




Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 4-Day Yamato Museum Customizable Tour
Learn the naval history of Kure at the Yamato Museum and the JMSDF Kure Museum, visit Etajima, then walk the old merchant town of Takehara.
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Kure in Hiroshima was one of Japan's main naval ports. The battleship Yamato was built here. This tour looks at that history in a calm and respectful way, and then visits a peaceful old town nearby.
On day 2 you visit the Yamato Museum (Kure Maritime Museum). Its centerpiece is a 1/10 scale model of the Yamato, about 26 meters long. The museum tells the story of shipbuilding and of the many lives lost at sea. Across the road you visit the JMSDF Kure Museum, where you can walk inside a real submarine.
On day 3 you drive to Etajima island to join the guided tour of the former Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, now a Maritime Self-Defense Force school, with its red brick buildings and history hall.
On day 4 you visit Takehara, a preserved salt-merchant town known as the little Kyoto of Aki. Walk its lanes of white-walled houses and wooden lattices, then begin the drive home.
Your English-speaking driver-guide explains history in plain words.
This is a private tour. Only your group. One van, one driver-guide, 1 to 6 guests, never shared with other travelers.
If the Yamato Museum or the Etajima tour is closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit other naval history sites in Kure.
DAY 1 Pickup at your Tokyo hotel in the morning and drive to Kure (about 9 to 10 hours with breaks). Free evening.
DAY 2 Yamato Museum and the JMSDF Kure Museum with its submarine.
DAY 3 Etajima island and the guided tour of the former Naval Academy.
DAY 4 Takehara old merchant town in the morning, then the drive back to your Tokyo hotel (late evening arrival).
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- 1/10 scale model of the battleship Yamato at the Yamato Museum
- Walk inside a real submarine at the JMSDF Kure Museum
- Guided tour of the red brick former Naval Academy on Etajima
- Takehara, a preserved salt-merchant town of white walls
- Calm, respectful look at the naval history of Kure
Said plainly
The Etajima tour runs at set times and may need a reservation. Photo ID may be checked. This tour covers war history. Please behave quietly and respectfully at memorial displays. The drive from Tokyo is long, about 9 to 10 hours each way with breaks. Dietary needs can be added in the booking form. If the Yamato Museum or the Etajima tour is closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit other naval history sites in Kure.
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
1/10 scale model of the battleship Yamato at the Yamato Museum
Walk inside a real submarine at the JMSDF Kure Museum
Guided tour of the red brick former Naval Academy on Etajima
Takehara, a preserved salt-merchant town of white walls
Calm, respectful look at the naval history of Kure
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide (Hindi and Urdu also spoken)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Yamato Museum entry fee
- Etajima guided tour (free entry where applicable)
Yours — paid on the day
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Kure)
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
- Optional souvenir purchases
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
Plan a custom journeyYour private Japan day
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