Walking Tour
PLEASE NOTE: Rotary Best of JAPAN will operate immediately prior to the Rotary International Convention in Taipei in June 2026. As such, the presumption is that those on this tour will continue to Taipei, and possibly on to Borneo after the convention.
THIS IS AN ACTIVE TOUR: This tour includes a lot of walking most days, and there's really no way to avoid this while still keeping up with the group. As such, it is not suitable for those who cannot walk 10,000 steps (about 6 km) and climb many stairs.
Japan occupies a unique place in many Westerners' minds. On the one hand, it is familiar. We've seen it in dozens of movies, and Japanese consumer products have been part of our everyday lives for decades. On the other hand, it is exotic and foreign. On this tour, we'll try to reconcile these two perspectives and experience all that Japan has to offer!
Travel in Japan has also been presumed expensive since the 1980's. We've all heard crazy stories about $800 hotel rooms and $25 hamburgers. While this may have been true at one time, things have changed so that Japan today is no more expensive than Canada. In fact, hotels are cheaper in Tokyo than Vancouver, and beer costs less in Kyoto than Toronto!
This Best of JAPAN tour is meant as an introduction to this beautiful country. It doesn't purport to be comprehensive, as a truly exhaustive tour of Japan would take many weeks. Instead, we will sample the best this country has to offer using their incredible bullet train network and just three conveniently located hotels in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto.
So, if you've always wanted to see Japan like that, we hope you will join us!
TOUR DETAILS
LAND PACKAGE: $5,980 (US$4,485)
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $2,440 (US$1,830)
DEPARTS TORONTO: Sat May 30, 2026
BEGINS IN TOKYO: Sun May 31, 2026
ENDS IN OSAKA: Fri Jun 12, 2026
TYPE: Active Sightseeing
HOTELS: 4 star & 3 star
GROUP: Max 18 guests
DURATION: 13 days (12 hotel nights)
DAILY AGENDA
DAY 0 (Sat May 30) Depart Toronto
Trans-Pacific flights are not included in this Land Package, but TravelMaven will help clients booking their tickets. Fortunately, there are likely to be direct flights from Pearson to both Tokyo airports (Narita & Haneda) most days.
DAY 1 (Sun May 31) Arrive in Tokyo
Depending on flight times, Barry may organize an orientation walk of our hotel's neighbourhood.
Japanese women in traditional kimonos
DAY 2 (Mon Jun 1) Imperial Palace; Ginza District (B,D)
We'll begin the day with breakfast and a short meeting to discuss the tour. Afterwards, we'll walk a few blocks to one of Japan's most significant landmarks, the Imperial Palace, for a guided tour. Afterwards, we'll stop along the way for lunch before returning to the hotel for a couple of hours before walking to nearby Ginza to check out Tokyo's version of Fifth Avenue in New York.
DAY 3 (Tue Jun 2) Tokyo Sightseeing Tour (B)
On this day we'll see many of the top tourist sites in Tokyo (actual tour route to be determined). Guests will have a free evening.
Imperial Palace, Tokyo
DAY 4 (Wed Jun 3) Free Day in Tokyo (B,D)
On this day, guests can choose their own activities. Barry is happy to make suggestions and help with bookings. At the end of the day, we'll convene for our 'Farewell to Tokyo' dinner.
DAY 5 (Thu Jun 4) Mount Fuji; train to Kyoto (B)
The number one tourism icon in Japan is Mount Fuji, visible from tall buildings in Tokyo on a clear day. We'll take a full day bus tour that provides multiple photo ops and other opportunities to see this majestic peak. In the afternoon, we'll be dropped off at a train station to go to Kyoto.
Mount Fuji
DAY 6 (Fri Jun 5) Royal Palace, Nijo Castle, Gion District (B,L)
We will begin our day with a tour of the Royal Palace and visit to nearby Nijo Castle. Afterwards, we will walk through Kyoto's famous Gion (aka Geisha) district.
DAY 7 (Sat Jun 6) Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine; Osaka Minami District (B)
After an early breakfast, we'll catch a train to Fushimi to see this world-famous temple and archway. After a free afternoon, we'll take the train to Osaka to visit the dynamic Minami District.
Atomic Peace Park, Hiroshima
DAY 8 (Sun Jun 7) Nara Park; Todaiji Temple (B)
We will spend this day in the former capital of Nara visiting the Todaiji Temple and Nara Park. After returning to our hotel mid-afternoon, guests will have a free evening.
DAY 9 (Mon Jun 8) Sagano Train; Bamboo Forest (B)
On this day, we'll visit several popular sites around Kyoto, including the Sagano Romantic Train, the Arishiyama Bamboo Forest and Kinkakuji Temple. Guests have a free evening.
Gion District, Kyoto
DAY 10 (Tue Jun 9) Kyoto to Hiroshima; Himeji Castle (B,L)
After breakfast and check-out, we'll catch a train to Hiroshima. About halfway there, we'll make a 3 hour pit-stop to visit Himeji Castle, then continue to Hiroshima.
DAY 11 (Wed Jun 10) Itsukushima Jinja & Island (B,D)
On this leisurely day, we'll take a ferry across the bay to Itsukushima Island to see the shrine and enjoy nature. After some free time in the afternoon, we'll have a group dinner at the hotel.
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Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima
DAY 12 (Thu Jun 11) Peace Museum, Hiroshima to Kyoto (B,L)
After check-out, we'll go to Hiroshima Station to catch a train to Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto. Upon arrival we'll drop our bags and have lunch at the hotel before visiting the Imperial Palace. In the evening, we'll pick up a light dinner somewhere while walking through the geisha neighbourhood of Gion.
DAY 13 (Fri Jun 12) Depart Japan (B)
Our flight to Taipei will depart Hiroshima Airport about 09:00. Upon arrival in Taipei, we will transfer to our hotel downtown.
Nara Park