Cuisine, a highlight of any visit to Japan, is the focus of this tour. Some of Japan's most renowned instructors teach you how to shop for Japanese ingredients and how to prepare and present typical Japanese dishes and seasonal specialties. Touring emphasizes regional culinary specialties and traditions, and everything is tailored to your level of culinary interest and proficiency.

Start in Tokyo with luxury accommodation at the new Four Seasons Marunouchi. Explore neighborhoods such as Ginza, Aoyama, Shibuya and Harajuku, then spend two days shopping in local food markets and participating in cooking classes. Next, travel by shinkansen (bullet train) to enchanting Kyoto. Learn to prepare Japanese home cooking at a private estate. Gain access to important temples and shrines, private gardens and imperial villas. Tour local food markets and specialty shops selling tofu, miso, noodles, tea, sweets and sake. Drink green tea in a bamboo forest. Have shojin ryori (vegetarian temple cuisine) for lunch at a temple. Continue to Hakone, a volcanic national park with a close-up view of Mt. Fuji, and stay at a luxurious ryokan (traditional inn). Soak in private outdoor hot springs and enjoy a gourmet kaiseki (seasonal tasting menu) dinner before returning to Tokyo.