Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Western Japan: Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Kanazawa
10 days from Osaka to Kanazawa by bullet train: Koyasan, Himeji, two nights in Hiroshima with Miyajima, three nights in Kyoto beyond the first-visit sights, and Kanazawa with Shirakawa-go.
10 days · Osaka to Kanazawa · up to 12 guests
The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine at high tide, Miyajima Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Itsukushima-jinja_torii,_Miyajima,_Japan,_20240816_1716_4048.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Osaka to Kanazawa
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Most days are 10,000 to 15,000 steps on paved paths, temple stairs and station concourses. The hardest parts are about 4 km on foot at Koyasan, the steep wooden stairs inside Himeji Castle and the walk from the Mount Misen ropeway to the 535 m summit; each has a shorter option, and the guide can sit any part out with you.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,035 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to May and October to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- Okunoin at Koyasan under centuries-old cedars, then a vegetarian shojin ryori lunch at a temple
- Himeji Castle at the 9 am opening, on the way to Hiroshima
- The Peace Memorial Park and Museum with time to take them in, then okonomiyaki together
- Itsukushima Shrine off an early ferry, before the day-trip crowds, and the view from Mount Misen
- Kyoto past the first-visit list: Fushimi's sake canal, Ohara's mountain temples, Daitoku-ji's Zen gardens and Byodo-in in Uji
- Omicho Market, the samurai lanes of Nagamachi and an Edo-period teahouse in Kanazawa
- Kenroku-en before the tour buses, then the thatched farmhouses of Ainokura and Shirakawa-go in one day
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,035 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Osaka
Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Osaka Itami (ITM) to your hotel in Osaka
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Osaka
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Kansai International Airport (KIX), on its island in Osaka Bay, or Osaka Itami (ITM) if you connect on a domestic flight. Plan to land by about 4 pm. A driver meets you in arrivals for the drive of about an hour into the city, to a central hotel near a station in Namba or Umeda, named when we confirm your dates.
Afternoon
If you arrive early, the hotel holds your bags and the afternoon is yours: the covered shopping streets of Shinsaibashi make an easy first walk after a long flight. At about 6:30 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the ten days ahead: how luggage forwarding works, what goes in your overnight bag, the early ferry to Miyajima and how the trains run.
Evening
Then we walk to a welcome dinner at an izakaya, where small plates of kushikatsu, sashimi and grilled skewers come to the middle of the table.
Included
- Pick-up at Kansai International (KIX) or Osaka Itami (ITM)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner at an izakaya
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Koyasan, the mountain of temples
Osaka to Koyasan by the Nankai line and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Osaka
- By train
We leave the hotel at about 8 am; Koyasan is about two and a half hours away door to door. The Nankai line from Namba takes about an hour and three quarters, the last stretch winding up through cedar forest to Gokurakubashi. A cable car, or a replacement bus when it is closed for work, and a local bus bring us onto the plateau at about 800 m. The monk Kukai, Kobo Daishi, founded Koyasan in 816, and it is part of the Kii Mountains sacred sites listed by UNESCO in 2004. We start at Okunoin, walking about 2 km under tall cedars between moss-covered graves to the Torodo lantern hall and Kukai's mausoleum.
Afternoon
Lunch is shojin ryori, the vegetarian Buddhist cooking of the monasteries, served at a temple. In the afternoon we visit Kongobu-ji, head temple of the Shingon school, and the Danjo Garan with its vermilion Konpon Daito pagoda.
Evening
We start back at about 3:30 pm and reach Osaka at about 6 pm; the evening is free.
Included
- Nankai line and cable car (or replacement bus) to Koyasan and back
- Okunoin cemetery and Kukai's mausoleum with your guide
- Shojin ryori lunch at a Koyasan temple
- Kongobu-ji and the Danjo Garan with the Konpon Daito pagoda
- Your suitcase sent ahead to Hiroshima this morning
Easier option: Start Okunoin from the Okunoin-mae bus stop for a shorter, flatter walk of about 1 km to the mausoleum.
Free time: Evening free in Osaka
Activity: About 5 hours of train, cable car and bus in the day, two and a half each way, with reserved seats where the line offers them. About 4 km on foot, mostly on flat gravel paths and a few stone steps. Koyasan is several degrees cooler than Osaka; bring a layer.
Himeji Castle, then the Peace Park in Hiroshima
Osaka to Himeji by Shinkansen, then on to Hiroshima
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hiroshima
- By train
We leave the hotel at about 8 am with only a day bag; your suitcase went ahead yesterday and waits in Hiroshima. The Shinkansen reaches Himeji in about 30 minutes, and we are at the castle gate soon after the 9 am opening. Himeji Castle, listed by UNESCO in 1993, is one of only twelve castle keeps in Japan that survive from before the modern era, its white plaster walls rising above a maze of gates built to slow attackers. Climbing the keep means steep wooden stairs in socks, so allow about two hours.
Afternoon
After an early lunch near the castle, the Shinkansen runs on to Hiroshima in about an hour, and you have an hour at the hotel. In the mid-afternoon we walk through the Peace Memorial Park: the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Children's Peace Monument hung with paper cranes, and the cenotaph that frames the dome. Then the Peace Memorial Museum, quiet, factual and very hard in places; take it at your own pace. Okonomiyaki at the griddle follows at about 6:30 pm.
Included
- Reserved Shinkansen seats from Shin-Osaka to Himeji and Hiroshima
- Himeji Castle keep and grounds at opening with your guide
- Lunch in Himeji
- Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome with your guide
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
- Okonomiyaki dinner
Easier option: Skip the climb inside the keep and walk the castle grounds and the Koko-en garden next door instead.
Free time: An hour at the hotel before the Peace Park. If the day feels full, the museum can move to tomorrow's free afternoon.
Activity: The keep has six floors of steep, narrow wooden stairs, climbed in socks. The museum takes about 90 minutes, can be left at any point, and is open until at least 6 pm all year.
Miyajima on an early ferry
Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi, the ferry to Miyajima, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hiroshima
- Drive about 1.5 h
This is the trip's earliest start, for the best hours on Miyajima. Our vehicle leaves the hotel at about 7:30 am for the 40-minute drive to Miyajimaguchi, and the JR ferry crosses in ten minutes, passing close to the great torii of Itsukushima Shrine.
Morning
Your suitcase stays behind and goes ahead to Kyoto this morning. The shrine, listed by UNESCO in 1996, is built out over the tidal flats, so at high tide its halls and gate seem to float, and at low tide you can walk out to the torii on the sand; we check the tide table and order the morning to suit. We walk the shrine's corridors from about 8:30 am, before the day-trip groups arrive, then climb through the stone lanterns of Daisho-in temple. The Miyajima Ropeway lifts us most of the way up Mount Misen, and a walk of about 30 minutes leads to the 535 m summit rocks and the view over the Seto Inland Sea.
Afternoon
Lunch is anago-meshi, grilled conger eel over rice. We are back in Hiroshima by mid-afternoon.
Included
- JR ferry to Miyajima and back, with the island visitor tax
- Itsukushima Shrine from about 8:30 am with your guide
- Daisho-in temple
- Miyajima Ropeway up Mount Misen and the walk to the summit
- Anago-meshi lunch on Miyajima
- Your suitcase sent ahead to Kyoto this morning
Easier option: Stay at sea level: the shopping street of Omotesando, the shrine's treasure hall and the maple valley of Momijidani Park, then meet the group for lunch.
More active option: Walk up Mount Misen on the Daisho-in trail, about 2.5 km and 500 m of climbing on stone steps (about 1.5 to 2 hours), and ride the ropeway down.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Hiroshima
Activity: Ferries cross every 15 minutes or so until late evening, so there is no last-boat rush. If high tide falls in the afternoon, we ride up Misen first and see the shrine before lunch. Your guide suggests Shukkeien garden or Hiroshima Castle for the free afternoon.
Bullet train to Kyoto and Fushimi's sake canal
Hiroshima to Kyoto by Shinkansen, then Fushimi
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kyoto
- Drive about 30 min
The Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Kyoto takes about an hour and three quarters, and your suitcase, sent yesterday, is waiting at the Kyoto hotel. Rather than head straight into the centre, our vehicle meets us at Kyoto Station and drives about 15 minutes south to Fushimi, a sake brewing town since the Edo period, built over soft spring water. Old brewery warehouses of dark timber and white plaster line a willow-edged canal that once carried rice and sake down to Osaka.
Afternoon
We visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, set in an old brewery, for the tools of the hand-brewing era and a tasting, then have lunch at a brewery restaurant nearby. After lunch we ride the Jikkokubune, a flat-bottomed boat, along the canal past the brewery walls; it runs from about late March to early December, and outside that season we walk the canal path instead.
Evening
Our vehicle takes us to the hotel in central Kyoto in the late afternoon, and the evening is free. If you have never seen Fushimi Inari, it is a short ride away, and your guide can point you to the quieter upper paths.
Included
- Reserved Shinkansen seats from Hiroshima to Kyoto
- Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum with a tasting
- Lunch at a Fushimi brewery restaurant
- Jikkokubune boat ride on the Fushimi canal (about late March to early December)
- Your suitcase waiting at the Kyoto hotel
Free time: Evening free in Kyoto
Ohara's mountain temples and Daitoku-ji
Kyoto to Ohara, then Daitoku-ji in the north of the city
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kyoto
- Drive about 1.5 h
Ohara is a farming valley in the hills north of Kyoto, about 40 minutes by road, and early in the day it is quiet. We are at Sanzen-in for opening, walking its moss garden, where small stone jizo figures sit among the cedars, to the Ojo Gokuraku-in hall. A few minutes up the lane, Hosen-in frames its bamboo garden and an old pine like a painting seen from the tatami, with matcha and a sweet while you sit.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the valley, with Ohara's shibazuke, pickles coloured purple by red shiso. In the afternoon we drive back to the north of the city to Daitoku-ji, a walled precinct of Zen sub-temples. In Daisen-in, a dry garden tells the course of a river from mountain to sea in rocks and raked gravel; photography is not allowed inside, which keeps it calm.
Evening
The late afternoon is free, and in the evening we meet for a shared dinner of obanzai, Kyoto's home cooking of seasonal vegetables, tofu and fish.
Included
- Sanzen-in at opening with your guide
- Hosen-in with matcha and a sweet
- Lunch in Ohara
- Daitoku-ji and the Daisen-in garden
- Obanzai dinner together
Free time: Late afternoon free in Kyoto
Activity: Temple halls are entered in socks; Sanzen-in's garden paths are sloped and can be slippery after rain.
Uji: Byodo-in and a tea tasting
Kyoto to Uji and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kyoto
- Drive about 1 h
Uji, about 40 minutes south of central Kyoto, has grown tea for centuries, and its matcha is known across Japan. We arrive for the 8:30 opening of Byodo-in, a villa turned temple in 1052, whose Phoenix Hall sits on a still pond and appears on the back of the 10 yen coin. Short timed tours go inside the hall to see the gilded Amida Buddha carved by the sculptor Jocho; we book the first slot we can. Across the Uji River, Ujigami Shrine's main hall is thought to be the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan, and both sites are part of the UNESCO listing for historic Kyoto. On the old approach road to Byodo-in, a tea merchant walks us through sencha, gyokuro and matcha, and we taste the difference between them.
Afternoon
Lunch includes tea soba. We are back in central Kyoto by about 2 pm for a free afternoon. Your guide's suggestions: the Philosopher's Path to Ginkaku-ji, the aqueduct at Nanzen-ji, or the Kyoto National Museum. Your suitcase is sent ahead to Kanazawa this morning.
Included
- Byodo-in at opening, with the Phoenix Hall interior tour
- Ujigami Shrine
- Tea tasting with a Uji tea merchant
- Lunch in Uji
- Your suitcase sent ahead to Kanazawa this morning
More active option: Walk the Philosopher's Path in the afternoon, about 2 km along a canal from Nanzen-ji to Ginkaku-ji, with your guide's map.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Kyoto
Train to Kanazawa, Omicho and the old quarters
Kyoto to Tsuruga by Thunderbird, then the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kanazawa
- By train
The Thunderbird limited express runs up the west shore of Lake Biwa to Tsuruga, where we change to the Hokuriku Shinkansen for Kanazawa, about two and a quarter hours in all. Kanazawa was the seat of the Maeda lords and escaped bombing in the war, so whole districts of the Edo-period town survive. We go first to Omicho Market, Kanazawa's kitchen for about three hundred years, for a seafood bowl of whatever the Sea of Japan is giving that week: sweet shrimp, yellowtail, and snow crab in winter.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we walk the Nagamachi samurai district, with its earthen walls and narrow canals, and visit the Nomura family house and its small garden. Then Higashi Chaya, the teahouse district of wooden lattice fronts, where we step inside Shima, an Edo-period teahouse open to visitors and listed as an Important Cultural Property.
Evening
Your suitcase is at the hotel when we check in, and the evening is free.
Included
- Reserved seats on the Thunderbird and the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kyoto to Kanazawa
- Seafood lunch at Omicho Market
- Nagamachi samurai district and the Nomura family house with your guide
- Higashi Chaya and the Shima teahouse
Free time: Evening free in Kanazawa
Activity: About 6 km on foot through the afternoon, on flat streets with taxis available between districts.
Kenroku-en, Ainokura and Shirakawa-go
Kanazawa to Gokayama (Ainokura) and Shirakawa-go, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kanazawa
- Drive about 3 h
Kenroku-en opens at 7 am from March to mid-October and at 8 am in winter; we walk in at about 8 am, ahead of the tour buses. This was the garden of the Maeda lords: Kasumigaike pond with its two-legged Kotoji stone lantern, a fountain driven only by the pressure of the garden's streams and, from November, the rope cones that protect the pines from snow. Then our vehicle drives about an hour into the mountains to Ainokura in Gokayama, a hamlet of about twenty gassho-zukuri farmhouses with steep thatched roofs, far quieter than its better-known neighbour.
Afternoon
Half an hour on is Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go, larger and busier; we have lunch first, then visit the Wada House, one of the largest farmhouses, to see the attic floors where silkworms were raised, and look down on the village from the Shiroyama viewpoint. Both villages have been listed together by UNESCO since 1995. The drive back is about an hour and a quarter, about three hours of driving in all, split into three legs.
Evening
The farewell dinner of Kaga cooking is at about 6:30 pm.
Included
- Kenroku-en from about 8 am with your guide
- Ainokura village in Gokayama
- Shirakawa-go: Ogimachi village, the Wada House and the Shiroyama viewpoint
- Lunch in Shirakawa-go
- Farewell dinner of Kaga cooking in Kanazawa
Easier option: Ride the shuttle bus up to the Shiroyama viewpoint instead of walking.
More active option: Walk up to the Shiroyama viewpoint on the footpath from the village, about 20 minutes uphill.
Free time: An hour or two at the hotel before the farewell dinner, and the rest of the evening free after it
Activity: In winter the villages are under deep snow: bring boots with grip and warm layers. People live in these houses, so we stay on the paths.
A free morning, then on to Tokyo or Osaka
Kanazawa to Tokyo or Osaka by train
- Breakfast
- By train
Morning
The morning is yours. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, a low glass circle a short walk from Kenroku-en, opens at 10 am and is closed on Mondays; Kanazawa Castle Park is free to walk; and the shops near Higashi Chaya sell gold leaf, which the city has made for centuries. Check-out is usually at 11 am and the hotel holds your bags. Your guide walks you to Kanazawa Station and sees you onto your reserved train: the Hokuriku Shinkansen direct to Tokyo, about two and a half to three hours, or the Shinkansen to Tsuruga and the Thunderbird to Osaka, about two and three quarter hours. From Tokyo Station, Haneda Airport is about 40 minutes; from Osaka, the train to Kansai International takes about an hour. Book an international flight leaving after about 6 pm from Haneda or Kansai, or after about 7 pm from Narita, to keep the free morning. If you fly earlier, we put you on an earlier train.
Included
- Reserved seat from Kanazawa to Tokyo or to Osaka
- Your guide sees you onto the train
Free time: Morning free in Kanazawa
Activity: Book an international flight leaving after about 6 pm from Haneda or Kansai, or after about 7 pm from Narita.
- Osaka2 nights
- Hiroshima2 nights
- Kyoto3 nights
- Kanazawa2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Spring and autumn are mild and the best time to go, with cherry blossom in late March and early April and maple colour from early to late November. Koyasan, Gokayama and Shirakawa-go are colder than the cities and snowy from about December to March. June and July bring the rainy season, and late summer is hot and humid with a chance of typhoons that can delay ferries and trains.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Tokyo and Kyoto's famous sights and want to go further west
- First-timers who would rather skip Tokyo and see Hiroshima, Kanazawa and the villages properly
- People who want the trains, entries, luggage and most lunches handled
- A mix of guided mornings and free afternoons, with two or three nights in each hotel
Not for you if you want
- A first look at Tokyo and Mount Fuji: see our 9-day Tokyo to Osaka trip
- Step-free access: castles, temples and stations involve a lot of stairs
- Travellers who want a ryokan or a temple stay included (ask about the private version)
- A trip without early starts: we leave at 7:30 am for Miyajima and at 8 am for Koyasan, Himeji and Kenroku-en
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Osaka2 nights
- Hiroshima2 nights
- Kyoto3 nights
- Kanazawa2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 2 in Osaka, 2 in Hiroshima, 3 in Kyoto and 2 in Kanazawa
- Central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard near a station, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Kansai International (KIX) or Osaka Itami (ITM)
- Reserved Shinkansen seats from Shin-Osaka to Himeji and Hiroshima, and from Hiroshima to Kyoto
- Reserved seats on the Thunderbird and the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kyoto to Kanazawa
- Nankai line, cable car (or replacement bus) and buses for Koyasan
- JR ferry to Miyajima and back, with the island visitor tax
- A private vehicle and driver on days 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, and city trams and buses on an IC card
- Suitcase forwarding between all four hotels (one suitcase per person)
- A reserved seat from Kanazawa to Tokyo or to Osaka on day 10
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the first evening in Osaka to the last morning in Kanazawa, with local guides where a site requires one
Activities
- Koyasan: Okunoin, Kongobu-ji and the Danjo Garan
- Himeji Castle keep and grounds
- Hiroshima: Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum
- Miyajima: Itsukushima Shrine, Daisho-in and the Miyajima Ropeway up Mount Misen
- Kyoto: Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum with a tasting and the Jikkokubune boat in Fushimi
- Kyoto: Sanzen-in and Hosen-in in Ohara, Daitoku-ji and Daisen-in
- Uji: Byodo-in with the Phoenix Hall interior tour, Ujigami Shrine and a tea tasting
- Kanazawa: Omicho Market, the Nomura family house in Nagamachi and the Shima teahouse in Higashi Chaya
- Kanazawa: Kenroku-en at opening
- Ainokura in Gokayama, and Shirakawa-go with the Wada House
Meals
- All 9 breakfasts
- 8 lunches: shojin ryori at a Koyasan temple, Himeji, anago-meshi on Miyajima, a Fushimi brewery restaurant, Ohara, Uji, Omicho Market and Shirakawa-go
- 4 dinners: a welcome izakaya dinner in Osaka, okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, an obanzai dinner in Kyoto and a farewell Kaga dinner in Kanazawa
Not included
- International flights to Osaka and home from Tokyo or Osaka
- The train or transfer from Tokyo or Osaka to your departure airport
- Travel insurance
- A visa, if your passport needs one
- Dinners on days 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8
- Drinks, other than the sake and tea tastings
- Optional activities in free time
- Extra suitcases beyond one per person
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,035 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels, all breakfasts, 8 lunches and 4 dinners, every reserved train seat in the plan including the last one to Tokyo or Osaka, the Miyajima ferry and ropeway, suitcase forwarding between hotels, a private vehicle on five touring days, airport pick-up, your See Sight Tours guide throughout and every entry in the day plan.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the group small enough to fit at one griddle for okonomiyaki, to move quickly through station gates and to hear the guide in a temple hall without a microphone.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome briefing in Osaka to the last morning in Kanazawa, rides every train with you and handles tickets, luggage and meals. Local guides join where a site requires one. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
I have already done Tokyo and Kyoto. Is this trip for me?
Yes, that is who it was designed for. It leaves out Tokyo, Fuji, Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji and the Gion walk, which our other Japan trips cover, and spends the time on Koyasan, Himeji, Hiroshima and Miyajima, the quieter side of Kyoto in Fushimi, Ohara and Uji, and Kanazawa with Shirakawa-go.
How fit do I need to be for this Japan tour?
Moderately fit. Expect 10,000 to 15,000 steps most days, steep stairs inside Himeji Castle and temple steps at Koyasan and Miyajima. Each harder part has an easier option. Four mornings start early: 7:30 am for Miyajima and 8 am for Koyasan, Himeji and Kenroku-en; the other days start later.
I am travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes. A room of your own is from CAD 1,035 more, shown before you book. If you would rather share, say so when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller; we tell you before anything is confirmed whether a match is possible. Solo guests are never seated or treated differently.
When is the best time to visit western Japan?
March to May and October to November. Cherry blossom is usually late March to early April, and maple colour runs from early November in Kanazawa to late November in Kyoto. Winter brings snow to Koyasan and Shirakawa-go, while June to September is wet, hot and humid, with a typhoon risk.
Do I have to carry my suitcase on the bullet train?
No. Your suitcase is forwarded from hotel to hotel by Japan's next-day luggage service, sent the morning before you move on, so it is waiting at the next hotel when you arrive. You carry a small overnight bag for your last night in each city and a day bag on the trains.
Where does the trip end, and can I fly home from Tokyo?
The trip ends at Kanazawa Station after a free morning, with a reserved seat in the price to either Tokyo (about two and a half to three hours) or Osaka (about two and three quarter hours). Book a flight leaving Haneda or Kansai after about 6 pm, or Narita after about 7 pm.
How does booking work?
Choose your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 6,095 per person sharing, with taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 10,970 per person for two. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same trains, hotels and luggage forwarding.
Do I need a visa for Japan?
Citizens of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and most of Europe can visit Japan without a visa for short tourist stays. Check the rules for your own passport before you book, and fill in Visit Japan Web before you fly to speed up immigration and customs.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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