Detailed description:
Journey through Japan
Konichiwa Japan! From Zen temples and geisha to samurai warriors and sushi, there’s nowhere else like it. This epic tour takes you to the highlights and hidden gems of the Land of the Rising Sun, from buzzing Tokyo to traditional Kyoto. Visit a maid café in Tokyo’s Harajuku, challenge yourself to a dance game in Akihabara’s arcades, get spiritual with a night in a traditional temple, and take tea with the geisha in Gion.
• Arrive in Tokyo. Konichiwa Japan! Arrive in the buzzing neon-lit metropolis of Tokyo and make your way to your starting hotel. you can visit Tokyo’s most famous temple, Senso-Ji.
• Harajuku and Akihabara. Explore the bubble-gum-scented home of Japanese teen pop culture, Harajuku. Then grab a bento box and head into Yoyogi Park for a picnic lunch, Tokyo style. Zen out in Meiji Shrine, before making tracks to the bright lights of Akihabara.
• Hakone and Mt Fuji. Sayonara Tokyo! Explore the National Park, including the one-and-only Mount Fuji. Tonight, share a Nabe dinner, watch the sun go down from the roof, and bed down on tatami mats.
• Takayama temple stay. Speed your way to Nagoya on a bullet train, before winding through the mountains to Takayama. Take a tour of the beautifully preserved Old Town and taste some sake before spending the night in a traditional Japanese temple.
• Takayama and Kyoto Gion tour. Grab a spot of lunch in Takayama’s old town before heading to Japan’s cultural heart, Kyoto. This evening, snap some selfies in front of Gion’s wooden houses, take tea in an ochaya, and keep your eyes peeled for mysterious geiko.
• Kyoto temples and shrines. Visit the oldest shrine in Kyoto, Fushimi-Inari, with its line of bright orange tori gates. Then explore the Buddhist temple of Kiyomizu-dera before a traditional tea ceremony, with optional kimonos!
• Golden Pavilion, temple gardens & kendo. This morning you can head to the jaw-dropping Golden Pavilion, followed by the temple gardens of Daitoku-Ji. Channel your inner warrior this afternoon with a Kendo class led by a descendant of a Japanese Samurai!
• Bamboo forest and Osaka. Take the train to Arashiyamawhere we’ll visit the bamboo forest, meet the cheeky residents of Monkey Mountain, and take a private row-boat trip before boarding another train to vibrant Osaka for a food tour followed by an all you can drink Karaoke session!
• Nara Park and Koyasan Temple. Take the train to Nara and meet the resident deer, before heading to Koyasan. Stop for some of the most picturesque views at Okunoin Cemetary (trust us, you will love it). You’ll be living the temple life with a night in a working temple, including a vegetarian dinner made from ingredients sourced by the monks in the local area.
• Koyasan and Hiroshima. Wake to the sound of the monks chanting before a traditional “temple-style” breakfast. Then take the bullet train to Hiroshima where we’ll visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to learn about the city’s tragic past.
• Hiroshima and Miyajima Island. Head to beautiful Miyajima Island. Visit the island’s famous shrine, take in views of the gate, and explore the temples before traveling back to Hiroshima.
Trip highlights
• Have a go at hand-rolling your sushi at the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market
• Get your zen on with a night in a traditional Japanese temple
• Learn the respectful martial art of Kendo from a descendant of the Samurai
• Enjoy a traditional tea ceremony and meet Gion’s geiko and maiko in the ancient city of Kyoto
• Take a food tour of Osaka’s neon-lit Dotonbori and enjoy a Japanese Karaoke session
Fill out the enquiry form and we will get in touch with details and pricing.