The first day is a standard affair. Your guide will pick you up at the airport and assist you with preparations for the tour. A private coach will take you to your hotel in the heart of the city. After the check-in procedures are completed, you will have the rest of the day to yourselves.

Tokyo, or Edo as it was known in the olden days, was the starting (or ending, depending on your perspective) point of the great Tokaido Road. Your journey today will bring you to the various landmarks of Tokyo, including a temple in Shinagawa, the very first of the 53 stations of Tokaido. You will be visiting the graveyard of the famous 47 loyal ronin (masterless samurai), whose deeds became a popular story in the Edo period.

The attractions today span multiple eras, from modern-day Imperial Palace to Edo-period Sengaku-ji, and even the 7th-century temple of Senso-ji. You will also experience the art forms that developed during the course of Japanese history, from the art of iaijutsu (sword-drawing) to kimono-wearing. At the end of this enriching day, you will feast on a great shabu-shabu dinner to celebrate the beginning of your journey down the Tokaido.

Hakone, located just less than two hours away from Tokyo, was an important checkpoint of the Tokaido road. Your first destination is a reconstruction of the “gateway to Edo,” now a museum that displays many items related to its function as a checkpoint. A fancy cruise ship will take you from there to Moto-Hakone where you will visit the local shrine and enjoy the regional soba dish.

The main highlight today is the walking course between Moto-Hakone and Hatajuku, being a preserved segment of the original Tokaido. Experience a pleasant walk along the old route and take a short break in a 400-year-old teahouse. Embrace the nostalgic atmosphere of Hakone on this literal trip down the memory lane. You will then be brought to your ryokan in Hakone Yumoto, where a delicious kaiseki meal and relaxing onsen bath await you.

After breakfast, you will check out of your ryokan in Hakone. The historically named Tokaido shinkansen will bring you from Odawara to Nagoya, another stop in the second half of the great route. While it is nowadays best known as the headquarter city of the automotive giant Toyota, the city was originally a strategic castle town that started developing during the Tokugawa shogunate. In other words, Nagoya is a destination that combines the charm of Edo period and the technological advancements of Japan.

The two destinations that you will visit today represent Nagoya’s niche in Japanese history. The first one, Nagoya Castle, was the residence of the great Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan. Recently renovated, the castle houses many cultural treasures, including the lavishly decorated Honmaru Palace. The second, the science museum, is an impressive building with a gigantic silver globe on the facade. It houses many interesting scientific exhibits as well as the world’s largest planetarium. Feel both the Japanese past and future in the city of Nagoya!

It is time to approach the end of the Tokaido Road. You will spend the morning to appreciate the arts and treasures of the Tokugawa clan in one of the country’s finest museums, and take a peaceful stroll in the adjacent landscape garden, featuring a large lake and beautiful waterfalls. Feel the subtle nuances of Edo in Nagoya before you leave for the last station of the route: Kyoto, the millennium capital.

You will explore the atmospheric old town district of Higashiyama, which houses many preserved merchant houses and shops, along with beautiful temples. After a little sightseeing, take a break and enjoy a cup of tea in a traditional tea ceremony, a custom that exemplifies the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. You will proceed to visit the most famous geisha district in the country, and enjoy a fine dinner with the artisan geisha to celebrate your completing your journey on the most important route in Edo Japan.

As you have started in modern Tokyo, traversed the road of Edo, and arrived in ancient Kyoto, you will now complete your journey through historic Japan by appreciating the many legacies of Kyoto that predate the Edo period. You will visit two of the major temple compounds built in the Muromachi period to see a wide variety of Zen architecture and gardens.

In the afternoon, you will experience a rickshaw ride in Arashiyama, a major destination for court nobles of the Heian period for enjoying the beauty of nature. Visit the most important of the five great Zen temples of Kyoto, Tenryu-ji, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experience both the man-made and natural beauty of this ancient capital. At the end of the day, you will be transferred to your hotel near Kansai International Airport, from which you will leave Japan tomorrow.

You have completed the Tokaido Trails tour! We hope that you enjoyed your trip with ILJT! On the last day, you will check out of your hotel and conduct an independent transfer to the airport. Have a safe flight back home, and see you again soon!