Discovering Japan
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You are viewing the 2019 itinerary
Itineraries and pricing may vary by departure year
Ancient ceremonies meet 21st century technology in this astonishing country of contrasts. This fascinating tour goes a long way to interpret the mystery of Japan as we cross the country on high-speed bullet trains. Join us for 12 days as we explore the 'Land of the Rising Sun' by rail.
Meet your group and Tour Manager at the 4-Star Keio Plaza Hotel for your first night in Japan, where we enjoy a welcome dinner together this evening to celebrate the start of our adventure.
Today we take a full-day tour of Tokyo by coach, discovering the sights of this incredible city. Our guided tour includes a visit to the ancient Asakusa Kannon Temple and the Imperial Palace Plaza. Later we visit Nakajima no Ochaya, a tea house in the Hamarikyu Garden that dates back to 1704, where there is the opportunity to sample authentic Japanese tea and traditional sweets. We also spend time at the Edo Tokyo Museum*, where exhibits depict the fascinating history of Japan's capital during the peaceful Edo period. The last era of feudal rule in Japan, the Edo period spanned from 1603-1867, and is considered one of the most significant times in Japanese history.
*Due to the museum being closed on a Monday, some departures do not include Edo Museum, and visit Miraikan, The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Please call for more details.
This morning, we enjoy a free morning in Tokyo before continuing to Hakone by train this afternoon, travelling in a 'Romance Car' (observation car) on the picturesque narrowgauge line. On arrival, we tour the spectacular Hakone National Park. Lying in the foothills of Mount Fuji, Hakone is a stunning area of lakes, forests and hot springs. We enjoy a short cruise on tranquil Lake Ashi, a former crater lake, and continue by coach to the sulphurous hot springs at Owakudani.
This morning we travel by coach to Mount Fuji, arguably Japan's most distinctive landmark. Driving along the foot of the famous mountain, we arrive at the Mount Fuji Visitor Centre to learn more about the snow-capped peak. Later we enjoy a visit to Matsumoto Castle, an impressive fortress completed in 1593. Built on a plain, this five-storey fortification is a celebrated National Treasure of Japan. We then overnight in Matsumoto.
Our tour continues by coach today, as we travel to Takayama. Set deep in the mountains, Takayama is a fascinating town of narrow streets and wooden houses, which appear almost untouched by time. On arrival, we enjoy a walking tour of the fascinating city, taking in Kami Sannomachi Street and Jinya Old House
After our tour, we take an excursion to the nearby Hida Folk Village, an open air museum of rustic farm dwellings depicting the traditional architectural styles found in the mountains. Set on a hillside overlooking the idyllic Takayama Valley, some of the buildings in the picturesque village date back 500 years.
After exploring here, we return to Takayama, where we spend the night at the Hotel Associa Takayama.
This morning, we visit Miyagawa morning market. This afternoon, we enjoy a journey on the Hida Train to Nagoya, continuing onwards by bullet train to Hiroshima. Having seen devastation in World War II, Hiroshima is now a symbol of peace.
Today we travel by tram and boat to Miyajima Island, where we leave modern life behind in the tranquility of the wooded island. During our time on the island we enjoy a walking tour, which includes a visit to the beautiful Itsukushima Shrine. Your afternoon is free in Hiroshima.
This morning we visit the World Peace Memorial Park and the A-Bomb Dome Museum, both poignant reminders of the destruction levied here in 1945. We also listen to a talk from a Hiroshima survivor or successor. Later we travel to Kyoto which was the Japanese capital for more than a thousand years and is a living museum of the country's artistic heritage. Afterwards, we take a walking tour of the Gion. Later we enjoy a dinner in Pontocho Alley, a lantern-lit street lined with traditional wooden buildings. Famed for its archaic atmosphere, this traffic-free alleyway is one of the few places in modern Japan where you may catch a glimpse of a real-life Geisha.
A morning of sightseeing on Day 9 takes us to the Kinkakuji Temple, Nijo Castle and the Kiyomizu Temple. In the afternoon we enjoy a traditional tea ceremony in a thatched farmhouse set amongst formal gardens.
We visit Nara today, another former capital and a short train ride away from Kyoto. Nara is an attractive, compact city of narrow streets set against a backdrop of wooded hills. Here we enjoy a walking tour, taking in the beautiful Todai-ji Temple, the largest wooden building in the world and its Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine and the Deer Park.
Later we enjoy a dinner in Pontocho Alley, a lantern-lit street lined with traditional wooden buildings. Famed for its archaic atmosphere, this traffic-free alleyway is one of the few places in modern Japan where you may catch a glimpse of a real-life Geisha.
We travel by coach to Osaka today, a futuristic city, which we are introduced to on a guided tour. We visit the observatory in the iconic Umeda Sky Building, where we enjoy panoramic views over Osaka and its castle, ahead of a farewell dinner tonight.
Leave Osaka this morning, as you make your way home.
Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.
For this tour, we recommend arriving into Tokyo Haneda Airport or Narita Airport, which are approximately 6/42 miles from your first hotel. Our recommended departure airport is the Osaka Airport, which is approximately 31 miles from your final hotel.
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
An escorted experience and travel during your tour
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Not Included
of travellers would recommend this tour
Tour Rating
based on 20 verified reviews
It was all we could expect. Bill McIntosh is a very good tour manager and Haru's presence was very comforting and useful to speak Japanese and organize things.
An excellent tour with a great tour manager and guide. The tour captured the essence of Japan but would have liked more time in Tokyo
Very enjoyable but very tiring with all the travelling!
The tour was first rate, enjoyed every minute of it. Locations, accommodation, places visited were great. The local Japanese tour guides were professional and good company. Our tour manager worked very hard to ensure we enjoyed ourselves and had a stress free tour, again very personable and professional. A tour to remember for all the right reasons
The only reason I have not given a rating of 5 star is because the size of the tour group was too large which did detract somewhat from the enjoyment for all concerned.
A very busy and well organised tour. All travel arrangements seemed to go smoothly. Tour manager was considerate and helped to make the tour a success
An Excellent itinerary which balanced the cultural and natural highlights of the country. Our tour rep., Mr. Bill Mackintosh, was on top of his brief and all organisational aspects of the tour ran smoothly. The local guides were very good and even offered extra sightseeing to any of us who were interested. The Cathay Pacific flights were excellent and the transfer at Hong Kong was effortless.
Excellent tour manager and local guides but hotel accommodation standard was rather variable: one or two smart hotels and several that needed a refresh. Itinerary was interesting but quite demanding.
An amazing experience of a culture so totally different from our own. Superb accommodation and visits to outstanding sights and sites. Horoshima was deeply, deeply moving. Another visit at some stage is a must.
The organisation cannot be faulted. Everything arrived on time, no worries at all, tour guides/managers were excellent, no problem too large to handle. The tour itself (discovering Japan) had a few niggles. Travelling via Paris CDG added hours to the journey. Although we started in Tokyo we did not spend much time there. A few af the places visited were somewhat irrelevant given the time in each place, and the 3 nights spent in a hotel bedroom in Kyoto with no wardrobe (just two clothes pegs on the wall), no shelves or drawers and little space was annoying. We thought at least one of those nights could have been spent in one of the other towns. However we would go back to Japan, a fabulous place.
Whatever the rights and wrongs, listening to a Hiroshima survivor or their representative is to understand what happened to individual families in August 1945 and the suffering they experienced long afterwards. It is a very humbling insight into what occurred on that day and something to be experienced by everyone. This incredible tour also gives you the opportunity to experience both Japanese culture and cuisine. You are unlikely ever to meet such polite people elsewhere in the world.
Explore the Land of the Rising Sun by rail
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