Your adventure begins from the moment you arrive in Japan. Touchdown at Narita or Haneda Airport where your assistant guide will be waiting to welcome you. They will assist you onto your airport bus transfer taking you to central Tokyo, and from the bus stop, it’s just a short walk to your hotel.

Check in and decide what you would like to do next. You can relax in your room and get ready for the days ahead, or, if time allows, head out and explore the vibrant neon-lit city and some of its best neighbourhoods, Shinjuku, a hub for nightlife, or Asakusa, the historic downtown home to historic temples.

Overnight in Sunshine City Prince Hotel (or similar)

After breakfast, head down to the hotel lobby where your guide will be waiting to meet you for a brief introduction to the tour and your travel arrangements. Afterwards, it’s time to head out for today’s sightseeing adventure. By local train, your guide will take you to visit Senso-ji Temple and wander Nakamise Street, a historic shopping avenue in the Asakusa District, leading from the Kaminarimon Gate, otherwise known as ‘Thunder Gate’, stopping at Kappabashi Kitchen Street if there’s time to spare.

In the early afternoon, you can stop for lunch and enjoy traditional Japanese dishes like Chankonabe or Tonkatsu, while enjoying a sumo demonstration. Afterwards, you can visit the Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken, before heading back to the hotel for the evening.

Prepare an overnight bag tonight, as tomorrow, your main luggage will be sent ahead to your next hotel.

Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto

Breakfast and lunch

This morning your main luggage will be transferred separately to your Takayama Hotel, as a private car will take you to Hakone-Yumoto, one of Japan’s oldest hot springs town, in the foothills of the volcanic Hakone Mountains in Kanagawa Prefecture.

From there, enjoy a scenic journey by local train and cable car to Sounzan Station to continue your Japan adventure across the ropeway to Owakudani and Togendai before enjoying a peaceful cruise across the scenic crater lake, Lake Ashi, famed for its breathtaking views of Mount Fuji and the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine.

After your cruise, continue to Odawara before checking in at your Ryokan (Japanese Inn), then sit down for a relaxed traditional meal.

Overnight in Hotel Pax Yoshino (or similar)

Breakfast and dinner

This morning, enjoy a hearty breakfast before transferring to Odawara Station via public transport and set off on an adventure aboard Japan’s iconic bullet train, taking you to Nagoya in central Honshu. From there, continue on the limited express train to the city of Takayama, situated in Japan’s mountainous Gifu Prefecture.

While in Takayama, explore the beautifully preserved historic merchant district of Sanmachi-Suji. Wander the narrow streets lined with Edo-period wooden merchant houses, and browse local craft shops, cafés, snack stalls, and centuries-old sake breweries.

Overnight in Takayama Ou’an Hotel (or similar)

Breakfast

Wander down to the Miyagawa River in central Takayama, and browse the fresh local produce at the Miyagawa Morning Market, before taking a tour of the Takayama Jinya, a protected historic site in Hachiken-machi which once served as the provincial governor/magistrate’s office used to administer Hida Province under direct Tokugawa shogunate control.

After, the rest of the day is yours to spend however you like. Choose to visit the open air Hida no Sato museum or the Festival Float Exhibition Hall, or take a day trip to the UNESCO-listed village of Shirakawa-go in Ōno District, home to traditional gasshō-zukur style buildings.

Once back at your hotel, pack an overnight bag as tomorrow, your main luggage will be transferred directly to your Kyoto hotel, arriving the following day.

Overnight in Takayama Ou’an Hotel (or similar)

Breakfast

Today, travel by limited express train to Nagoya, continuing on the bullet train to Kyoto, widely considered the cultural heart of Japan.

Once there, you will have time to grab lunch (own expense) and drop off your bags at the hotel before heading to Fushimi-ku to visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine, resting at the base of Mount Inari. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you please.

Overnight in Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA (or similar)

Breakfast

Start today with a wander through Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, lined with towering green moso bamboo stalks, followed by a tour of the historic Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site popular for its 14th century landscaped gardens. Enjoy a scenic stroll across Togetsukyo Bridge with time for lunch (own expense) afterwards.

Later, visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion Buddhist temple, before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA (or similar)

Breakfast

Today, travel by local train to Nara, home to hundreds of free roaming sacred deer. Wander through Nara Deer Park and visit the Great Buddha at the Todai-jj temple, leaving time for lunch (own expense) at Higashimuki and Mochidono Shopping Street.

Continue by train to Horyu-ji Temple located in Ikarugu, Nara Prefecture. Once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, Horyu-ji Temple contains some of the world’s oldest surviving wooden buildings.

Overnight in Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA (or similar)

Breakfast

Visit the historic Kiyomizu-dera Temple in eastern Kyoto today and explore the charming streets of Ninen-zaka and Kiyomizu-zaka, before enjoying a short, guided tour of Nishiki Market in downtown Kyoto.

After, enjoy some free time to explore at your own pace before meeting your guide for an evening stroll through Kyoto’s historic Gion District, located near the Kamo River and Yasaka Shrine.

This evening, settle in for a special dinner accompanied by a maiko or geisha.

Overnight in Hotel Vischio Kyoto by GRANVIA (or similar)

Breakfast and dinner

This morning, enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the hotel before making your own way to Kyoto Station and onward to the airport for departure.

Breakfast