Discovering Japan

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, as well as taking in the Meiji Shrine. 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 visit the world-famous Shibuya crossing, which is said to be the busiest intersection in the world. 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.

Today, after a morning at leisure, we continue to Hakone by train, travelling in a 'Romance Car' on the picturesque narrow-gauge line. On arrival, we tour spectacular Hakone National Park. Lying in the foothills of Mount Fuji, Hakone is a stunning area of lakes, forests and hot springs.

We take a cable car to the sulphurous hot springs at Owakudani, after which we descend to Lake Ashi for a short cruise. We then transfer to our hotel for the night, and enjoy dinner together.

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. We also stop at Oishi Park, which boasts unparalleled views of the iconic Japanese mountains.

This morning, 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. The tour continues by coach 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 explorations, we return to Takayama, where we spend the night at the Hotel Associa Takayama.

We make a visit to Miyagawa Market this morning, then travel 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.

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 tranquillity 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, both poignant reminders of the destruction levied here in 1945. We also listen to a talk from a Hiroshima survivor or a 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. We enjoy a walking tour of the Gion district, after which we indulge in a dinner in Pontocho Alley, a lantern-lit street lined with traditional wooden buildings. Famed for its traditional 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 full day 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.

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, Nigatsu-do Shrine, and Nara's serene deer park.

We travel by coach to Osaka today, a futuristic city which we are introduced to on a guided tour. We visit the observatory, housed within the iconic Umeda Sky Building for panoramic views over Osaka and its castle, ahead of a farewell dinner tonight.

Leave Osaka this morning, as you make your way home.