Japan in Autumn
Ten days of maple color, from Tokyo and Nikko to Kyoto and Hakone
Autumn color, koyo, arrives at different times in different places, so this route follows it: the lake at Nikko first, then Tokyo's parks, then Kyoto's temple gardens in the second half of November, and a final night in a Hakone inn with a hot-spring bath. Dates are fitted to the foliage forecast in the weeks before you travel, and the most popular gardens are booked early.
This is a starting-point itinerary — we adapt every detail to your travel dates, interests, pace, and group. Speak to our concierge to begin.
Indicative price
from $550 per person per day
For 2 travelers sharing a room, from published entry-level hotel rates and ground costs read on October 10, 2026. How we calculate it
Request this itineraryIncluded
- 9 nights' accommodation in one of the hotels named for each stage
- Private licensed guide with car and driver on nine days
- Airport and station transfers
- Timed reservations for the most popular gardens
- A named Excurze concierge before and during the trip
Each stage has two or three hotels we know well. We propose the one that fits your dates and budget, and swap it if you prefer another.
Tokyo2 nights
Luxury
Otemachi
On the top floors of Otemachi Tower, looking over the Imperial Palace gardens.
Ryokan
Otemachi
A ryokan built as a city tower, with a hot-spring bath on the top floor.
Nikko2 nights
Ryokan
Kinugawa onsen, near Nikko
A ryokan in the hot-spring valley of Kinugawa.
Kyoto4 nights
Ryokan
Arashiyama, on the Oi River
Reached by the hotel's own boat up the river; a ryokan with kaiseki dining.
Luxury
Park Hyatt Kyoto
Higashiyama, Ninenzaka area
Among the lanes of the Higashiyama hills.
Luxury
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Higashiyama
Built around a historic pond garden.
Hakone1 night
Ryokan
Gora, Hakone
A Relais & Châteaux ryokan in Gora, with dinner and breakfast included in the rate.
Boutique
Hakone Retreat Villa 1/f
Hakone
A villa-style hotel in Hakone.
Tokyo
Arrive in Tokyo
Private transfer from Haneda or Narita
Evening walk through Yanaka cemetery, an old quarter with quiet maple trees
Dinner at a neighborhood izakaya chosen by your guide
Sleep: Tokyo (2 nights)
Tokyo
Tokyo's gardens
Ueno Park in the morning
Shinjuku Gyoen in the afternoon, where the Japanese garden is at its best in late November
Tea in a garden teahouse
Sleep: Tokyo
Nikko
Train to Nikko
About two hours from Asakusa by train, with luggage forwarded
Tosho-gu shrine and the Futarasan complex
Kanmangafuchi Abyss, with its row of stone Jizo statues under the maples
Sleep: Nikko (2 nights)
Nikko
Lake Chuzenji
Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls; color at this altitude comes weeks earlier than in Tokyo or Kyoto, usually in mid-October
In late October the color has moved down the valley, so the route adapts to the forecast
Sleep: Nikko
Kyoto
Across to Kyoto
Train from Nikko to Kyoto via Tokyo, about five hours with the changes
Evening walk in Gion and along the Shirakawa canal
Sleep: Kyoto (4 nights)
Kyoto
Tofuku-ji and Arashiyama
Tofuku-ji's maple valley, best early in the day
Arashiyama: the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji garden
Dinner at a ryokan, with kaiseki matched to the season
Sleep: Kyoto
Kyoto
Ryoan-ji and the Philosopher's Path
Ryoan-ji's rock garden, then the Philosopher's Path to Eikan-do, famous for autumn color
Kaiseki lunch in a machiya
Afternoon free
Sleep: Kyoto
Nara
Day trip to Nara
Todai-ji and its Great Buddha hall
Nara Park's deer under the maples
Kasuga Taisha's stone lanterns
Sleep: Kyoto
Hakone
Hakone
Shinkansen to Odawara, then a private car into the hills
Check in at a ryokan with its own hot-spring bath
Kaiseki dinner at the ryokan
Sleep: Hakone (1 night)
Hakone
Departure
Morning soak before breakfast
Transfer to Haneda or Narita, about two and a half hours
An hour and a half with a tea master, matcha and seasonal sweets.
Three ramen shops in one evening with a local guide.
Kanazawa
Swap one Kyoto night for the garden of Kenroku-en and the samurai district.
Two nights in Tokyo at the end
Extend with the city's food and neighborhoods before flying home.
Best time to go
Mid-October (Nikko) to the end of November (Kyoto and Tokyo)
Color arrives first at altitude and moves south, so the order of the stops follows it. Late November is the Kyoto peak and the busiest week of the year.
Less suited: June to September (rain, heat and typhoons)
from $550 per person per day
This is an indication, not a quote. It adds up the lowest published entry-level rates we found for the hotel we priced at each stage, plus the cost of a private guide and car, divides by 2 travelersand 10 days, and rounds up to the next $50. Peak-season rates, larger rooms and the other hotels named above will change it. Your quote will be built on your dates.
| Item | Rate | In US dollars |
|---|---|---|
Tokyo, 2 nights at Palace Hotel Tokyo HotelsCombined, Palace Hotel Tokyo | 483 USD × 2 | $966 |
Nikko, 2 nights at Nikko Kanaya Hotel Hotels.com, Nikko Kanaya Hotel | 126 USD × 2 | $252 |
Kyoto, 4 nights at Hoshinoya Kyoto (low end of its range; autumn rates are higher) Japan Activity, Kyoto luxury hotels 2026 | 127,500 JPY × 4 | $3,223 |
Hakone, 1 night at Gora Kadan, dinner and breakfast for two included IKYU, Gora Kadan | 165,626 JPY × 1 | $1,047 |
Licensed private guide with car, 9 days (Kyoto and Osaka rate applied to Tokyo and Nikko) AAA Tripcanvas, Kyoto private tour with licensed guide and car | 427 USD × 9 | $3,843 |
Vehicle costs (fuel, tolls, parking), 9 days AAA Tripcanvas, Kyoto private tour with licensed guide and car | 25,000 JPY × 9 | $1,422 |
| Total for 2 travelers | $10,752 | |
| Per person per day ($10,752 ÷ 2 ÷ 10), rounded up to $50 | $550 | |
The figure covers
- 9 nights in the lead hotel at each stage, standard double room
- A licensed private guide with car and driver on nine days, including airport transfers
- Dinner and breakfast at the Hakone ryokan
Not included
- International flights
- Train tickets (Nikko, Kyoto and Hakone legs)
- Meals not included in the hotel rate
- Entrance fees, the optional modules and tips
Converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of October 9, 2026. Hotel rates come from third-party booking and guide sites and change with dates and availability; each line links to the page we read.
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