Note that we are a “travel consultancy” and not a travel agency, so we will not make bookings or handle money as a go-between - we just charge you for the guidance and the time spent on devising the program. We expect you to fly in to Japan on your own and book a hotel via the internet in Kyoto or Osaka, from where the whole area can easily be covered in day trips. Of course, we will give suggestions for hotels and transport. On guided tours, we will meet you in the morning at your hotel.

In addition to custom-made programs, we also offer several fixed itineries, balancing famous monuments with places only known to the Japanese. These tours are all guided and there is a fixed price for small groups or individuals. Some examples: a Kyoto Highlights program of one or two days, a Nara Highlights program, a Kyoto Temple Garden Tour, a Crafts Tour, or an Art Tour. There are also highlight tours for Osaka and Kobe, as well as a one-day visit to the Buddhist mountain of Mt Koya. We can also arrange weekend visits to the “art island” of Naoshima with the Benesse and Chichu museums, in combination with Okayama or Takamatsu. Please contact us for more details and for pricing.

Our services are not only suitable for individuals, but also for companies, national and local government organizations, academic organizations and others who wish to have professional attendance to guests from abroad. Please let us take care of your guests on their weekend trip to Kyoto! Special programs are available, partly fixed, partly customizable.

Please contact us with your wishes! Navigate Japan with Japan Navigator’s exclusive and personalized guidance!

Ad Blankestijn has studied Japanology and Sinology at the prestigious universities of Leiden and Kyoto. For more than 16 years, he has served as a diplomat at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Tokyo, where he often accompanied VIP-visits on the highest levels of business and government. Ad has lived for a total of about 20 years in Japan and is fluent in Japanese. When you are interested in using our services, or want to have more information, please use the contact form of this website.