Best of Japan

Arrival - Tokyo

Transfer to your hotel and enjoy Tokyo at your leisure.  

Tokyo

Take a full-day tour of the city, starting with Asakusa, and soak in the atmosphere. Visit Sensoji, the city’s oldest temple, then wander down Nakamise, a street providing a variety of traditional snacks and souvenirs. Travel down the Sumidagawa River on Tokyo's Water Bus, and enjoy the zen atmosphere of the Hamarikyu Gardens. Visit Omotesando shopping street and the world’s largest fish market. 

Tokyo - Hakone

Travel to Hakone, part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and famous for its hot springs, outdoor pursuits, and occasional views of Mount Fuji. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Japanese ryokan and a steaming hot spring. 

Hakone – Takayama

Take a scenic train journey to Takayama, also known as ‘little Kyoto’, where temples, shrines and festivals await. Many of its unique traditions have been preserved. San-machi Suji, an area housing Takayama’s merchants and sake brewers, remains almost exactly as it was almost 300 years ago.

Takayama

Explore Takayama at leisure. Visit Miyagawa Morning Market, which sells everything from pickles to crafts. Lunch on delicious Hida beef, washing it down with sake from one of the many breweries.

Takayama – Shirakawago – Kanazawa

Travel by bus to the Shirakawago region. It is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, with some dating back 250 years. Gassho-zukuri translates as ‘praying hands’ because the farmhouses’ steep, thatched roofs, resemble hands in prayer.

Kanazawa

Kanazawa and Kyoto were the country’s two largest cities to escape the destructive air raids of World War II. Parts such as the Nagamachi (samurai district) and Higashichaya (entertainment district), survived. Kanazawa serves as the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture and its star attraction is Kenrokuen - one of Japan’s ‘three best landscape gardens.’ Afterwards, you will take part in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony. 

Kanazawa – Hiroshima

Travel by train to Hiroshima and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. 

Hiroshima - Kyoto

Take a bullet-train to Kyoto - one of Japan’s must-see destinations. With 2,000 religious buildings, including 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, it is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Japan’s cultural past can be found in the city’s narrow alleyways, where tea houses thrived and kimono-clad geishas hurried between appointments.  

Kyoto

Take a trip to the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, where thousands of red torii gates line the mountain trail. Visit the main shrine hall before exploring Sanjusangendo - a Buddhist temple and the longest wooden structure in Japan. Make a wish at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. 

In the afternoon, take a trip to Kinkakuji Temple, covered in gold leaf. Finally, explore Kitano-Tenmangu - a shrine to scholarship - where you can buy a lucky pencil and marvel at the entertainment district.

Nara

Transfer from your hotel to Nara - Japan’s capital for 74 years during the 8th century. Explore the beautiful Isuien Garden - a striking example of Japanese horticulture. Stroll through Nara Park, which houses over 1,000 free-roaming deer, and follow this with Todaiji Temple, the world’s largest wooden building.  

Kyoto – Tokyo – Departure