Grand Tour of Japan by Rail

Your Japanese adventure begins today in Sapporo. This city is the mountainous capital of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's main islands, and as you arrive, make your own way to our central hotel.

Making up more than a fifth of Japan's landmass, Hokkaido is a nature-lover's paradise that accounts for just 5% of its population. More than a third of those people live in Sapporo, a dynamic destination with a thriving food scene, attractive parks and lively streets illuminated by neon signs. While Sapporo is a modern city, in 1857, it was home to just seven people. It became well known in the West after hosting the winter Olympics in 1972, and today, tourists head to Sapporo for its food, beer and mountainous surroundings.

Our hotel is near the university's Botanic Gardens and the Japan Railways Tower Observatory. After checking in, we gather for a welcome meeting to discuss the events to come and a welcome drink before heading out for our first dinner together at a local restaurant. Overnight Sapporo.

• Dinner

 After breakfast at our hotel this morning, we're introduced to Hokkaido's history in nearby Otaru with our English-speaking guide, who accompanies us throughout the vacation. This small port city has a wonderfully preserved canal area lined with warehouses dating to the late 19th century, when Otaru was the island's financial center. As an important hub for trade with Russia and China, the architecture blends Japanese and Western styles, leading to views that seem familiar to the Western eye yet charmingly off-kilter.

We also explore the beautiful Old Aoyama Villa, one of the best-preserved mansions on Hokkaido. As well as an ornate wooden façade and tiled roof, it is also famed for its artworks and displays of traditional calligraphy. Later, at the Otaru Music Box Museum, we view some of the thousands of intricately designed music boxes of all shapes and sizes.

Returning to Sapporo, there is a free evening to explore and dine independently. Hokkaido is famed for its seafood and ramen, while its local beer is popular worldwide. Overnight Sapporo.

• Breakfast

Leaving Sapporo after breakfast, the Hokuto limited express train takes us to Hakodate. As the route heads to Hokkaido's eastern shores, we skirt around Uchiura Bay and admire the coastal scenes before arriving in Hakodate.

One of Hokkaido's main cities, Hakodate was the first Japanese port open to foreign trade and is watched over by the imposing Mount Hakodate. This afternoon, a sightseeing tour by coach introduces the city's main sights, including Goryokaku. This vast, star-shaped fortress was completed in 1866 based on a design by a French architect. We explore foreign influence in the Motomachi district, a former residential area for traders, home to a Russian Orthodox church, the old British Consulate and a Chinese Memorial Hall. This evening, we ascend Mount Hakodate by a ropeway cable car to admire views across the city and coast before having dinner at a local beer hall, dining on Western food in a convivial setting. Overnight Hakodate.

• Breakfast, Dinner

An early morning visit to the Hakodate fish market follows breakfast at our hotel. Specializing in seafood, the market has stalls displaying fresh crab, squid and oysters, with many delicacies available to buy and eat on the spot.

Later, we head to Hakodate train station for our first experience of Japan's world-famous bullet trains. In a little over four hours, the Shinkansen carries us 513 miles to the nation's capital. Traveling beneath the Tsugaru Strait, we emerge on Honshu, Japan's main island, and continue toward Tokyo, arriving mid-afternoon. With a population similar to that of Canada in an area roughly the same size as Connecticut, urban Tokyo is the world's most populous city. However, it regularly finds itself amongst the top-ranking cities for livability due to its organization and cleanliness.

Our four-star hotel is in lively Shinjuku, where you have a free evening to explore at leisure. Japan's most well-known dishes are available in this vibrant district, so you could find yourself eating fresh sushi or embracing local culture at a yakiniku barbecue. Overnight Tokyo.

• Breakfast

With our English-speaking guide, we embark on a coach tour of Tokyo after breakfast, witnessing the city's contrasts. Starting at Harajuku's Meiji-Jingu shine, we admire its fantastic Shinto design dating from its construction in 1920 to honour modern Japan's first emperor.

As if to demonstrate the intertwining of the tranquil and bustling, we travel a short distance to the famed Shibuya crossing, where up to 3,000 people at a time inundate the crossing from all directions. A symbol of the city, the Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa is our next destination. Dating from the 7th century, it was built to honour Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. With its sweeping, tiled roof, intricately carved wood and giant red lanterns, Senso-Ji is the epitome of Japanese Buddhist architecture.

Our tour ends in Asakusa, and with the rest of the day free, you can return to the hotel by coach or begin exploring independently. This evening, you may like to seek out some Japanese cuisine, with Tokyo renowned for its sushi, ramen and tempura. Overnight Tokyo.

• Breakfast

Breakfast is at our hotel before we set out on a trip on Japan's famous railways. Walking to Shinjuku Station - the world's busiest - we board the Shonan Express to Odawara. On arrival, we transfer into the mountains, where an incredible ride on the Hakone Ropeway takes us on a 20-minute cable car journey that could reveal views of Mount Fuji in the distance.

As we travel above this area of outstanding natural wonders, we can view rising plumes of steam from the sulfurous hot springs that dot Mount Hakone, a volcano that last erupted in 1170. Arriving on the shores of Lake Ashi, our trip concludes with a boat cruise across the crater lake to our hotel. En route, look for the striking red of Shinto torii gates along the shoreline.

Our hotel overlooks this beautiful lake, framed by overlapping mountains dipping toward the tranquil water. There is time to relax before dinner at the hotel's restaurant this evening. Overnight Hakone.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is all about Japan's most revered peak, Mount Fuji - the UNESCO-listed active volcano. Instantly recognizable from artwork, including woodcut prints by Hokusai, the country's sacred symbol is astonishing due to its symmetry and prominence.

After breakfast at our lakeside hotel, we set out by coach to explore the area surrounding Mount Fuji, visiting the World Heritage Center to learn more about Japan's national emblem and absorb incredible vistas from its observation deck. Mount Fuji is one of nature's greatest masterpieces, and seeing it in person is truly astonishing, with its snow-capped peak rising above a landscape of forests and lakes.

From here, we travel across the mountains to the alpine city of Matsumoto. Here, we visit Matsumoto Castle, a five-story pagoda-style fortress known as "Crow Castle" for its unusual black exterior. Built in 1504, this is the oldest remaining castle of its kind in Japan. Afterward, there is time in the popular Nakamachi District, known for its traditional shops and handicrafts. We then continue to our hotel, where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Matsumoto.

• Breakfast

With our guide, we enjoy a tour of a miso factory to discover why this paste - a mixture of fermented soy beans with salt and other umami-based ingredients - is so important in Japanese cooking.

Continuing along the renowned Mitsuboshi Kaidou Road, we visit Takayama Jinya, a 17th-century wood-framed government building with tatami-walled rooms. A stop at the preserved village of Shirakawa reveals Japan in all its rustic glory. Famed for its traditional gassho-zukuri houses, we view these charming, thatched homes with high-pitched roofs similar to Swiss chalets, but distinctively Japanese.

Afterward, we arrive in Kanazawa, a city looking over the Sea of Japan. Rich in culture and history, Kanazawa is famed for its geisha districts and samurai heritage. After checking into our hotel, you have a free evening to get to know our new surroundings or dine independently in a local restaurant. Overnight Kanazawa.

• Breakfast

After breakfast, we stroll among one of Japan's most cherished gardens, Kenrokuen. The spacious grounds were constructed by the Maeda family over two centuries. Admire displays of cherry, maple and pine trees alongside landscaped ponds and waterfalls. A visit to the Nomura House, a former samurai residence, follows. Beautifully painted screen doors, cypress detailing and authentic samurai armor are on display in this 400-year-old historic house.

We have free time over lunch to wander the stalls or dine in a restaurant at Omicho Market, the largest in Kanazawa since the Edo Period. After, we board the Shinkansen bullet train to Tsuruga, where we change to a regional train for the final leg of our journey to Kyoto.

Japan's former capital is a living museum of the country's artistic heritage, with an impressive 17 UNESCO-listed sites. After checking into our hotel, your evening is free to dine independently. Japan is famed for its cuisine, and you might like to find a restaurant serving fresh sushi, ramen noodles, yakiniku barbecue or wagyu beef. Overnight Kyoto.

• Breakfast

A historic city overflowing with the authentic beauty of old Japan, Kyoto awaits our exploration after breakfast. Our guide helps us uncover its history and traditions, first visiting Kinkakuji Temple. The "Golden Pavilion" temple dates to 1397 and shimmers in brilliant gold leaf on the edge of a reflecting pond, surrounded by lush forest. Afterward, we participate in a zen tea ceremony. Learning how to brew, serve and sip this celebrated drink also gives us a glimpse into the spirituality and culture of Japan.

Following free time to find lunch independently in the Nishiki Market, we continue to the Kyoto Railway Museum, where we learn about the history of Japanese railways and its iconic locomotives. Our tour concludes amongst the beautiful backstreets of the Gion neighborhood. Lined by traditional dark-wood homes, this district was historically home to kimono-wearing geishas, and we enjoy a performance at the Gion Corner Theatre.

The evening is free to continue wandering the lantern-lit streets and dine independently. Kyoto has many excellent restaurants serving refined and traditional cuisine. Overnight Kyoto.

• Breakfast

Between 710 and 784 A.D., Nara was Japan's capital before Kyoto adopted the mantle. This is a beautiful and compact city that oozes history, backdropped by wooded hills.

Arriving by coach this morning, a guided walking tour first takes us to Todaji Temple to view one of the world's largest bronze statues. The Great Buddha, or "Daibutsu," was installed in 752 A.D. and is set within an ornate temple recorded as the largest wooden building in the world. Nearby, the landscaped grounds of Nara's deer park are full of serene ponds and tame deer. These beautiful animals were once revered as messengers of the gods and now roam freely. They are so used to human visitors that they often bow in greeting. Leaving Nara, we travel to Osaka by coach before boarding the bullet train to Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is an emotive city known for the devastation it suffered during World War II. However, today, its parks and museums stand as embodiments of peace. After checking into our hotel, there is a free evening to dine independently. Overnight Hiroshima.

• Breakfast

This morning, we embark on a tour of Hiroshima's most moving locations with our English-speaking guide.

Now a welcoming city, Hiroshima became a byword for the horrors of war after an atomic bomb was dropped by the U.S. Air Force on August 6, 1945. The Peace Memorial Park commemorates the victims, while the Atomic Bomb Dome showcases the remains of the scorched shell of a building destroyed on that fateful day. In the Peace Memorial Museum, we view items salvaged from the rubble.

In the afternoon, we travel via train and ferry to Miyajima, leaving modern life behind to soak up the tranquility of this secluded destination. We enjoy a walking tour of this island, also known as Itsukushima (Island of the Gods), which includes a visit to Itsukushima Shrine and the iconic O-Torii Gate that guards its entrance. Partially submerged at high tide, this stunning red structure was built in the 12th century and is an enduring image of traditional Japan.

We dine on our own this evening upon returning to Hiroshima. Overnight Hiroshima.

• Breakfast

Leaving Japan's main island today, a bullet train takes us from Hiroshima to Hakata on the southern island of Kyushu. Covering the distance of 150 miles in a little over an hour, the train crosses the Hayatomonoseto Strait, reaching the Hakata ward of Fukuoka by late morning.

Once here, a guided sightseeing tour takes in the Dazaifu Tenman-gu Shrine, dedicated to the Shinto god of learning. Said to have been built over the grave of a 9th-century poet, this shrine is the latest in a line of shrines that have been here since 905 A.D.; however, the pavilion we see today dates to 1591. On the grounds of pretty bridges and serene pools stand 6,000 plum trees. The modern exterior of the nearby Kyushu National Museum contrasts with the shrine's serenity, with a glass façade reflecting the surrounding forests and sky. Here, we uncover Japanese culture through a collection of artifacts and exhibitions.

After checking into our four-star hotel in Fukuoka, we visit a local restaurant for a drink and a Western-style farewell dinner to celebrate our vacation. Overnight Fukuoka.

• Breakfast, Dinner

From the verdant surroundings of Hokkaido's cities of Sapporo and Hakodate to Fukuoka, Japan has revealed an enchanting blend of peaceful spirituality and frenetic cities. Tranquil mountain towns, neon-draped streets and iconic sights have been uncovered as we traveled between destinations, including aboard the famous Shinkansen bullet trains.

Your grand tour of Japan concludes today, and after breakfast, you can check out of the hotel and make your own way to the airport for your flight home. However, if you have time, you could explore Fukuoka on your own, perhaps wandering through Ohori Park beside the ruins of Fukuoka's ancient castle.

• Breakfast