Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Tokyo
You'll be picked up at Narita or Haneda Airport and take the train into Tokyo to check in at your hotel. After settling in, the day is yours to spend however you like. There's a Welcome Meeting at 6pm where you'll meet your guide and the rest of the group, so try to get there by 3pm if possible.
- Day 2
Tokyo
Start the day with a walk through Hamarikyu Garden to see the cherry blossom trees, then head to Meiji Shrine. From there, make your way to Shibuya Crossing where roughly 1,000 people cross with each light change. Grab a coffee at the Starbucks on the second floor overlooking the intersection and watch the action below. The afternoon is free to wander around Tokyo on your own, and later you'll have dinner at a local restaurant with the group.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Walk through Hamarikyu garden with cherry blossom trees
- Visit Meiji Shrine
- Experience Shibuya Crossing
- Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Hamarikyu garden Meiji Shrine Shibuya Crossing - Day 3
Tokyo to Matsumoto
Travel by private coach to Matsumoto this morning and tour Matsumoto Castle, a black and white structure built 400 years ago and designated a National Treasure. Climb the narrow stairs to the top and look out through the thin wooden windows (originally made for archers and gunmen) toward the Japanese Alps, the city, and swans swimming in the moat below. Tonight you'll stay at a traditional Japanese ryokan.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Matsumoto Castle with guided tour
Landmarks/POIs Matsumoto Castle - Day 4
Matsumoto to Takayama
The coach takes you from Matsumoto toward Takayama through the Hida Mountains. On the way, stop at Daio Wasabi Farm, one of Japan's largest, where you can browse the shop for wasabi chocolate, beer, ice cream, and juice. When you reach Takayama, visit the Hida Folk Village, an outdoor museum with roughly 30 traditional farmhouses from the region spread across a hillside with views overlooking the town.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Stop at Daio Wasabi Farm
- Visit Hida Folk Village
Optional Activities
- Sample wasabi products at the Daio Wasabi Farm shop
Landmarks/POIs Daio Wasabi Farm Hida Folk Village - Day 5
Takayama
This morning, walk through the town's market stalls filled with fresh produce from the surrounding fields. Then experience a traditional tea ceremony, also called sado or 'the way of the tea'. After that, spend time exploring Takayama's Old Quarter on your own, checking out the shops and maybe stopping at a sake distillery to try the local sake. If you want to relax, there's an onsen (public hot springs) available, and the town is known for its Hida beef.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit town market stalls
- Participate in traditional tea ceremony
Optional Activities
- Visit sake distillery for tasting
- Enjoy onsen (public hot springs)
- Sample Hida beef at local restaurants
Landmarks/POIs Takayama Old Quarter - Day 6
Takayama to Kanazawa
Travel by private coach to Kanazawa and tour the Nagamachi District with its old samurai houses, including a stop at the Nomura Family Samurai House. Walk through the Omicho Ichiba Market, a lively food market where you can grab lunch. Next, head to Kenroku-en Garden opposite Kanazawa Castle, regarded as one of the best spots for cherry blossoms (typically blooming late March through early April). The rest of the day is free.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Omicho Ichiba Market), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Nomura Family Samurai House
- Explore Omicho Ichiba Market
- Visit Kenroku-en garden
Landmarks/POIs Nagamachi District Nomura Family Samurai House Omicho Ichiba Market Kenroku-en - Day 7
Kanazawa to Kyoto
Take two trains to Kyoto, Japan's ancient cultural capital where you'll stay for three nights. Visit Sanjusangen-do Temple with its thousand hand-carved gold-leaf statues of Kannon made from Japanese cypress wood. Your last stop is Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its torii gates and tunnel passages. During your time in Kyoto, local transport will be crowded, but that's part of experiencing the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Tour Sanjusangen-do Temple
- Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine
Landmarks/POIs Sanjusangen-do Temple Fushimi Inari Shrine - Day 8
Hiroshima - Kyoto
Board the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train heading to Hiroshima, traveling at speeds up to 300km per hour. Visit the A-Bomb Dome, one of the few structures still standing after the blast, then tour the Peace Park and Peace Park Museum. After, take the train back to Kyoto, arriving just after sunset.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit A-Bomb Dome
- Visit Peace Park
- Visit Peace Park Museum
Landmarks/POIs A-Bomb Dome Peace Park Peace Park Museum - Day 9
Kyoto
Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple, where the top floor is completely covered in gold and reflected in the calm lake beside it. Take a guided walk around Nijo Castle, built in 1603 by the first Tokugawa Shogunate as an example of Momoyama architecture. Later, walk through Gion, the famous Geisha District, and tonight you'll watch the Miyako Odori geisha dances at Minami-za Theatre. Dinner is at SODOH Higashiyama where you might see apprentice geishas in kimono. Pack an overnight bag since your luggage gets sent ahead to Hakone.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner at SODOH Higashiyama)
Included Activities
- Visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple)
- Guided walking tour of Nijo Castle
- Guided walk through Gion Geisha District
- Tickets to Miyako Odori geisha dances at Minami-za Theatre
- Dinner at SODOH Higashiyama
Landmarks/POIs Kinkaku-ji Nijo Castle Gion Minami-za Theatre - Days 10 - 11
Kyoto to Hakone National Park
A bullet train brings you to Fuji Hakone National Park, and after lunch at your hotel, the afternoon is free. You'll have a Hakone Freepass Card for unlimited travel on mountain buses, trams, switchback rail, and cable cars. Take a cruise across Lake Ashi to Moto-Hakone and visit Hakone-jinja Shinto Shrine where on clear days you can see Mt Fuji and the Red Torii Gate. Back at the hotel, you can soak in the hot springs.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Cruise across Lake Ashi
- Visit Hakone-jinja Shinto Shrine
- Enjoy hot springs at hotel
Landmarks/POIs Lake Ashi Hakone-jinja Red Torii Gate of Hakone Mount Fuji - Day 12
Hakone to Tokyo
Travel by private coach back to Tokyo this morning, settling into Akakusa, a historic old-town district known for Sensoji Buddhist Temple and craft shops. After a guided tour of Senso-ji Temple, the rest of the afternoon is free for last-minute sightseeing or shopping. If you want aerial views, head up to Tokyo Sky Tree for one final look at the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Guided visit of Senso-ji Temple
Optional Activities
- Visit Tokyo Sky Tree for city views
- Last-minute shopping in Akakusa
Landmarks/POIs Senso-ji Temple Tokyo Sky Tree Akakusa - Day 13
Departure from Tokyo
Your trip ends today. Take the train back to Narita or Haneda International Airports on your own.
