The Cultural Highlights of Japan

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

Health Concerns: We want you to arrive healthy, stay healthy, and return home healthy! The full schedule is demanding and can be tiring, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. It is important to arrive well rested and free from illness to take full advantage of our time together. While we take appropriate health and safety precautions on all programs, we urge you to be informed and to share in the responsibility for your well-being. If you have specific concerns regarding your participation in this program, please consult your physician and feel free to contact us with your questions. Important Covid information for visiting Japan: - Passengers traveling to Japan should have insurance that covers Covid as they will be responsible for all medical bills if they test positive for Covid. We strongly recommend Road Scholar's optional Trip Protection Plan, which provides financial protection in the event that you test positive while abroad. If you do not purchase this plan, you will need to have other insurance that covers Covid. - As of the current date (January 2026), the Japanese government recommends people who test positive for Covid to isolate for five days (asymptomatic) to seven days (symptomatic), but it is not required. - In the event of a positive test result for Covid, Japanese law allows for hotels and inns to refuse accommodation to infected guests, and costs for finding and securing other accommodations will be at the participant's own expense. Medications Pack a supply of all medications you take regularly. Japanese law allows for a 30 day supply of prescription medications. It is recommended to bring copies of your prescription and, if you have an unusual prescription, carry a letter from your physician explaining your need for the drug. Carry the generic names of your medications with you because pharmaceutical companies overseas may use different names from those used in the States. Medicines classified as “psychotropics” (including Klonopin, Ativan, Xanax, Valium, Ritalin, Concerta, and Lexomil) are subject to limitations. If you are bringing more than the allowed quantity, you will need to secure a “Yunyu Kakuninsho” (Certificate of Import) prior to the start of your program. If your prescription is under the allowed quantity, there is no need for this certificate. For detailed list of the controlled medicines and their import limitations, please check this link: https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/dl_data/keitai/total.pdf For more details on bringing medicines with you into Japan, please refer to the following Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare websites: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html If you are unsure, please contact and consult your local Japanese consulate for assistance.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on November 30, 2026

Meet the group at Hotel Sunroute "Stellar" Ueno in Tokyo

Start of Trip:  3:00 p.m. hotel check-in available. 7:00 p.m. Welcome Dinner.

Getting to the site: For participants that have flights included through Road Scholar, transportation by bus/train will be provided from Narita Airport to the hotel in Tokyo on the program's official arrival date (Day 2) in Japan. For those proceeding into Tokyo independently, there are regular Keisei Skyliner express trains (approx. 45-minute journey) from Narita Airport to JR Nippori Station. One-way tickets cost JPY2,570. Our first night's accommodation is the Art Hotel Nippori Lungwood, a short walk from both Nippori Station’s East or South exits. If you are arriving at Haneda, you can use either the Keikyu line or Tokyo Monorail. Both will require a transfer (at Shinagawa for the Keikyu Line or Hamamatsucho for the Monorail), using the JR Yamanote Line to Tokyo. From Tokyo Station, it is a short taxi ride to the hotel. Alternatively, you can stay on the JR Yamanote line to Nippori Station, and walk to the hotel. PLEASE ALSO SEE THE MAPS AND DIAGRAMS AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT FOR MORE DETAILS

Getting to the site by train or bus: There are express trains running to Nippori Station (Narita Airport; walk to hotel) or Tokyo Station (Haneda airport) as well as limousine bus service to Tokyo Station. Taxis available to Hotel from Tokyo Station.

Your trip ends on: Monday, December 14, 2026 in Kyoto at Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Shijo-Karasuma

End of Trip: 9:00 a.m. after breakfast; 11:00 a.m. hotel check-out.

Getting to the airport: The program ends on Day 16 at the hotel after breakfast. On Day 16, the program’s scheduled departure date, a transfer will be arranged for participants that have flights booked through Road Scholar and will be included in the program. This will be the only transfer provided and included in the program. Any participants who have flights after the program’s scheduled departure date will be responsible for their transfers to the departure airport. For more details on transfers and ground transportation, please see the following link: https://www.roadscholar.org/practical-information/ground-transportation/ Program Only Participants are responsible for their own travel plans and transfers from the program’s final hotel to the airport that their flight is departing from. There are regular train and bus services from Kyoto Station to both Kansai International Airport and Osaka Itami Airport.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.