10-Day Highlights Of Japan & China by Intertrips – Tokyo to Beijing Tour

Tokyo’s neon streets, Kyoto’s temple gates and Beijing’s Great Wall make an ambitious 10-day route. You get a useful mix of guided sightseeing and free time, with a Lake Ashi cruise and Komagatake Ropeway included in Japan, plus a guided visit to Juyongguan Pass in China.

I like two things in particular: the trip brings together major sights without requiring you to plan each transfer, and the guides have been praised for looking after the group and introducing local hangouts alongside headline attractions. One consideration: several popular excursions cost extra, and Tokyo airport transfers and your final ride to Beijing airport are on you.

Key points to know

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• Hakone comes with two memorable rides: take the Komagatake Ropeway above the Hakone area, then cruise Lake Ashi with a chance of seeing Mount Fuji.
• Kyoto has two open days: use one to explore independently, or pay extra for visits to Kinkakuji and Fushimi Inari Shrine.
• Nara and Osaka are optional: the full-day trip includes Nara Park, Osaka Castle Park, Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, but requires at least 10 people.
• The Great Wall visit is at Juyongguan Pass: allow for a hike, not just a quick photo stop.
• The Tokyo to Beijing flight is included: flights to Japan and home from Beijing are not.
• Budget for add-ons and local transport: some major sights and the Tokyo airport bus are extra.

👉 See our pick of the 25 Best Guided Tours In Tokyo

A fast route through two very different countries

This tour covers Tokyo, Hakone, Shizuoka, Kyoto and Beijing in 10 days. It is designed to show you a wide range of headline sights, rather than keep you in one place long enough to know every neighborhood by heart.

The group size is listed as 15 to 40, with English-speaking guidance and low-intensity activity. Expect coach travel between Japanese cities, hotel breakfasts and some stretches of free time. That balance works best if you like having transport and core logistics arranged, but still want the freedom to choose how much extra sightseeing to do.

The price starts at $2,199. It includes nine hotel nights, daily breakfasts, an English-speaking guide, listed coach transport and the flight from Tokyo to Beijing. It does not include your flights to Tokyo and home from Beijing, Japan airport transfers, departure transport in Beijing, insurance, visas, personal expenses or optional excursions. Treat the starting price as a base, not the final trip cost.

Tokyo: a free day with an optional city sampler

Your first day is for arrival and hotel check-in. There is no included pickup in Tokyo: buy an Airport Limousine Bus ticket at the airport and pay for it yourself. Check the route and schedule with your hotel before you travel, since the hotel is described as Tokyo Bay Makuhari or a similar property, not necessarily a central Tokyo address.

Day 2 is open. You can make your own plans or join the $99 Tokyo Discovery Tour, which runs only if at least four people sign up. Its stops range widely: Tsukiji’s surrounding market streets and food businesses, Odaiba Seaside Park, Sensoji in Asakusa and Kabukicho in Shinjuku.

That range is useful if this is your first visit and you want a quick orientation. But it is a sampler, not a slow look at Tokyo. Tsukiji’s inner wholesale market moved in 2018, so the visit is to the area’s shops and eateries, not the former wholesale hall. At Odaiba, the waterfront gives you a view across the city toward Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge; Sensoji offers a very different pace, with temple grounds and a long approach lined with shops.

If you prefer to spend more time in one district, skip the add-on and explore on your own. Just remember that the hotel’s position may make independent trips into central Tokyo take more planning.

Hakone and Lake Ashi: the day built around Fuji views

On Day 3, you leave Tokyo by coach for Hakone. The Komagatake Ropeway gives you an aerial view of the Hakone and Lake Ashi area, followed by a cruise across the crater lake. Mount Fuji is the star of the view, but weather and visibility determine whether the peak shows itself clearly.

Lunch is not included. The plan is to stop at a highway rest area, where you buy your own meal and snacks. These stops can be a practical chance to sample Japanese convenience foods and local dishes, but they are not a substitute for a planned restaurant meal if you have dietary needs.

Afterward, the group heads toward Shizuoka, a major tea-producing region. The overnight hotel may be in the Mount Fuji area or in Shizuoka or Aichi Prefecture, depending on local traffic. That flexibility can mean a long day on the road, and the precise overnight location is not fixed. The included ropeway and lake cruise make this one of the trip’s clearest value days, though Fuji itself is never guaranteed.

Kyoto: temples, shrines and an optional guided day

Day 4 takes you from Shizuoka toward Kyoto, Japan’s former capital for more than a thousand years. The city’s temples, shrines, gardens and historic buildings deserve more time than a passing look, so the two nights here are welcome.

The optional $89 Kyoto Discovery Tour visits Kinkakuji, the gold-leaf-covered Zen temple often called the Golden Pavilion, and Fushimi Inari Shrine, known for its many vermilion torii gates. It requires at least four participants. These are major sights, and a guide can make the visit more meaningful than simply arriving, taking a photograph and moving on. The trade-off is that the tour’s pace and timing are set for the group.

Day 5 is free unless you join the $130 full-day Nara and Osaka excursion. It includes Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara Park and its deer, Osaka Castle Park, Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, plus lunch. The minimum group size is 10. It is an efficient way to see two cities, but it is a full day of moving between stops. If you want a quieter Kyoto day, stay put and choose a smaller area to explore.

One traveler asked about visiting Hiroshima during this free day. The day is not tied to the group schedule, so independent travel is possible in principle, but the tour information does not include a Hiroshima excursion or transport. You would need to arrange and pay for that yourself, and confirm that your plans fit the hotel and next-day departure arrangements.

Shinkansen back to Tokyo: clarify the extra cost

Day 6 returns you to Tokyo by Shinkansen, Japan’s high-speed train, described as reaching up to 189 miles per hour. Reclining seats and views along the route make the ride part of the experience, not merely a transfer. You arrive with the rest of the day free.

There is an important price detail to settle before booking: the train is presented as the way the group returns to Tokyo, but the Shinkansen experience is also listed as an optional $180 add-on. Ask Intertrips whether the train fare is included in your tour price, what the $180 covers and what transport is provided if you do not buy the add-on. Do not leave that question until the trip is underway.

Beijing: an included flight, then choices

On Day 7, you check out before noon and make your own way to the Tokyo airport by Airport Limousine Bus. The flight from Tokyo to Beijing is included. On arrival, an air-conditioned vehicle transfers you to the hotel, where the rest of the day is free.

The Beijing hotel is described as Beijing Chun Hui Yuan Resort or similar. The schedule gives you one open day before the Great Wall outing. You can rest, explore independently or pay for one of two optional activities.

The $70 Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City tour includes lunch and requires at least six participants; it must be booked in advance. The Forbidden City was the seat of imperial power during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its vast courtyards and buildings can fill much of a day. The $40 Peking Duck dinner, also requiring six participants, includes wine and is paid locally. It gives you a chance to try a dish associated with Beijing’s imperial kitchens, wrapped in thin pancakes with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce.

The schedule does not include these outings in the base price, so choose according to your interests and budget. If the Forbidden City is a priority, book ahead rather than assuming you can add it at the last minute.

Juyongguan: walking the Great Wall

Day 9 is the trip’s major outdoor outing. You travel to Juyongguan Pass, just outside Beijing, and have time to hike on the Great Wall and take in the views. The tour describes the activity as low intensity, but the amount of walking and the route you choose will affect how demanding it feels. Wear shoes you are comfortable walking in.

The Wall was built in sections across different dynasties, then linked as China’s rulers sought to guard the northern frontier. That history gives the day context beyond the famous photographs. After the Wall, the itinerary visits a Jade Museum and a Traditional Chinese Medicine Center for educational stops. These are scheduled visits, so expect a day that combines outdoor sightseeing with organized indoor stops.

The optional Golden Mask Dynasty Show costs $55 and requires at least six participants. It features more than 200 performers, including dance and acrobatics. It may suit you if you want a large-scale evening show, but it is not necessary to get the main value from the tour.

What the price buys, and what it does not

At $2,199 and up, the tour’s strongest value is the combination of hotels, daily breakfast, coach travel in Japan, a Tokyo to Beijing flight and a guided Great Wall day. That is a lot of cross-country planning handled for you in a short window. The value depends, however, on how many optional tours you choose.

The listed add-ons range from $40 for the Peking Duck dinner to $180 for the Shinkansen experience. Tokyo Discovery is $99, Kyoto Discovery is $89, Nara and Osaka is $130, the Forbidden City tour is $70 and the Golden Mask show is $55. If you book all of them, they add up to $663 per person, before personal expenses and excluded international flights. You can skip most and still visit the included Hakone sights and Great Wall.

The hotels are described as four-star or similar, but their locations and exact properties can vary. The Tokyo hotel is in the Tokyo Bay Makuhari area, and the Kyoto property is listed as Ariston Hotel Kyoto Jujo or similar. If walkable access to central sights matters to you, check the confirmed hotels and transport options before committing.

Past guide teams have included May and Ayako in Japan and Yan in China. Their role has been a strong part of the experience: the group has valued attentive care, help feeling safe and local stops beyond the standard sights. Names are not a guarantee of who will lead your departure, but they offer a sense of the personal guidance this tour can provide.

Who should book this Japan and China tour?

This trip suits you if you want a guided overview of Japan and China, prefer having intercity travel arranged and are comfortable with a full schedule and several optional fees. It can also work for families: the stated minimum age is eight, and the activity level is rated low.

I would look elsewhere if you want long stays in each city, included airport transfers in Japan, or a fully bundled price with every major sight included. Before paying, confirm the Shinkansen fee, the final hotel locations, the minimum numbers for optional outings and whether your preferred departure is operating. If those details fit your budget, this is a practical way to connect Japan’s temple towns and mountain scenery with Beijing’s imperial center and the Great Wall.

FAQ

Is the flight from Tokyo to Beijing included?

Yes. The Tokyo to Beijing flight is included. Flights to Tokyo and from Beijing to your home destination are not included.

Are airport transfers included in Tokyo?

No. You buy and pay for the Airport Limousine Bus to your Tokyo hotel on arrival and to the airport before the Beijing flight.

Is transportation from Beijing airport to the hotel included?

Yes. An air-conditioned transfer from Beijing airport to the hotel is included.

Is the departure transfer to Beijing airport included?

No. You arrange and pay for your own transportation to Beijing airport on Day 10.

What meals are included?

Daily breakfasts are included. Lunch on the Nara and Osaka optional tour is included in that excursion. Other meals are generally at your own expense unless stated for a particular add-on.

How large is the tour group?

The group size is listed as 15 to 40 people.

What is the minimum age?

The stated age range starts at eight years old.

Which optional tours have minimum group sizes?

Tokyo Discovery and Kyoto Discovery each require at least four participants. The Nara and Osaka tour requires 10. The Forbidden City tour, Peking Duck dinner and Golden Mask show each require at least six.

Is the Shinkansen ride included in the tour price?

The schedule describes the return to Tokyo by Shinkansen, but the Shinkansen experience is also listed as an optional $180 add-on. Confirm with Intertrips what is included in your specific booking and what the add-on covers.

Is travel insurance included?

No. Travel insurance is not included.