Escorted Tour of Japan for senior travellers

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Japan. We explore Japan's fairy-tale natural beauty, its ancient history, and Imperial heritage, its World Heritage Sites, and world famous cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Japan, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

Odyssey Traveller's escorted small group tour Japan are small group tour packages that will take you from Japan 's imperial city of Kyoto to the neon-lit capital of Tokyo , tracing more than 2,000 years of history and culture of the Land of the Rising Sun with a knowledgable tour leader. The first departure each year of this Japan tour is timed to allow the traveller whether a couple or single traveller to visit Japan during Hanami or Cherry blossom season.

Japan now has the world's third largest economy following the country's remarkable post-war expansion, and the Japaneseenjoy the highest life expectancy in the world (81 years for men and 87 years for women, as of 2018). A modern, highly industrialised country, Japan is still heavily influenced by the legends and myths from its imperial history, to Shoguns , as can be seen in its art, architecture, literature, and traditions.

On this Japan Odyssey escorted tour, we will be led by our English-speaking guides as we learn about Shintoism and Buddhism, visit ancient temples and new, shinto shrine and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites, admire the country's natural scenery, understand the concept of forest bathing on spiritual well being and immerse ourselves in the cultural experience including Japanese cuisine that define Japanese culture on a guided tour of Japan.

Experience Traditional Japan in Kyoto

Kyoto, the "thousand-year capital", is synonymous with traditional Japan, evoking images of ancient temples, Shinto shrine(s), geishas in kimonos, the quiet tea ceremony, cherry blossom season , and Zen gardens. Originally named Heian-kyo ("capital of peace and tranquility"), Kyoto became the seat of the imperial court beginning in the year 794 until 1869, when the capital moved to Edo (modern-day Tokyo ). Heian-kyo was renamed Kyoto (simply, "capital city") in the 11th century, and retained a lot of its traditional architecture as it was spared from bombings during World War II.

It is also in Kyoto where Japan formed its identity, veering away from more than a century of Chinese influence and fixation on China's Tang Dynasty. Here they developed their phonetic script distinct from Chinese characters, compiled their own poetic forms, and developed uniquely Japanese themes in their paintings.

While Kyoto (birthplace of videogame powerhouse, Nintendo) has certainly embraced the future, walking through certain parts of the city still feels like stepping into old Japan. On our sightseeing tour, we will visit numerous ancient temples of Buddhists and shrines. Ryoanji Temple and its famous rock garden used to be an aristocrat's villa that was converted into a Zen temple in 1450. This Buddhist temple now belongs to the Myoshin-ji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Its rock garden is a fine example of kare-sansui ("dry landscape") a Japanese garden design which features rock formations arranged on raked smooth pebbles to facilitate meditation.

We will also visit Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion as the structure's top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. This ancient temple overlooking a pond used to be the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

From there we move to Nara , the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. In Nara , we will visit the stunning Todaiji Templeand the beautiful Kasuga Taisha Shrine. We will also spend time in Nara Park with its hundreds of free-roaming deer. If time allows, we will have the opportunity to participate in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony.

Peace and Sacred Scenery in Hiroshima

Moving southwest from Kyoto, we enter Hiroshima, a major urban centre in the 1870s during Japan's imperial period, and a city destroyed in an instant in August 1945 with the dropping of the atomic bomb during World War II. Hiroshima made an impressive recovery after the war, and is now home to more than two million people.

We will travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima by train, visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, erected in remembrance of the devastation and the lives lost in the bomb attack. The adjacent Peace Park, built near the hypocentre of the blast, is dedicated to the hope of a lasting peace. The moving "Statue of Mother and Child in the Storm" created by sculptor Hongo Shin stands along Peace Boulevard, depicting a mother cradling an infant and lifting another child clinging to her back, expressing the city's continued advocacy for the total abolition of nuclear weapons. The Peace Park was built around the bombed ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, which is now known as the Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and left untouched to serve as a memorial.

We then visit the island of Miyajima ("Shrine Island") less than an hour off the coast of Hiroshima. Miyajima's real name is Itsukushima, which Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai) established as an ascetic site for the Shingon sect of Buddhism in the 8th Century. In 1643, a Confucian scholar, Shunsai Hayashi, travelled around Japan on foot and called Miyajima one of the "Three Most Scenic Spots in Japan". His high praise remains accurate. Miyajima is famous for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Itsukushima-jinja, featuring the red torii (shrine gate) which at high tide seems to float on the water.

Our trip to Hiroshima also includes a guided sightseeing tour, by private car, that takes us to Shukkei-en Garden ("shrunken-scenery garden"), a garden replicating the traditional aesthetics of Japanese garden design in miniature, and the magnificent Hiroshima Castle.

The Castle Town of Matsue

From Hiroshima we travel north to Matsue, also known as the "City of Water" as it is near the Sea of Japan, sitting between Lakes Shinji and Nakaumi.

Matsue is a castle town crossed by many canals and has one of the twelve remaining original castles in Japan. As Matsue is a former feudal stronghold, its buildings and layout reflect its history. We will visit the Adachi Art Museum and gardens to gain an understanding of the art of Japan. For its creator businessman, Adachi Zenko, the Adachi is about finding and appreciating beauty through art, as seen through the tranquillity of the garden or the painted world of the Japanese artist.

The Mountain Resort of Hakone

After Matsue we take a short flight to Haneda, to make a trip to the mountain resort of Hakone, famous for its hot springs resorts (onsen) and breathtaking views of Japan's iconic volcano, Mount Fuji. We spend the day in the Hakone National Park, and at the end of the day there is the opportunity to enjoy a traditional spa package in the hot springs.

This Japan Tour closes with Tokyo

Tokyo is Japan's capital and one of the world's most populous cities. It has been the seat of the Emperor of Japan since 1869 following the Meiji Restoration, and is a bustling centre of fashion, entertainment, gastronomy, and culture. When we first arrive in Tokyo, we have a full day of sightseeing followed by two free days which you can use at your leisure to explore the city. The metro is accommodating for people of all ages, and the signs are in English and Japanese. The diversity of places to visit and experience can easily fill the last two days of this Japan tour package. Your Odyssey program leader and local tour guide(s) will assist you if you need help with planning these last two days. Finally, we come together for a farewell dinner to conclude our small group tour Japan.

All our Japan group tour(s) include an English-speaking guide to introduce you to the rich heritage of this incredible nation as you discover Japan. Odyssey Traveller's tours of Japan remain very popular. Odyssey has an article with tips about travelling in Japan .

You can learn more about Japan with our country profile where all other tour departures are listed as well. For more details about our guided tour Exploring Japan, click the 'Top 5' or 'Itinerary' buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

Articles about Japan from Odyssey.

The following list of articles are  published by Odyssey Traveller to maximise the  senior travellers' knowledge and enjoyment of Japan when visiting:

• A history of Japan
• Astro boy
• A history of Tokyo
• Shoguns of Japan
• Around the world in six coffees 
• Forest bathing in Japan
• Celebrating the Cherry Blossom; Hanami
• Travel tips for travellers to Japan
• Ten of the best books on Japan