Day 1: Arrive Tokyo. On arrival at Narita Airport, you will be met by our local representative who will assist you with the transfer to your hotel.

Day 2: Tokyo sightseeing.  Take a day tour of this fascinating city with a local guide, making use of Tokyo’s comprehensive and user friendly public transport system. The day begins with a visit to Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a popular place for traditional Japanese weddings.  Head across town to Asakusa, Tokyo’s old town where you can soak in the atmosphere of the Tokyo of old.  Visit Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple and wander down Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. Take a boat cruise on the Sumida River and disembark in Hamarikyu garden, an Edo Period Japanese garden, where you will stop for a cup of steaming matcha and Japanese sweets in a tea house on a small island in the park’s lake.  Breakfast included.

Day 3: Sumo Training visit.  Your guide for the morning will meet you at your hotel and take you to the Ryogoku, the center of Japan’s sumo world. As well as the Kokugikan Sumo Stadium, Ryogoku is home to most of Tokyo’s sumo heyas. All rikishi (wrestlers) belong to heyas, or sumo stables, where they live, train and eat.  You will be able to visit one of these heya to get up close and personal with these giant men and watch their asa geiko (morning training).  Afterward, enjoy lunch at a nearby local restaurant serving food enjoyed by the sumos themselves. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 4: Hakone & Mt Fuji.  Travel by train to Hakone, the gateway to the Mt Fuji region. Armed with your Hakone Pass, take advantage of the extensive local transport network to explore this stunning region.  Tonight you will stay in a Japanese traditional ryokan, sleeping on futons laid out on tatami mats with delicious included meals and piping hot onsen (hot spring) baths.  Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 5: Bullet train ride, and scenic rail journey to Takayama.  From Hakone, take the world famous Shinkansen bullet train, which reaches speeds of up to 300km/h. With assistance provided at Nagoya Station, you will then change onto the Limited Express Hida Wideview for the one of the most scenic train journeys in Japan, winding your way through tall mountains and stunning gorges to Takayama.  This afternoon we recommend visiting one of the town’s many sake breweries for a taste of the local drop, its high quality due to the area’s clean water sources.  Breakfast included.

Day 6: Takayama.  Your day is at leisure. A short bus ride will take you to Hida No Sato Folk Village, an open air museum exhibiting over 30 typical farmhouses and other traditional buildings from the Hida region.  In the afternoon you can visit the Takayama Festival Floats museum, displaying floats from the famous Takayama festival, or simply wander through the beautifully preserved old town.  Breakfast included.

Day 7: Travel to Kanazawa via Shirakawago.  Travel by coach for the one hour journey to Shirakawago, and spend the day exploring this quaint mountain village. In the afternoon, you will contine on by coach to Kanazawa.  Breakfast included.

Day 8: Kanazawa. A free day to explore Kanazawa on your own. The highlight of any visit to Kanazawa is Kenroku-en garden.  Ranked one of the top three in Japan, its breathtaking beauty shines through in any season. We would also recommend visiting imposing Kanazawa castle, located next to the garden.  You can also visit the Nagamachi Samurai district, Saihitsuan Yuzen Silk Center, offering demonstrations of the centuries-old Yuzen silk painting technique, and the Nomura Samurai House, a traditional Japanese home with tea-ceremony room, an interior courtyard garden and artifacts from the Edo period.  Breakfast included.

Day 9: Kanazawa to Hiroshima. Four hour journey by train to Hiroshima, via Shin Osaka, with the remainder of the day at leisure.  Breakfast included.

Day 10: Hiroshima and Miyajima Tour. Today you will take a day tour of Hiroshima with a local guide, starting with a visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.  Stroll through the park and discover the many memorials, monuments and statues in the park before heading into the Museum itself.  From Hiroshima, a short ferry ride will take you to Miyajima Island.  Here you will find perhaps the most photographed site in Japan – The Floating Torii Gate.  Breakfast included.

Day 11: Hiroshima to Kyoto.  Back on the Shinkansen (bullet train) for the two hour journey to Kyoto.  In the afternoon, take part in a private cooking lesson.  Try your hand at making some of the dishes that made Japanese cuisine so popular in the world and in particular learn about Kyoto’s typical “kappo” cuisine.  Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 12 Kyoto sightseeing. Today you explore the former imperial capital with a knowledgeable local guide, utilizing Kyoto’s comprehensive bus system to visit some of Kyoto’s World Heritage Sites. Start your day with a visit to Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), one of Kyoto’s most famous temples. Nijo Castle is an ornamental castle was built by the founder of the Edo Shogunate as his Kyoto residence and is surrounded by stunning surrounding gardens. Take a walk down Nishiki Market, a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants.  Breakfast included.

Day 13: Nara & Fushimi Day Tour.  Transfer from your hotel to Nara by train with a local guide. For 74 years during the 8th century Nara was Japan’s capital and many of the temples and shrines built at that time still remain. Visit Todaiji temple, the world’s largest wooden building and home to Japan’s largest Buddha.  Take a wander through Nara Park, called Deer park by locals due to the large population of more than 1,000 tame deer living there.  On the way back from Nara, visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, which was used in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”. It is home to over 10,000 red tori gates, which form a path up the mountain behind the temple.  Breakfast included.

Day 14: Kyoto.  According to your flight arrangements, you can either enjoy a full day at leisure in Kyoto, or utilise your rail pass to return to Tokyo for your onward flight.  Breakfast included.