Interested in Japan but don't want to handle the difficulties when traveling with your family? Simply travel with us and let our experienced tour planners and local guides make your vacation worry-free.
Connect with the rich history of Japan, breathe in the fragrance of mountain towns, wander through splendid shrines and palaces, experience different classes of Shinkansen bullet train as you traverse the country, shop on busy streets, and savor an array of Japan's culinary delights at homely local restaurants and bustling food markets, delighting in food tasting experiences that make you feel like a local!
What you are waiting for? Read the customizable itinerary and travel with us your way!
Journey Route

This is an ideal tour for first-time visitors and families. Sign up for your favorite part of the tour or simply treat the whole tour as inspiration, designing each element specially for you.
Highlights
Wash your hands in Meiji Shrine and connect with Japanese traditions.

Experience the rich heritage of Japan by visiting various UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the country.


Dive headfirst into the pulsating center of Tokyo's youth culture.


See the panorama of Tokyo city from the tallest free-standing broadcasting tower in the world.

Unleash your culinary creativity in a ramen-making experience for the whole family in Tokyo.


Have fun in Universal Studios Japan with your kids!

Board the different classes of Shinkansen and explore different parts of Japan.


Zoom through the incredible Japanese Alps and enter traditional folk villages.


Discover the artistry of gold-leafing in Kanazawa, creating your own unique piece of shimmering beauty.


Stay overnight in traditional Japanese ryokan — complete with tatami mat floors and sliding doors.

Learn the value of peace at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.


Feed the wild deer at Nara Park and share in the idyllic scenery.


China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.


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Alisa Liu is a star to work makes Asia Highlights even better
Alisa Liu was my contact person for Asia Highlights. She was remarkably punctual, she was thoughtful, and she handle an emergency on my end, with grace and patience. She recommended great hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka Japan that put us in the center of the action. The guides she choose were personable, punctual a knowledgeable about their cities. More
Brent Zadorozny,
Oct 2023
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Excellent service
Started using Asia Highlights to plan my trip to Japan. Sharon was very helpful, giving me all the information I would need for the tour. I would definitely use Asia Highlights again, when planning another trip to Asia. More
Rachel Nelson,
Oct 2023
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Japan tour
Our airport pick-up went very smoothly. Our guide, Vivian, on the second day was very nice, very accommodating, took into account our preferences. In Osaka, our trip to the castle was a very long walk with lots of steps to climb and quite honestly wasn’t very interesting. But Dotonburi is a must-see and we enjoyed that very much.Our trip to Hiroshima was very memorable. I highly recommend it. Our guide, Etsuko, was very knowledgeable and kind. The trip to Miyajima island, on the other hand, wasn’t too memorable. Our next city, Kyoto, is a truly wonderful place to visit. All the temples we went to were very interesting and very distinctive from each other (Kinkakuji temple, Nijo castle, Sanjusangendo temple,Kiyumizo temple, Fushimi Inari shrine, Kasuga Taisha shrine, Tojaidi temple). The sake tour was a downer and wouldn’t recommend it.Our guide, Ritsuko, was a darling. She was very knowledgeable too and kind and warm and easy to talk to. Our last tour in Tokyo was a rainy day and Sue, our guide, was able to change our tour to the next day. She was so efficient and so accommodating and so kind and very knowledgeable too. More
Mrs Cristina Hidalgo Loris,
Oct 2023
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Very good tour of Japan
Very good tour around Japan for 10 days, including Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. Excellent guides and experiences. Albee, the tour organiser, was always available to sort out changes to itinerary or extra requests. More
Guy Slimmon,
Oct 2023
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Everything is good
All of the hotels were wonderful and our guides were super friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. We had a 10 day trip that included multiple cities and lots of different sights, we squeezed in as much as we could, including a 2 day hiking trip to Mt. Fuji (our guide Sun Nan was awesome!). Our guide in Tokyo, Jennifer, was lovely and our guide for 2 days in Kyoto, Dennis, was also super great. We did a food tour in Osaka with Vivian which was nice Sallie Fujimoto-Swun More
Ideale Tran,
Oct 2023
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Thank you for the wonderful experience…
Thank you for the wonderful experience we all truely enjoyed. From the beginning (making first contact with Sharon from Asia Highlights) to the end (Saying good bye to our amazing guide Lilly) the experience was top notch. Great communication while preparing the trip and excellent local knowledge of our tour guide. I can highly recommend Asia Highlights and would not hesitate to use them again for our next trip. More
Dany Gruosso,
Oct 2023
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Vacations in Japan
The guides Jessie and Vivian were very kind and professionals and the drivers as well. In a future vacation we will get in touch with Asia Highlights without a doubt. More
Hilda Andrade,
Oct 2023
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Experience with Asia Highlights
This was my first time working with a travel agent to plan an international trip and because of the seamless experience I had, I have decided to always work with an agent when booking international trips. Asia Highlights did an amazing job in ensuring we found a trip that worked well for our budget and provided us with special experiences in Japan that exceeded our expectations. From travel logistics in Japan to lodging and activities, we felt taken care of. If I had known that travel agents were this helpful, I would have worked with them in my prior travels. I definitely plan to book my next trip to Asia with this agent. More
Adie Ballantyne,
Oct 2023
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Jason and Cathy from Asia Highlights…
Jason and Kathy from Asia Highlights did a great job for us. They were very responsive and professional. Hotel choices and attractions made for a wonderful first time trip to Japan. More
Norman and Mary Van Zante,
Sep 2023
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This was one of the best experiences in…
This was one of the best experiences in Travel that I have ever had... and I have traveled extensively. The reliability of the the driver and guide, the kindness each displayed (different people in different cities same result) and the flexibility to work with my family's requests was outstanding. I now wish for this experience where ever I may travel next! More
Donna Huck,
Sep 2023
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Prompt response!
First and foremost, this review is based strictly on prompt response from Asia Highlights.I was browsing Asia Highlights website on the night of September 17th 2023 and really impressed of the positive reviews. So I decided to send an e-mail for an estimate of a private tour guide in Tokyo Japan for 6 days/7 nights including hotel accommodation for my 90-year-old father and I. I provided as much information as I can what areas of interest we would like to visit. I was really expecting a 72-hour delay response from Asia Highlights given time difference in California and Japan. The following day, I received an e-mail from Kate Long. Impressive! Kate provided a very detailed suggested itinerary with great consideration for my 90-year-old father. I truly appreciated her thoughtfulness! I will definitely reach out to Asia Highlights on our next trip! Thank you Kate! More
F K,
Sep 2023
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Perfectly planned and organized
Albee at Asia Highlights created a diverse, fun-filled itinerary for our trip. She listened carefully to our interests and made sure that we made the best use of our time in Japan. Our local guides, drivers and vehicles were excellent. Albee was always available to answer all my questions with a lightening fast response time. A very memorable experience and I would definitely book with Asia Highlights again. More
Carol Ann Paget Brown,
Sep 2023
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Sharon provided great service while…
Sharon provided great service while planning and booking our Japan trip! Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to family medical reasons. Sharon was very understanding of this and helped process the cancellation and refund in a very timely manner. When we are ready to book our trip again, I will certainly be reaching out to Sharon and Asia Highlights! More
Ali Tahir,
Sep 2023
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I just wanted to tell you how pleased…
I just wanted to tell you how pleased we were planning and coordinating our recent Japan trip with Alisa Liu. Alisa was responsive, answered questions in a timely manner despite our 15 hour time difference, and coordinated a trip for a 6 person multi-generational tour to everyone's satisfaction. (ages7-70!)We were particularly thankful for her help as 2 typhoons bore down on Japan during our stay. She helped us rearrange train and hotel reservations, and was able to get us a refund from a hotel that would not typically offer that. I have referred other friends to her with confidence. More
Berdine Bender,
Sep 2023
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Leah Stine
Not only Albee was great! Each of our guides and drivers were also a joy. Daniel was our first knowledgeable guide who spoke excellent English and was so much fun throughout the day. Jeremy was our guide for the next few days and he also was fun, flexible, and had so many interesting tidbits to share with us throughout the day. Kiko was our guide on the next leg of our journey. She had such a joyful sense of adventure and curiosity that was such a hoot. Vivian was also professional and very aware to what our needs were in the moment. Tian was incredibly flexible and when our plans literally changed when he picked us up, he showed great flexibility and took us to some really fun places at the last minute that were some of our best experiences. And finally Charlie was our last guide and he was so thoughtful and consistently anticipated our needs. By the time we realized we might need something, he would already have it taken care of. All of our guides were so thoughtful and conscious of either making sure we got time to ourselves or of being available right when we needed them. They were each fun and had their own personal flavor that they brought to the experience. We are so grateful for the consideration and flexibility that Asia Highlights showed us consistently and would highly recommend them for anyone interested in visiting Asia. Thank you so much! It was an amazing trip! More
Leah Stine,
Aug 2023
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Alisa is awesome!
We have been looking to go to Japan for a long time. The food, the culture, and the rich history have always intrigued us. We tried many times to set up pieces of the trip on our own, but couldn’t put together a sensible vacation. Then we found Asia Highlights and Alisa! She helped us tailor a remarkable adventure to Japan! She answered our many questions and shifted our itinerary to maximize our time in each city. I highly recommend Alisa to help you put together the trip of a lifetime. We are looking forward to our journey! More
Mark Linn,
Aug 2023
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Sharon has been very helpful since the…
Sharon has been very helpful since the beginning coordinating our itinerary in order to accommodate everything we want to see, it been great working with her More
May,
Jul 2023
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When I first book I was scared of what…
When I first book I was scared of what to expect, but oh my God! What an amazing experience this has been, from Sharon to all the guides Shawn and Mr. Ho, such amazing people! Their work is excellent More
Saul Velez,
Jul 2023
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Albee was very helpful and responsive…
Albee was very helpful and responsive in helping me make plans for their 10 day Japanese tour. More
Bhavini Patel,
Jul 2023
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Alisa was a perfect tour consultant
Alisa responded to my numerous questions with efficiency and accuracy. She was constantly suggesting options to make the trip more enjoyable More
Matha Goram,
Jul 2023
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Itinerary in Detail
We arrange plenty of cultural activities to help create memorable experiences along the way. We also take time to observe deer, regarded by Japanese people as messengers of the gods, and have fun in both Disneyland and Universal Studios. Of course, all of them are adjustable according to your ideas!
Konnichiwa! Welcome to Tokyo — capital city of Japan!
Upon landing at the airport, a friendly driver will transfer you to your hotel. After settling in, the rest of the day is yours. Enjoy free time to start exploring the city or relax and refresh from your journey.

Embark on a full-day tour of Tokyo via private vehicle, immersing your family in a blend of history and modernity that defines the city:
- Commence your exploration at Meiji Jingu Shrine, a tranquil oasis paying homage to Japan's spiritual heritage.
- Embrace the energy of Shibuya, a hub of modern trends and youth culture.
- Round off your day at Kokyo Gaien National Garden, a lush retreat from the city's pace where you can photograph the charming Meganebashi ('Spectacles') Bridge with a unique European ambiance
- Dive into history at Asakusa's Senso-ji temple, an esteemed symbol of Buddhism.
- Ascend to the top of Tokyo Skytree for breathtaking panoramas of the bustling metropolis.

Experience Tokyo's high-tech and pop culture vibe today in a full-day tour around the city in a private vehicle:
- Explore teamLab Borderless at MORI Building Digital Art Museum, an innovative digital art space that blurs the boundaries between art and its viewers.
- Engage your family in a ramen-making experience, discovering the art of crafting Japan's famous noodles.
- Visit the Pokémon Center, which is bursting with merchandise from the beloved franchise.
- Step into an anime café, immersing yourselves in Tokyo's dynamic pop art culture.
Each attraction offers a unique flavor of Japan's capital, allowing you to customize an engaging day for your family.

Transition into the traditional heartland of Japan on day 4:
- Starting with a self-guided trip to the station. Thanks to a detailed briefing from your Tokyo guide and ahead-of-time delivery of your Shinkansen tickets, you'll know exactly how to get to the station and what to do when the day begins.
- Experience the thrilling speed of the Shinkansen as you travel from Tokyo to Nagoya.
- Upon arrival in Nagoya, a private transfer will whisk you off to the charming town of Takayama, nestled in the Japanese Alps.
- Embark on a guided tour in a private vehicle, visiting highlights like historical Takayama Jinya, a well-preserved government house offering a window into the feudal era Japan.
- Immerse yourself in the rustic ambiance of Hida Folk Village, featuring traditional thatched homes and farmhouses that depict mountain life from centuries ago.

Journey further into the cultural richness of Japan, traveling from Takayama to Kanazawa:
- During a full-day tour in a private car, immerse yourself in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go, famous for its distinctive gassho-zukuri ('praying hands') thatched farmhouses.
- Continue on to explore the historical elegance of Kanazawa Castle, a landmark of the city's samurai history.
- Round off the day amidst the tranquility of Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan's top three landscape gardens, renowned for its beauty in all seasons.
This day offers a deep dive into Japan's architectural and natural splendor, creating priceless family memories.

Begin your day with an exploration of more Kanazawa gems:
- Visit Higashi Chaya District, a beautifully preserved section of the city known for its historical teahouses.
- Engage in a unique gold-leafing experience, a nod to the city's renowned gold leaf craft, adding a touch of extravagance to your day.
- Afterwards, embark on a scenic train ride from Kanazawa to Kyoto aboard the Thunderbird (express train).
- Upon arrival in Kyoto, utilize your detailed information provided in advance to smoothly navigate your way to your hotel. Remember, your train ticket also works as a metro ticket once you arrive in Kyoto!
Your evening is at your leisure, giving you valuable free time to either begin exploring or simply rest up after an eventful day.

Immerse your family in the historical and cultural wonders of Kyoto with a full-day tour in a private vehicle:
- Take in the glittering sight of Kinkaku-ji temple, a.k.a. Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple coated in gold leaf.
- Explore Nijo Castle, a well-preserved castle showcasing Japan's feudal history.
- Immerse yourselves in the natural beauty of Arashiyama, a scenic district on the outskirts of Kyoto.
- Visit the iconic Togetsu-kyo Bridge, and end the day trip at Nonomiya Shrine, a small Shinto shrine set amidst the verdant Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
Of course, the order and selection of visits is flexible, offering you the freedom to prioritize sites that resonates most with your family's interests.

Set off towards Osaka, making stops at some of Kyoto's and Nara's most renowned attractions along the way:
- Begin your day with a visit to Pure Water Temple (Kiyomizu-dera), an iconic Buddhist temple offering panoramic views of Kyoto.
- Move on to Fushimi Inari Shrine, home to the famous path lined with thousands of vermilion torii gates.
- Upon arrival in Nara, visit Mount Wakakusa, a beautiful grass-covered hill offering stunning city views.
- Take a leisurely stroll in Nara Park, known for its free-roaming herd of deer, before ending your day in Osaka.
Throughout your journey, enjoy the comfort and convenience of touring by private vehicle. The rest of the day is yours to start uncovering the vibrant charms of Osaka.

Ready for an adventure-filled day? Your family is off to Universal Studios Japan!
- With your 1-Day Studio Pass, dive into the world of your favorite movie characters, and enjoy a variety of exhilarating attractions and shows.
- Your local guide will provide detailed transfer information ahead of time, ensuring a smooth experience.
Be ready to create unforgettable memories together within this magical world of fun and excitement.

On day 10, embark on a new chapter of your Japan journey as you travel from Osaka to Hiroshima using your pre-provided train tickets:
- After a smooth trip aboard the Nozomi Train from Shin-Osaka Station, you will alight in Hiroshima where a rich history awaits an unfolding before you.
- With your private guide and vehicle, you will visit the majestic Hiroshima Castle, offering historical insights into Japan's feudal period.
- Take a moment of reflection at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, an enduring symbol of peace. Its poignant memorial monuments, museums, and lecture halls offer a testimony of Hiroshima's tragic past and its subsequent commitment to world peace.
Your history-filled day of exploration will end as you settle into your Hiroshima hotel for the night.

Soak in more of Hiroshima's unique blend of tranquility and historical significance:
- Enter Shukkei-en Garden, a compact but beautiful space representing various landscapes from all over Japan.
- Take a cruise to Miyajima Island, where the world-renowned Itsukushima-jinja Shrine and its iconic "floating" torii gate await.
- Post exploration, board the Nozomi Train back to Osaka. Detailed instructions will guide you smoothly from the station to your hotel.
Enjoy your free time in the evening to rest or discover Osaka's vibrant streets.

On day 12, we would experience a memorable day in Osaka, the heart of Japan's Kansai region:
- Start your full-day tour at Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, where you can marvel at traditional Japanese woodblock prints.
- Embark on our half-day Culinary Delights adventure in the vibrant Shinsekai ('New World') district, offering a taste of Osaka's gastronomy.
- Become a ninja for a day with a fun-filled Ninja Experience, learning about their fascinating history while mastering some ninja techniques.
- End the day in Dotonbori, the city's entertainment heart where a plethora of shopping and dining options await.
Experience Osaka's unique blend of culture, history, and food at your own pace.

As your unforgettable family journey through Japan comes to an end, enjoy a seamless one-way private transfer from your hotel to the airport.
Reflect on the incredible memories you've gathered, from the buzzing streets of Tokyo and Osaka to the historical charm of Kyoto and Hiroshima, while on your way home. Each destination will have shown you its unique delights, from cultural landmarks and traditional artisanal experiences to culinary tours and thrilling amusement parks.
Sayonara and safe travels! We hope to welcome you again soon.
Hand-Picked Hotels
We have selected hotels with different styles and for different budgets. Let us know your preferences and we will help you find the right one.
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![]() Kid-friendly traditional Ryokan in Takayama
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![]() Conveniently located hotel in central Kanazawa
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![]() Unique warm hotel with fine location in Kyoto
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![]() Hotel ideally located for leisure activities in central Osaka.
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![]() Hotel offering a breathtaking sea view in Hiroshima
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Our Service Includes:
- Private transfers on guided days as listed
- All guided sightseeing as detailed in the itinerary
- Hotel accommodation mentioned in the itinerary
- Breakfasts at hotels
- Governmental taxes
Tour code: ah-jp-13
Inquire now! Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.
Why Travel with Asia Highlights (98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+)
- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
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At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace. You can have any trip tailor made for your travel.