Japan Highlights

Fly overnight to Japan’s cutting-edge capital city, Tokyo. On arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel by private car. The rest of the day is yours to relax and recover or to begin soaking up the local culture.

One of the world’s great cities, Tokyo is an evocative contrast of high-tech modernity, vivid pop culture and age-old tradition; meet your guide at your hotel and head out to explore it, getting around by public transport! Visit Meiji, a tranquil Shinto shrine, before exploring the latest trends and fashions in the Shibuya district and joining the crowds using the famous Shibuya Crossing. See the Imperial Palace from the lovely Kokyo Gaien plaza gardens and wander the Asakusa district pausing to visit the 7th-century Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and to browse the snacks and souvenirs of Nakamise Street. Finish the day with spectacular views from the heady heights of the Tokyo Skytree.

These days are yours to spend as you wish. You might like to keep exploring Tokyo – Hamarikyu Gardens, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Tsukiji Fish Market and Ueno Park are all great options, or you could make use of Japan’s fantastic rail network and take a day trip to Nikko to see the spectacular national park, or to Kamakura, a city on the coast.

You’ll be met at your hotel by your guide and driver and whisked out of the city to Hakone National Park, where you’ll spend the day under the watchful gaze of Mount Fuji (on clear days, at least). Visit Hakone Open-Air Museum, is a gallery and sculpture garden that is home to painting, sculptures and installations, including works by Henry Moore and Picasso. The rest of the itinerary can be tailored to your interests – there are plenty of museums, local crafts and lovely nature in and around Hakone to explore.

A private driver will take you to Odawara station, where you will take a shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto Station. On arrival, make your own way to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to start exploring this incredible city. Japan’s cultural capital, Kyoto is a treasure trove of history and timeless traditions. Home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more temples and shrines than you could count as well as gardens and palaces, there is plenty here to explore.

With your knowledgeable local guide, discover the city, making use of the excellent local bus network. Begin at Kinkaku-ji, admiring its golden pavilion and landscaped gardens, then the ornamental Nijo Castle, where you can test its nightingale floors. Learn the fascinating history behind Heian Shrine then visit the Buddhist Kiyomizu-dera from where there are panoramic views of Kyoto.

These days are yours to spend as you wish. There is plenty more to explore in Kyoto – you could explore the Imperial Palace complex, walk through the hundreds of torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine, contemplate the zen garden at Ryoan-ji, or listen to the swish of bamboo in Arashiyama Forest. Alternatively, take a day trip out of the city to rural Kurama to try its onsen or to Himeji to visit its magnificent castle.

Take a private transfer to Osaka airport and fly home to the UK.