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Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

Jewels of Japan by Rail

Escorted 12-day rail tour from Tokyo to Osaka via Japan's famous cities

Illustration of Jewels of Japan by Rail

Vacations By Rail's Jewels of Japan by Rail is a 12-day escorted tour from Tokyo to Osaka for travelers visiting Japan for the first time or returning to see more. The journey combines Japan's famous sights: you ride the Shinkansen bullet train at speeds up to 186 mph, explore Kyoto's ancient temples including the Golden Pavilion, visit Hiroshima's Peace Memorial, cruise to the island shrine of Miyajima, and walk through bamboo forests and bustling city districts. A Tour Manager accompanies the entire group, and a local English-speaking guide leads all tours and excursions. You stay in four and five-star hotels, enjoy breakfast daily plus four dinners (including a meal in Kyoto's lantern-lit Ponto-cho Alley), and participate in hands-on experiences such as miso tasting, sake brewery visits, and a zen tea ceremony. The itinerary balances structured guided time with free afternoons to explore on your own.

What to know before you look closer

  • Flights and airport transfers are not included; book your own air travel and arrange independent transportation to and from hotels on arrival and departure
  • Day 1 arrival in Tokyo requires independent transfer to the hotel; no airport pick-up is arranged
  • Several hotels offer alternative options (Hakone Hotel or Prince Hotel Hakone, for example); your final accommodation depends on availability and tier selected

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Tokyo

    Arrival in the world's largest metropolis

    Arrive in Tokyo and transfer independently to the four-star hotel in Shinjuku. Optional visit to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building's observatory deck. Welcome drink and dinner this evening on the hotel restaurant's 45th floor.

  2. Day 2overnight: Tokyo

    Exploring Tokyo with an expert guide

    Meet the English-speaking guide who remains with the group throughout. Coach tour of Tokyo: Harajuku's Meiji-Jingu shrine (1920), the Shibuya crossing, and the 7th-century Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa. Rest of the day free.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Hakone

    A spectacular journey to lakeside Hakone

    Walk to Shinjuku station and board the Shonan Express to Odawara, then the Hakone Ropeway cable car (20 minutes) with views of Mount Fuji and Mount Hakone's hot springs. Cruise across Lake Ashi to the lakeside hotel.

  4. Day 4overnight: Matsumoto

    Iconic views of Mount Fuji, Japan's national emblem

    Coach to Mount Fuji Fifth Station (weather permitting) and the World Heritage Centre. Afternoon at Oishi Park beside Lake Kawaguchi. Continue into the mountains to Matsumoto.

  5. Day 5overnight: Nagoya

    Miso tasting and Matsumoto's historic 'black castle'

    Guided miso factory tour and tasting, then Matsumoto Castle ('Crow Castle', built in the 1500s). Continue through the Kiso Valley, stopping at the Edo-period towns of Tsumago and Magome, to Nagoya.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Hiroshima

    Himeji Castle and the bullet train to Hiroshima

    Train to Himeji to view its UNESCO-listed castle (Japan's largest) and the Koko-en garden. First Shinkansen bullet train journey, reaching speeds up to 186mph, to Hiroshima. Free evening to dine independently.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Hiroshima

    Serene Miyajima and its sacred temples

    Local train and boat to Miyajima (Itsukushima, 'Island of the Gods'). Walking tour including Itsukushima Shrine and the Great Torii Gate (12th century). Return to Hiroshima; evening at leisure.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Kyoto

    Discovering Hiroshima's poignant sites

    Tour of the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum. Bullet train to Kyoto; walking tour of the Gion district, a Gion Corner Theatre performance, and dinner in lantern-lit Ponto-cho Alley.

  9. Day 9overnight: Kyoto

    The charming traditions of Kyoto

    Half-day tour: the Sagano Bamboo Forest and Kinkakuji Temple (the 'Golden Pavilion', 1397), followed by a zen tea ceremony. Visit Nishiki market; rest of the day free.

  10. Day 10overnight: Kyoto

    Exploring Nara, Japan's first capital

    Walking tour of Nara (capital 710-794 AD) with an English-speaking guide, including Todaji Temple's Great Buddha (Daibutsu, 752 AD) and the deer park. Stop at a traditional sake brewery on the way back to Kyoto.

  11. Day 11overnight: Osaka

    A Japanese tea ceremony and Osaka's floating garden

    Japanese tea ceremony before leaving Kyoto. Coach to Osaka for a guided tour including the Floating Garden Observatory atop the Umeda Sky Building and the neon-lit Dotonbori district. Dinner tonight.

  12. Day 12

    Traveling home

    Tour concludes after breakfast; check out and make your own way to Osaka airport for your flight home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 3Shonan Express to Odawara, then Hakone Ropeway with views of Mount Fuji and a cruise across Lake Ashi
  • Day 5Miso factory tasting and visit to Matsumoto Castle (Crow Castle, built in the 1500s)
  • Day 6First Shinkansen bullet train journey at speeds up to 186 mph from Himeji to Hiroshima
  • Day 7Boat trip to Miyajima to visit the 12th-century Itsukushima Shrine and its Great Torii Gate
  • Day 9Sagano Bamboo Forest and Kinkakuji Temple (the Golden Pavilion, 1397), followed by a zen tea ceremony

Included

  • Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 11 nights' 4 & 5-Star hotel accommodation
  • Standard Class rail travel on local rail networks
  • All rail, cruise, ferry and coach travel throughout the tour
  • Breakfast each day, 4 dinners
  • Group luggage transfers between hotels from Tokyo to Hakone, Nagoya to Kyoto
  • All guided tours and excursions

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance (not included but can be arranged)
  • Flights and airport transfers

Questions travellers ask

Is all rail travel included?
Yes. The price includes Standard Class rail travel on the Shinkansen bullet trains, Shonan Express, local trains, plus all coach and ferry journeys throughout the tour.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. Vacations By Rail provides a Tour Manager from start to finish and a local English-speaking guide throughout the itinerary.
Which trains are featured?
The Shonan Express from Tokyo to Odawara on Day 3, and the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Nagoya to Hiroshima to Kyoto on Days 6 and 8, with speeds up to 186 mph.
What meals are included?
Breakfast every day and four dinners: welcome dinner on Day 1 (45th floor of the hotel restaurant), and dinners on Days 8, 11, and one other day as scheduled.
How much walking is involved?
Mobility Rating 3. Walking tours are scheduled in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Miyajima, and Hiroshima; Mount Fuji Fifth Station requires climbing to the viewpoint, and climbing stairs and steep paths are part of several temple and shrine visits.
What is not included?
Flights, airport transfers, travel insurance, and meals not mentioned above (lunch and some dinners are independent). Cancellation insurance can be arranged separately.

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