Luxury tour of Japan - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Tokyo, you will be welcomed by a My Way Travel representative, who will accompany you to your hotel. The rest of your day will be at leisure.

Your chauffeur and guide will collect you for a morning tour of the city, taking in Tokyo’s most famous shrine, its city’s oldest Geisha district, and Senso-ji, which - at nearly 1,400 years old - is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist site. Your morning itinerary can be adapted to take in any locations of interest, such as the glossy Ginza district, Shibuya’s iconic road crossing, and the elegant Imperial Palace. Ideally just before sunset, you'll be driven to Urayasu Heliport for a scenic helicopter flight over the city. You’ll soar over this huge metropolis, dipping down for the best views. If you’ve chosen to coincide the flight with sunset, you’ll enjoy a truly stunning sight as the sun sinks behind the skyscrapers. On the clearest days, Mt. Fuji can be seen on the horizon. Back on terra firma, say sayonara to your pilot, and slip into your limo for the trip into central Tokyo.

Your guide will accompany you to one of the most exclusive sushi restaurants in downtown Tokyo. Sushi has become one of Japan's most famous symbols, but there’s nothing quite like well-made sushi in one of the country’s top sushi restaurants. During the morning you can taste some of Tokyo’s finest sushi, and meet one of city’s top sushi chefs, who will show you around the restaurant and teach you some valuable techniques. Sushi ingredients are simple, but its preparation can be quite elaborate, and follows a long tradition, so learning these techniques first-hand from a sushi star is an exclusive opportunity. After the lesson, you can enjoy a high-end sushi lunch – partly made by yourself!

Hop on the bullet train to Nagoya, where you’ll be driven to into Mie, stopping en route at Ise Grand Shrine. Stroll to Okage-Yokocho, a picturesque street of Edo and Meiji era buildings, for a lunch of local specialities and perhaps tea or dessert at one of the local food stalls, before paying a visit to a much-loved local landmark. Continue to Amanemu, an extraordinary property in the forests of Ise-Shima National Park. Each of its suites and villas has a private onsen, and its tranquil luxury epitomises the traditional hot spring experience. On arrival, your time will be at leisure to indulge in the many relaxation and hot spring facilities.

Your day will be at leisure to indulge in the onsen facilities or explore the surroundings.

You’ll be driven to the station to catch the bullet train to Kyoto. A chauffeur will be waiting to drive you to your hotel, where the rest of your day will be at leisure.

Your guide and chauffeur will collect you for a tour of some of Kyoto’s World Heritage Sites. Start with Nijo Castle, an ornamental structure surrounded by stunning gardens, built by the founder of the Edo Shogunate. The main building was completed in 1603 and is known for its distinctive architecture and chirping ‘nightingale’ floors. Continue to Ryoan-ji, the site of Japan's most famous Zen garden and home to the Myoshinji School of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Finally, visit Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, once the Shogun's villa and now one of Kyoto’s most famous temples.

For tea you'll enter 400 year old Kodaiji, one of Kyoto’s most famous Zen temples. Your exclusive Japanese tea ceremony will be held in a sub-temple not normally open to the public, and will be performed by an experienced teacher. Stroll around the temple's beautiful Zen garden before receiving a learned explanation of Japanese tea and the ancient ceremony around it. After tea, your guide will accompany you to Gion, known as Kyoto’s geisha district, although geisha from Kyoto are in fact known as ‘geiko’, hence the apprentice title ‘maiko’. For dinner, you'll be served a kaiseki ryori - a traditional multi-course dinner - in the company of a maiko. During the meal, you'll have ample opportunity to speak with the apprentice and ask questions about her craft and the world of geisha. She will perform traditional dances, and may invite you to play traditional Japanese drinking games.

Your day will be at leisure to explore Kyoto. At some point, you'll take a riverboat to the serene Arashiyama district and the your luxurious riverside retreat, the Hoshinoya, which was once the home of a Kyoto nobleman.

Make your way by train and boat to Naoshima, where the rest of your day will be at leisure to wander amongst the many art museums and exhibits.

Spend the day accompanied by a renowned curator, who will talk you through the different signature works displayed across the island, and accompany you to Chichu Art Museum, which is constructed almost completely underground, to see works by James Turrell, Claude Monet, and Walter de Maria. If time permits, continue to the Lee Ufan Museum, the result of a collaboration between Korean mimimalist Lee Ufan and Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

On arrival, the rest of your day will be at leisure to indulge in Osaka's scene. We recommend heading to the Umeda Sky Building - a pair of skyscrapers connected near the top in an unusual architectural form that lets you feel the wind whilst safely enjoying the view. Also known as the Floating Garden Observatory, the observation platform offers a superb introduction to Osaka, letting you see right to the edge of the city.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.