Luxury Japan: Ryokan, Fine Dining & Timeless Elegance

Today you explore Tokyo privately, with an expert guide and chauffeured car. You take in the capital's treasures at a graceful pace, the serene Meiji Shrine in its forest, the great Senso-ji temple in old Asakusa, the Imperial Palace gardens, and the elegant boutiques of Ginza. You might enjoy a private viewing at a fine museum or gallery, the digital art of teamLab, or the famous Shibuya crossing from a stylish vantage. Between sights you savour a refined lunch and perhaps afternoon tea with a view. This evening you dine at one of Tokyo's celebrated tables, perhaps an intimate sushi counter where a master shapes each piece before you, a sublime experience in the world's most Michelin-starred city. Rest well in your grand hotel, with more of the capital to enjoy tomorrow.

Today you enjoy Tokyo at a flexible, indulgent pace. You might explore hidden gardens and artisan workshops with your private guide, browse the luxury boutiques and depachika food halls, or enjoy a spa day at your hotel. Culture lovers can take a private cultural experience, calligraphy, kimono or a tea ceremony, while others explore the galleries of Roppongi or the traditional crafts of old Tokyo. A refined lunch and perhaps a hidden cocktail bar with skyline views punctuate the day. Your guide and concierge tailor everything to your wishes. As the day ends, you gather your impressions of the elegant capital. This evening, savour another celebrated table, perhaps refined kaiseki, tempura or teppanyaki. Rest well in your grand hotel, ready for one more Tokyo day before you retreat to Mount Fuji.

Today is yours to enjoy Tokyo entirely as you wish, with your private guide, car and concierge on hand. You might take a day excursion to the historic shrines of Nikko amid the mountains and forests, a UNESCO treasure, or to the seaside temples and Great Buddha of Kamakura, both in supreme comfort. Alternatively, indulge in more of the city, private shopping, a sushi or sake masterclass, a helicopter flight over the metropolis, or simply relaxing in your suite and spa. Your team arranges every detail seamlessly. As this Tokyo chapter closes, you reflect on the elegance and endless fascination of the capital. This evening, savour a final Tokyo dinner at a table of your choosing. Rest well in your grand hotel, for tomorrow you journey to a luxurious ryokan beneath sacred Mount Fuji.

Today you leave the city behind and journey by private chauffeured car into the Hakone highlands, in the shadow of sacred Mount Fuji. You may pause to cruise Lake Ashi, the great red torii gate of Hakone Shrine rising from the water, ride the ropeway over the steaming volcanic valley of Owakudani, or visit the open-air sculpture museum. In the afternoon you arrive at one of Japan's finest ryokan, a traditional luxury inn, where you are welcomed with tea and sweets, wrapped in a fine yukata robe, and shown to a beautiful suite with tatami floors, garden views and its own private open-air onsen. You soak in the soothing hot-spring waters, then feast on an exquisite multi-course kaiseki banquet of seasonal delicacies, served with impeccable grace. Rest well in sublime tranquillity beneath Mount Fuji.

Today you savour the serenity and indulgence of your ryokan and the beauty of the Hakone region. You might begin with a dawn soak in your private onsen, perhaps with Mount Fuji revealed in the clear morning air, followed by a leisurely breakfast. With your private guide you explore the region's gentle pleasures, the shores of Lake Ashi, the mountain trails and viewpoints, the exquisite Hakone gardens and art museums, or the traditional craft villages, at a graceful, unhurried pace. You return to your ryokan to relax, soak again in the healing waters, and perhaps enjoy a spa treatment. This evening you feast on another exquisite kaiseki banquet, a celebration of the season. As the day ends, you rest in complete tranquillity, wrapped in the timeless ritual and comfort of the ryokan. Rest well beneath the sacred mountain.

This morning, after a final soak in your private onsen and a leisurely breakfast, you are privately transferred to the station, where you board the spacious first-class Green Car of the shinkansen bullet train, gliding west in serene comfort while your luggage is forwarded ahead. On arrival in Kyoto, the serene heart of traditional Japan, you are met and transferred to a beautiful luxury hotel or elegant machiya townhouse. You begin your immersion in the ancient capital with your private guide, perhaps the shimmering Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji mirrored in its pond, or a serene temple garden, at an unhurried, exclusive pace. This evening you dine on the finest Kyoto kaiseki. As the day ends, you settle into the refined beauty of the old capital. Rest well, ready for privileged access to its treasures tomorrow.

Today you experience ancient Kyoto as few ever can. With your private guide you may enter a celebrated temple before the gates open to the public, enjoying its gardens and halls in tranquil solitude, a rare privilege. You walk beneath the thousands of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari in the quiet of early morning, and take a private tea ceremony with a master in a historic teahouse, learning the graceful, meditative ritual in intimate surroundings. You explore the wooden terraces of Kiyomizu-dera and the preserved lanes of Higashiyama at a graceful pace, with refined dining along the way. This evening you enjoy the finest Kyoto kaiseki once more. As the day ends, you reflect on the beauty and refinement of the ancient capital. Rest well, ready for a private geisha encounter tomorrow.

Today you explore more of exquisite Kyoto with your private guide. You visit Arashiyama, walking through the enchanting bamboo grove and the serene Tenryu-ji temple with its exquisite garden, perhaps enjoying a private boat on the river or a refined lunch. You might discover the raked gravel Zen garden of Ryoan-ji, the Nijo Castle of the shoguns, or a master artisan's workshop. This evening brings a rare and enchanting privilege, a private geisha encounter, in which you dine on exquisite cuisine while a geiko and maiko perform traditional dance, play games and converse through your interpreter, a captivating window into a hidden world usually closed to visitors. The intimacy and beauty are unforgettable. As the day ends, you savour the magic of the evening. Rest well amid the refinement of ancient Kyoto, with more to enjoy tomorrow.

Today is yours to enjoy Kyoto entirely as you wish, with your private guide, car and concierge on hand. You might take a serene day excursion to the moss temples and hidden gardens beyond the city, to the great Zen monasteries, or to nearby Nara to meet the bowing deer and the giant Great Buddha in comfort. Alternatively, indulge in Kyoto itself, a private kimono fitting, a wagashi sweet-making or sake-tasting experience, exclusive shopping for fine crafts and antiques, or simply relaxing in your beautiful accommodation. Your team arranges every detail seamlessly. As this Kyoto chapter closes, you reflect on the timeless beauty and refinement of the old capital. This evening, savour a final Kyoto dinner at a table of your choosing. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the refined pleasures of Osaka.

This morning you enjoy a final taste of Kyoto before a short private transfer to Osaka, Japan's warm-hearted second city and a capital of cuisine. On arrival you settle into a fine hotel with sweeping views. With your private guide you explore mighty Osaka Castle, rising on massive stone ramparts amid moats and gardens, and take in the city's blend of history and exuberant modern energy. As evening falls you experience the celebrated Osaka food scene at its finest, perhaps a refined kappo or teppanyaki restaurant, or a guided tasting through the neon-lit Dotonbori quarter, grazing its famous specialities amid the giant animated signs, in style. The energy, flavour and elegance are a delight. As the day ends, you gather your impressions of this exuberant city. Rest well in your fine hotel, ready for a final day tomorrow.

Today you enjoy a flexible, indulgent final full day, with your private guide and concierge on hand. You might take a comfortable day excursion to the sacred island of Miyajima and Hiroshima's moving Peace Park, or to elegant Kobe for its famous beef and harbour views, both in supreme comfort. Alternatively, indulge in Osaka itself, exclusive shopping and gourmet dining, a spa day at your hotel, or a leisurely exploration of its markets and gardens. Your team arranges every detail seamlessly. As your luxurious journey through Japan draws towards its close, you reflect on the exquisite beauty, peerless hospitality and sublime cuisine you have experienced. This evening, savour a memorable farewell dinner at a celebrated table, toasting an unforgettable journey. Rest well in your fine hotel, ready for your departure tomorrow, carrying warm memories of the finest of Japan.

After a final, unhurried morning in Japan, perhaps a last indulgent breakfast, a spa treatment or some exclusive shopping for fine crafts and antiques, you are privately transferred by chauffeured car to Osaka's Kansai airport for your onward international departure, ideally in a premium cabin. You leave having experienced the very finest of Japan, the grand hotels and celebrated tables of Tokyo, a luxurious ryokan with private onsen beneath Mount Fuji, exclusive access and a private geisha encounter in ancient Kyoto, and the refined pleasures of Osaka, all with private guides, first-class travel and seamless, anticipatory service. The images stay vivid long after you land, Fuji from your private onsen, a temple garden in dawn solitude, the grace of a geisha, and the artistry of exquisite kaiseki. Japan offers beauty, refinement, cuisine and peerless hospitality in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this most elegant of lands.