Your in-depth exploration of Japan begins in Tokyo. On arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport, take a shuttle bus transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you’ll join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a drink and local appetisers.

Begin your city tour in Asakusa,Tokyo’s historic entertainment district, where you’ll encounter the Sensoji Buddhist Temple, one of the city’s most colourful and popular temples. Founded in 628 and rebuilt many times over the centuries, Sensoji is Tokyo’s oldest temple site. Next, stroll down Nakamise Street and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Shitamachi (downtown Tokyo), admiring the wooden dolls, colourful chiyogami(origami paper) and traditional Japanese sweets. Ascend Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest free-standing broadcasting tower, for panoramic views of the city skyline.

Included Experiences:
a. Tokyo City Tour
Visit Tokyo’s renowned landmarks and gain insight into how this modern city preserves its ancient roots.

Your first stop today is the Imperial Palace Plaza, where you can view the two bridges that form the entrance to the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace. You’ll have the opportunity to explore the leafy Imperial Palace East Gardens before continuing your city tour. At the Tokyo National Museum, browse collections of Japanese art, then continue to the Ginza district to learn the art of sushi-making with a professional sushi chef. Next, venture to the Five Lakes District, keeping a keen eye out for the UNESCO-listed Mt. Fuji, which dominates the landscape.

Included Experiences:
a. Sushi Making Workshop
With the guidance of your professional sushi chef, make your own selection of sushi specialities. Afterwards enjoy the fruits of your labour with a delicious lunch.

b. Tokyo National Museum Visit
Visit the Tokyo National Museum to browse collections of Japanese art and archaeological objects.

Visit Oshino Hakkai, a small rural village in the Fuji Five Lakes district, renowned for eight natural spring water ponds that are fed by melted snow from Mt. Fuji. Admire the reflections of the sky and landscapes in its clear waters, then ascend Mt. Fuji by road to 2,300 metres at the 5th station. Ride up Mt. Tenjo on the Kachikachiyama Ropeway next, for jaw- dropping views (weather permitting) of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. Then, journey through the Japanese Alps to the beautiful hillside town of Takayama, before enjoying dinner at the hotel

Included Experiences:
a. Fuji I Five Lakes District City Tour
Start your day by visiting the small rural village of Oshino Hakkai which is home to eight natural spring water ponds. Next on your travels is a 2,300-meter winding road to Mt. Fuji 5th Station. To end your day, you will ride up to Mt. Tenjo by ropeway and bask in the breath-taking views.

Immerse yourself in tradition as you walk through the Edo-style streets of Takayama’s Old Town. Indulge a lunch of Japanese Hida-gyu – beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, renowned as one of the finest quality varieties of beef. Journey back in time this afternoon during a visit to the peaceful UNESCO-listed Gokayama, a mountain village set amidst five valleys. Admire the unique construction of the local Gassho-zukuri wooden houses that have been built without the use of nails with steeply sloped thatched roofs to prevent snow from building up on them. Meet with a local family in one of these houses. Observe local artisans making washi paper and try your hand at making your own. Make a difference to the sustainability of this small business during MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Stay overnight in Kanazawa.

Included Experiences:
a. Taste Japanese Sake in Takayama
Sample Japanese sake during a walking tour in the Edo-style streets of Takayama Old Town.

b. Gokayama Washi Paper Workshop
Help support a local business with a visit to a washi paper workshop. You’ll watch the family at work and test your paper-making skills for yourself. Your experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

c. Visit Gokayama
Take some time to admire the peaceful mountain village of Gokayama. Discover their unique homes that have been built without the use of nails and their sloped thatched roofs.

Join a Local Specialist this morning to learn the secrets of painting gold leaf, a delicate craft the Japanese have been perfecting since the 16th century. Continue to the tranquil gardens of Kenroku-en, which took shape over a hundred years to emerge as one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens. Connecting with your exquisite natural surrounds, you’ll stroll through ornate landscapes and past ponds and temples. Take a short walk through the Omicho market next to see the local fish catch and enjoy an insider’s view of everyday life in a busy coastal town. Then, visit the Nagamachi District with its beautifully preserved samurai houses that line the traditional stone streets. Here you will gain first-hand insights into samurai life during a visit to the Nomura house, an elegant samurai mansion.

Included / Optional Experiences:
a. Visit a Gold Leaf Painting Factory
Learn about the delicacy of the 16th-century craft gold leaf painting with your Local Specialist.

b. Kanazawa City Tour
Enjoy a stroll through Omicho market before making your way to the beautiful Gardens of Kenrokuen which  have been shaped over the past one hundred years.

c. Shabu Shabu Dinner with Unlimited Drinks-ADD: ¥ 6,500.00
Tonight you will enjoy typical washoku Japanese buffet meal with unlimited drinks. Dine on shabu shabu hot pot, a dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauces. This particular way of eating hot-pot dining originated in Osaka during the 1950s but has since spread all across Japan and even to other countries. The menu also includes sushi, tempuras, soba and Japanese typical appetizers which are a must to try! Vegetarian options are available. The price shown is in Japanese Yen.

Board an express train this morning to Kyoto, where you’ll connect with locals at a traditional restaurant on your Be My Guest experience. Learn about local Japanese customs from your hosts. After lunch, visit the UNESCO-listed Kinkakuji Temple, home to the famous Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion), the proud symbol of Kyoto and a Zen temple, which has its origins as a 14th-century villa.

Included Experiences:
a. Lunch at traditional Japanese Restaurant
Meet Nakamura Family for a kaiseki lunch at a traditional Japanese Restaurant near Kyoto and learn about local customs.

b. Visit Kinkakuji Temple
Admire the beautiful golden pavilion of Kinkakuji Temple.

The blazing orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine guide your path through the forest, up into the mountains and to a sacred site that has heard prayers for prosperity and happiness since the 8th century. Continue to Sanjusangen-do Hall and admire the intricate detail of its 1,001 statues of the “thousand-handed” goddesses of mercy. Then, enjoy a walking tour through the Gion district, known for its traditional wooden machiya houses and geisha culture. This evening, indulge in dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travellers.

Included / Optional Experiences:
a. Kyoto City Tour
Your city tour takes you to the orange gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Admire this sacred site before visiting Sanjeusangen-do-Hall, where you can view the 1,001 “thousand-handed” goddesses of mercy statues. Continue your exploration of Kyoto with a walking tour through the Gion district.

b. Japanese Tea Ceremony Experience-ADD: ¥ 4,500.00
Experience the ambience of a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with a professional Tea Master who will have spent many years leaning his craft which is often presented in a ceremony influenced by Zen Buddhism. Learn about the history and culture of tea making in Japan and observe how the powdered green tea (matcha) is prepared by adding boiling water and mixing it with a bamboo whisk. There will also be an explanation on the Japanese way of making and drinking tea. Take the opportunity to try some Japanese sweets and afterwards, having observed the skill involved in making the tea, have a go at making your own! The price shown is in Japanese Yen.

This morning, leave Japan’s main island Honshu behind as you cross the world’s largest suspension bridge over the Seto Inland Sea to Awaji Island. Enjoy free time for lunch, then take a walk around Yumebutai, a complex of buildings built on the side of the mountain. One of the most striking features is the ‘100 Stepped Garden’ — a group of 100 flowerbeds in small square gardens arranged in grids across several levels on an incline. Visit the Water Temple and admire the reflection of the surrounding mountains, rice paddies and bamboo groves as you descend the steps to the Buddhist temple beneath its still waters. Journey to the small mountain hot springs village of Kotohira, where tonight’s accommodation is one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories – a traditional Japanese ryokan. You’ll have time this evening to climb the steps adjacent to the hotel to visit Kotohira-gu Shrine and enjoy breathtaking views of the countryside. Later, perhaps unwind with a relaxing soak in the onsen (hot spring) bath at the hotel.

Included Optional Experiences:
a. Stay with stories
Enjoy genuine Japanese hospitality at a traditional ryokan in the mountain hot springs village of Kotohira.

b. Visit kotohiragu
Bask in the breath-taking views as we visit Kotohiragu Shrine.

This morningm visit the Zentsuji Temple, the birthplace of one of the most revered figures of Japanese Buddhism, the high priest Kobo Daishi. It is the 75th temple on the 88-temple Shikoku Pilgrimage, a spiritual journey covering approximately 1,200 kilometres, traditionally completed on foot over 60 days. Today, many pilgrims undertake the route, though modern methods includes cars, taxis, buses, bicycles and motorcycles. Continue to Omishima Island and stop at a local restaurant for lunch. Then, drive to Hiroshima via the scenic Setouchi Shimanami Kaido Expressway, a 60-kilometre highway that links the islands of the Seto Inland Sea with nine individual bridges. Check into your hotel for a relaxing evening.

Included Experiences:
a. Travel on the Shimanami Kaido Expressway
Admire the islands of the Seto Inland Sea as you travel across the Shimanami Kaido Expressway.

Travel by ferry to the sacred Miyajima Island, where you’ll see the UNESCO-listed Itsukushima Shrine and admire its iconic torii gate, which stands majestically in the sea. After some free time for lunch and to explore the island’s spiritual sanctuaries, return to Hiroshima for a visit to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Imagine the devastation and horror that followed the world’s first atomic explosion in 1945 as you see the UNESCO-listed Peace Memorial, the only structure left standing in the area, now a powerful symbol of hope for world peace. This evening, indulge in Hiroshima- style okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake made with egg, cabbage, soba noodles, and meat, seafood or cheese, grilled in layers on a hot plate.

Included Experiences:
a. Taste Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima
Sample the famous Hiroshima style okonomiyaki.

b. See The Itsukushima Shrine
Spend some time admiring the majestic Itsukushima Shrine

Board the high-speed bullet train to Osaka this morning and enjoy some free time for lunch and shopping in the Dotonbori Street area. Visit Osaka Castle, a historic landmark that played a major role in the unification of Japan during the 16th century. This evening, join your Travel Director and fellow guests for dinner at a local restaurant, celebrating the memories made during your journey.

Included Experiences:
a. Osaka City Tour
Hop aboard the bullet train to Osaka before visiting the sixteenth century Osaka Castle.

Your encounter with Japan’s age-old traditions and modern cityscapes comes to an end, take a transfer by airport shuttle service to Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami Airport for our onward flight.