China and Japan in 13 Days: Beijing, Shanghai, Kyoto and Tokyo
A private 13-day China and Japan tour: the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, Shanghai's Bund, then Kyoto, Nara, a Hakone ryokan night and Tokyo.
Photo: Velatrix, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Pierre André Leclercq, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Steffen Schmitz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The route
13 days, 2 countries, one private team
Beijing
Great Wall (Mutianyu)
Shanghai
Zhujiajiao
Kyoto
Nara
Hakone
Tokyo
Highlights
Walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu and explore the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
Ride a rickshaw through Beijing's hutongs and take the high-speed train to Shanghai.
Stroll the Bund, the Yu Garden and the water town of Zhujiajiao.
See Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, and the great Buddha of Nara.
Stay in a Hakone ryokan with hot-spring baths and views toward Mount Fuji, weather permitting.
End in Tokyo at Senso-ji, the Meiji Shrine and Shibuya.
Day by day
Itinerary
IArrive in Beijing
Your guide and driver meet you at Beijing airport and take you to your hotel. In the evening, stroll along Wangfujing or a quiet hutong near your hotel.Overnight: Beijing
IITiananmen, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven
Cross Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City, the palace of Ming and Qing emperors, with its golden roofs and vast courtyards. After lunch, visit the Temple of Heaven, where locals gather in the park to dance, sing and play cards.Overnight: Beijing · Meals: B, L
IIIThe Great Wall at Mutianyu and the hutongs
Drive about 90 minutes to Mutianyu and take the cable car up to walk the Great Wall along forested ridges. Back in the city, ride a rickshaw through the hutong lanes and visit a courtyard home.Overnight: Beijing · Meals: B, L
IVHigh-speed train to Shanghai
Take the high-speed train to Shanghai, about four and a half hours. In the evening, walk along the Bund to see the lights of Pudong across the river.Overnight: Shanghai · Meals: B
VShanghai and the water town of Zhujiajiao
Visit the classical Yu Garden and the old town around it, then drive to Zhujiajiao, a canal town of stone bridges and Ming-era houses, for a boat ride. Return to explore the plane-tree streets of the former French Concession.Overnight: Shanghai · Meals: B, L
VIFly to Osaka and on to Kyoto
Fly from Shanghai to Osaka, about two hours. Your Japanese guide meets you and travels with you to Kyoto. In the evening, walk through Gion as the lanterns light up.Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
VIIFushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and Nara
Start early at Fushimi Inari to walk under its vermilion torii gates, then visit Kiyomizu-dera. In the afternoon, travel to Nara to see the great Buddha of Todai-ji and the park where deer roam freely.Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
VIIIGolden Pavilion and Arashiyama
Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, then the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji garden in Arashiyama. The late afternoon is free for a tea ceremony or shopping on your own.Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
IXBullet train to Hakone and a ryokan night
Take the shinkansen to Odawara and continue into Hakone. Cruise across Lake Ashi and ride the ropeway over Owakudani, with Mount Fuji in view on clear days, then enjoy a hot-spring bath and kaiseki dinner at your ryokan.Overnight: Hakone · Meals: B, D
XTo Tokyo: Asakusa and Senso-ji
Travel to Tokyo, about 90 minutes. In the afternoon, visit Senso-ji in Asakusa and the shops of Nakamise street, then take a water bus on the Sumida River.Overnight: Tokyo · Meals: B
XIImperial Palace, Meiji Shrine and Shibuya
Walk through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, visit the Meiji Shrine in its forest, and finish at Shibuya crossing and the lights of Shinjuku.Overnight: Tokyo · Meals: B
XIIA free day in Tokyo
Enjoy a day at your own pace: a museum in Ueno, the Tsukiji outer market, or shopping in Ginza. On request, we can arrange a guided day trip to Nikko or Kamakura.Overnight: Tokyo · Meals: B
XIIIDeparture from Tokyo
Enjoy a last breakfast before your private transfer to Narita or Haneda airport for your flight home.Meals: B
B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Every day can be changed before you confirm.
Price
What it costs
Guest
Per person
Deposit (30%)
Adult
From US$3,250
from US$975
Child
From US$2,438
from US$731
Infant
From US$1,625
from US$488
“From” prices in US dollars per person, private tour, hotels shared in twin/double rooms; the final price depends on dates, group size and hotel level. Peak-season surcharges, if any, are shown in your quote before you pay.
What you get
Included & not included
Included
Private guide in your language (Laos & Cambodia subject to availability) on sightseeing days in China and Japan
Private airport transfers and touring by car or public transport with your guide
Hotels as listed (twin/double room) with daily breakfast
One night in a Hakone ryokan with kaiseki dinner
High-speed train Beijing – Shanghai and Japanese train tickets as in the itinerary
Meals as stated (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
Entrance fees in the itinerary, including the Mutianyu cable car
Boat rides at Zhujiajiao and on Lake Ashi
Not included
International flights
Flight from Shanghai to Osaka (we book it with your quote)
It depends on your passport. Many nationalities can now visit China without a visa for short stays, while others need one in advance. We send up-to-date guidance with your quote.
Can we add Xi'an and the Terracotta Army?
Yes. Two extra nights in Xi'an fit between Beijing and Shanghai by high-speed train, and we include them in your quote if you wish.
How do we travel between China and Japan?
By a direct flight from Shanghai to Osaka, about two hours, with several departures a day. We choose a convenient time and book it with your quote.
Can we have a guide who speaks our language?
Yes. This is a private tour with your own guide in your language: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese (Laos & Cambodia subject to availability). Tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the busiest seasons, such as spring and autumn.
How do the deposit and payment work?
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
Metta Voyage holds company bank accounts in 13 currencies. Pay your deposit by local bank transfer with no fee from us; the account details come with your invoice.
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