Japan Highlights - 13 days

Why you'll love this trip

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  Tokyo - A city tour takes in the Meiji Shrine, Senso-ji Temple, and the street fashion spectacle of Takeshita Street, with a lunch stop at Tsukiji Fish Market and an optional evening of Skytree Tower views, Omoide Yokocho dining, and a wander through Shinjuku

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  Kamakura - The coastal city's Great Buddha presides over a seaside setting that rewards a morning visit before the road climbs inland to Hakone, where clear-day views of Mount Fuji frame a lunchtime stop above the plains

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  Makinohara - A traditional green tea farm opens a day of distinctly Japanese experiences, followed by a miso factory tour and an exploration of Toyota's automobile museum before the night in Iga

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  Iga - The home of the ninja delivers a weaponry and skill demonstration at the Iga Ninja Museum, followed by a stop at the Kehaya Sumo Museum before the road turns south to Osaka

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  Osaka - An orientation tour introduces the city before free time in the neon-lit Dotonbori district, with an optional Wagyu beef dinner making a persuasive case for Osaka's reputation as Japan's culinary capital

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  Himeji - The best-preserved feudal castle in Japan sits on a hilltop above the city, its 14th-century white-walled keep and labyrinthine interior making for one of the country's most rewarding castle visits

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  Hiroshima - Two days based here take in the Kintaikyo Bridge, a ferry crossing to Miyajima Island's floating torii gates at Itsukushima Shrine, and a visit to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, one of the most affecting historical sites in Asia

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  Kurashiki - A town of Edo-era rice storehouses and willow-lined canals that has changed little in centuries, its preserved Bikan district making for one of the tour's most quietly beautiful stops

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  Kyoto - Two days in Japan's ancient imperial capital cover Fushimi Inari's 10,000 vermilion torii gates, the 1,200-year-old Kiyomizu Temple, the gold-leaf Kinkakuji Pavilion, and the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, with an optional evening in Gion for a maiko performance and traditional arts

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  Hikone - The shores of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, set the scene for a morning in the lush Genkyuen Garden before the road winds through the waterway town of Gujo towards the mountains

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  Takayama - The Edo-era Sanmachi district's sake breweries and artisan workshops open an evening with sake vending machines, followed by a morning at the former government building of Takayama Jin'ya and the thatched farmhouses of the Gassho-Zukuri Open Air Museum

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  Shirakawa-go - A UNESCO-listed mountain village of steep-roofed gassho-zukuri farmhouses set against the Japanese Alps, its remote valley setting making it one of the most atmospheric stops on the tour

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  Kanazawa - The Nagamachi Samurai District and a former samurai residence offer rare domestic insight into feudal Japan, with the landscaped Kenrokuen Garden and an optional temarizushi-making class rounding out the final evening before the bullet train back to Tokyo

Is this trip right for you?

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  There are some long travelling days on this trip, but it’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers.

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  This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves some walking and swimming, allowing you to really get among nature. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, a swimsuit and comfortable clothing.

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  Multiple activities on this trip are subject to weather and water conditions and on occasion, may be cancelled for safety or operational reasons. In the case of cancellation, we will endeavour to find a suitable replacement activity.