Japan

Japan is a destination tailor-made for specialized, private travel. With its reliable infrastructure, friendly people and it pays to follow your own passions and see the Japan that interests you. Whether that means traditional temples, time-honoured ceremonies and art forms, cutting-edge cuisine or unashamedly geeky fandoms, Japan has you covered, and there’s nothing like seeing it on your own terms with a private guide.

Skip the crowds and find spiritual Kyoto

Kyoto is the heart of traditional Japan, and visiting here can be a deeply moving, even spiritual experience. Peering through crowds and selfie sticks, however, is hardly spiritual, and is likely to move you to frustration. Guides in Kyoto know their city beyond its icons and are more than happy to help you avoid the masses. You’ll still see popular sights like Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Fushimi Inari Shrine, but from angles or at quieter times. You can also book unique ways to experience them, such as through a private tea ceremony or guided meditation.  

Finding your ‘zen’ the onsen way

To start exploring Japan as a wellness destination, go behind the walls of its traditional onsens. These hot spring baths come with their own rituals and traditions. Private onsens are common at accommodations geared toward luxury or wellness, and strip away the pressures of onsen etiquette (not to mention the public bathing aspect, which… isn’t for everybody). Some public onsens also refuse guests with tattoos. While this rule is often relaxed for westerners, a private onsen removes the guesswork if you’re unsure. Still, we do recommend visiting at least one public onsen while you’re in Japan, just for the cultural experience.

Time-honoured Japanese culture with a personal touch

Dinner with a geisha? A private samurai or sumo lesson? Cooking classes with a sushi or ramen master? These activities and many more are available, but they’re much easier to organize when you’re travelling independently, with a guide to help smooth things along. Geisha appointments for example are very expensive, but short appointments designed for travellers affordably showcase the various arts in which geishas and maikos are trained. A private tea ceremony is another great way to experience Japanese tradition one on one. 

Let your culinary adventures go beyond the standards

Sushi, katsu, donburi and ramen are all well and… delicious, actually. They also come in myriad varieties and you could spend an entire trip exploring the subtleties of each. A private travel program however allows you to dive deep into your favourite parts of Japanese cuisine. So, if you’re vegetarian, or just not a fish fan, you’ll find plenty of traditional and contemporary dishes to tempt your taste-buds, test your kitchen skills, and upscale your dining. Having a concierge or private guide acting on your behalf also makes it much easier to secure a booking at top restaurants in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

Explore unique islands

While Honshu is home to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and most of Japan’s most popular cities, there are 14,100 islands in this country. Many are accessible just a step or two off the main tourist trail, and some offer encounters with nature, Japan’s complicated history, or even contemporary art. Naoshima, just off the city of Okayama, is Japan’s famous ‘art island,’ where Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin sculpture welcomes you to explore contemporary galleries and colourful ‘art houses.’ Okunoshima, just off Hiroshima, is famous for its friendly and fluffy population of wild rabbits. It also offers a jarring contrast, having harboured a secret chemical weapons factory during the first part of the twentieth century. But now… cute bunnies? If you’re more of a cat person, you can visit either Tashirojima in the north, or Ao Island off the coast of Shikoku, one of the large islands in Japan’s south. Both take some getting to, but you can be sure of keeping company with more cats than people.

These private tours invite you to see Japan your own way in a sustainable, tailor-made and always unforgettable way. The hardest part is choosing which part of Japan to visit first.