With mighty Mount Fuji as its dramatic backdrop and the stunning Lake Ashi below, this park is magnificent from all angles!

Today's highlights include Lake Kawaguchiko, 398 steps up to Chureito Pagoda viewpoint, Ashinoko Skyline highway scenic drive with numerous photo-stops to capture the best postcard views of Mt.Fuji and the mountain region of Five Lakes.

Take a ropeway up to Owakudani Valley, a volcanic zone of steam vents and bubbling pools. 

Feel adventurous? Here you can taste black eggs, cooked in the naturally hot water, whose shells are blackened by the sulfur and which are said to prolong one's life by seven years!

Back to Tokyo in the evening.

Transport: Private Charter bus

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Stay at hotel B Asakusa Tokyo

We leave our hotel with our backpacks ready for 3 days of hiking the Nakasendo Trail  (our main luggage will be transferred to our next destination - Kyoto). Accompanied by a local guide, drive about 4 hours to the trailhead.

On the following days, we will be walking between the old post towns of Narai, Tsumago, and Magome,  charming local villages with restored wooden houses of the past era, where we can see rural life, craftsmen at work, rice paddies, and the old stone paving. We also get the opportunity to stay in traditional inns (ryokans) some of which are hundreds of years old and passed down from generation to generation.

We will stop for lunch on the way at the local taverns, and at the end of the day, we will enjoy homemade dinner at the ryokan, and relax in the onsen baths.

Walking distance of the day: 6.2km / 3.9 miles
Elevation gain/drop: 270m/885 feet ascent; 344m/1,128 feet descent
Time required: 3-4 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We leave our ryokan after breakfast and take a short walk to the railway station, then take a 50-min train ride to the next destination.

On arrival, start walking along a lovely section of the Nakasendo Trail through delightful small settlements and rice fields to Tsumago, the living museum and best-preserved historic post-towns.

Check-in at the family-run guest house. Soak in the onsen baths made of cypress wood. Traditional dinner will be served. Overnight.

Walking distance of the day: 14km / 8.7 miles
Elevation gain: 344m/1,129 feet ascent; 723m/2,275 feet descent
Time required: 4.5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today's hike between Tsumago and our next destination Magome is one of the most scenic hikes in Japan and our last stop in Kiso Valley.

There will be time to eat lunch in Magome with its small shops along the picturesque main street.

After lunch, take a public bus to the train station (30 minutes) and a Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto (40 more min). 

Meet our local rep at the  Kyoto railway station on arrival and transfer by private charter bus to our western-style hotel in Kyoto conveniently located in the historic downtown close to main attractions and temples.

Evening free for exploring Kyoto on your own.

Overnight in hotel Rihga Gran Kyoto

Walking distance of the day: 8.3km / 5.2 miles
Elevation gain: 430m/1,410 feet ascent; 326m/1069 feet of descent
Time required: 3 hours

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we will head on a full-day guided walk to experience the elegant architecture and sublime religious monuments of this historic Japanese city, once the imperial capital. We will explore stunning Zen rock gardens, colorful temples, and ancient shrines of Kyoto, walk through Kyoto's infamous tori gates and spot the fox statues at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, visit the Gion Geisha district, and have an exclusive dining experience in a company of authentic Geisha.

Today we will have a fun experience of wearing traditional kimonos and taking memorable group photos!

Back in the hotel, overnight Rihga Gran Kyoto

Meals included: B, L, D

Transport: private bus

If you want to go deeper into Japanese culture, you should try an overnight stay at the monastery on Mount Koya, living one day of your life as a Buddhist monk. 

You will come away with a very special feeling toward this holy mountain together with some wonderful memories. 

52 of the 117 temples in the area accept guests for overnight at shukubo (pilgrimage lodging), where we are going to stay during our visit to Koyasan Monastery.

After early breakfast, check out from hotel in Kyoto. 

Leave the main luggage at the hotel storage room, taking only change for an overnight stay at the monastery.

Travel by metro, bullet train, and public bus (around 3hrs total) to reach the trailhead.  Start hiking the historic pilgrimage trail to Koyasan Monastery.

Check-in at the temple guest rooms called "shukubo" in the late afternoon.

Dinner at the temple's dining room (vegetarian only).

Attend evening service and various temple ceremonies (optional): 

🙏 Ajikan “watching or meditating on the character A,” which symbolizes the Cosmic Sun Buddha,  or to try hand copying Buddhist sutras

🙏 Shakyo, hand copying the sutras as a form of meditation, can bring the practitioner peace of mind

🙏 Gomakito (or Homa) fire ritual, performed to destroy negative energies, detrimental thoughts, and desires, and for the making of secular requests and blessings

Overnight at shukubo rooms at the monastery.

Walking distance of the day: 9km/ 5-6 miles

Elevation gain: ~800m/ 2600 feet (TBC)

Time required: 4-5hrs

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Continue experiencing the humble life of Buddhist monks. 

Explore Mt Koya, its temples, and hidden trails. 

Plan of the day:

⛩ Wake up & freshen up

⛩ 6:00 AM: Attend morning meditation service at the shrine (optional)

⛩ 7:30 AM: Breakfast at the dining area (vegetarian only), check out of the temple

⛩ 8:30 AM:  Visiting the most interesting temples and cemetery with a local guide. Hiking  Nenindo Trail (Women's Trail) 

Take a cable car ride down to the bus station. Take a train back to Kyoto.

Overnight in hotel Rihga Gran Kyoto

Waking distance of the day: 6-12km/ 4miles

Time required: 3-5hrs

Meals:  Breakfast

After early breakfast, check out and leave your luggage at the front desk (will be transferred to Osaka). Assisted by a local rep, drive to the railway station by private bus, and take an express train ride to Nara (1hr). 

Discover Nara, the ancient capital of Japan on a guided walk. 

Visit the emblematic 5-layer pagoda and Todaji Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan and home to the country’s largest Buddha statue. 

Then stop by Nara Park, the home to more than 1,000 free-roaming deers. You can feed them and take selfies with these friendly buddies. 

An amazing experience awaits! Cook your lunch, by participating in the sushi-making workshop! That will be so much fun! :)

Proceed to Osaka by train (45min).

Meet at the railway station and transfer to the hotel Otani Osaka.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, we will have time till about 2 PM to explore Osaka on our own before the departure flight back home.

Arrival in the United States on the same day Jun 1.