22 Day Japan Tours & Trips

Start in Hokkaido, an island with stunning natural splendor. The natural beauty of Hokkaido makes it a wonder to behold no matter the season, though the winter scene is especially splendid. Summers yield fields of gorgeous flowers for travelers to enjoy. Plan to explore Japan’s largest national park or see flights of red-crowned cranes in the Kushiro Marshlands. Continue on to the treasures of the Tohoku region, such as a cruise around pine-covered islets in Matsushima Bay, the delving into the mountain temples of Dewa Sanzan, and tasting Morioka City’s Wanko Soba. Visit Tokyo, presents a range of fascinating experiences sure to delight travelers of any age and interest. In one corner of the city visitors can walk under an enormous paper lantern hung in a centuries-old shrine, and in another, stand next to a massive statue of a fighting robot. Continue up through lovely Hakone, a region contained in the Fuji- Hakone-Izu National Park. On clear, sunny days, visitors are offered stunning views of magnificent Mount Fuji as they cruise over Lake Ashi, or while riding an air gondola to Owakudani, a primordial caldera blanketed in steam from the hot springs and rivers in the region. Travel from there to Takayama, an old town up in the Hida mountain region of Gifu Prefecture. Old Town Takayama is especially picturesque, where streets lined with old shops and houses captivate travelers with an atmosphere of ancient Japan. Not far from there is the UNESCO Heritage Village of Shirakawago, a sleepy mountain village celebrated for its traditional architecture known as Gassho-zukuri. Lovely in every season, Shirakawago is especially magnificent in winter, when the heavy snowfall atop thickly thatched farmhouse roofs transform the village into a perfect holiday postcard. Then, at the seaside city of Kanazawa, stroll a masterpiece among Japanese landscape gardens – Kenrokuen Garden, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Meticulously designed according to a structure of six “sublimities”, Kenrokuen enchants visitors with tranquil scenes filled with ponds, trees, seasonal flowers, bridges, and teahouses. Continue to Kyoto, onetime imperial capital of Japan and center of over a thousand years of traditional culture and refinement. This time-honored destination reaches its peak beauty in places like the Golden Pavilion, Kiyomizu Temple, Ryoanji, and Fushimi Inari Shrine, each with their own charms such as Buddhist icons plated in gold, tall pagodas, statues of guardian foxes or dragons, and torii gates. Nara city is not far from Kyoto, and is even older in terms of historical significance, with the grand temple of Todaiji taking its place at the head of local attractions. The temple, one of the largest wooden structures in the world, houses a great bronze statue of the Buddha, and is bordered by a park filled with curious, friendly Sika deer. Journey to stylish, down-to-earth Osaka, where eccentric, tasty food is king, and visitors flock to the Dotonbori canal district for their pick of the local cuisine. Hiroshima city is next, with a vast, tranquil Peace Memorial Park where travelers are invited to contemplate a world without war, and nearby Miyajima Island presents one of the Three Views of Japan from elegant Itsukushima Shrine. Finally, wrap up the tour by exploring Kyushu, a separate island with its own natural wonders and cultural appeal, with Takachiho Gorge, the Eight Hells of Beppu, and the Hidden Christian Sites of Nagasaki at the top of the must-see list.