
June 6 | Tokyo
Airport Pick-Up & Private Transfer
Land at Tokyo Haneda Airport. After clearing customs and baggage claim, meet your driver in the arrivals hall for a private transfer to your hotel in the city center.
Check-In at The Kitano
Check in at The Kitano and settle into a side of Tokyo that feels calm, curated, and quietly cool. This boutique hotel keeps things simple in the best way. Clean lines, warm wood tones, thoughtful details. Nothing flashy, just beautifully done. Rooms feel like your own private reset button above the city. Start the day with a Japanese breakfast, head out to explore, then come back to something that actually feels peaceful. It is central without being chaotic, stylish without trying too hard, and intimate in a way the big hotels just are not. A solid Tokyo base with real character.
Evening at Leisure
Take a quiet first evening to rest up after your long journey. We recommend dinner at your hotel this evening, as you recuperate from your trip.
The Kitano Hotel | Superior King Room
June 7 | Tokyo
Tokyo Tower
9:30am: Meet your guide at the lobby of your hotel and start your tour of Tokyo at the world-famous Tokyo Tower, which is a former TV Tower. From the Top deck at 250 metre high, Greater Tokyo, Yokohama, Disneyland, Mt. Fuji, etc. can be observed if the weather is clear.
Tsukiji Fish Market
11:00am: Continue on to Tsukiji Fish Market, where your guide will introduce you not only to the freshest seafood but also to traditional kitchen utensils and a vibrant array of Japanese ingredients. Tsukiji Fish Market officially opened in 1935 after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed the previous fish market in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. It quickly became the largest wholesale seafood market in the world, shaping Tokyo’s culinary culture and influencing Japanese seafood trade for over 80 years.
Become an Itamae Sushi Chef
Step into a private sushi class at one of the market’s renowned restaurants. Under the guidance of a master chef, you’ll learn how to slice sashimi and craft perfect nigiri, creating your own sushi lunch with ingredients sourced straight from the market.
Explore Tokyo Highlights with a Local
1:00pm: In the afternoon, visit Meiji Jingu Shrine, Japan’s most revered shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji. Surrounded by a tranquil forest, you can soak in the sacred atmosphere and make a wish for prosperity and health at the main hall. Continue with a stroll through Harajuku and Omotesando, where lively street food stands and trendy teen shops meet high-end boutiques and striking contemporary architecture. Conclude your day in Shibuya, where you’ll witness the energy of one of the world’s busiest pedestrian crossings—a quintessential Tokyo experience.
5:00pm: Return to hotel for evening at leisure.
The Kitano Hotel | Superior King Room | Breakfast, Lunch
June 8 | tokyo
More Than Manga: Otaku Culture in Akihabara
On this 3-hour Akihabara tour, you will explore Tokyo's hub for otaku, providing a closer look at one of Japan’s most misunderstood subcultures. Otaku is a term for devoted enthusiasts, most often of manga (comic books), anime (cartoons), and video games: cultural products that are now seen as an inescapable part of life in contemporary Japan. Rather than a museum of any kind, Akihabara is a living marketplace, grouping stores of all types that cater to the fandom surrounding manga and anime. As you visit this unique shopping district, you'll peel back the layers of contemporary Japanese culture, developing a richer understanding of the origins of otaku and placing the phenomenon in the greater context of Japanese society.
teamLab Planets TOKYO
Head over to teamLab Planets TOKYO where you move barefoot through immersive installations where light spills across mirrored floors, flowers bloom and dissolve around you, and entire rooms respond to your presence in real time. It is sensory, playful, and slightly surreal, blurring the line between art, technology, and your own body. One moment you are wading through warm water beneath a galaxy of floating lights, the next you are suspended in an infinite field of color. It is immersive in the truest sense, designed to make you feel inside the artwork rather than simply observing it.
Dinner reservation at a restaurant of your choosing depending on your interest.
The Kitano Hotel | Superior King Room | Breakfast
June 9 | Kyoto
Pick-Up & Private Transfer
9:30am: After breakfast and check out, meet your driver at the hotel lobby for a private transfer to the train station to catch your train.
Shinkansen to Kyoto
Grab a bento snack and hop aboard the high-speed bullet train known as Shinkansen,
Private Transfer & Check In
Upon arrival at Kyoto Station, meet your driver for a private transfer to Ace Hotel Kyoto, your design forward base in the city.
Set in a former telephone exchange building, Ace blends modern Kyoto energy with artful, considered interiors. Expect warm wood, graphic textiles, and a mix of Japanese and mid century influences that feel creative rather than curated. The vibe is lively but polished, with a strong sense of place. Rooms balance clean lines with playful details, custom artwork, and expansive windows that frame the city. Downstairs, you will find a mix of buzzy dining spots, a coffee bar that draws locals, and communal spaces that feel more like a cultural hub than a hotel lobby.
Dinner reservation at a restaurant of your choosing depending on your interest.
Ace Hotel Kyoto | Deluxe King Room | Breakfast
June 10 | Kyoto
Kyoto With a Local Guide
9:00am: Meet your guide Ms. Yumiko Sakurai in the hotel lobby. Begin at Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), a UNESCO World Heritage Site originally built by a shogun to display his power and prosperity, its shimmering gold-leaf exterior reflected beautifully in the surrounding pond. Continue to Ryoan-ji Temple, renowned for its enigmatic Zen rock garden, one of Japan’s most iconic expressions of minimalist aesthetics.
Next, enjoy a leisurely walk along the Philosopher’s Path, a scenic stone walkway winding through Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, once used for daily meditation by philosopher Nishida Kitaro. Conclude at Honno-ji Temple, the historic site of the dramatic 1582 incident involving warlord Oda Nobunaga, where the story of Yasuke—a Black samurai who served Nobunaga and fought bravely at the temple—adds a powerful human chapter to Kyoto’s history.
4:00pm: Return to your hotel to freshen and relax before dinner.
Dinner at Geisha House (Optional Add-on: 3 Hours)
5:45pm: Meet your guide at the hotel lobby and travel to Miyagawacho, one of Kyoto’s most prestigious geisha districts. Arrive at an exclusive, members-only teahouse and settle into a private traditional room for a refined Kyoto-style kaiseki dinner, showcasing the season’s finest ingredients and culinary artistry. During the evening, enjoy an intimate cultural performance as a maiko and a traditional musician present elegant dances accompanied by live shamisen music. The experience is rounded out with lighthearted traditional games, offering a rare and personal glimpse into the world of Kyoto’s geisha culture.
Priced separately if interested.
9:00pm: Return to your hotel.
Ace Hotel Kyoto | Deluxe King Room | Breakfast
June 11 | kyoto
Dive Deeper into Kyoto
8:30am: Meet your guide Ms. Yumiko Sakurai in the hotel lobby. Begin in Arashiyama, Kyoto’s scenic mountainside district, with a visit to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, known for its hundreds of expressive, moss-covered stone statues.
Continue to the tranquil Gio-ji Temple, a former nunnery featuring a small moss garden and a charming thatched-roof hall. Experience Arashiyama from a classic perspective with a rickshaw ride through the bamboo grove, gliding beneath soaring bamboo stalks.
Visit Tenryu-ji Temple, one of Japan’s most important Zen temples, followed by a traditional shojin cuisine lunch, the refined vegetarian fare once eaten by Buddhist monks.
Private Tea Ceremony
Later, enjoy a private tea ceremony led by a tea master, with matcha served alongside seasonal sweets. Conclude the day in the Saga Toriimoto area, a beautifully preserved district along an ancient pilgrimage route, where historic rural homes have been transformed into cafés, teahouses, antique shops, and craft stores, offering a glimpse of Kyoto’s timeless countryside charm.
4:30pm: Return to hotel for evening at leisure.
Ace Hotel Kyoto | Deluxe King Room | Breakfast, Lunch
June 12 | Travel to Bangkok
Private Transfer & Flight
This morning, meet your driver at the hotel lobby for a private transfer to the Osaka Airport for your flight to Bangkok.
Flight priced separately.
Starting at $8,500 Per Person
*Price per person based on 2 people traveling in double occupancy, with the inclusions below.
Pricing & inclusions
Accommodation: all luxury properties as listed in the itinerary.
Tokyo | The Kitano Tokyo (3 nights)
Kyoto | Ace Hotel Kyoto (3 nights)
Transport: All private transfers with a personal guide for the entire trip and the required high-speed train tickets for Kyoto,
Tours & Activities: All tours, activities and excursions with an expert English-speaking guide as listed in the itinerary, along with the required entrance fees associated with the tours.
Meals: All breakfasts, some meals listed as included in your itinerary.
Other: City taxes associated with your accommodations. Restaurant reservations and coordination. All insider recommendations for your trip. Local team on call 24-hours a day during your trip.
Exclusions
Flights
Travel insurance
Tips