Kumo Journeys
Classic Japan: Tokyo to Osaka
Maya & James
April 3 – 14, 2027  ·  10 nights in Japan
TokyoHakoneKyotoOsaka
Confirmation numbers
Kumo Journeys
Classic Japan: Tokyo to Osaka · Apr 5–14 · 2 guests
KJ-0405-11
ANA flights
ORD → HND Apr 3 · KIX → HND → ORD Apr 14
NH7Q4K
Extra night, Apr 4
Hotel Hanabusa Shinjuku · pre-tour
HB-20417
Private airport transfer
Haneda → hotel · Apr 4
KT-5521
Travel insurance
Northstar Travel Protection
NTP-448812
Your details
Room
1 King bed, all hotels
Futon bedding at the ryokan
Dietary
Maya: vegetarian
Arranged for every group meal
Add-ons
Sumo morning practice (Apr 7)
Tea ceremony in Uji (Apr 11)
Emergency
Ruth Whitfield · +1 (312) 555-0118
Weather — live now, April averages
Tokyo
—
April avg 66° / 52°F
Tap for forecast ↗
Hakone
—
April avg 59° / 43°F
Tap for forecast ↗
Kyoto
—
April avg 67° / 48°F
Tap for forecast ↗
Osaka
—
April avg 67° / 51°F
Tap for forecast ↗
Japan tips
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Time zone: Japan Standard Time (UTC+9), 14 hours ahead of Chicago (CDT) in April. No daylight saving.
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Get an IC card. A Suica or ICOCA card in your phone's wallet pays for local trains, buses, and convenience stores. Your guide handles all tour rail tickets.
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Carry some cash (yen). Cards work widely, but temples, market stalls, and small shops are often cash only. 7-Eleven ATMs take foreign cards.
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No tipping. It isn't expected anywhere in Japan and can cause confusion. Great service is simply included.
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Shoes off indoors at the ryokan, many temples, and some restaurants. Wear socks you're happy to show.
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Pack light for Hakone. Your main suitcase is forwarded straight to Kyoto on Apr 8. Bring a small overnight bag for the ryokan night.
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Cherry blossom season. Early April is peak bloom and peak crowds. Your guide times the popular sites for early mornings.
Demo app · Kumo Journeys, its travelers, and all bookings are fictional. Designed & built by Zavella.
Timeline
Your trip: April 3 – 14, 2027 · Tour: April 5 – 14
Sat Apr 3
Chicago → Tokyo Haneda
ANA NH 11 · 11:00 AM ORD → 2:25 PM HND (+1)
Economy · Seats 32A (Maya), 32B (James)
NH7Q4K
Sun Apr 4
Arrive Haneda · Private transfer · Extra night
Your driver meets you at arrivals holding a Kumo Journeys sign and takes you to Hotel Hanabusa Shinjuku for your extra night before the tour.
KT-5521
Mon Apr 5 · Tokyo
Day 1 · Arrive Tokyo · Welcome dinner
Airport transfers to Hotel Hanabusa Shinjuku. Rest up, then meet the group for a shabu-shabu welcome dinner in Kagurazaka.
6:45 PM · Hotel lobby
Dinner
You're already here. You're staying on at the same hotel, so there's no transfer today. Relax until the group meets at 6:45 PM.
Tue Apr 6 · Tokyo
Day 2 · Asakusa, Sumida River & teamLab
Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Street, a Sumida River water bus to Hama-rikyu Gardens, then the teamLab Planets digital art museum in Toyosu.
8:30 AM · Hotel lobby
BreakfastLunchDinner free
Wed Apr 7 · Tokyo
Day 3 · Meiji Jingu, Harajuku & Shibuya
The forested Meiji Jingu shrine, Takeshita Street in Harajuku, and the famous Shibuya Crossing. Free afternoon to explore.
9:30 AM · Hotel lobby
BreakfastLunch freeDinner free
Your add-on: Sumo morning practice at a Ryogoku stable. Meet Aiko in the lobby at 6:15 AM; you're back by 9:15 AM for the main tour.
Thu Apr 8 · Hakone
Day 4 · Romancecar to Hakone · Ryokan night
Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, a pirate-ship cruise across Lake Ashi, the Owakudani ropeway, then a traditional ryokan stay with hot-spring baths and a kaiseki dinner.
8:15 AM · Hotel lobby, overnight bag only
BreakfastDinner
Fri Apr 9 · Kyoto
Day 5 · Shinkansen to Kyoto · Gion walk
Morning views of Mt. Fuji (weather permitting), then the bullet train from Odawara to Kyoto. Evening walk through Gion's lantern-lit lanes.
9:00 AM · Ryokan entrance
BreakfastDinner free
Sat Apr 10 · Kyoto
Day 6 · Fushimi Inari & Higashiyama
An early start at Fushimi Inari's thousand torii gates, Kiyomizu-dera temple, the stone lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, then lunch at Nishiki Market.
7:15 AM · Hotel lobby (early start beats the crowds)
BreakfastLunchDinner free
Sun Apr 11 · Kyoto
Day 7 · Arashiyama & Kinkaku-ji
The Arashiyama bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji's Zen garden, and the Golden Pavilion. Free afternoon.
8:00 AM · Hotel lobby
BreakfastLunch freeDinner free
Your add-on: Tea ceremony in Uji. A taxi leaves Kinkaku-ji at 1:30 PM for a 2:30 PM session; back at the hotel around 5:00 PM.
Mon Apr 12 · Nara
Day 8 · Nara day trip
Todai-ji and its giant bronze Buddha, the free-roaming deer of Nara Park, and the lantern-lined paths of Kasuga Taisha shrine.
8:30 AM · Hotel lobby
BreakfastLunchDinner free
Tue Apr 13 · Osaka
Day 9 · Nijo Castle, on to Osaka · Farewell dinner
Nijo Castle's 'nightingale floors,' then the train to Osaka. Osaka Castle park, the neon canals of Dotonbori, and a farewell okonomiyaki dinner.
9:00 AM · Hotel lobby, bags packed
BreakfastDinner
Wed Apr 14 · Osaka
Day 10 · Departures
Breakfast and farewells. Airport transfers to Kansai International (KIX).
Transfer times vary. See your Travel tab
Breakfast
Your transfer: Group transfer A leaves the hotel at 8:00 AM for KIX. Your flights home are below.
Wed Apr 14
Osaka Kansai → Tokyo → Chicago
ANA NH 94 · 11:15 AM KIX → 12:25 PM HND
ANA NH 12 · 4:05 PM HND → 2:15 PM ORD (same day)
NH7Q4K
Travel
Your flights · airport transfers · tour trains
Your flights
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
Economy · Maya & James Whitfield
NH7Q4K
Outbound · Sat Apr 3
ORD
11:00 AM
ANA NH 11
Chicago → Tokyo · 13h 25m nonstop
HND
2:25 PM*
*Arrives Sun Apr 4, Haneda Terminal 3
Maya Whitfield
Seat 32A · Vegetarian meal
James Whitfield
Seat 32B
Return · Wed Apr 14
KIX
11:15 AM
ANA NH 94
Osaka Kansai → Tokyo · 1h 10m
HND
12:25 PM
HND
4:05 PM
ANA NH 12
Tokyo → Chicago · 12h 10m nonstop
ORD
2:15 PM
3h 40m connection at Haneda. Bags are checked through to Chicago.
Baggage
Carry-on2 checked bags (50 lb)
ANA reservations (US)
+1 (800) 235-9262  ·  ana.co.jp
Airport transfers
Sun Apr 4 · Arrival
Private transfer, Haneda → hotel
KT-5521
Meet
Arrivals hall, Terminal 3
Driver holds a Kumo Journeys sign
Tracking
Your flight is tracked; delays are covered
Driver line
+81 3-0000-5521
Wed Apr 14 · Departure
Group transfer A, hotel → KIX
Included
Pickup
8:00 AM · Hotel Namba Riverside lobby
Arrive KIX
About 9:00 AM · Terminal 1
Tour trains · tickets held by your guide
Thu Apr 8 · Day 4
Shinjuku
9:00 AM
Odakyu Romancecar
Limited express · 1h 25m
Hakone-Yumoto
10:25 AM
Overnight bag only. Your suitcase is forwarded to Kyoto.
Fri Apr 9 · Day 5
Odawara
11:06 AM
Shinkansen Hikari
Bullet train · 2h 08m · reserved car
Kyoto
1:14 PM
Sit on the right side (seats D/E) for the best chance of seeing Mt. Fuji.
Tue Apr 13 · Day 9
Kyoto
11:15 AM
JR Special Rapid
About 30 minutes
Osaka
11:45 AM
Your bags travel separately by coach to the Osaka hotel.
Hotels
4 stays · 10 nights for you (9 on tour + 1 extra)
Tokyo · Nishi-Shinjuku
Hotel Hanabusa Shinjuku
Confirmed
Address
Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo
Check-in
Sun Apr 4 · 3:00 PM
Check-out
Thu Apr 8 · 11:00 AM
Room
King · non-smoking
Meals
Breakfast daily, 6:30–10:00 AM
Extra night
Sun Apr 4 · conf HB-20417
Same room, no move on Apr 5
Note
Two minutes from Shinjuku Station's west exit.
Front desk
+81 3-0000-4410
Hakone · Yumoto
Ryokan Yumoto-sō
Confirmed
Address
Hakone-Yumoto, Hakone
Check-in
Thu Apr 8 · 3:00 PM
Check-out
Fri Apr 9 · 10:00 AM
Room
Japanese-style room, futon bedding
Meals
Kaiseki dinner 6:30 PM · breakfast 7:30 AM
Note
Hot-spring baths open until midnight. Yukata robes provided.
Front desk
+81 460-00-0271
Kyoto · Sanjo
Kyoto Sanjo Garden Hotel
Confirmed
Address
Sanjo, Kyoto
Check-in
Fri Apr 9 · 3:00 PM
Check-out
Tue Apr 13 · 11:00 AM
Room
King, garden side
Meals
Breakfast daily, 6:30–10:00 AM
Note
Walking distance to Nishiki Market and Pontocho.
Front desk
+81 75-000-3310
Osaka · Namba
Hotel Namba Riverside
Confirmed
Address
Namba, Osaka
Check-in
Tue Apr 13 · 3:00 PM
Check-out
Wed Apr 14 · 11:00 AM
Room
King
Meals
Breakfast from 6:00 AM for early departures
Note
Steps from Dotonbori.
Front desk
+81 6-0000-7720
Your Tour
Kumo Journeys · small group, max 16
Kumo Journeys
Small-group journeys in Japan
KJ-0405-11
Tour
Classic Japan: Tokyo to Osaka
Dates
Apr 5 – 14, 2027 · 10 days
Group
14 travelers
Lead guide
Kenji Morita
Contact your guide
Kenji (call or text): +81 90-0000-0101
WhatsApp: same number
Kumo Journeys 24-hr line: +1 (503) 555-0142
Your add-ons
Sumo morning practice
Wed Apr 7 · 6:15 AM from the lobby · 2 guests
Paid
Tea ceremony in Uji
Sun Apr 11 · 2:30 PM session · 2 guests
Paid
Extra night, Tokyo
Sun Apr 4 · Hotel Hanabusa Shinjuku
Paid
Private arrival transfer
Sun Apr 4 · Haneda → hotel
Paid
What's included
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Airport arrival transfer on Apr 5 and departure transfer on Apr 14
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9 nights: Tokyo (3), Hakone ryokan (1), Kyoto (4), Osaka (1)
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English-speaking lead guide throughout, plus local guides in Tokyo, Kyoto & Nara
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All tour trains, including the Romancecar and Shinkansen, plus private coaches
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Luggage forwarding from Tokyo to Kyoto
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Entry to every site on the itinerary
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Meals as shown on the Timeline: 9 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
Not included
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International flights
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Travel insurance
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Meals not listed on the Timeline
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Optional add-ons and personal expenses
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Drinks beyond water and tea at group meals
Dining
For the evenings without a group meal
Maya's vegetarian meals are arranged for every group meal. Picks marked Veg-friendly work well on free evenings.
Tokyo
Free evenings Apr 6 & 7
Tokyo Ramen Street
Eight famous ramen shops in the basement of Tokyo Station, each with its own style. Lines move fast.
Directions
Queue-style · no reservations
AFURI Harajuku Veg-friendly
Light yuzu-citrus ramen with a dedicated vegan ramen on the menu. Close to Takeshita Street on Day 3.
Directions
Vegan ramen available
Tsukiji Outer Market Veg-friendly
Morning stalls selling tamagoyaki omelet, grilled scallops, mochi, and fresh fruit. Best before noon.
Directions
Best before noon
Isetan Shinjuku food hall Veg-friendly
A department-store basement packed with bento boxes, wagashi sweets, and fruit. Easy takeaway dinner near your hotel.
Directions
10 min walk from hotel
Kyoto
Free evenings Apr 9–12
Shigetsu at Tenryu-ji Veg-friendly
Shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine of Zen monks, served inside the temple you visit on Day 7.
Directions
Fully vegetarian · reserve ahead
Yudofu Sagano Veg-friendly
Simmered tofu set menus in a quiet garden setting in Arashiyama. A Kyoto classic.
Directions
Near the bamboo grove
Nishiki Market Veg-friendly
'Kyoto's kitchen': five blocks of pickles, sesame tofu, matcha sweets, and skewers. Your Day 6 lunch starts here.
Directions
Many vegetarian stalls
Gion Tsujiri Veg-friendly
A matcha tea house since 1860, serving green-tea parfaits, soft-serve, and warabi mochi.
Directions
Sweets & tea · walk-in
Osaka
Farewell dinner Apr 13 is included
Dotonbori street food
Takoyaki octopus balls, kushikatsu skewers, and taiyaki fish-shaped cakes along the canal.
Directions
Around your hotel
Kuromon Market
Osaka's covered market: fresh fruit, grilled seafood, and sweets. Handy for a last breakfast.
Directions
Opens around 9 AM
Sites
What you're seeing, city by city
Tokyo
Apr 5–8
1
Senso-ji Temple & Nakamise
Tokyo's oldest temple, founded in 628, reached through the Kaminarimon 'Thunder Gate' and a lane of traditional snack and souvenir stalls.
Day 2
Directions
2
Hama-rikyu Gardens
A former shogun's duck-hunting garden with a teahouse on a tidal pond, surrounded by skyscrapers.
Day 2
Directions
3
teamLab Planets
An immersive digital-art museum you walk through barefoot, including rooms of shallow water and floating flowers.
Day 2
Directions
4
Meiji Jingu
A Shinto shrine to Emperor Meiji set in a 170-acre forest planted by volunteers from across Japan.
Day 3
Directions
5
Shibuya Crossing
The world's busiest pedestrian scramble. Watch from above at Shibuya Sky or the station walkway.
Day 3
Directions
Hakone
Apr 8–9
1
Lake Ashi cruise
A replica pirate ship crosses the caldera lake, with Mt. Fuji rising behind the red torii of Hakone Shrine on clear days.
Day 4
Directions
2
Owakudani
A volcanic valley of steaming vents, reached by ropeway. Try the black eggs boiled in the hot springs.
Day 4
Directions
3
Hakone Shrine
The lakeside 'Peace Torii' standing in the water is one of Japan's most photographed gates.
Day 4
Directions
Kyoto
Apr 9–13
1
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Thousands of vermilion torii gates winding up Mt. Inari. The first 30 minutes of trail give the classic views.
Day 6
Directions
2
Kiyomizu-dera
A hillside temple with a wooden stage built without nails, overlooking the city and cherry trees.
Day 6
Directions
3
Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka
Preserved stone-paved lanes of wooden shops leading down from Kiyomizu-dera.
Day 6
Directions
4
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Towering bamboo stalks along a short path. Best early, before the crowds arrive.
Day 7
Directions
5
Tenryu-ji
A UNESCO-listed Zen temple with a 14th-century landscape garden borrowing the hills behind it.
Day 7
Directions
6
Kinkaku-ji
The Golden Pavilion, covered in gold leaf and reflected in its mirror pond.
Day 7
Directions
7
Nijo Castle
The shogun's Kyoto residence, famous for 'nightingale floors' that chirp to warn of intruders.
Day 9
Directions
Nara
Apr 12
1
Todai-ji
One of the world's largest wooden buildings, housing a 49-foot bronze Buddha.
Day 8
Directions
2
Nara Park
Over a thousand free-roaming deer, considered sacred messengers. Many bow for a deer cracker.
Day 8
Directions
3
Kasuga Taisha
A vermilion shrine lined with some 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns.
Day 8
Directions
Osaka
Apr 13–14
1
Osaka Castle
The reconstructed castle keep stands in a park of moats and cherry trees, with a museum inside.
Day 9
Directions
2
Dotonbori
The neon-lit canal district and Osaka's street-food heart, home of the famous Glico running man sign.
Day 9
Directions
Emergency
Key contacts & quick dial
Ambulance · Fire
119
English support available
Police
110
Crime, theft, accidents
Help for visitors
Japan Visitor Hotline
Japan National Tourism Org. · 24/7, English
050-3816-2787
US Embassy & Consulate
US Embassy Tokyo
Akasaka, Minato-ku
+81 3-3224-5000
US Consulate General Osaka-Kobe
Covers Kyoto, Nara & Osaka
+81 6-6315-5900
Your tour
Kenji Morita, lead guide
Call or text any time on tour
+81 90-0000-0101
Kumo Journeys 24-hr line
If you can't reach your guide
+1 (503) 555-0142
Your insurance
Northstar Travel Protection
Policy NTP-448812 · 24-hr assistance
+1 (800) 555-0199
Your airline
ANA
Flight changes · conf NH7Q4K
+1 (800) 235-9262
Hotels
Hotel Hanabusa Shinjuku
Tokyo · front desk
+81 3-0000-4410
Ryokan Yumoto-sō
Hakone · front desk
+81 460-00-0271
Kyoto Sanjo Garden Hotel
Kyoto · front desk
+81 75-000-3310
Hotel Namba Riverside
Osaka · front desk
+81 6-0000-7720