Uncover Japan – The Land of the Rising Sun

Fly to Tokyo.

Upon arrival in Tokyo transfer to your hotel for a three-night stay.

Today, we discover Tokyo, the vibrant capital of Japan. We begin the day with a city sightseeing tour, where we will see the beautiful Meiji-Jingu Shrine, dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken, and the Imperial Palace Plaza, before enjoying a walking tour of the upmarket Ginza district.

For lunch, we will join a fascinating sushi masterclass where we will learn how to make traditional sushi.

This afternoon, we will visit Asakusa, with the famous Senso-ji Buddhist temple, the oldest in Japan, before returning to our hotel.

This morning, we depart Tokyo for Nikko. On arrival in Nikko, we will enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city before continuing to the UNESCO Toshogu Shrine, Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine and mausoleum of the famous shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The impressive shrine was reconstructed by Ieyasu's grandson, shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, now consisting of over a dozen buildings, set in a beautiful forest.

After free time in Nikko, we continue to the stunning Kegon Waterfalls. The magnificent falls were formed when the Daiya River was re-routed by lava flows and is among one of the most beautiful falls in Japan.

Later, we return to our hotel in Tokyo.

Our first stop today is Oishi Park* in Kawaguchiko, with its picturesque views of Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan. The park is renowned for its exquisite sightseeing opportunities, with the impressive volcano reflecting from the waters of Lake Kawaguchi.

We will enjoy free time at the Daio Wasabi Plantation Farm, one of Japan’s largest wasabi plantations. The farm is meticulously maintained, with each field fed by crystal-clear waters, fed from the Northern Alps. Within the plantations, there are attractive walking trails and the Daio Shrine, enshrining the spirit of local hero, Hachimen Daio, the farm's protector.

We continue on to Matsumoto, where we will visit the beautiful castle, with its distinctive black walls, a designated national treasure. We continue to our hotel in Takayama for an overnight stay.

*Weather permitting

We begin the day with a walking tour of Takayama, a traditional city with a beautifully preserved Old Town.

During our tour of Takayama, we will visit to the morning market, packed full with stalls selling everything from vegetables, pickles and spices to Japanese sweets, gifts and souvenirs. We will also take time to enjoy a spot of sake tasting at the local sake brewery.

The tour concludes with a visit to Takayama-Jinya, a former government outpost before you will have free time to explore independently.

This afternoon we transfer to the UNESCO Shirakawago Village which is best known for its traditional gassho-zukuri wooden houses. We continue to our overnight hotel in Kanazawa.

Today we head to Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. In the morning, we take time to visit the beautiful traditional Japanese garden of Kenroku-en, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.

Kenroku-en is home to roughly 8,750 trees and 183 species of plants as well as the oldest water fountain in Japan, powered only by water natural pressure.

We then continue on to the elegant Nomura Samurai mansion, where time has seemingly stood still since the Edo period. The Nomura’s are one of Japan’s famous Samurai families who used their swords to conquer the Maeda clan. The mansion features refined architecture, intricate murals and stunning gardens complete with flowing waterfalls and dancing carp.

Following time at leisure for lunch, we will take the Express Train to Kyoto where we will stay for the next two nights.

This morning we enjoy an included sightseeing tour of Kyoto, during which we visit the UNESCO listed Kinkakkuji Temple, famous for its Golden Pavillion.

Kinkakkuji is perhaps the most well-known temple in Japan, despite being burned to the ground by a disgruntled monk in 1950. The picturesque building, delicately covered in gold leaf is one of the most visited sites in Kyoto.

We then continue on to the Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama, where we will have a walking tour before free time for lunch.

We begin the afternoon with a visit to Nijo Castle. Built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founding shogun of the Edo shogunate which ruled Japan from the beginning of the 17th century and has been registered as a Japanese National Treasure.

We will then take part in an authentic tea ceremony. Our instructor will show us how to make a Japanese Matcha Green Tea, and how to enjoy it in the traditional Japanese manner.

We will spend time at leisure in the Kyoto district of Gion before returning to the hotel.

Our first stop today is the beautiful Korakuen Garden, where we will have time at leisure to enjoy the uplifting and relaxing spaces. The garden is arranged to take in water from the river that runs through a zig-zag brook to a pond and down into a waterfall.

We then move on to the city of Kurashiki. We will have free time in the historical ‘Bikan Chiku’ area, famous for its beautiful streetscape of storehouses and merchant homes, with their grey and white trellis-patterned walls and flamboyant ceramic roofs.

Take a stroll along the canal, lined with drooping willow trees, as boats gently punt down the calm waters, or veer off down the narrow streets where you will find museums, galleries and workshops.

This afternoon we continue to our hotel in Hiroshima for a two-night stay.

Today, we spend the day in the city of Hiroshima. We take a ferry across Hiroshima bay to Miyajima Island, known for its forests and ancient temples. We see the iconic Itsukushima Shrine, giving you time to admire the elaborate Torii gate, which rises majestically out of the sea.

Included, we enjoy a lunch of Okonomiyaki, similar to a savoury pancake Okonomiyaki, made with egg, cabbage, soba noodles and meat.

Following lunch we visit the Peace Memorial Park and museum. Hiroshima is known worldwide as the first place that the atomic bomb was used. Before the bomb, the Peace Park was the commercial and political heart of the city, and for this reason, it was chosen as the pilot’s target. The area is now a registered UNESCO World Heritage Landmark, redeveloped and devoted to promoting peace.

Please note: The famous 'floating' tori gate of Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima will be undergoing refurbishment commencing in June 2019. Guests will be able to visit the shrine itself, though the tori gate may be scaffolded and covered which may affect the overall view of the shrine. The work is expected to be ongoing until approximately August 2020.

We depart Hiroshima via Nozomi train for Himeji where we visit its beautiful castle. Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle, due to its elegant appearance, is the finest surviving castle that remains in Japan today.

The largest of Japan's castles never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire, the imposing size and beauty of the Himeji makes it not only a national treasure, but also a World Heritage Site.

This afternoon we take the world-famous high-speed bullet train to Osaka, where we arrive at our hotel for an overnight stay.

This morning we travel to Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan, established in the year 710. Here, we will visit the Todaiji Temple, which houses one of Japan’s largest bronze statues of Buddha. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan.

After free time for lunch we continue our day with a visit to the birth place of Sumo, the Kehaya Sumo Museum. The modern museum features a full-size ring, and an interesting collection of Sumo materials relating to the sport. The museum also doubles as a research centre, continuously studying the Sumo sport and its history as an integral part of Japanese culture.

We then continue on to Dotonbori Street, where we enjoy free time taking in the principal tourist destination in Osaka. Lit by neon signs, the street runs along the south bank of the Dotonbori-gawa Canal, and is packed full of incredible restaurants and amusement facilities, a perfect end to your tour of Japan.

We transfer to Kansai/Osaka airport for our overnight flight home.

Arrival in the UK.