SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo airport, where you will be met and escorted to your shuttle bus transfer.

Enjoy views of this modern city as you ride its elevated highways, before being dropped at your hotel. This trip will take about 2 hours.

Day 2: Tokyo Tour

Today enjoy a full day private guided tour of Tokyo, travelling by public transport.

Places of interest that can be visited include Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the world's largest handling over 2,000 tons per day. It is especially famous for its auction of high quality tuna used for sushi and sashimi. Tokyo's National Museum houses displays of historic costumes, including samurai armour and swords, fine kimonos, antique folding screens, tea ceremony utensils and Japanese paintings.

The Sumida River cruise travels through the busy heart of the city and to the edge of Tokyo Bay, where you will be able to see reclaimed land islands and the large Rainbow Bridge that dominates the bay. Hamarikyu Gardens is a tranquil oasis on the edge of the bay, flanked by the skyscrapers of the Shiodome district. In these gardens which reflect the changing seasons, you can enjoy Japanese tea with sweets in a wooden pavilion at the edge of the lake.

You will also be given tickets for the Tokyo Skytree, a fabulous 634m tower with observation decks offering unparalleled views over the city.

Day 3: Explore Tokyo

Today is free to explore more of Tokyo independently. 

You can also visit the nearby towns of Nikko and Kamakura. Nikko is famous for its ornate religious architecture, found in a beautiful woodland setting. Kamakura is a sleepy coastal town that served briefly as capital of Japan in the 1100s, leaving a rich cultural legacy.

Day 4: Train to Hakone National Park

Make your own way to Ueno railway station this morning for the train to Odawara, changing trains at Tokyo Central, a journey of approximately 1 hour.

From Odawara take the bus to Hakone, using your 3 day Hakone Free Pass, which entitles you to unlimited use of the mountain buses, railways, cable car and lake cruises, as well as discounted entry to a number of museums.

You have two days to explore Hakone National Park.

Day 5: Hakone National Park & Mount Fuji

At leisure to explore the region. Places of interest include Owakudani, a steaming valley of hot mud springs. A cable car takes you over the valley to a viewpoint, from where you can explore the area on foot. On clear days there are good views of the surrounding mountain ranges and of Mount Fuji.

Another popular excursion is to take a cruise on Lake Ashi. This pretty lake was created from a volcanic crater and is surrounded by wooded slopes dotted with small shrines. The outdoor sculpture park and Picasso gallery are great places to visit.

For relaxation there is also the option of soaking in one of the many ‘onsen’ (natural hot springs) for which Hakone is so famous, but be aware this will involve stripping off, with separate bathing areas for men and women.

Day 6: Bus and Train to Kyoto

This morning take the bus from Hakone to Odawara, using your Hakone Free Pass.

From Odawara take the train to Kyoto, a journey of 2 hours 10 minutes.

Day 7: Kyoto Tour

Today enjoy a full day private tour of this historic city, travelling by public transport.

Kyoto was the residence of the Emperor of Japan from 794 until 1868. It is a historic city of culture and one of the best-preserved cities in Japan, with an Imperial Palace and over 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and other priceless structures. With 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this city’s history comes alive in its narrow alleyways, where teahouses abound and elegant kimono-clad geisha hurry from function to function.

Places of interest that you can visit today include the spectacular Kinkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion, which was built in the 14th century as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, but became a Buddhist temple after his death. This glittering temple is covered entirely in gold leaf and is set on a small lake amongst well-tended gardens.

Magnificent Nijo Castle was built in 1603 by the first shogun of a united Japan. It was designed to impress rather than defend, with wonderfully decorated sliding doors and chirping nightingale floors. It is surrounded by stunning gardens.

Lively Nishiki Market (known as ‘Kyoto's Kitchen’) is a narrow shopping street lined with more than one hundred shops and restaurants, specialising in food-related products ranging from fresh produce and seafood to knives and cookware. It is a great place to find seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood and sushi.

Sanjusangendo Temple is the longest wooden structure in Japan (120m) which is so large that archery competitions are held here. This Buddhist temple is famous for its 1,001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. In the centre of the main hall is a giant gold leaf statue of a seated Kannon with 1,000 arms, flanked on each side by 500 smaller statues, standing in ten rows. Together they make for an awesome sight.

Day 8: Explore Kyoto

Today is free to explore more of the city independently, or take optional tours.

Kiyomizu Temple is perched on a hillside with views towards Kyoto. Dating from 1633, the main hall sits on hundreds of interconnecting wooden pillars above a sacred spring that is believed to have therapeutic qualities. Ryoanji Temple belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and was founded in 1450. The adjoining garden is an austere collection of 15 rocks adrift in a sea of sand.

You can take a half day guided tour to Nara, with your guide accompanying you on the 1 hour train ride. On arrival visit Todaiji Temple, the world’s largest wooden building and home to Japan’s largest Buddha. Also visit Kasuga Taisha, Nara’s most celebrated shrine. There is also time to wander through Nara Park, which has a large population of tame deer.

Alternatively take a half day tour to Arashiyama on the western outskirts of Kyoto. Here you can enjoy tranquil countryside and walk through its famous Bamboo Grove. You can also visit Tenryuji Temple, founded in 1339 and one of Kyoto's World Heritage Sites. Okochi Mountain Villa has a beautiful garden, teahouse and zen meditation hall, whilst Nonomiya is a Shinto shrine where unmarried imperial princesses used to stay for a year to purify themselves.

Day 9: Bullet Train to Hiroshima & Miyajima Island

Take the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto to Hiroshima today, travelling down the eastern seaboard and west towards Hiroshima, using your Japan Rail Pass. This journey of nearly 400km takes around 2 hours, during which time the train passes through several major cities along the coast, including Kobe, famous for its top-grade beef.

Hiroshima is most famous for the events of 6th August 1945, when it was devasted by the horrors of the world’s first atomic bomb. The city is full of reminders of the events of that day, none more poignant than the A-Bomb Dome with its skeletal shell, which has been preserved as a symbol of the devastation of nuclear war. The Peace Museum and the open expanses of Peace Park, with its eternal flame, are essential stops.

It is now a bustling city, with other attractions including Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien Japanese Garden with their teahouses and the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, which has many pieces inspired by the 1945 bombing. There are also some great views of the city from here. A local speciality is ‘okonomiyaki’, a savoury pancake where you decide on the ingredients and cook the pancake yourself at your table. The local oysters are also excellent.

When your sightseeing is done, take the local JR Sanyo Line train to Miyajimaguchi, for the ferry to Miyajima Island, using your Japan Rail Pass. The train takes 25 minutes and from here it is a 5 minute walk to the port. The ferry crossing takes just 10 minutes and you will get fabulous views of the Itsukushima Shrine, with its famous 'floating' torii gate, as the boat arrives at Miyajima pier.

Day 10: At Leisure

Today is free to relax on Miyajima Island.

You may wish to hire bikes to get around, as the island has excellent cycle paths and the coastal routes are fairly flat. On the northeast coast is Tsutsumigaura, a 1 km white sand beach lined with pine trees. The beach is packed with sunbathers, swimmers and windsurfers in July and August, but in the off-season it is a lovely serene place to relax.

Note: Bikes can be rented from 8am to 5pm at the JR ferry pier (last checkout is 3pm).

Day 11: Ferry & Bullet Train to Osaka

Take the ferry back to the mainland and the local train from the port of Miyajimaguchi to Hiroshima station.

Here change for the bullet train to Osaka, a journey of approximately 2 hours 20 minutes.

Day 12: Fly Home

From Osaka's Nankai Namba Station, take the Nankai Rapit train direct to Kansai Airport. This fast and comfortable service will get you to the airport in around 35 minutes.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis, staying in a mix of hotels and traditional Japanese Inns. Dinner is included at Hakone National Park. All specified trains, transfers and guided tours are included.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All hotels are subject to availability.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.