Honeymoon in Japan in 11 days

This 11-day honeymoon strings together four ways of sleeping in Japan: a tower hotel in Tokyo, a mountain ryokan in Hakone, riverside pavilions in Kyoto and two nights cruising the Seto Inland Sea aboard a 17-suite ship. It is designed for a couple without children, in spring or autumn, and its dates are set around Guntû's departures.

The trip at a glance

Japan is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. You arrive in Tokyo; on the last day, a Guntû car drops passengers at Hiroshima Airport or JR Fukuyama Station.

Choosing your dates: start from the cruise

Guntû sails on fixed dates, and the rest of the trip is counted back from boarding on day nine. In April 2027, the two-night cruises leave on:

On 14 April 2027 a special five-day route sets off, longer than this trip allows. Other months, from December 2026 to May 2027, follow the calendar published by Guntû. Passengers must be at least 15 and Hoshinoya Kyoto accepts guests from 12: this is a trip for two.

Days 1 to 3: Tokyo from the 52nd floor

Park Hyatt Tokyo occupies floors 39 to 52 of the Shinjuku Park Tower, designed by Kenzo Tange. It reopened on 9 December 2025 after 19 months of work by the Jouin Manku studio, with 171 rooms and suites of 55 to 290 m². The Deluxe Rooms, on floors 42 to 51, look out over the city or Mount Fuji. The 20 by 8 m pool sits under a 14 m glass roof, and the spa has a treatment room for two. One evening, the New York Grill & Bar on the 52nd floor; another, Kozue, Japanese cooking inspired by kaiseki, facing Fuji.

Set aside a morning for the private tea ceremony at the Zangetsu pavilion, in the garden of Hotel Chinzanso: one hour, 90,000 ¥ (about 508 €) for the group. The rest of the time: the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace (closed on Mondays and Fridays), Asakusa and Senso-ji, Meiji Jingu shrine; the Tokyo page gives opening hours.

Days 4 and 5: Hakone

Park Hyatt is in Shinjuku, where the Odakyu Romancecar starts: about 80 minutes to Hakone-Yumoto, with an express supplement of 1,200 ¥ (about 7 €). The Hakone Tozan mountain railway then climbs to Gora, and the Gora Kadan shuttle arrives in 5 minutes on request.

Gora Kadan occupies the grounds of Prince Kan'in's former summer villa. Many rooms have their own open-air hot-spring bath; the private open-air bath, with a steam sauna, can be booked for 40 minutes at no charge. The kaiseki dinner, a seasonal meal of many courses, is served in the room at 6 or 7 pm, and the Kadan Spa is open from 9 am to 10 pm. The onsen, or hot-spring bath, has its own etiquette, explained in our onsen guide.

Day five is your choice: stay at the inn, or make the round of Hakone by the Owakudani ropeway and the Lake Ashi boat. The ropeway closes by sections from 7 to 24 December 2026 and from 12 January to 26 February 2027.

Days 6 to 8: Kyoto, on the Oi river

On day six, the Hakone Tozan railway runs back down towards Odawara, where you board the Tokaido Shinkansen, the high-speed train, to Kyoto. Hoshinoya Kyoto is reached by private boat: 15 minutes up the Oi river from the Arashiyama landing, first boat at 2.30 pm, last at 5.45 pm. Each of its 25 pavilions looks onto the river and Mount Ogura. The kaiseki dinner starts at 5.30 pm; one evening, shabu-shabu can be served in the room.

Three nights, two full days:

• a day in Arashiyama and the north-west: zen meditation at dawn in a temple, arranged by the hotel, then the private tea ceremony at the Camellia Garden teahouse near Ryoan-ji, 50 minutes, 15,000 ¥ (about 85 €) per person, and Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, from 9 am to 5 pm;
• a day in Higashiyama and Gion: Kiyomizu-dera from 6 am, Ginkaku-ji, then Gion at dusk, where the district council asks visitors not to photograph a geiko (Kyoto geisha) or maiko without her consent.

The Kyoto page covers other sights.

Days 9 and 10: two nights on the Inland Sea

On day nine, the Shinkansen runs from Kyoto to Fukuyama, on the Sanyo line. A Guntû car, included in the price, drives you to Bella Vista Marina in Onomichi, where boarding is at 3 pm.

Guntû is a floating ryokan of 17 suites designed by the architect Yasushi Horibe: every suite has a terrace close to the waterline and a bathtub. At night the ship anchors off the islands, without calling at another port. On board are a six-seat sushi counter facing the sea, supervised by Nobuo Sakamoto, a shared hinoki (Japanese cypress) bath with a large window onto the wake, saunas and treatments. Meals, drinks except fine wines, and shore excursions are included. Tattoos must be covered in public areas, and the shared baths and saunas are closed to tattooed guests.

The Seto Inland Sea page presents the islands the three routes pass.

Day 11: return

Guntû returns to Bella Vista Marina around 11 am. The included car takes you to Hiroshima Airport or JR Fukuyama Station, where the Shinkansen heads back towards Osaka or Tokyo.