CLASSIC JAPAN: LAND OF THE RISING SUN

Date

12 Oct - 23 Oct

Duration

12 Days

Price

$4350$3699

Availability

Book Now

12 Days / 11 Nights | Tokyo to Kyoto

From $3699

October 12 – October 23, 2026
From $3,699 per person

Experience the fascinating contrasts of Japan on this unforgettable 12-day escorted journey from Tokyo to Kyoto. Discover futuristic cities, ancient temples, traditional gardens, historic castles, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima, and some of Japan’s most celebrated cultural landmarks.

Begin in vibrant Tokyo before traveling to the spectacular Mount Fuji region. Ride Japan’s famous Shinkansen bullet train to Osaka, explore the historic streets of Kurashiki, visit Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, discover magnificent Himeji Castle, and finish your journey in Kyoto surrounded by temples, shrines, markets, and centuries of Japanese tradition.

Highlights include Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, Mount Fuji, Chureito Pagoda, Osaka Castle, Koraku-en Garden, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Itsukushima Shrine, Himeji Castle, Kinkakuji, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Gion, and a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

PACKAGE DETAILS

Tour: Classic Japan: Land of the Rising Sun – Cosmos Tour 2510
Destination: Japan
Tour Type: Escorted / Guided Tour
Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
Departure: Monday, October 12, 2026
Return: Friday, October 23, 2026
Starts In: Tokyo, Japan
Ends In: Kyoto, Japan

PRICE

FROM $3,699 PER PERSON

Land Package – Based on Double Occupancy

The October 12, 2026 departure is published at $3,699 per person, with the tour ending in Kyoto on October 23, 2026. Pricing is subject to availability and confirmation at the time of booking.

International airfare is not included in the base land-tour price. Cosmos does offer airfare arrangements that can be added separately.

ITINERARY

DAY 1 – MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

ARRIVE IN TOKYO, JAPAN

Welcome to Japan!

Arrive in Tokyo, Japan’s dynamic capital and one of the world’s most exciting cities.

After arrival, make your way to your hotel and settle in. Hotel rooms are generally available for mid-afternoon check-in.

The remainder of the day is yours to relax or begin exploring Tokyo independently.

Overnight: Tokyo

DAY 2 – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13

TOKYO

Meet your Cosmos Tour Director and fellow travelers before beginning your guided exploration of Tokyo.

Visit Meiji Shrine, an important Shinto shrine surrounded by a tranquil forest in the heart of the city.

Continue to Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, one of Tokyo’s most beautiful green spaces, whose history dates to the early 1600s.

Next, visit the colorful Asakusa Kannon Temple, also known as Sensō-ji, and explore the bustling Nakamise Shopping Arcade, filled with traditional snacks, handicrafts, and souvenirs.

The remainder of the afternoon is free for independent exploration.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight: Tokyo

DAY 3 – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14

TOKYO

Enjoy a full day at leisure to discover Tokyo at your own pace.

You might explore neighborhoods such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ginza, or Akihabara, discover additional temples and museums, shop, or experience Tokyo’s renowned food scene.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Tokyo

DAY 4 – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15

TOKYO – MOUNT FUJI AREA

Leave Tokyo and travel toward Japan’s spectacular Five Lakes region.

Enjoy a cable-car ride, weather permitting, with panoramic views of Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain and one of the country’s most recognizable natural landmarks.

Continue to Chureito Pagoda, famous for its striking views combining a traditional five-story pagoda with Mount Fuji in the background.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight: Mount Fuji Area

Please note: the Mount Fuji cable-car experience is weather dependent.

DAY 5 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

MOUNT FUJI AREA – OSAKA

This morning, experience one of Japan’s most famous forms of transportation as you board the legendary Shinkansen bullet train for Osaka.

Upon arrival, join your Tour Director for a walking tour through Minami, one of Osaka’s most vibrant districts.

Explore areas including Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Dotonbori, famous for shopping, entertainment, restaurants, colorful signs, and neon lights.

The evening is free to explore Osaka independently.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Osaka

DAY 6 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

OSAKA

Begin the day at the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses, where historic traditional houses from different regions of Japan have been preserved.

Continue to Osaka Castle, one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

After sightseeing, enjoy the remainder of the afternoon and evening at leisure.

You may wish to return to Dotonbori to discover Osaka’s famous street-food culture and illuminated nightlife.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Osaka

DAY 7 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18

OSAKA – OKAYAMA – KURASHIKI – HIROSHIMA

Travel to Okayama and visit beautiful Koraku-en Garden, considered one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.”

The approximately 30-acre landscape includes ponds, lawns, tea fields, bridges, and traditional Japanese scenery.

Continue to Kurashiki, where you’ll have free time to explore the charming Bikan Historical Quarter.

Its canals, stone streets, white-walled buildings, and preserved warehouses provide a glimpse into Japan’s Edo-period past.

Continue to Hiroshima.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hiroshima

DAY 8 – MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA ISLAND

Today is devoted to some of Japan’s most historically and culturally significant sites.

Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, including the famous Atomic Bomb Dome, preserved as a reminder of the destruction of August 6, 1945.

You’ll also visit the Peace Memorial Museum and Memorial Hall.

For lunch, enjoy okonomiyaki, Hiroshima’s famous savory pancake and one of the city’s signature dishes.

Later, travel to Miyajima Island and visit UNESCO-listed Itsukushima Shrine, renowned for its iconic vermilion Torii Gate that appears to float on the water during high tide.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight: Hiroshima

DAY 9 – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

HIROSHIMA – BIZEN – HIMEJI – KYOTO

Depart Hiroshima and travel toward Bizen.

Visit a traditional pottery workshop and learn about Bizen-yaki, one of Japan’s ancient pottery traditions with a history extending more than 1,000 years.

Continue to Himeji to visit magnificent Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest surviving examples of traditional Japanese castle architecture.

Continue onward to Kyoto.

Tonight, guests may have the option to upgrade to a stay at a traditional Japanese ryokan, subject to availability and additional cost.

Overnight: Kyoto

DAY 10 – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

KYOTO

Spend the day discovering the cultural treasures of Japan’s former imperial capital.

Begin at Kinkakuji – the Temple of the Gold Pavilion, one of Kyoto’s most famous Buddhist temples, distinguished by its shimmering gold-leaf exterior.

Walk through bustling Nishiki Market, a historic shopping street filled with local foods, ingredients, restaurants, and specialty shops.

Participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, experiencing one of Japan’s most celebrated cultural rituals.

After lunch, visit Sanjusangendo Temple, renowned for its extraordinary collection of 1,001 statues of Kannon.

Continue to spectacular Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of vermilion Torii gates.

Finish with a walking tour through Gion, Kyoto’s historic geisha district, and enjoy a local Japanese treat.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight: Kyoto

DAY 11 – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22

KYOTO

Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore Kyoto independently.

With countless temples, shrines, gardens, historic streets, restaurants, and shops, you’ll have plenty of choices for your final full day in Japan.

Optional Experience: Consider an excursion to Nara, home to historic temples and famous Nara Park, where hundreds of free-roaming deer live among the city’s shrines and green spaces.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Kyoto

DAY 12 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23

KYOTO – DEPARTURE

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.

Your Classic Japan: Land of the Rising Sun adventure concludes this morning.

Meals: Breakfast

ACCOMMODATIONS

The tour includes 11 nights of accommodations in carefully selected hotels throughout Japan.

TOKYO

Mitsui Garden Hotel Shiodome
Superior First-Class

MOUNT FUJI AREA

Fujisan Mishima Tokyu Hotel
Moderate First-Class

OSAKA

Shin-Osaka Esaka Tokyu REI Hotel
Moderate First-Class

HIROSHIMA

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae
First-Class

KYOTO

Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo
First-Class

Hotels listed by Cosmos are provisional and may be substituted with properties of a similar standard. Cosmos states that final hotel accommodations are generally confirmed approximately 30 days before departure.

MEALS INCLUDED

The package includes:

10 Breakfasts
4 Lunches

Among the included dining experiences is the opportunity to enjoy Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake and local specialty.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

12-day escorted tour through Japan
11 nights of hotel accommodations
10 breakfasts and 4 lunches
Professional Cosmos Tour Director
Local Guides where indicated
Private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach transportation with Wi-Fi where available
Shinkansen bullet train journey from the Mount Fuji area to Osaka
Guided sightseeing in Tokyo
Visit to Meiji Shrine
Admission to Shinjuku Gyoen Garden
Visit to Asakusa Kannon Temple
Visit to Nakamise Shopping Arcade
Mount Fuji-area sightseeing
Cable-car ride overlooking Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji, weather permitting
Visit to Chureito Pagoda
Walking tour of Osaka’s Minami, Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Dotonbori
Visit to the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses
Visit to Osaka Castle
Visit to Koraku-en Garden
Free time in Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Quarter
Guided Hiroshima sightseeing
Visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Visit to the Atomic Bomb Dome
Admission to the Peace Memorial Museum and Memorial Hall
Visit to Miyajima Island
Visit to Itsukushima Shrine
Traditional Bizen pottery workshop
Visit to UNESCO-listed Himeji Castle
Visit to Kinkakuji – Temple of the Gold Pavilion
Walking tour through Nishiki Market
Traditional Japanese tea ceremony
Visit to Sanjusangendo Temple
Visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine
Walking tour of Kyoto’s historic Gion district
Transportation between destinations included in the itinerary

NOT INCLUDED

The base land-tour price does not include:

International airfare to Tokyo and from Kyoto/Osaka
Airline baggage fees
Airport transfers for land-only reservations unless separately arranged or otherwise confirmed
Optional excursions
Optional traditional ryokan upgrade
Meals not specifically listed in the itinerary
Alcoholic beverages and other food or beverages outside included menus
Gratuities for the Tour Director, driver, Local Guides, and other service personnel
Travel insurance / Travel Protection
Passport expenses
Visa or entry authorization costs, if applicable
Vaccinations or other government travel-documentation expenses, if applicable
Laundry
Telephone charges
Minibar purchases
Porterage at airports and train stations
Personal expenses
Any services not specifically listed as included

Cosmos’ current terms confirm that airfare, airport transfers unless qualifying, gratuities, optional excursions, Travel Protection, baggage charges, documentation expenses, and personal expenses are generally excluded from the land price unless specifically stated otherwise.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES

NARA PARK & NARA

Spend time in historic Nara and visit the famous park where free-roaming deer wander among temples, shrines, and gardens.

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE RYOKAN EXPERIENCE

Guests may request an overnight stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan during the Kyoto portion of the tour.

The experience features traditional elements such as tatami flooring, futon-style sleeping arrangements, Japanese bathing traditions, and a traditional dinner and breakfast.

This experience carries an additional fee, has very limited availability, and must be requested and booked in advance. Cosmos also notes that dietary restrictions generally cannot be accommodated for the ryokan experience.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

TOKYO

Meiji Shrine • Shinjuku Gyoen Garden • Asakusa • Nakamise Shopping Arcade

MOUNT FUJI

Lake Kawaguchi • Mount Fuji Views • Cable Car • Chureito Pagoda

OSAKA

Shinkansen Bullet Train • Dotonbori • Namba • Shinsaibashi • Osaka Castle • Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses

OKAYAMA & KURASHIKI

Koraku-en Garden • Bikan Historical Quarter

HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA

Peace Memorial Park • Atomic Bomb Dome • Peace Memorial Museum • Okonomiyaki Lunch • Itsukushima Shrine • Floating Torii Gate

BIZEN & HIMEJI

Traditional Pottery • Himeji Castle

KYOTO

Kinkakuji • Nishiki Market • Japanese Tea Ceremony • Sanjusangendo • Fushimi Inari Shrine • Gion District

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Mount Fuji: The cable-car ride is dependent on weather conditions and may not operate if conditions are unsuitable.

Hotels: Listed properties are provisional and may be replaced with hotels of a comparable standard.

Ryokan: The optional traditional Japanese inn experience must be pre-booked, has limited availability, and involves an additional charge.

Airport Transfers: Transfers are not included with the land-only package. When qualifying airfare is booked through Cosmos, airport transfers on the published arrival and departure dates may be included.

Pricing: Tour prices are per person based on two travelers sharing a room and remain subject to availability and confirmation until the required deposit is received.