Private Japan Trips

The Tale of Two Capitals: An Insider's Tokyo and Kyoto

Tokyo and Kyoto, such remarkable contrasts between the ancient capital and the futuristic icon. This custom Japan tour explores both, handpicking the destinations and experiences that best symbolize the contrasts. In Kyoto you wander through Zen gardens, hear monks chanting in World Heritage temples, discover the ancient tradition of tea ceremonies, and learn the secrets of Kaiseki cuisine.

Beneath Tokyo's forest of neon you uncover vibrant subcultures, mesmeric modern design, the art of sushi and the contemporary allure of a rapidly changing art scene. These experiences are just the start as this one-week tour journeys through all the hidden sites that make these two capitals so special.

Begin you trip in Tokyo with four nights at the astonishing Zen-like Aman urban sanctuary, then take by Shinkansen (bullet train) to ancoent Kyoto for three nights, spending your evenings in a traditional ryokan along a turn in the river (above). But that's just our suggestion for this itinerary. All our Japan tours are tailored to your interests and can also include other ancient and modern attractions.

Japan in the Winter

Japan doesn't hibernate through the winter. Falling snow accentuates the country's dramatic natural beauty, while plummeting temperatures lead to some extraordinary experiences. Huddle with the monks on Mount Koya, admire hundreds of astonishing ice sculptures at the Sapporo Snow Festival, then find Japanese snow monkeys bathing in natural thermal baths.

Nights are spent beneath the stars, your muscles warmed by the soothing, steaming waters of outdoor onsen spas. You take a journey through the glaciers on an ice breaker cruise, travel into tradition in Japan's World Heritage villages, and follow the wintery footsteps of the Geishas.

Away from the unique winter wonderland, this Japan luxury tour also enables you to explore the world-famous sites without the crowds. You'll have temples all to yourself and find a country in its most relaxed state. All our Japan tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications, with unique experiences dependent on when you travel.

Hidden Japan – Off the Beaten Track Luxury Tour

Japan has always done things a little differently. But it's sometimes a challenge to see this uniqueness, as famous names like Geisha and Samurai have become major tourist attractions. This exclusive private tour explores the most unique of Japan's customs and cultures, immersing you in a world that's as strange as it is sublime. Explore Islands of Art, get lost with cats, try the forest bathing practice of shinrin-yoku, forage for ingredients then help prepare a traditional kaiseki multi-course dinner. Meet the locals as you get guided around an art gallery by the creative director, spend an afternoon with an award-winning chef, and drink tea with a master of calligraphy. Taking you completely off the beaten track, this iconic tour unravels the pure authenticity of Japan.

All our Japan tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications. We know hundreds of unique experiences that can help you uncover the depths of the country. Contact us to receive a full and personalized itinerary.

Spiritual Japan

There are many aspects of Japanese spirituality lying just below the surface that will be revealed during your time in Japan. Learn the importance and expressions of Shinto and Zen Buddhism in the everyday Japanese way of life.

Witness a Shinto wedding procession at a scared shrine in Tokyo. Visit a ancient graveyard of Samurai. Hike past remote temples on pilgrimage trails. Learn from guided walks with monks and nuns in sacred temples and shrines, learning about thier way of life.

Experience a night in a monastery hosted by monks, enjoying Shojin ryori, traditional vegetarian dining of Buddhist monks in Japan. Settle your busy thoughts with a tranquil meditiation session under the guidance of a priest in a sublime Zen garden. Explore Japan's most sacred and less-known temples away from the crowds. Witness rythmic Taiko drummers who commonly perform at religious festivals.

Sakura — Cherry Blossoms March & April

Spring ushers in Japan's most enchanting colors, a thousand red and pink nuances filling the avenues and parks. Cherry Blossom season is the most popular time to visit Japan and the phenomenon stretches from bustling cities to remote villages. Visit from late March to early May to witness the transformation, when adorable landscapes emanate delicate beauty and alluring serenity. We've intimately followed the bloom for over two decades and this tour connects a huge array of sites, from world-famous spaces to parks tucked away in forgotten villages. Cherry blossom provides the focus on this handcrafted tour, something to sit and admire each afternoon. You'll also discover Japan's iconic and unknown destinations, each day of exploration taking you deeper into a country that always surprises.

The cherry blossom doesn't bloom in a single city or region of Japan. This is a country-wide sensation and this cherry blossom tour can be intimately customized to your wishes and preferences. We like to keep you away from the major crowds that can impact on the enchantment of the colors. Like all our luxury Japan tours, we'll handcraft an itinerary just for you.

Japan Family Travel

Japan loves to inspire, the exoticism of its culture exciting those of every age and foremost young children. Kids may already know Japan through the amazing animated films by Miyazaki.

Give us themes and we'll provide the inspiration to a unique variety of places in Japan with recomendations for unque activities for families and children of all ages, featuring local encounters and immersion into local culture that most travelers miss. This two-week Japan family tour provides something for everyone, along with shared adventures into the idiosyncrasy of Japan. Visit Manga cartoon stores and meet those who paint the comics.

During our Japan family tours, a master artisan shows you how to make a Japanese sword while a Samurai and Geisha reveal all about their culture. Spend a day at signature theme parks and relaxed evenings in traditional ryokans, sleeping on tatami mats and resting in onsen spas. Including cycling tours, bullet trains, meetings with monks and Japan's anime mecca, this private tour creates lasting memories from the most unique of countries.

Of all our Japan tours, it's trips with families that offer the greatest room for customization. All our Japan family trips are designed and tailored to each family's specific interests and preferences—tell us your dreamed-of destinations and we will connect the dots, adding in insider experiences that celebrate the authenticity of each place, away from the crowds. There's so much that can be individualized; just let us know what you and the rest of your family are interested in. Contact us to receive a full and personalized itinerary for your Japan Family Tour.

Japan Art Encounter

Japan is defined by an unshakable self-possession and obsession with quality. It's pursuit for perfection is found in presentation, nature, aesthetics and the subtleties of all things. This unique tour explores one of the most vigorous traditional and contemporary arts culture in the world, highest forms of traditional and contemporary crafts, along with the architecture that has defined a nation over the centuries. Explore the hallowed I.M Pei Miho museum, Mori museum, and Naoshima "Art Island" while meeting with artists and craftsman working in a variety of mediums, gain an insider's perspective on Japanese culture, and be immersed in the immense varieties and rituals of cuisine, from the serenity of a tea ceremony to famous sushi bars.

In Tokyo, the art certainly isn't restricted to famous museums. Galleries are hidden on back alleys, unique art fills private residences in tucked-away suburbs, and contemporary design fills derelict warehouses. The challenge is finding it all, for even when you're on the right street, it's hard to find the right door. We arrange insider's guided tours of Tokyo's inspiring art scene, taking you to distinctive galleries and museums that are only known to those invested in the local scene. There's even an anime-inspired castle in the woods and a renovated public bathhouse from the 1950s.

Customize this tour takes you far off the beaten track, to incorporate a pottery festival, ceramic and porcelain towns, and more. It's completely customizable and can explore any of your niche interests. Contact us to receive a full and personalized itinerary that responds to your preferences.

Miyajima & Shikoku Islands

The giant Torii Gate seems to float on the sea, standing majestic besides Itsukushima Shrine on World Heritage Miyajima Island. It's a remarkable insight into tradition, complemented by a tea ceremony and an elaborate cha-kaiseki dinner at your ryokan. This unusual island is the starting point for this tour through Japanese highlights that cover al corners of the spectrum: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Heian Jingu Shinto Shrine, Tentyuji Temple, Nishiki Market, Asakusa and Akihabara. Spread over nine days, this luxury Japan tour goes in search of the different icons that define Japan.

It's not quite a best of tour, more a celebration of the country's most unique treasures, connecting everything from cuisine to culture to colorful neighborhoods. All our Japan tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications, so the highlights on this tour are just a suggestion. Contact us to receive a full and personalized itinerary.

Essence of Japan

Japan doesn't have a single defining image. The icons come from across the centuries and this exclusive tour go in search of them. Sleeping on tatami mats in rustic ryokans remote mountain settings. Meet Buddhist monks and explore temples hidden in bamboo forests. Get lost in the flashing lights of the futuristic cities and the wooden lanes of heritage towns. During this journey, delve into an authentic Japan.

All the experiences on this tour feel completely different from the last. But they are not completely distinct. Witness how the Japan of today is intrinsically energized by historical traditions and customs. And like all our Japan tours, the itinerary can be fully tailored to your interests, incorporating all the icons you want to explore.

Highlights of this trip:

• Japan's immense capital Tokyo creates an incredible feast of contrasting experiences. Distinctive neighborhoods can be explored each day, from the flashing lights of Akihabara to the painted faces in Harajuku and the skyscrapers of Shinjuku. You're never just sightseeing here; you're jumping into one of the world's most original cities.
• No visit to Japan is complete without immersion into the immense variations and rituals of Japanese cuisine, from a serene tea ceremony to famous sushi bars, 12-course kaiseki cuisine to Kobe beef. We've been pioneering Japan Iron Chef tours for many years now.
• Perfectly preserved and wonderfully serene, Kyoto is the cultural heartbeat of Japan. There are 17 World Heritage Sites and over 2,000 temples and shrines. But more than that, there's a spellbinding Buddhist undercurrent that makes the city a place to not only find architecture, but to get lost in the prevailing atmosphere.
• Ancient treasures fill the massive Kyushu National Museum, just one of the attractions in the city of Fukuoka, a place that has always provided an immersion into local culture.
• The Japanese tea ceremony is a tradition steeped in Zen Buddhism, reflected in slow and graceful movements. It's not just about taste; the study of tea ceremonies can last a whole lifetime and there's so much for all the senses to admire.
• Seasonal changes turn Japan into nature's canvas. Cherry blossoms are the highlight of spring, a captivating bloom blanketing whole cities in two weeks of surreal color. But don't discount the palate of color produced in fall, when profound reds and oranges briefly fill the trees before the leaves cover the pathways.
• In Mount Koya you can delve into Japan's deep Buddhist spirituality, the most formative influence on Japanese history and culture. Included in the potential experiences are tranquil cemetery walks with local nuns and sleeping in a temple.
• Kanazawa combines so many of Japan's famous names and is a great place to go behind the scenes of folk art. Among the attractions are well-preserved samurai and geisha districts.
• Hiroshima is warm and welcoming, a city that's forever etched in world history yet completely different to what you would expect.
• In rural Japan, taking a bath isn't simply about getting clean. The traditional onsen experience is a complete ceremony, with naturally heated water filling outdoor pools as jagged peaks and pine forests provide the backdrop.
• Find a different side to Tokyo by spending a morning in the exquisite Mieji Shrine, with its beautiful Japanese iris garden enveloping you in tranquility.
• Nestled onto forested mountain slopes, the World Heritage villages of Shirawaka-go and Gokayama are two of Japan's best examples of old-world village life. Inaccessible for many centuries and naturally preserved, they're an idyllic getaway from the country's modern rhythm.
• In the far north of the country, the island of Hokkaido transforms into a white wonderful during winter. This island of national parks is home to both exhilarating ski slopes and languid cross-country trails, while the capital city Sapporo hosts an annual ice sculpture festival early in February.
• In the far southwest of the country, the subtropical island of Okinawa provides white sand escapism, with swaying palms and jungle-clad retreats found behind the postcard-perfect beaches. It feels as much like Hawaii as it does Japan.
• It's hard to imagine luxury Japan travel without a stop in Kyoto. Not far away, the 8^th-century city of Nara isn't as well known on the worldwide stage. But it's home Japan's largest collection of national treasures, including the largest wooden building on the planet.

Japan's Pottery & Other Crafts

Japanese culture is centered on an unshakable self-possession and obsession with quality, something found in the incredible food, ancient inns, trains, and almost every aspect of local life. It's also something that discovered through old-world craftsmanship, exemplified by pottery and other refined crafts. During this custom-tailored journey, immerse into Japan's finest craft—pottery. Explore the highest forms of traditional pottery, meeting with artisans and craftsmen who have helped to define contemporary Japanese style but remaining loyal to the past.


Onta pottery is one of the living treasures of Japan and is celebrated throughout a series of festivals in mountain villages around Hita which we may arrange your attendance. As you meander Japan's "Pottery Trail," discover the differences between Onta pottery and Karatsu stoneware, used in tea ceremonies, then contrast both with the elaborated glazes and decoration of porcelain from Imari and Arita. Explore the other exotic crafts produced in Nagasaki and the Bizen pottery of Kurashiki. Visit pottery and craftsmanship festivals throughout the country and learn how to make your own. We can provide an in-depth exploration of the pottery scene, taking you from classic to contemporary, mountain villages to modern cities.

Pottery is just one example of the craftsmanship and we can arrange your tour to focus similarly on textiles, modern art, wood scupture, and other specific arts and crafts.

Japanese Pop Culture: Cosplay, Manga, Robots, Studio Ghibli & more

Japan is the ultimate destination for older kids and teens and our Japan family trips come in many flavors. Every aspect is unique and every day provides something different to explore. How about the legacies of the feudal system and the samurai warriors, colorful Harajuku girls, futuristic robots then world-famous animation by the renowned Studio Ghibli?

Visit to a private sumo stable where children can learn the ancient art, a Kyoto studio where children can train to be a ninja, or family cycling along the beautiful, remote northern coast where few travelers ever venture? Thrill to Giants baseball accompanied by thundering drums and chanting fans at the famous Tokyo Dome. Every moment is tailored to make the most from the country's originality.

Explore off the beaten path, through back alleys on bikes, seldom visited shrines, local anime shops, thrilling video parlors and colorful youth fashion areas.

Enjoy a monastery stay, hosted by monks, or a hike to a monkey sanctuary surrounded by lush forest.

Japan is the most fascinating of all Asia's destinations for children. Experience a thrilling, custom-tailored family trip in Japan with Indochina Travel.

Japan's Natural Wonders

Hike Tokyo to Kyoto along the Tokaido and Nakasendo Trails. Enjoy sublime day hikes in the "Japanese Alps" of Takayama or the tranquil forests of Shikouku Island, or a longer journey over eight days along sections of the Tokaido trail, hiking through towns and along paths seemingly forgotten since the days when the it was the major transport artery through Japan. Trek through white powder to see the famed snow monkeys. Spy wintering cranes and other species in southern Kyushu.

Trek the greatest of Japan’s ancient highways which linked Tokyo with Kyoto during the feudal Edo period. Spend days meandering through the heartland of the country between three of its greatest cities; Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto on this journey through the very core of Japan’s history, culture, and society to the present day. This old road played such a pivotal a role in the development of their nation that every Japanese person is familiar with it. The name Tokaido, literally the Eastern Sea Road, resonates so strongly that it has been used for the naming of modern highways and trains that superseded the ancient route, including the world’s first bullet train. Almost all Japanese will ride the super-fast Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train or drive speedily along the Tokaido Kosoku toll road sometime in their lives. However, few now make their way at a more sedate pace along the Tokaido, which still retains relics and fascinating insights into travel and daily life in old Japan. The Tokaido Trail tour follows the most interesting and enjoyable parts of the old highway at an easy to moderate walking pace at distances between 10-14km (6-9 miles) each day. Main baggage is sent on every morning so that we need only take what is needed for each day’s walking in small backpacks. 

Other top places for outdoor exploration in Japan include Haikkado, Shikoku, Mount Koya, Mount Fuji, and Okinawa.

Urban & Rural Luxury Escape in Japan

Japan has been redefining luxury for some time now. The classic definition is still cogent, experienced in a range of eye-catching five-star hotels and decadent restaurants. Japan can definitely be a state of extravagance, whenever you wish it to be.

Yet luxury is also in the experience here. Fine dining may be in a lavish city restaurant. It could easily mean sitting on the floor of a kaiseki restaurant, a waitress in kimono dress setting down 12 intricately designed dishes. Fabulous city hotels can be combined with small guesthouses hidden in the mountains, with onsen spas relieving the muscles after a day exploring. Luxury comes from the immersion in culture and the unending opportunity to go off the beaten track.

Make a stopover in Naoshima, the world's only Art Island staying at the exclusive Benesse House. Revive at the Gora Kadan in Kyoto, Japan's most sumptuous ryokan. Learn the art of calligraphy, spend a morning with monks, wander through thick bamboo forests, and experience the serene beauty of a Kyoto temple that prefers to forgo fame. Luxury can come from expertly guided tours of Tokyo's designer fashion scene, exploring a conceptual mash-up of styles and shows that follow a beat of their own. Or it can come from a day spent with Japan's animation directors, a beautiful Kabuki theater performance, or a tranquil moment of a monk hitting the gong in a Shinto shrine.

We like to explore the complete spectrum of Japan's definitions of luxury, from the classic Western ideals to the unique experiences that showcase a hidden side to the country. In this way, our luxury Japan vacations are all about going off the beaten track and finding the real Japan.

The Ultimate Culinary Tour of Japan

Nowhere is the mantra “food is culture” more and better celebrated than in Japan. But while ubiquitous Japanese cuisine has crossed the world – sushi, tempura, ramen – regional specialities can only be discovered when you're in the country. So journey into Japan's complex culinary tradition, opening all your senses to the gastronomic search for perfection. Food is an integral part of all our luxury Japan tours. Each day presents an opportunity to explore, an invite into a destination's particular cuisine. We provide you with personalized dining recommendations, book tables for Japan's ultimate culinary experiences, and take you further into a complex world of subtle tastes and dreamy aesthetics.

Tokyo brings sushi, tempura and soba, along with more Michelin stars than Paris and New York combined. Try nazezushi, a traditional form of fermented sushi. Encounter kyo-kaiseki, 11 seasonal courses in old-world Kyoto. Dine on hot pot-style sukiyaki and shabu shabu, sample Buddhist shojin ryori, then finish it off with a savory egg custard (chawanmushi). Guides show you where and chefs show you how as the best of culinary Japan is revealed.

Japan is the starting point for our legendary Iron Chef tours, with Los Angeles impresario Neal Fraser leading a unique journey across Indochina's culinary capitals. Each destination reveals a distinctive piece of the region's gastronomy, with stops in Tokyo and Kyoto that uncover two very different sides to Japanese cuisine.

Take a sushi class with a Michelin-starred chef in Tokyo, where food is both art and science as it searches for perfection. In Kyoto you explore the heart of kaiseki and go looking for the perfect raw ingredients. You'll visit the markets and source ingredients against a backdrop of exotic sounds and smells. You'll understand the ideas behind the names, from nori to toro, Saito to Mizutani. You'll go foraging for food in the gardens of Kyoto and learn the exact moments to serve each of the ingredients. And then you'll eat, the tastes accompanied by mesmeric presentation and the atmosphere of a distant era.

During your visit to Japan you'll have dozens of personalized recommendations that help you make the most of the country's cuisine, along with insider's tours that help you understand the depths of its gastronomy. Dining recommendations will capture the exquisite aesthetics of Japanese food and its endlessly appealing diversity. Visit the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, savor the finest sushi, tempura, and shabu shabu, but also explore Japan's other lesser known styles, including regional specialties like kyodo-ryori, Tokyo's sake bars, and Gion's informal noodle bars.

Insider's Japan

The Japanese experience is found in the details. This is a country that rewards the explorer, a country that takes you far beyond notions of point and shoot the camera. There's a story behind each of the legends and luxury Japan travel centers on the experiential experience.

You can stroll past geishas in Gion; or you can spend an hour chatting with them, learning about their history and culture. Samurai warriors have such an eye-catching name; at old castles you can explore the dignity and design behind what it means to be samurai. Japanese tea ceremonies aren't just a one-off; they can become part of the daily rhythm and a chance to uncover regional specialities. The country's art scene has always innovated and on our luxury Japan tours you can tour galleries with creative directors, meet groundbreaking artists, and discuss architecture with those that plan it. That's similar with local crafts, our insider tours helping you go beyond the pretty facades.

Whether it's classic or contemporary Japan, this insider's perspective emphasizes the unique treasures and cultural traditions of each destination. Children and youn adults will appreciate our custom Japan family trips which will focus on their interests. With our escorted Japan tours we help you uncover all the special details, finding the stories that are found behind the iconic names.

• In rural Japan, taking a bath isn't simply about getting clean. The traditional onsen experience is a complete ceremony, with naturally heated water filling outdoor pools as jagged peaks and pine forests provide the backdrop.
• Explore the highest forms of traditional arts and architecture, meeting with artists and craftsmen who have helped to define Japanese style.
• Onta pottery is one of the Living Treasures of Japan and is celebrated throughout a series of festivals in mountain villages around Hita. Compare it with Karatsu pottery, a great souvenir for continuing the tea ceremonies at home.
• Find a different side to Tokyo by spending a morning in the exquisite Miejo Shrine, with its beautiful Japanese iris garden enveloping you in tranquility.
• Nestled onto forested mountain slopes, the World Heritage villages of Shirawaka-go and Gokayama are two of Japan's best examples of old-world village life. Inaccessible for many centuries and naturally preserved, they're an idyllic getaway from the country's modern rhythm.
• In the far north of the country, the island of Hokkaido transforms into a white wonderful during winter. This island of national parks is home to both exhilarating ski slopes and languid cross-country trails, while the capital city Sapporo hosts an annual ice sculpture festival early in February.
• In the far southwest of the country, the subtropical island of Okinawa provides white sand escapism, with swaying palms and jungle-clad retreats found behind the postcard-perfect beaches. It feels as much like Hawaii as it does Japan.
• It's hard to imagine luxury Japan travel without a stop in Kyoto. Not far away, the 8^th-century city of Nara isn't as well known on the worldwide stage. But it's home Japan's largest collection of national treasures, including the largest wooden building on the planet.

Japan by Train

In Japan, most trips involve train at some time, from comfortbale and effecient transfers by bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto, marveling at the thousands of local commuters in Tokyo's Metro, enjoying jaw-dropping views from mountain trains, urban street trams, vintage steam locomotives, the world's steepest cable cars, to opulence on the world's finest luxury train, The Seven Stars, Japan is a delight and adventure by rail.

In Japan, trains are a way of life. The country features the busiest train stations in the world (Shinjuku Station is first in the world) and 45 of the 51 busiest train stations in the world are located in here. Tokyo's Metro system moves 7 million passengers per day, famously crushed into some train carriages by station handlers.

The Seven Stars, Japan's famed Luxury Cruise Train is the finest luxury sleeper in the world, which meanders along the picturesque coastline and through striking volcanic landscapes of national parks and hot springs of Kyushu island in Southern Japan.

The unique name of the Seven Stars is derived from the seven prefectures of Kyushu, and the fact the train being comprised of seven cars. Typically, the Seven Stars offers two and four-day itineraries for passengers in one of their 12 spacious suites, each with a sitting area and a private bathroom and the suite carriages contain only 3 bedrooms per car. Atmospheric wood-paneled cabins on the Seven Stars feature one-of-kind hand-crafted fittings and fixtures, and are among the roomiest and comfortable of any luxury train cabins in the world.

The highlight of the all-suite train is the "caboose" car's Deluxe Suite A, a 226-square-foot room that boasts a 5-foot panoramic window overlooking the track behind the train. Public areas include the charming Blue Moon lounge car featuring panoramic views of passing landscapes from comfortable sofas and along with full bar service. In the evenings, live music brightens up the lounge atmosphere. In the Jupiter dining car, enjoy subdued but attentive service, with dishes featuring the best of Kyushu cuisine.

Stops along the way tour the best of Kyushu, including the top cultural and natural highlights of the island such as stopover in Arita for a tour of the prestigious Kakiemon pottery shop. On the longer 4-day itinerary, an overnight at a local ryokan is included where passengers will enjoy a soak in the hot spring baths (onsen). Note: Cabin availability on the Seven Stars is extremely limited and difficult to secure. Contact us to inquire about suites, itineraries and prices. Plan your journey aboard the Seven Stars and between other destinations in Japan with Indochina Travel.

VIEW VIDEO OF SEVEN STARS LUXURY TRAIN

Gourmet & Luxury Japan

Embark on the ultimate luxury and culinary tour of Japan

During your meticulously planned private tour, from pre-arranged visas, expedited immigration, premier guides, dedicated tour managers, legendary hotels, and fine dining, experience the very best of Indochina. Experience the finest of luxury travel in Indochina.

Culinary Capitals of Asia

Embark on the ultimate culinary adventure in Asia, exploring four of the region’s most unique and captivating culinary destinations. From the seafood markets and renowned sushi bars in Tokyo, modern and traditional Chinese in futuristic Shanghai, dim sum in the back alleys of Hong Kong, to a restaurants scene that has emerged in Bangkok as one of the most exciting in the world.