Japan Tours
Japanese Culinary Heritage Tour
Explore Japan's culinary heritage on this 11 day guided tour.
Discover Japan's Culinary Heritage
Discover Japanese culinary heritage on this immersive culinary adventure. We take you to the heart of Japan, from the ancient streets of Kyoto to the secluded villages and unique culture of Awaji Island. You'll go beyond the tourist trail, foraging for wild ingredients, harvesting crops, and cooking alongside locals, showing how food is intricately woven into the fabric of Japanese history and culture.
Japan's diverse landscape, from fertile plains to towering mountains, offers a bounty of fresh, seasonal ingredients used to create a stunning array of regional specialties, all rooted in a deep respect for nature and the harvest. Food here is more than just sustenance – it's an integral part of festivals, rituals and everyday life.
This unique tour takes you from mountain villages to bustling fishing ports, allowing you to taste the local sake, savour the cuisine, and experience the culture firsthand, staying in traditional thatched-roof houses and vibrant cities along the way.
Day By Day
Your Itinerary
DAY 1
Tokyo
Meet your guide and fellow travellers at the tour hotel in central Tokyo in the evening, then explore the city's lively streets, ending at a restaurant for a traditional "robatayaki" dinner – a cooking style using hot charcoal to grill ingredients at different speeds.
Overnight in Tokyo Hotel · Meals included: Dinner
DAY 2
Kanazawa
Train to Kanazawa, seat of the powerful Maeda Clan during the Edo period, with a majestic castle and a legacy of refined cuisine. Explore the Higashichaya district at your leisure, then join a local chef at Oomi Ichiba market, "Kanazawa's Kitchen Pantry," to gather ingredients before transforming them into a feast in a traditional Japanese-style residence.
Overnight in Japanese-style hotel · Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
DAY 3
Forage for Local Delicacies
Travel by private motorcoach to Gokayama, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of gassho-zukuri farmhouses. Forage for "sansai" mountain treasures with a local plant hunter, then visit Mr Nakanishi, who cultivates rice for sake brewing, to taste homemade "doburoku" sake and share a feast with villagers.
Overnight in Minshuku (family-run guesthouse) · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 4
Shirakawa and Takayama
A highway bus to Shirakawa-go, home to its own collection of gassho-zukuri houses (UNESCO-listed since 1995), followed by lunch and a journey to Takayama, a mountain town known for exquisite yew-wood carvings, Shunkei lacquerware and pottery. In the evening, a multi-course kaiseki dinner at a family-run ryokan.
Overnight in Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) · Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
DAY 5
Hida-Furukawa
A short train ride to Hida-Furukawa to stroll through the preserved old town, lined with distinctive white-walled storehouses from the Edo Period. Explore the bustling markets with a local food guide, then visit a sake brewery for a tasting, with the evening free to explore.
Overnight in Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 6
Takayama to Osaka
A train journey to Osaka fuelled by a traditional "ekiben" station bento box. Osaka, historically "the nation's kitchen," boasts everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to legendary street food like takoyaki and okonomiyaki. In the evening, visit a passionate sake enthusiast in Namba for a tasting paired with "sakana" dishes.
Overnight in Hotel in Osaka · Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
DAY 7
Sakai City
A local train to Sakai City, once famed for samurai blades and now renowned for the art of Japanese kitchen knives. Visit a local blacksmith's workshop to watch the forging process firsthand and learn to sharpen and maintain these precision tools, before returning to Osaka for the evening.
Overnight in Hotel in Osaka · Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 8
Awaji Island
Continue to Awaji Island, historically a "food provider to emperors." Witness a lively fish auction at a local port, enjoy a meal of fresh local ingredients, then meet a "foodscape" artist chef who creates a stunning edible landscape from locally sourced ingredients.
Overnight in Hotel on Awaji Island · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 9
Kyoto and Tea Plantation
A private vehicle back from Awaji Island, stopping for lunch en route to Uji, world-renowned for its exquisite green tea, for a plantation visit and tea-tasting session. Continue to Kyoto to step back in time at a renovated samurai residence for a traditional tea ceremony, with an optional kimono.
Overnight in Hotel in Kyoto · Meals included: Breakfast
DAY 10
Nishiki Market and Earth Oven
Explore the vibrant Nishiki Market, Kyoto's bustling "kitchen," then learn the secrets of cooking in a traditional "okudo-san" earth oven. Continue to Arashiyama for a Buddhist vegetarian lunch amid a tranquil Japanese garden and bamboo forest, before a farewell dinner in central Kyoto.
Overnight in Hotel in Kyoto · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 11
Depart Kyoto
The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel in Kyoto – your guide will offer advice on your journey to the airport or for onward travel in Japan if extending your stay.
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Know Before You Go
Included & Excluded
What’s Included
10 nights in hotels and Japanese-style inns
Full-time services of an English-speaking tour guide
Daily breakfast, 4 lunches, and dinner when shown
All transportation between tour locations
Entrance to museums, temples and other sights on the itinerary
Forwarding of 1 item of luggage on 3 occasions
All cooking experiences and workshops
What’s Not Included
International travel to the start point – contact us for information and flight options
Arrival and departure transfers
Any airport taxes
Travel insurance
Any visa requirements
Single room supplement for solo travellers at hotels
Drinks and meals not shown on the itinerary
Items of a personal nature
Tour Map
Book With Confidence
Dates & Prices
Please note: due to the special focus of this tour on Japan's culinary heritage, which includes meat, fish, seafood, soy sauce, miso and items made from wheat, we are unable to accommodate any dietary requests for this tour.
Prices shown are per person, based on double or twin room occupancy. Get in touch if you’d like to check availability or discuss a private departure on different dates.
Good to Know
Safety, Passport, Visa and Health Information
We strongly recommend that you check your government’s travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs. For UK citizens, check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice for Japan.
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