2020 Summer Games Opening Week

Tokyo - July 23

DAY 1: Tokyo - July 23

Arrive in Tokyo, the bustling capital of Japan. Proceed by private transfer to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure. 

Tokyo - July 24

DAY 2: Tokyo - July 24

Your full day of touring the city’s highlights will include a trip to the Imperial Palace East Gardens, the only part of the grand palace that survived Allied bombs during World War 2. Stroll the crowded ancient shopping street in the Asakusa neighborhood, directly in front of the color Senso-ji Temple. Stop by the peaceful Meiji Shrine, surrounded by a sea of green trees – a calm oasis in the middle of the busy city. Explore Japan’s otaku culture – a word used to describe people with obsessive interests, often in manga comics and anime TV shows - in the Akihabara neighborhood, lined with shops, cosplayers, and advertisements targeted at those interests. Conclude your day with a demonstration of traditional Japanese sumo wrestlingand a behind-the-scenes tour that will introduce you to the training regimen and lifestyles of these giant athletes. In the late afternoon, return to your hotel and prepare for this evening’s opening of the games.

Tokyo - July 25

DAY 3: Tokyo - July 25

Spend your day at the Games watching your choice of event, which today include gymnastics, volleyball, and more. Swimming will already be holding medal competitions. 

Today’s Optional Experience: Private group sushi-making class. This delicious experience teaches you the basics of how to prepare sushi rice, slice the ingredients, and assemble a roll.

Tokyo - July 26

DAY 4: Tokyo - July 26

Enjoy another thrilling day of sport at one of today’s many events. Tennis will be well underway, and both swimming and diving will be holding medal competitions.

Today’s Optional Experience: Food tour and exploration of the old neighborhood of Yanaka, one of the few districts in Tokyo that retains its old-town, nostalgic shitamachi atmosphere.

Tokyo - July 27

DAY 5: Tokyo - July 27

Choose another event to watch today. The first medal events will be held for gymnastics, as well as table tennis, triathlon, and archery. Basketball will be nearing its July 29 finals, and the aquatic sports will once again hold medal competitions. 

Today’s Optional Experience: Our sword class can teach you about the art and history of Japanese swordsmanship – worlds apart from the fencing matches being held across town in Makuhari Messe Hall.

Tokyo - July 28

DAY 6: Tokyo - July 28

On your last day in Tokyo, spend your day at leisure and explore Tokyo independently. Alternatively, additional events can be arranged for you to watch more of the medal competitions held in swimming, diving, equestrian, taekwondo, judo, or fencing – or any other sport you like. 

Kyoto - July 29

DAY 7: Kyoto - July 29

This morning, depart Tokyo by way of the famed Japanese “bullet train”, the Shinkansen. You will be whisked across the country to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Traditional Japanese culture and architecture have been exceptionally well protected in Kyoto, which you will be able to see as you embark on your first tour. Your afternoon touring will take you all over the beautiful Arashiyama district, visiting Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji Temple, the Bamboo Forest, and the famed Monkey Park. Finish the day by exploring the centuries-old Gion neighborhood, home to most of Kyoto’s traditional teahouses and the geisha who entertain in them. There you will round out your immersion in traditional Japanese culture with a tea ceremony, or chado. A trained tea master will guide you through the complex, calming ritual.

Kyoto - July 30

DAY 8: Kyoto - July 30

Kyoto exploring the city’s eastern highlights. Visit the glittering Kinkaku-ji, known as the Golden Pavilion, and relax with a stroll in its delicately manicured gardens. Stop at Ryoan-ji, a famous Zen temple known for its elegant rock gardens. Try your hand at its spiritual challenge - its 15 moss-covered boulders are laid out so that when viewing the garden from any angle (other than a bird’s-eye view), only 14 are visible – the 15th becoming visible, it is said, upon enlightenment. Explore the Higashiyama District next; wander the halls of the enormous samurai-era Nijo Castle, take a sip from the lucky waterfall at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and conclude with a private zen meditation experience.

Kyoto - July 31

DAY 9: Kyoto - July 31

On your last day, take a day-trip to the south today to the city of Nara, which served as Japan’s capital until the role passed to Kyoto in 794 CE. On the way you will stop at the sprawling Fushimi-Inari Taisha shrine, famous for its thousands of iconic red torii gates. Explore the shrine’s rambling paths and wander among the mesmerizing torii. The shrine honors the popular kami Inari, one of the principal “gods” of Japan’s indigenous religious system, Shinto. Further south, learn about Buddhism – Japan’s other major religion ­– at Todai-ji Temple. Outside the temple, meet the extraordinary deer of Nara, considered sacred messengers of the kami. Get up close and personal with the deer by offering them some “deer crackers”, available for purchase throughout the park. Return to Kyoto and experience a private group traditional Japanese geisha dinner this evening. Your food and drink will be served by a real geisha, and she will perform traditional music and dance during the meal.

Kyoto - August 1

DAY 10: Kyoto - August 1

Private transfer to the train station, take the bullet train to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, connect to the Narita Express train to the airport, and depart Japan.