Itinerary
- Day 1
Flight to Japan
Your flight to Japan departs today. During the flight, the tour suggests reading 'The penultimate samurai' by Dennis Gastmann to start getting a feel for the country and its unique blend of traditions and modern life.
- Day 2
Tokyo to Hiroshima
After you land in Tokyo and handle immigration, you'll catch a connecting flight to Hiroshima. From there, an airport bus takes you to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to either walk around the city or relax at the hotel. Later, you'll try okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza) at a local restaurant and have a welcome drink to kick things off.
- Meals
- Dinner (Japanese pizza (okonomiyaki) in an okonomiyaki restaurant with welcome drink)
Included Activities
- Airport bus transfer to hotel
Optional Activities
- City exploration in Hiroshima
- Relaxing break at hotel
- Day 3
Miyajima
Start the day at Hiroshima's Peace Museum and Peace Park, which honors victims of the atomic bomb. Then you'll take a ferry out to Miyajima island to see the red torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At high tide the gate reflects beautifully in the water, and at low tide you can walk right up to it.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Peace Museum visit
- Peace Park walk
- Ferry to Miyajima island
- Itsukushima Shrine visit
Landmarks/POIs Peace Memorial Museum Peace Memorial Park Itsukushima Shrine - Day 4
Himeji - Kyoto
A bus takes you toward Kyoto, and you'll stop in Himeji along the way to see the 'White Heron Castle', one of Japan's oldest and most striking castle complexes that's been used as a film location for productions like 'Shogun'. You'll reach your Kyoto hotel in the afternoon and finish with dinner at a Japanese restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Japanese restaurant dinner)
Included Activities
- Himeji Castle visit
Landmarks/POIs Himeji Castle - Day 5
Kyoto
Using public transportation, you'll head to Fushimi-Inari Shrine, which has countless scarlet torii gates dedicated to the goddess of rice cultivation. After that, Sanjusangendo Temple comes next with its 1,001 gold-leaf wooden statues. Later you'll wander through Gosho Palace's imperial grounds and then explore the Gion district where geishas still work today.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Fushimi-Inari Shrine visit
- Sanjusangendo Temple visit
- Gosho Palace visit
- Gion district walk
Landmarks/POIs Fushimi-Inari Shrine Sanjusangendo Temple Gosho Palace Gion District - Day 6
Kyoto
By bus you'll tour Kyoto's temples, gardens, and shrines that date back over 1,000 years. Kiyomizudera Temple offers spiritual practices and city views from its heights. You'll shop the Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka alleyways and check out Nishiki food market with its exotic ingredients and street food stalls. Then comes the Golden Pavilion reflecting in water, the Zen rock garden at Ryoanji Temple, and a kaiseki dinner at a traditional inn with a visit from a young apprentice geisha.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Kaiseki menu in a Japanese inn with visit from a young apprentice geisha (maiko))
Included Activities
- Kiyomizudera Temple visit
- Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka shopping
- Nishiki food market visit
- Golden Pavilion visit
- Ryoanji Temple visit
- Kaiseki dinner with maiko geisha visit
Landmarks/POIs Kiyomizudera Temple Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka Nishiki Market Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) Ryoanji Temple - Day 7
Uji - Nara
You'll travel to Uji, famous for its tea production, and learn how matcha tea is made during a traditional ceremony. Then it's Byodoin Temple, another UNESCO site. After that, a coach takes you to Nara where you'll walk through Nara Park with its pagodas and sika deer, then see the massive bronze Daibutsu Buddha inside Todaiji Temple, the world's largest wooden building.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Traditional matcha tea ceremony
- Byodoin Temple visit
- Nara Park stroll
- Todaiji Temple visit
Landmarks/POIs Byodoin Temple Nara Park Todaiji Temple - Day 8
Kiso Valley - Matsumoto
Following breakfast, the Shinkansen super express train carries you to Nagoya, then a coach heads into the Kiso Valley. You'll walk the famous Nakasendo Road section between Magome and Tsumago, a historic postal route from the Edo period that once connected Tokyo and Kyoto. By evening you'll be in Matsumoto.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Nakasendo Road walk (Magome to Tsumago)
Landmarks/POIs Nakasendo Road - Day 9
Hakone
Matsumoto's 'crow castle' awaits with its black exterior and wing-like soaring roofs. Then a coach takes you to Hakone National Park and Lake Kawaguchi for views of Mount Fuji (weather permitting). You'll stay at a traditional ryokan where you'll sleep on futon mattresses and have an authentic multi-course Japanese meal.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Authentic Japanese cuisine feast at ryokan)
Included Activities
- Matsumoto Castle visit
- Lake Kawaguchi visit with Mount Fuji views
Landmarks/POIs Matsumoto Castle Lake Kawaguchi Mount Fuji - Day 10
Hakone
A boat tour on Lake Ashi gives you views of Mount Fuji that look like postcard photos. The Narukawa Art Museum is next, with various art exhibits and panoramic mountain views. Back at your ryokan later, you can choose to relax in an onsen hot spring bath or spend the afternoon however you'd like.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Lake Ashi boat tour
- Narukawa Art Museum visit
Optional Activities
- Onsen (hot spring bath) at ryokan
Landmarks/POIs Lake Ashi Narukawa Art Museum - Day 11
Hakone to Tokyo
After a relaxed breakfast, you'll head to Tokyo and visit Meiji Shrine, a sacred Shinto site surrounded by thousands of trees. You'll learn about ritual purification before entering sacred areas. Then Omote Sando Boulevard is next, followed by the famous Shibuya intersection with its crowds and traffic patterns. If you want, the contemporary Mori Art Museum in Mori Tower is optional, and the day ends at an cozy izakaya restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner at cozy Izakaya restaurant)
Included Activities
- Meiji Shrine visit with purification ritual
- Omote Sando Boulevard stroll
- Shibuya intersection experience
Optional Activities
- Mori Art Museum visit
Landmarks/POIs Meiji Shrine Omote Sando Boulevard Shibuya Intersection Mori Art Museum - Day 12
Tokyo
This day is open for you to do whatever you'd like, or there's an optional trip to Nikko available. The shrine and temple district there is set within Nikko National Park's scenic hills, and there's small family-run sake breweries where you can taste rice wine if time works out.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Day trip to Nikko (€160 per person, minimum 4 participants, not bookable on site)
- Sake brewery visit in Nikko
Landmarks/POIs Nikko National Park - Day 13
Tokyo
You'll join worshippers at Kannon Temple in Asakusa, walking through the busy Nakamise-dori shopping street past the Thunder Gate. Tokyo Skytree comes next, where a high-speed elevator takes you 350 meters up for wide views of the city, and on clear days Mount Fuji might be visible. The upscale Ginza district follows, with stops at the Ginza Six department store. Dinner is shabu-shabu as you reflect on your Japan experience.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Shabu-shabu dinner)
Included Activities
- Kannon Temple visit
- Nakamise-dori shopping street walk
- Thunder Gate visit
- Tokyo Skytree visit (350 meters)
- Ginza district stroll
- Ginza Six department store visit
Landmarks/POIs Kannon Temple Nakamise-dori Thunder Gate Tokyo Skytree Ginza Ginza Six - Day 14
Departure
The drive to the airport happens this morning, and you'll begin your journey home, bringing your Japan tour to an end.
