Classic Japan, first time done right
Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto and Osaka. The essential route, privately guided and vegetarian and Jain-friendly throughout.
- Duration
- 8 nights, 9 days
- Route
- Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka
- Best for
- First-time visitors and families who want the essential Japan at a comfortable pace.
- Stays
- Hotel category chosen with you before confirmation.
Highlights
- The four places most first visits are built around, without a coach schedule
- Private guide and vehicle for your family only
- Meals planned in advance for vegetarian and Jain diets
Day by day
A sample plan. We adjust the order, pace and hotels to your dates, the season and who is travelling.
Day 1Arrive in Tokyo
Your guide meets you at Narita or Haneda airport and takes you to your hotel by private vehicle. The rest of the day is free to rest after the flight.
Overnight: Tokyo
Day 2Old and new Tokyo
Senso-ji temple and Nakamise street in Asakusa, then the Meiji Shrine forest and Harajuku. End the day at Shibuya Crossing as the lights come on.
Overnight: Tokyo
Day 3Tokyo at your pace
A choice of teamLab digital art, the Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower views, and an evening in Ginza. Lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant if the family wants familiar food.
Overnight: Tokyo
Day 4To Mt. Fuji
Drive to the Fuji Five Lakes. On a clear day, the views across Lake Kawaguchi are the best of the trip; Chureito Pagoda and Oshino Hakkai are close by.
Overnight: Mt. Fuji area
Day 5Bullet train to Kyoto
Transfer to the Shinkansen for Kyoto, about two hours on the fastest trains, with luggage sent ahead so nobody carries bags. Evening walk in Gion.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 6Kyoto’s temples
The torii gates of Fushimi Inari early, before the crowds, then Kiyomizu-dera and the lanes of Higashiyama.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 7Arashiyama and Nara
The Arashiyama bamboo grove and a shojin ryori temple lunch at Shigetsu, or a day trip to Nara’s deer park and Todai-ji.
Overnight: Kyoto
Day 8Osaka
Short drive to Osaka: Osaka Castle by day and the neon of Dotonbori by night, with dinner at a pure-vegetarian Indian restaurant.
Overnight: Osaka
Day 9Depart
Private transfer to Kansai International Airport for your flight home.
Included
- Private vehicle and guide for your group only
- Itinerary, pace and hotels adjusted to you before confirmation
- Vegetarian and Jain meal planning in advance
- On-trip support from the Ninja Helpdesk in Hindi and Gujarati
Not included
- International flights (quoted separately, or bundled if you prefer)
- Japan visa fees (Bluedust can handle the application)
- Shopping and personal expenses
When to go
This route works all year, but it feels different in every season. The busiest months are March, April, November; for those, plan four to six months ahead. See Japan month by month.
Questions about this journey
Is the price fixed?
No. It scales with season, hotel category and group size. The figure shown is an honest starting point, not a final quote.
Can we change this itinerary?
Yes. Dates, pace, hotels and inclusions are adjusted with you before anything is confirmed.
Do prices include visa and flights?
No, but both can be quoted separately or bundled. Bluedust handles visa applications and books flights alongside the trip if you’d like.
Can meals be vegetarian or Jain?
Yes. We plan meals in advance and brief restaurants on your requirements. Choice is wide in the cities and narrower in rural areas, and we’ll tell you where before you book.
