Culture & Art of Japan

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Tokyo

Welcome to Tokyo. Be met on arrival and transferred to your luxurious hotel. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers at a welcome dinner at your hotel, savouring Japanese flavours with a modern flair.

• Stay: Three Nights, The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel
• Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Tokyo 

Following breakfast, meet your guide and head to Roppongi, where you’ll soak in the scenery at the Tokyo City View observation deck at Mori Tower, which on a clear day provides outstanding panoramic views of the vast capital city. Next up is Tokyo’s old town of Asakusa, which is home to the city’s oldest temple, Sensoji. Visit the iconic Buddhist temple and stroll through the Namikase shopping street indulging in snacks and souvenirs. Following lunch, embark on your exciting Freedom of Choice activity. 

Freedom of Choice – Shibuya and Harajuku Exploration

You can experience the incredible energy and efficiency of Tokyo’s vast underground metro as you delve into the buzzing districts of Shibuya and Harajuku. 

Freedom of Choice – Japanese Gardens Discovery

Explore quaint parts of Tokyo as you discover the beauty of the Japanese gardens at Hamarikyu and the Imperial Palace East Gardens. 

Freedom of Choice – Tokyo National Museum Visit

Learn more about the history of Japan at the Tokyo National Museum, which is home to a collection of approximately 110,000 objects. 

Meals:·  Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Tokyo

Visit Meiji Shrine this morning, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji. Following your delectable Signature Experience, be guided to Ginza, Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping district. Marvel at the presentation and diversity of the food at a local department store before experiencing the fascinating Kabukiza Gallery, dedicated to the traditional performance art of Kabuki. The rest of the day is at your leisure. 

Signature Experience – Sushi-Making Class

Take part in a sushi-making class and learn to prepare maki sushi (rolled sushi) and nigiri sushi (sushi rice topped with a slice of raw fish) before savouring your creations for lunch. 

Meals:·  Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Tokyo, Hakone

Depart for Hakone following breakfast and catch glimpses of iconic Mount Fuji if it’s a clear day. Your first stop is at Hakone Shrine, a beautiful, historic Shinto shrine nestled in the forest by the shores of Lake Ashi. Board a boat for a cruise on the picturesque lake and arrive at Togendai before taking in the scenery on the way to the volcanic valley of Owakudani via the Hakone Ropeway. Follow the walking trails around the bubbling pools and steam vents and perhaps try one of the famous black eggs boiled in the area’s natural hot springs. Head to your luxury hotel, which boasts access to a naturally heated onsen, and enjoy dinner with your fellow guests this evening.

Stay: Hakone, Kowakien Ten-yu

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Hakone, Matsumoto, Takayama

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE

Try your hand in the kitchen today with a soba buckwheat noodle cooking lesson and enjoy your creations.

Set out this morning to to Gotemba for a Signature Experience. Following your soba lunch, continue to Matsumoto and visit the spectacular Matsumoto Castle. One of Japan’s most complete original castles, the structure dates back to the 16th century. Tour the castle and its pristine grounds before being transferred to your new hotel in Takayama, where you’ll indulge in dinner tonight.

Stay: Two Nights, Associa Takayama Resort

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Takayama

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE

Enjoy a Sarubobo making workshop. An amulet particularly common in Takayama and the nearby Hida region, Sarubobo are red dolls with no facial features. Learn how to make the dolls and discover why these amulets are believed to bring good luck.

Start off the day with a visit to the Miyagawa morning market, one of the largest in Japan. All the market’s traders are independent farmers and craftspeople from the region, so it’s the perfect opportunity to try some of the area’s best produce. You’ll also take a stroll through Takayama Jinya, a beautifully preserved 17th-century building built for a noble family and the Tokugawa shonugate. Following your Signature Experience, wander along the stunning streets of the city’s old town on the way to the Festival Floats Museum, where you’ll admire the ornamental floats of the Takayama Festival For dinner, you’ll have the chance to try the region’s famous Hida beef at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa

Today you’ll visit the World Heritage-listed village of Shirakawa-go en route to Kanazawa. Some of the village’s famous gassho-zukuri farmhouses date back more than 250 years, and you’ll stop at Kanda House to gain a deeper insight into the traditional homes before strolling around the peaceful village. Continue to Kanazawa and visit the marvellous Kenroku-en garden, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Later, visit the Nagamachi Samurai district and the traditional Nomura Samurai House. Enjoy your choice of restaurant for dinner this evening.

Freedom of Choice Dining – Benkay

Enjoy Kanazawa’s best seasonal produce in a relaxing setting at Japanese restaurant Benkay. This traditional sushi, grill and tempura counter presents an incredible range of dishes that offer a true taste of Japan. 

Freedom of Choice Dining – La PLAGE

Indulge in an elegant European dinner at La PLAGE, nestled on the top floor of your luxury hotel in Kanazawa.

Stay: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Kanazawa, Kyoto 

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE

Take part in a gold leaf making experience, decorating a small lacquer plate with this fragile and precious product.

Start your day in the Higashi Chaya District, Kanazawa’s largest geisha district. Enjoy a special Signature Experience before visiting the traditional Shima teahouse. Following lunch, be transferred to the train station to board a bullet train to Tsuruga, then change to a limited express train to Kyoto. Upon arrival, walk to your nearby accommodation and settle in before savouring a delicious dinner at the restaurant of your choice. 

Stay: Four Nights, The Thousand Kyoto

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Kyoto

An exciting day of sightseeing lies ahead. Set out for Arashiyama this morning, climbing aboard a rickshaw for a ride past the Nonomiya Shrine and the spectacular Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Following your rickshaw experience, visit the World Heritage-listed Tenryuji Temple, one of Kyoto’s five great Zen temples which was founded in 1339. After lunch at a local restaurant, head to the famous Kinkakuji temple, commonly known as the Golden Pavilion for its gold-leaf-covered upper floors. You’ll then stop off at historic Nijo Castle before returning to your hotel and spending the evening at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10: Kyoto

Begin your day with a special Signature Experience. In the afternoon, head out on your chosen Freedom of Choice activity before returning to your hotel.  

Signature Experience – Japanese Tea Ceremony

Delve into traditional Japanese culture with a special tea ceremony experience. Learn all about tea varieties and the importance and process of serving tea to guests in Japan. Enhance your experience by taking part in the ceremony wearing a festive kimono and gain a better understanding of the variety of kimonos used across different occasions. 

Freedom of Choice – E-Bike Cycling Tour

Ride an E-bike through the Miyagawacho and Gion geisha districts, stop off at the Imperial Palace Park and cycle along the Shirakawa Canal and Kamogawa River. 

Freedom of Choice – Market and Sake Tour

Embark on a tour of Nishiki Market, often referred to as ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’, before delighting in a sake-tasting tour. 

Freedom of Choice – Japanese Sweets Workshop & Historic Confectionary Shop

Immerse yourself in the art of Kyoto-style wagashi (Japanese sweets) by learning to craft these delicate confections. Enjoy your handmade creations paired with a soothing cup of green tea. Afterward, visit Tsuruya Yoshinobu, a celebrated and famous confectionery shop with over two centuries of history.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 11: Kyoto, Nara, Kyoto

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE

A special night of private entertainment with a maiko or geisha awaits. Enjoy a wonderful dinner and drinks and have the chance to learn more about geisha and their daily lives, all accompanied by music played on a shamisen, a traditional stringed instrument.

After breakfast, board a private coach for the nearby town of Nara, once the capital of Japan for 74 years in the eighth century. Visit the incredible Todaiji Temple, one of the world’s largest wooden structures and home to the country’s largest statue of Buddha. Stroll through the fascinating temple before exploring the surrounding Nara Park, which is freely roamed by a large population of friendly deer who will generally bow their heads for a treat. Next, visit Nara’s most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, which was established in 768 AD. Return to the hotel and enjoy free time this afternoon before savouring a special Signature Experience for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12: Kyoto, Himeji, Okayama

Head to Kyoto Station by foot and take a first-class bullet train to Himeji, where you’ll visit one of Japan’s most iconic and spectacular castles, World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle. Having avoided damage from war and natural disasters, the beautifully preserved castle is a fascinating historic site to explore. Journey on to a sake brewery for a Signature Experience. Following lunch at a local restaurant, return to the train station for another first-class bullet train journey to Okayama. Discover the city at leisure in the afternoon and evening after checking into your hotel.

Signature Experience – Sake Tasting

Delight in a tour and delicious tasting at a traditional sake brewery in Himeji.

Stay: Two Nights, Hotel Granvia Okayama

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 13: Okayama, Naoshima, Okayama 

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE

Commonly known as Art Island, Naoshima Island is peppered with elegant galleries and outdoor art pieces. Following your ferry journey, you’ll visit Chichu Art Museum, a unique museum built into the hillside overlooking the coastline. Designed by Ando Tadao, the building lies mostly underground and relies only on natural light to illuminate each work, allowing you to admire its permanent Claude Monet paintings in diffused daylight. Following lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll visit the Benesse House Museum, which was also designed by Tadao. Later, enjoy the Art House Project, which features an abandoned temple and shrine along with a collection of abandoned houses and workshops converted into art installations and galleries by artists and architects from across the world. Wander between and inside each converted space and admire the diverse art installations.

Treat yourself to a full day on the remarkable Naoshima Island today, first taking a private coach to Uno Port for your ferry to the island. Following your day-long Signature Experience, be transferred back to your accommodation and enjoy a French dinner at your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14: Okayama, Hiroshima

This morning, explore the beautiful and spacious Korakuen Garden, a member of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Afterwards, board a bullet train for a first-class journey to Hiroshima. After lunch, be taken to the Peace Memorial Park, which lies at ground zero of the devastating atomic bomb dropped on the city on August 6, 1945. Stroll through the park and discover its memorials and monuments before a moving visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Later, head to Hiroshima Orizuru Tower for expansive views of the surrounds. Tonight you’ll indulge in a yakiniku dinner, where delicious meats and sides are flame grilled over wood charcoal. 

Stay: Two Nights, Sheraton Grand Hiroshima

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 15: Hiroshima, Miyajima, Hiroshima

After breakfast, set off on your chosen activity before boarding a ferry to Miyajima Island. A sacred island and holy place of Shintoism, Miyajima is home to the World Heritage-listed Itsukushima Shrine, which is famous for its partially submerged “floating” torii gate. After strolling around the island, be transferred back to your hotel and enjoy Hiroshima’s charm at your leisure. 

Freedom of Choice – Mazda Factory Museum

Head to the expansive Mazda Factory Museum in Hiroshima to learn all about one of the world’s leading car manufacturers. 

Freedom of Choice – Okonomiyaki Cooking Class

Take part in an okonomiyaki cooking experience, where you’ll create your own savoury pancakes in the traditional Hiroshima style. 

Meals: Breakfast

Day 16: Hiroshima, Fukuoka

After breakfast, set off by foot to Hiroshima Station. Board a first-class bullet train to Fukuoka, where you’ll have free time for lunch before taking a private coach to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Explore the shrine before reboarding your coach and driving to your accommodation. Tonight, soak in the atmosphere at a local izakaya, where you’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner to toast your incredible Japanese journey.  

Stay: Fukuoka, Miyako Hotel Hakata

Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner

Day 17: Depart Fukuoka

Your journey ends today after breakfast, with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast