Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel accommodation in Tokyo for check-in before you head out touring the following day.

Overnight: Hotel Mystays Tachikawa, Tokyo or similar

his morning, you will head out on a sightseeing tour of Tokyo, starting at the Tsukiji Outer Market where you’ll encounter many kinds of traditional Japanese cuisine. You’ll then visit the stunning Meiji Shrine which is a Shinto religious site that was dedicated to the Imperial Family in 1926. Walk among the serene gardens that surround the shrine as you hear about its importance from your guide.

The tour will end at around lunchtime, and you’re free to explore this amazing city at your own leisure in the afternoon. Alternatively, join an optional afternoon tour.

Optional Activity: Tokyo afternoon tour including the famous Tokyo Tower – 8,000 JPY per person
First enjoy the sweeping views of this vast city from the observation decks at the famous Tokyo Tower, the landmark of Tokyo (entry included). Then visit Shinjuku, the largest entertainment, business and shopping district in Tokyo. It’s also a microcosm of Tokyo: there are skyscrapers and neon lights but also yakitori stalls in old wooden shacks. Last visit Shibuya Crossing, an iconic landmark in Tokyo, to see upwards of 1,000 people crossing the multi-cornered intersection at a time.

Overnight: Hotel Mystays Tachikawa, Tokyo or similar

Today you can enjoy free time at leisure to explore the city. Alternatively, you can join an optional activity which can be booked during the trip directly with the operator.

Optional Activity: Hakone Day Tour 15,000 JPY per person

we depart Tokyo and travel to Hakone. Away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Hakone offers tranquillity among stunning natural scenery. Upon arrival at Hakone, enjoy a boat trip across the serene Ashinoko Lake, followed by taking a cable car up the mountains to the sulphur vents of Owakudani. You’ll have spectacular views, and on a clear day, you can catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji in the distance. Last visit The Hakone Open-Air Museum, which successfully attempts to create a harmonic balance of nature and art by exhibiting various sculptures on its grounds in combination with views of the surrounding valley and mountains.

Overnight: Hotel Mystays Tachikawa, Tokyo or similar

After breakfast, embark on a journey of approximately 370km, starting with a drive to Mt Fuji’s 5th Station. Located 2300m above sea level, Mt Fuji’s 5th Station offers a commanding view of the Fuji Five Lakes area below, making it a popular spot even for those who do not intend on climbing the mountain, and it features shrines, torii gates and souvenir shops. Afterwards, continue to nearby Lake area to admire the scenery. The waters are overlooked by surrounding mountains, including Mt Fuji. Arrive in Nagano Region this afternoon, check into the hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Overnight: Hotel Route Inn Suwa Inter, Nagano Region or similar

Today is an exciting day as you’ll visit the countryside of Japan. First drive to a Wasabi Farm where Japan’s most famous and flavourful crop is grown in pristine and mineral-rich waters flowing down from the North Alps. Then visit Narai-juku, a beautifully preserved Edo period posttown. Narai-juku retains much of its original Edo-era architecture and atmosphere, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan.

You’ll then finish the day in Gifu where you will check into your hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure.

Overnight: Hotel Resol Gifu or similar

This morning, you’ll take a 140-kilometre trip to Kyoto where you’ll enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of the ancient capital. First up visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It’s famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The tour continues with a visit to the iconic Temple of the Golden Pavilion, perhaps the most breathtaking in Kyoto. Also known as “Kinkaku-ji,” the temple’s top two floors are coated in gold leaf, creating a dazzling mirror image in the pond on which it’s built.

Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure or choose to join one of the amazing optional activities such as the Maiko Dinner show (not included, 35,000 JPY per person) (Maiko is the name of an apprentice geisha in Kyoto). It can be booked on tour directly with the operator.

Optional Activity: Maiko Dinner show – 35,000 JPY
Today you will have the unique chance to enjoy an incredible Maiko performance with a Kaiseki dinner in Kyoto. Immerse yourself in the beguiling beauty of the ‘Maiko’ (apprentice geisha) scene during an exquisite evening of culture and cuisine at a Gion district restaurant. Gain fascinating insights into ancient Japanese customs as you chat with maikos and capture photographs to immortalize your memorable evening. Sip on a selection of unlimited drinks and pleasure your palate with delicacies inspired by ‘kaiseki’ cuisine, a traditional Japanese cooking style. Enhance your cultural experience of Japan on this enriching evening adventure.

Day 8 Kyoto Free Day

Today you can enjoy free time at leisure to explore the ancient city. Alternatively, you can join an optional activity which can be booked during the trip directly with the operator.

Optional Activity: Kyoto By The Sea Day Tour – 15,000 JPY per person
Enjoy the tantalising seaside air when you enjoy this “By The Sea” day tour in Kyoto! Stroll Amanohashidate, a gorgeous sandbar in Miyazu Bay that’s covered in pine trees and offers breathtaking views of the mountains nearby. Your guide will take you up the mountain where you can admire the view before you can walk down on your own to see this sandbar up close. You’ll then hop on a boat at one of the Ine no Funaya dock houses (famous private houses perched over the water) where fishermen dock their fishing boats. On the sightseeing boat heading out into the water, you’ll get a perfect panorama of these unique dock houses against the water. Finally, you’ll head to Miyamas Kayabuki no Sato, a northern village full of thatched houses that show off a truly rural Japanese charm.

Overnight: Kyoto Ubell Hotel or similar

Day 9 Kyoto – Hiroshima

This morning, proceed towards Okayama (approx. 80 kilometres) and visit the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter which offers an authentic taste of old Japan in one of the oldest merchant towns with scenic canals lined with weeping willows, Edo-period gardens and historic merchant houses. Here you will also visit Okayama Korakue, an outstanding Japanese-style landscape garden.

Continue onwards to Hiroshima where you will check into your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Overnight: Vessel Hotel Hiroshima or similar

Day 10 Hiroshima

After breakfast, start the journey to Miyajimaguchi port to board a boat to the majestic Miyajima Island. This island is also known as Itsukushima or Divine Island and is hailed as one of Japan’s most beautiful landscapes. Here you will discover the natural and cultural treasures of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed Island for 45 minutes with your guide. This includes seeing the shimmering Itsukushima Shrine before enjoying a delicious lunch in a local eatery (not included).

Afterwards, you’ll re-board the boat and cruise back to Hiroshima where you can reflect on the history of the region. Take a silent moment at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a historical site near where the atomic bomb exploded, see exhibitions that articulate the destruction the bomb caused and marvel at the city’s regenerative recovery. Finally, you’ll board a bus to the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome), a skeletal structure that miraculously survived the 1945 attack.

Overnight: Vessel Hotel Hiroshima or similar

Day 11 Hiroshima – Osaka (Bullet train experience)

This morning, you will drive to Himeji Station and to experience a high speed train ride to Shin-Kobe Station (the highest speed in the entire network). Afterwards, head to Osaka and check into the hotel.

Overnight: Osaka Castle Hotel or similar

Today, at the appropriate time, you will be transferred to Narita or Haneda Airport in Tokyo for your return flight to London, after one unforgettable trip exploring the beauty of Japan.