Gastronomic Tour

This 13-day trip will offer you a guided tour of the best food and culture spots in Japan. From the bustle of Tokyo and Osaka, to rural mountain towns, to historic Kyoto, and the serenity of Mount Koya, this trip is a culinary and cultural journey.

Travel and food go hand in hand and Japan is the ideal place for a culinary and cultural adventure. From world-class restaurants to backstreet noodle bars, Japan’s cuisines have something for every palate, and its cities are sure to appease the hungriest culture’s appetite for breathtaking scenery and new experiences.

With tens of thousands of restaurants and more Michelin stars than Paris, Tokyo is a foodie’s dream and the perfect place to start your journey. One of our Insider experts will take you to an izakaya or a traditional Japanese gastropub for a night of food and drink alongside the city’s earners.

The adventure continues as you head to the Nagano Mountains, home to the castle-town of Matsumoto, where the imposing “Black Crow” castle stands amid the towering peaks. Here you will learn how to make the regional specialty – buckwheat soba noodles in a historic soba shop.

Departing from Matsumoto, you will take a bus ride through the mountains to the artisan town of Takayama, where you will stay in a traditional guest house and taste the local specialties: hoba-miso and Hida meat.

The stunning Kenrokuen Gardens and ancient teahouse districts of Kanazawa are the forerunners of cultural enlightenment in Kyoto – home to the secret world of geisha and literally thousands of shrines and temples. We launched a cooking class in a Kyoto home to help you make your own sushi. Once you’ve mastered the technique behind sushi, you can recreate it at home, a great keepsake from your culinary adventure.

On the atmospheric Mount Koya, you will have the chance to join in morning meditation with the monks and sample traditional shojin ryori in a Buddhist temple before visiting the haunting Okunoin Mausoleum. The founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kobo Daishi, is said to have been there meditating for more than 1,150 years.

Koya’s serenity will be a stark contrast to his final destination, Osaka, often referred to as “Cuisine of Japan.” Known for a variety of culinary specialties and for its down-to-earth and frank speaking locals, a guided street tour will be a real treat.

Please note: This trip is designed to start in Tokyo (either at Tokyo Narita or Tokyo Haneda airports) and end in Osaka with a departure from Osaka Kansai Airport. For this, you will need an incredibly cheap plane ticket in Tokyo and out of Osaka Kansai. Alternatively, if you prefer to fly home from Tokyo, we can tailor the itinerary to take you to the capital. Get in contact with us for more information.

Detailed Itinerary

Days 1-3, Tokyo

Discover the many faces of Japan’s phenomenal capital – from the top of the tallest tower in the world to Senso-ji Temple.

Accommodation: Richmond Asakusa

Meals: Dinner; Breakfast; Breakfast;

Days 4, Matsumoto

Try making soba noodles in the shadow of Matsumoto’s samurai castle.

Accommodation: Hotel Marunouchi

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Days 5-6, Takayama

Stroll through the morning markets of an alpine town, sip some local sake, and admire Takayama’s elaborate festival floats.

Accommodation: Yamakyu

Meals: breakfast / dinner; Breakfast;

Days 7, Kanazawa

En route to Kanazawa, visit the UNESCO village of Shirakawago, before arriving in the garden city known for its fresh seafood.

Accommodation: Trusty Kanazawa Korinbo

Meals: Breakfast

Days 8-10, Kyoto

Make your own sushi, sample delicacies from the Nishiki food market, sample the defenses of Nijo Castle, and wander through the gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine as you discover the “City of Ten Thousand Temples.”

Accommodation: Gracery Kyoto Sanjo

Meals: breakfast; Breakfast; Breakfast lunch;

Days 11, Mount Koya

For a taste of vegetarian Buddhist flavor, stay at a shukubo temple that is housed on the atmospheric Mount Koya, where the monk Kobo Daishi has been sitting in meditation for over a millennium.

Accommodation: Fudoin Shukubo

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Days 12-14, Osaka

Come back to earth with an evening tour of Osaka Street, also known as “the cuisine of Japan.”

Accommodation: Cross Hotel Osaka

Meals: breakfast / dinner; Breakfast; Breakfast;