Overseas Adventure Travel Announcing 2026 Adventures by Land & Small Ship | Japan’s Cultural Treasures

ASIA

Geisha, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Arashiyama bamboo forest, Kyoto

Japan: Tokyo, Hakone, Kanazawa, Kyoto
Small groups of no more than 16 travelers, guaranteed

A colorful Shinto festival winds its way past neon lights and Tokyo skyscrapers… a modern bullet train speeds past a farmer tending his rice paddy... a well-dressed businessman stops in a Buddhist temple to light incense… majestic Mount Fuji provides an iconic backdrop for Hakone, where locals relax in volcanic hot springs. Join us to explore more than 2,000 years of Japanese history and culture, from ultra-modern Tokyo through the former imperial capital of Kyoto.

15 days starting from $6,895

including international airfare from Los Angeles or Portland
Single Supplement: FREE
Departure Dates: Feb-Jun; Aug-Nov
Activity Level: 1 2 3 4 5 Moderate

IT'S INCLUDED

• 13 nights accommodation

• International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements

• All land transportation, including 3 rail transfers on bullet and local trains

• 29 meals—13 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 7 dinners

• 13 small group activities

• Gratuities for local guides and drivers

• 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next trip

Senkoji Temple

Tokyo

Mount Fuji, Hakone

ITINERARY

DAY 1 • Depart U.S.

Depart the U.S. on your overnight flight to Tokyo, Japan.

DAY 2 • Arrive in Tokyo, Japan
Arrive in Tokyo. An O.A.T. representative will meet you at the airport and assist with the transfer to your hotel. There, meet your Trip Experience Leader and fellow travelers, including those who took the optional Tokyo: Ancient & Modern Traditions pre-trip extension.
_{Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi or similar}

DAY 3 • Tokyo • Meet former sumo wrestler
Visit a restaurant owned by a former sumo wrestler, and enjoy an interactive demonstration of this iconic sport. Then, engage in a conversation with a former wrestler who will share their experience with us—an exclusive O.A.T. feature.
_{Meals: B,L | Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi or similar}

DAY 4 • Tokyo • Taiko drumming experience • Asakusa
Take the world-renown Tokyo subway to visit a taiko studio. Taiko are traditional drums that have been used throughout Japan’s history— from setting the beat for marching armies to adding a tempo to boisterous festivals. Here, we will learn the art of traditional Japanese drums from a drum master. Then, travel to the district of Asakusa, and stroll down streets lined with shops. Tonight, our Welcome Dinner will feature traditional Japanese foods such as sashimi and tempura.
_{Meals: B,D | Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi or similar}

DAY 5 • Hakone • A Day in the Life of Ashigara
Travel to Hakone, stopping for A Day in the Life of the rural town of Ashigara. We will learn about the customs of the town and take part in a cooking lesson with local residents. For lunch, we’ll roll up our sleeves for a traditional Japanese cooking lesson and prepare our very own rice balls. Later, enjoy some free time to explore on your own. You might stop in at a sake brewery, or pay your respects at the town’s temple.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Recove Hakone or similar}

ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT

 

On Day 5, spend A Day in the Life of Ashigara, and meet the locals of this rural mountain town

 

Kanazawa

Kinkakuji Temple

DAY 6 • Hakone • Boat ride on Lake Ashi • Wood workshop • Conversation about Japanese geisha
This morning, embark on a boat ride on Lake Ashi, a scenic crater lake situated along a wall of the Mount Hakone caldera. Then, visit a woodcraft shop to learn how the intricate, wooden inlaid pieces are produced. Afterward, meet the madam of a local geisha house to discuss the mysterious world of these highlyskilled performance artists.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Recove Hakone or similar}

DAY 7 • Hakone • Overland to Tokyo • Bullet train to Kanazawa
We’ll drive to Tokyo, where we’ll ride the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kanazawa. At 200 mph, it remains among the fastest trains in the world.
_{Meals: B,D | Hotel Kanazawa or similar}
 

 

On Day 7, board the legendary shinkansen, or bullet train, and watch Japan’s rolling countryside as you travel at speeds of up to 200 mph

DAY 8 • Kanazawa • Kenrokuen Garden • Visit Omicho Market
Visit the beautiful Kenrokuen Garden, then walk the Higashi Chaya District, known for its teahouses. Next, visit the 300-year-old Omicho Market. Finally, visit a local gold leaf company for a hands-on lesson.
_{Meals: B,L | Hotel Kanazawa or similar}

DAY 9 • Kanazawa • Optional Gokayama tour
Enjoy free time to explore Kanazawa on your own, or join a full-day optional excursion to Gokayama—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This village in the remote Chubu Mountains is renowned for its distinctive gassho-zukuri-style homes with steeply pitched thatched roofs.
_{Meals: B | Hotel Kanazawa or similar}

DAY 10 • Kanazawa • Home-Hosted Visit: Tea with a local family • Train to Kyoto
Enjoy a Home-Hosted Visit with a local family, sitting down for tea and a firsthand glimpse of Japanese life. Some of our hosts are accomplished tea ceremony masters, are skilled in Japanese calligraphy, cultivate bonsai trees, or fold origami. After, ride the rails to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient imperial capital. This city remains an important cultural center today, and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei or similar}

DAY 11 • Kyoto • Arashiyama Bamboo Grove • Kinkakuji • Nijo Castle
Explore the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove before we visit Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Then, visit Nijo Castle this afternoon.
_{Meals: B,L | Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei or similar}

DAY 12 • Kyoto • Nara • Matcha tea experience
Explore Nara, visiting Todaiji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to an aweinspiring , 52-foot Buddha statue. You may even meet the tame and friendly “bowing” deer that roam here. Then, visit a local tea company for a matcha tea-making demonstration and a hands-on experience of grinding your own green tea using a mill stone.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei or similar}

DAY 13 • Kyoto • Zen Temple
Head to Senkoji Temple to practice Zen meditation with a monk.
_{Meals: B,L | Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei or similar}

DAY 14 • Kyoto • Fushimi Inari Shrine • Meet a sushi chef
Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine this morning, one of Japan’s most iconic sites. Comprised of a winding path of 10,000 vermillion torii (gates), the shrine snakes its way up a heavily forested mountain. Then, take part in a sushi-making lesson with a local sushi chef.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei or similar}

DAY 15 • Return to U.S.
Transfer to the airport in Osaka for your flight home. Travelers taking our optional Hiroshima: City of Peace post-trip extension will transfer to Hiroshima by bullet train today.
_{Meals: B}

Want to know more? Find the full itinerary and dates & pricing at www.oattravel.com/jpn

Special Departure available on this adventure. Call for details.

PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE on your Japan adventure

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS

Choose to maximize your discoveries and value when you add a pre- or post-trip extension—or both—to your adventure.

Tokyo: Ancient & Modern Tradition

PRE-TRIP: 3 nights from $2,195

Tokyo

30% of travelers choose this extension

Kick off your Japan discoveries with a stay in the country’s bustling capital of Tokyo, where ultra-modern skyscrapers co-exist with centuries-old temples and pockets of serene gardens and traditional neighborhoods

IT’S INCLUDED

• 3 nights accommodation

• 6 meals—3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner

• 2 small group activities

• Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader

• Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters

• All transfers

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/jpn-tokyo-2026

Hiroshima: City of Peace

POST-TRIP: 3 nights from $1,895

Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima

This destination is only available as a trip extension

Extend your discoveries of Japan in the lively international city of Hiroshima, a living monument to the human spirit after its total destruction.

IT’S INCLUDED

• Bullet train transfers from Kyoto to Hiroshima

• 3 nights accommodation

• 6 meals—3 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 2 dinners

• 3 small group activities

• Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader

• Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters

• All transfers (by public transportation)

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/jpn-hiroshima-2026

ARRIVE EARLY

We recommend that you relax after a long flight or explore more in depth before your trip. Price shown includes accommodations and private airport transfer.

•  Arrive early in Tokyo before your Tokyo pre-trip extension or your main adventure from $320 per room, per night