If you’ve been meaning to “do” Japan for the first time, our luxury Japan itinerary is here for you. Aptly named Majestic Japan for its supreme majesty in all areas: iconic temples, fairytale lanscapes (seen from the windows of bullet trains), magical metropolises, luxury hotels (often with their own onsen or hot springs) and life-altering food, this is an 11-day luxury tour to Japan that will leave you thrillingly sated (and planning to come back for more).

Days 1-2: Osaka

Categorically not just a smaller Tokyo, Osaka is a singular city that sparkles with life. It has street food like nowhere else on earth, a cracking nightlife scene and daytime strolls that are not too arduous but dotted with delights. We kick off our tour of Japan in style at the Imperial Hotel Osaka, which has terrific, welcoming views of the skyline and the shimmering Okawa River (which is popular for cherry blossom cruising). Once everyone’s settled at the hotel (perhaps after a swim in the brilliant pool, with its epic views), our guests meet over tempura, sushi and sake. And we’re off…

Explore more Japan: 21 Most Beautiful Places In Japan You Need to Visit

Day 3: Hiroshima

Kyoto and Osaka are about an hour from each other by car, and a mere 14-15 minutes by shinkansen, not even long enough to require a bento box picnic. On our luxury Japan itinerary, however, we slow things down by traveling via Hiroshima, so we have time to sit back and relax as we travel past small towns, rice fields and snow-capped mountains. In Hiroshima, the itinerary is as varied as this thriving, cosmopolitan community; we pause to reflect at the Peace Memorial Park and meet a survivor of the world’s first atomic-bomb attack. Later, we try okonomiyaki – one of many unmissable gastronomic experiences –  before heading onward to one of the loveliest luxury hotels in Kyoto: The Thousands.

Day 4: Kyoto

There is much to see in Kyoto, and often visitors encounter a long distance between key sights, so we’ve carefully designed a fulfilling day taking in temples, bamboo groves, and the Gion district, which is famed for its geisha, as well as its teahouses and lantern-lit restaurants. Guests love our visit to the picture postcard Zen Buddhist temple Kinkaku-ji, a three-tiered pavilion covered with gold leaf, which reflects spectacularly in the pond beneath. Lunch is traditional Kyo-Kaiseki cuisine (multi-course, Kyoto cooking), with an unforgettable performance by a maiko – an apprentice geisha.

Read next: The Most Famous Torii Gates in Japan

Day 5: Mount Fuji

Is there a more iconic mountain in the world than Mount Fuji? Many visitors to Japan encounter it through the window on their way somewhere else, but on day five, we board the bullet train to Mishima, an oasis-like town built on the lava flow of Mount Fuji – for our close up. This is your luxury Japan itinerary, so you might choose to soak up the views on the Kachi-Kachi Ropeway cable car, or to visit the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum for an alternative dose of serenity (in the gardens), some spectacular architecture and a dazzling collection of kimonos. We head straight on to the Cerulean Tower Tokyo Hotel for a well-earned rest before a big day in the capital.

Day 6: Tokyo

Where to begin? Tokyo is a simply thrilling place to be, and you have some difficult choices to make. Will you join a local expert on a tour of the arty, fashion-forward Omotesando and Harajuku neighborhoods? Will you spend time crafting your own lunch with a master sushi chef? Will you prioritize the Tokyo National Museum or the Meiji-jingu Shrine? And what on earth will you eat first? We’ll help you work all this out and more, so that your day in Tokyo is everything you want it to be. But don’t panic – you’ll be back on day 10.

Journey beyond Japan: 15 Best Places to Visit in Asia

Day 7: Sendai

Our luxury Japan itinerary is all about balance, so after the energy of Tokyo, we take the opportunity to revel in Japan’s soothing nature. On a private cruise of Matsushima Bay, we listen to the many haikus it has inspired, which describe it as a place of love and wonder. We eat fresh seafood in a local inn, and we embrace the nourishment and calm of a traditional tea ceremony.

Day 8: Tsugaru and Hirosaki Castle

This is a magical stop that makes a trip to Japan extra special. This wedding cake castle features fortified moats and castle gates, and is one of the country’s cherry blossom hotspots. In season, the blush pink petals fill the moat so it looks like a strawberry milkshake. We learn about the meticulous care and nurturing of the trees from a specialized cherry blossom doctor.

Day 9: Oirase

You are booked into the Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel, a wildly serene mountain stream resort inside a National Park, surrounded by clear streams, mossy rocks, and a forest of deciduous broad-leaved trees. The hotel features hot springs and restaurants out in the thick of it, surrounded by a changing colour palette, depending on the season of your visit. While we’re in Oirase, we enjoy a rare opportunity to meet a sake brewmaster, Takeshi Miura, and share some of Japan’s sacred drink in stunning surroundings.

Day 10: Back to Tokyo

However you choose to spend your remaining time in Tokyo, we always toast to a successful trip to Japan with a celebratory dinner at Hoshinonaruki. It’s always an intensely atmospheric meal, showcasing Japanese culinary techniques and seasonal ingredients.

Day 11: Arigato Nihon!

Your private car takes you to Narita or Haneda International Airport. Unless, of course, you choose to stay awhile…

The Michelin Guide began its glittering life in 1889 as a little red book created by a pair of brothers in France to help motorists plan their trips (thereby boosting car and tyre sales, which was their priority). Over time, the brothers saw their book had legs, and duly assembled a team of anonymous restaurant inspectors; they started handing out stars and – eventually – commanded the attention of the world.

The guide set about awarding one star (high quality cooking, worth a stop), two stars (excellent cooking, worth a stop) or three stars (exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey) and has been doing so for almost 100 years. The Michelin Guide now rates over 40,000 establishments in 25 territories, across three continents.

When was the Michelin Green Star launched?

In 2020, Michelin introduced the Michelin Green Star, which is more like a five leaf clover in appearance. This was a direct response to the myriad creative ways inspectors could see that restaurants were striving to find more sustainable dining. All of the most inspiring restaurants were working differently, but all were committed to making gastronomy better for the world.

So, what is a Michelin Green Star? It is an annual award highlighting restaurants with exemplary sustainable practices. Each Green Star restaurant has its own way of working – it might be that they’re particularly committed to locally-sourced ingredients and seasonal produce, working with growers, farmers and fishermen, or that they use regenerative methods such as no-dig vegetable gardens. But, generally speaking, they “hold themselves accountable for both their ethical and environmental standards” and work with producers and suppliers to avoid waste and reduce or remove plastic from the supply chain.

What’s the difference between a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star?

A Michelin Star recognises exceptional dining experiences. A Michelin Green Star highlights a restaurant’s commitment to sustainable practices.

Bookmark for later: How Do Restaurants Get Awarded a Michelin Star?

Who is eligible for a Michelin Green Star?

Any restaurant in the Michelin Guide is eligible – it may be granted the green star alone, or alongside one, two or three Michelin stars.

Michelin Inspectors consider factors like: “the provenance of the ingredients, the use of seasonal produce, the restaurant’s environmental footprint, food waste systems, general waste disposal and recycling and the communication between the team and the guests about the restaurant’s sustainable approach”.

How many restaurants have been awarded a Michelin Green Star?

Currently, there are 291 Michelin Green Star restaurants across the world.

Which country has the most Michelin Green Star restaurants?

France is currently the leader, with 100 green stars. There are 58 in Italy, 57 in Spain, 36 in Great Britain and Ireland, 35 in the USA and 32 in Japan.

You may also like to read: What To Wear To A Michelin Star Restaurant

Five iconic Green Star restaurants for your little black book:

Fotografiska, Stockholm, Sweden

In 2021, Forografiskas conscious kitchen was awarded a Green Star by the Michelin Guide and it has been named Sweden’s best and most sustainable restaurant by 360° Eat Guide. The highly creative menu strives to explore the full potential of raw ingredients, with waste management and many other sustainable practices at the forefront of the dining experience.  Dine here on our Timeless Scandinavia journey.

You may also enjoy reading: Alternative Dining and CO2 Absorbing Aprons: Welcome to Fotografiska

Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy

 

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Chef Enrico Crippa has been finessing his garden and greenhouses at Piazza Duomo for almost 20 years; he and the garden remain an inspiration to chefs everywhere. The signature salad, with its 70+ leaves, must be experienced to be believed.

Silo, London, UK

Silo is a pioneer in the sustainable restaurant field. At the world’s first Zero Waste restaurant, founder and head chef Douglas McMaster has been famously cooking and working “without a bin” for 10 years. The kitchen is a place of incredible precision, as every gram of each ingredient must be used. Visit London on our Castles & Kingdoms journey.

White Lily Diner, Toronto, Canada

 

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An American diner that smokes its own bacon, ferments its own hot sauce and grows its own vegetables, White Lily is the future piled inside a (homemade) buttermilk biscuit. Our Indulgence in Eastern Canada journey is eight days of Ontarian and Quebecois wonders.

L’Arpège, Paris, France

Michelin says radical chef Alain Passard “called it before anyone else with his 100% vegetable-based menu”. Now, there are vegetable-based dining experiences everywhere, but L’Arpège’s focus on ingredients’ passport and provenance will always have been first on the scene. Stay in Paris on our Ultimate France journey.

To enjoy exceptional dining and the finest end-to-end travel experience, take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys.

How can you choose just 20 out of the thousands of life-affirming restaurants in France, the most visited country in the world, the country that consistently tops the Michelin guide? If you have plans to join us on one of our France luxury tours, you’ll want to make sure you have a few special meals along the way. We’ve listed 20 of the best restaurants in France below, but before we launch into them, we thought we’d answer some FAQs.

What should I eat at a French restaurant?

Everything! Sometimes menus in traditional bistrots read like lists of your most long-held desires, and they’re different between regions. You won’t want to skip town without getting a steak-frites, a sole meunière, a terrine de Campagne, a French onion soup, a bouillabaisse, a croque monsieur, a Paris-Brest, an îles flottantes, a crème brûlée and eight crepes under your burgeoning belt … will you?

Do you tip at restaurants in France?

Tipping in France is optional so there is no specific percentage you need to keep in mind, but of course good servers appreciate and deserve a gratuity. French restaurant bills include a 15% service charge by law and waiters get paid a living wage, but a discretionary pourboire is commonplace.

How many Michelin star restaurants are there in France?

Unsurprisingly, France is the country with the most Michelin-starred restaurants: 654 in 2025. This includes 31 restaurants with three Michelin stars and 75 restaurants with two Michelin stars.

You may also enjoy reading: What To Wear To A Michelin Star Restaurant

Are restaurants open in France on Sunday?

The eternal question! Who among us hasn’t planned their trip to France to within an inch of its life only to be met with an unexpected French public holiday? Many more restaurants in France do open on Sundays these days, but if you want to eat somewhere specific, you must check and plan well in advance.

Arpège

Paris (7th arrondissement)

Initially, chef Alain Passard’s vegetarian menu was considered radical, but now there are decorated vegan restaurants aplenty. Nonetheless, someone had to get things going, and Arpège continues to be one of the best restaurants in France. It has three Michelin stars, despite (or maybe because of) the kitchen flying by the seat of its pants, sending out whatever ingredients happen to be seasonal and good on any given day.

Mirazur

Menton

This restaurant’s dramatic spot is unsurpassed – it sits in a 1930s-era rotunda building at the foot of the mountains, with panoramic views of the sparkling sea. Somehow, it’s also surrounded by gardens, in which wild rosemary, jasmine, almonds, medlars, peaches, grapes, cherries, asparagus, lemons and flowers thrive, just before they arrive on your plate. It’s a Cote d’Azur dream scene.

Table by Bruno Verjus

Paris

One of the best restaurants in France, but very much itself, Table offers fine dining with an atmosphere that’s warm and accessible. Over the wave-shaped counter, Bruno Verjus himself will happily talk you through his ingredients of the day. The daily menu is called “couleur du jour”, changing completely depending on what his trusted local producers have brought him.

 

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Septime

Paris (11th arrondissement)

Chef Bertrand Grébaut worked at Arpège before he opened Septime, which has redefined what contemporary bistro-style dining can be. The interior – bare wood, industrial lighting, exposed concrete and ivory pillar candles – lets the cooking shine. Look out for truffle potato velouté with brioche, veal sweetbreads with harissa and couscous broth, and some (when in season) special asparagus alchemy.

Maison Lameloise

Chagny, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

In a former post house in the heart of Burgundy, chef Éric Pras brings light, playfulness and vibrancy to classic Burgundian cooking. Think: snail tart with fizzy pickled garlic and nettle coulis, a seared scallop in lemon broth, and a chocolate-cassis mousse.

You may also like to read: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024 and Where to Find Them

Le Doyenne

Saint-Vrain

Le Doyenné is a restaurant, guesthouse, and farm set within the historical grounds of the Château de Saint-Vrain, about an hour south of Paris. Guests dine in stunningly restored stables, beneath soaring wooden eaves, with views of the cottage garden. The “potager” (kitchen garden) is the beating heart of the restaurant – chefs harvest the choicest picks each morning.

 

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Pic

Valence, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 

The Pic family has been through the Michelin wringer – beginning with three Michelin stars in 1939 and currently holding three again, under Anne-Sophie Pic, the only female chef in France to hold three stars. The Michelin guide describes Anne-Sophie Pic  as “an iconic figure” and her gastronomy is served the appropriate way – on a porcelain plate, under a cloche.

Flocons de Sel

Megève

Emmanuel Renaut fell in love with the Haute-Savoie as a child visiting the mountains on daytrips. Now, he showcases his profound and extraordinary knowledge of Alpine ingredients at the mesmerising chalet that houses his three-Michelin-star restaurant. He says of his menu: “Behind each product are the men and women who enhance our mountain landscape”.

Discover more about our luxury journeys to France: Sophisticated and Stylish: why Southern France is Unmissable

Le Petit Nice

Marseille

Another address with three Michelin stars, this epically sun-soaked restaurant describes its location as “between sky and sea”, which is an accurate summation of its panoramic views. The colors here are only white and various blues; the menu is a heady combination of Mediterranean and maritime, with any combination of dentex, bream, bonito, whiting, comber, snapper and moray coming straight from the fishing boats.

 

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L’Auberge de l’Ill

Illhaeusern

This age-old auberge is an Alsatian inn in the truest, most decadent sense – in a storybook riverside setting, complete with manicured lawns and copious weeping willows. The restaurant is something of an institution, now helmed by chef Marc Haeberlin, grandson of the founders. It’s one of the best restaurants in France for dessert.

Epicure

Paris (8th arrondissement)

At Le Bristol, one of the most iconic luxury hotels in France and indeed the world, no fewer than three Michelin stars will do. Candelabras, damask upholstery, Louis XVI chairs and tasseled tablecloths set the haute cuisine tone at Epicure, where the dishes are technically flawless and endlessly delicious.

Bookmark for later: The Best Restaurants in Paris and Where to Find Them

Régis et Jacques Marcon

Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

A father (Régis) and son (Jacques) are behind this unique, somewhat out-of-the-way spot, amid rolling hills, two hours west of Lyon. There are 10 rooms if you need to stay overnight. The village sits in a cool, damp microclimate, making it famous for its mushrooms, which are abundant on the three-Michelin-star menu every autumn.

 

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La Table d’Elise

Monaco

This is a modern, generous restaurant with one Michelin star that visitors to Monaco should keep in their back pockets (if you happen to be taking our 12-day journey  Ultimate Southern, for instance). The menu is perfectly Provencale: cod with aioli and seasonal vegetables, crab and leek ravioli and slow-cooked Sisteron lamb shoulder with caramelized onions, raisins, cinnamon and semolina.

La Grenouillère

La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil

In a classic old farmhouse by a stream in the picturesque village close to Calais, chef Alexandre Gauthier’s incredible avant-garde culinary personality disrupts the idyllic setting. Inside, the dining room is as artistic and experimental as the food, with lots of glass, wood and rusted metal. The menu is 11 courses of riotous flavor and texture.

You may also enjoy: This Country Takes the Crown for the Most Michelin-Starred Restaurants in 2024

Flaveur

Nice

There are two Michelin stars at Flaveur, one for each of the chefs, brothers Gaël and Mickaël Torteaux. Their menus are inspired by their travels and childhoods in Guadeloupe. In the heart of Nice, the dining room has huge fish-themed wooden cut-outs on the walls and space for just 20 diners. The three, four and seven-course menus are wild adventures.

 

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Pierre Gagnaire

Paris (8th arrondissement)

Another address in Paris means you should probably book our 14-day Ultimate France journey and then stay in the capital for a hectic schedule of haute cuisine at the end. Grandiosely located just off the Champs-Élysées, Pierre Gagnaire is the iconic, poetic restaurant from the chef who grew up in his father Jean Claude’s Michelin-star kitchen. On his website, the chef says “I want to put feeling and intelligence into my cooking. People need poetry, tenderness and well-made things”.

La Villa Madie

Cassis

L’Anse de Corton is a magical little cove known to the people of Cassis, but not to everyone else. La Villa Madie sits snugly within it, a restaurant that was once the darling of Cassis and is now one of the best restaurants in France, even though its chef-owners – Marielle and Dimitri Droisneau – modestly describe themselves as a ‘contemporary innkeeper couple’.

You might be interested to learn: How Do Restaurants Get Awarded a Michelin Star?

Rouge

Nimes

Beninese chef Georgiana Viou brings her favorite West African flavors, her warm disposition and her love for her adopted hometown of Marseille to the table. The result is a creative, Mediterranean fusion menu. The dining room is a cosy, welcoming space, featuring rose velvet, marble and amber tones. The patio is even more inviting.

 

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La Vague d’Or

Saint-Tropez

Among the pine trees and bikinis of Saint-Tropez, La Vague d’Or is chef Arnaud Donckele’s three Michelin-star tribute to this unique, seductive place. He promises guests a magical journey through land and sea, celebrating the traditions of the region, and remaining steadfast on his quest for innovation.

Les Prés d’Eugénie – Michel Guérard

Eugénie-les-Bains, Nouvelle Acquitaine

Michel Guérard, one of the founders of la nouvelle cuisine, sadly died in 2024. This restaurant in a stunningly serene spa hotel, overseen for a few years now by head chef Hugo Souchet, is a testament to Guérard’s dedication and to how admired he was. It’s a light, enchanting temple to French gastronomy, which has retained its three Michelin stars since 1977.

Feeling inspired to experience the best France has to offer, or may the rest of the world? Take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys.