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Days
12
Price from
€4,710EUR
Map of Explore Japan including Japan

Visit Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo and journey into Japan's heart

Japan, a country steeped in mythical traditions and modern wonders. This journey uncovers the highlights of this fascinating country. Like the history, the country is varied and diverse: from the ancient cities like Kyoto to the historically relevant city of Hiroshima and on to the beautiful Edo era city of Takayama; countryside backdropped by mountains, lakes and waterfalls to the bustling futuristic city of Tokyo. This journey gradually reveals the rich variety of the country as you visit temples, castles, shrines and holy mountains while mixing with locals and experiencing the real Japan. Come on this magical journey and experience all that Japan has to offer.

Start
Kyoto, Japan
Finish
Tokyo, Japan
Destination
Japan
Style
Peregrine
Code
PCJJ
Physical rating
Traveller’s rating
58 reviews
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

  • Japan is a year round destination with something in store for every season: cherry blossoms in spring, stunning leaves in autumn and snow and ice in winter.

  • This trip is a great balance of included activities in each destination and free time for your own choice of options, all backed by a helpful leader to steer you in the right direction of the best experiences.

  • There’s no better way to get around Japan than the country’s famous railway system. Be impressed by the efficiency and ultra-modernity as you zip from place to place with your included 7-day Japan Rail Pass. Your leader will organise all the logistics so all you need to worry about is whether to choose ramen or yakitori for dinner.

  • A visit to the Hiroshima Peace Park is a sobering but important experience for understanding the tragedies of Japan’s not so distant past.

  • Trace the steps of the Geisha around the alleyways of Kyoto’s atmospheric Gion district and visit a Zen Buddhism temple and hear about its practice over sipping green tea.

  • Stay in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) and sample simple home-cooked fare in Edo-era Takayama, explore local markets, the Hida Folk Village and perhaps stop by a sake brewery.

  • Culminate in Tokyo, one of the most extraordinary capital cities on the planet.

Is this trip right for you?

  • You can easily surpass your 10,000 steps a day on this trip, in fact most travellers are surprised at how much distance they end up covering just exploring places on foot! Make sure your shoes are comfy and you are fit enough to spend most of each day on your feet.

  • This trip travels primarily on public transport, as it is so efficient and convenient in Japan. Fast trains are used to move between cities, as well as some private and public buses. Be aware when packing for this trip that you will need to be able to carry your luggage on and off public transport, and to and from accommodations. In order to make travel on public transport easier, on some days we will forward your large luggage to our next destination, packing an overnight bag for that night’s stay.

  • Our accommodation in Takayama is a Japanese ryokan (traditional inn). Rooms are decorated in traditional Japanese style with en suite shower facilities. A shared onsen (Japanese traditional communal hot spring bath) is also available for guests.

Eerie a-bomb dome, Hiroshima, Japan
Golden pavilion on the lake, Kyoto Japan
Tokyo cityscape at night with Mount Fuji in the background
Kasuga grand shine and wild deer, Nara, Japan
Male traveller taking selfie at Fushimi Inari Shine, Kyoto, Japana
Famous floating gate at sunset, Miyajima, Japan

Itinerary
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This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2018 - 31 December 2018

Konnichiwa. Welcome to Japan. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting tonight at 6pm. Your group leader will leave a notice for you at the hotel detailing the exact time and place. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information during this meeting, so please bring these with you. As travellers are arriving from all over the world, there are no activities planned for today. If you have some time, step out onto the streets for your first taste of this beautiful city. Originally founded as Heian-kyo (literally 'tranquillity and peace capital') by Emperor Kammu in 794, Kyoto had its golden age during the imperial court's heyday from 794 to 1185. Tonight’s meeting will be followed by an optional dinner with the group. As the millennium-long home of the imperial kitchen, Kyoto is known as the centre of Japanese culinary tradition, so you’re sure to begin this trip with a delicious meal.
Accommodation
  • Noku Roxy Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
We will organize to forward your luggage from Kyoto to Hiroshima and Hiroshima to Tokyo. Please ensure that you have an overnight pack for your valuables and essentials that you can bring with you for your 2 nights stay in Takayama.

Begin your day with a city tour around some of Kyoto’s sights. Visit the extravagantly decorated Kinkakuji temple, immortalised in Yukio Mishima’s novel “The Golden Pavilion”, Afterwards we visit Tofuku-ji Temple, the head temple of the Tofukuji School of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, built about 800 years ago. Hear more about the philosophy of Zen Buddhism and enjoy the peace and spirituality while sipping on green tea.

Join your leader and walk around Gion and its old wooden teahouses and exclusive restaurants. This area is the heartland of geisha culture, and it's a great idea to return here in the evening when it really springs to life. You might spot geikos (geishas) or maikos (apprentice geishas) with their elaborate dress and make up on their way out to events.
Accommodation
  • Noku Roxy Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kyoto - Gion District walk
  • Kyoto - Kinkakuji Temple
  • Kyoto - Tofuku-ji Temple
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Today head to Kyoto’s famed Fushimi Inari Shrine – known throughout the world as the ‘Path of the Red Gates.’ Take time to appreciate the quieter corners of the shrine, and if you are feeling fit a walk to the half way point provides stunning city views.

Then a short train ride and walk takes us to the famous Gekkei-kan Sake Brewery. With centuries of local history built into its beautiful wooden halls, the Gekkei-kan brewery is considered Japan’s industry leader in both the tradition and innovation of sake creation. A visit to the brewery and museum cover every aspect of sake creation – with full-scale historical artefacts in abundance and a chance to taste different types of sake at the end of your visit. The shop is also fully stocked with some of Japan’s finest sake should you wish to bring some back home with you!
Accommodation
  • Noku Roxy Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • Kyoto - Gekkei-kan brewery & tasting
Optional Activities
  • Kyoto - Cooking Class - JPY6000
  • Kyoto - Kiyomizu Temple - JPY500
  • Kyoto - Nijo Castle - JPY600
  • Kyoto - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest - Free
  • Kyoto - Tenryuji Temple - JPY600
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Today you will take a day trip to the city of Nara (approximately 1 hour from Kyoto). With eight World Heritage sites, Nara is second only to Kyoto as a fountain of Japan's cultural legacy. While here you’ll visit Todaiji Temple, with friendly wild deer roaming freely in the park around it. You’ll also visit the Kasuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine), Nara's most celebrated shrine. Kasuga Taisha is famous for its lanterns, which have been donated by worshipers. They symbolise a guiding light and the 3,000 Kasuga shrines throughout the country. Hundreds of bronze lanterns can be found hanging from the buildings, while as many stone lanterns line its approaches. The lanterns are only lit twice a year during two Lantern Festivals, one in early February and one in mid August. Return to Kyoto for the evening, which is free for your own rest or exploration. Perhaps find a theatre putting on shows of Noh – music, traditional dancing, kabuki and banraku puppetry.
Accommodation
  • Noku Roxy Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Nara - Todaiji Temple
  • Nara - Kasuga Grand Shrine
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

As you speed south to Hiroshima, you’ll stop en route for a stop at Japan’s most impressive samurai castle at Himeji. The building, which has survived earthquakes and war since the mid-16th century, was restored to its full glory in 2015. The moats, baileys, towers and walled alleyways were ingeniously designed to trick attackers – perhaps so intimidatingly that they were never in fact tested. Explore the castle that was once home to over 10,000 samurai families and look out over the castle grounds and the city below from the seventh floor. Continue on to Hiroshima, the city indelibly connected with World War II and the atomic bomb.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Granvia Hiroshima or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Himeji - Himeji Castle
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

This morning you’ll visit the Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, both of which stand testament to the fateful day in August 1945 when Hiroshima was chosen as target for the first ever wartime use of the atomic bomb. The dome was just metres from where the bomb detonated so it was able to retain its shape; the fact that it looks almost exactly as it did after the bombing means it serves as a reminder and symbol of peace. The memorial park serves the same purpose, and has museums, memorials and monuments dedicated to the memory of victims, education on what lead to the bomb’s use, as well as advocating world peace.

Afterwards head for the serene island of Miyajima, reached after a short ferry ride (30 kilometres) across the Inland Sea. The island is home to the venerable Shinto shrine of Itsukushima, famous for its huge bright orange gate (tori) that rises majestically out of the sea. At high tide it is considered to be one of the most beautiful sights in Japan. The size and physical landscape of Miyajima makes it an ideal place for walking. There is the lovely Momaji Park (known as Maple Valley), from where it is possible to walk or take a cable car up to the top of Mt. Misen. Return to Hiroshima for the night. Maybe try one of the city’s signature dishes for dinner – okonomiyaki, a kind savoury pancake of egg, cabbage, soba noodles, and meat or seafood.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Granvia Hiroshima or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Hiroshima - Miyajima Island day trip
  • Miyajima - Itsukushima Shrine
  • Hiroshima - Peace Park & A - Bomb Dome
Optional Activities
  • Miyajima - Mt Misen Cable Car - JPY2000
Meals Included
  • Breakfast


You will then travel to Takayama, a charming Edo-period town located in the Japanese alps. Renowned for its traditional inns, sake breweries and tranquil atmosphere, this riverside jewel of central Honshu may well be one of the most enjoyable stops on your trip. Later, enjoy free time to make your own discoveries, we highly recommend finding a good restaurant that specialises in Hida beef, as its famous in this region of Japan.
Accommodation
  • Takayama Ouan or similar (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Our accommodation in Takayama is a Japanese ryokan (traditional inn). Rooms are decorated in traditional Japanese style with en suite shower facilities. A shared onsen (Japanese traditional communal hot spring bath) is also available for guests.

Today you will visit the local Takayama farmers market, try some Japanese treats and peruse the stalls. Afterwards you will visit Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum of traditional architecture that gives a sense of centuries past. Cross your fingers for clear skies, as the alps are stunning from this vantage on a clear day.
Accommodation
  • Takayama Ouan or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Takayama - Market visit
  • Takayama - Hida Folk Village
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

In the morning you will make your way by train to Japan’s amazing capital, Tokyo, and your centrally-located hotel where you’ll be based for the next three nights. Bursting with contemporary urban culture, there are many sides of Tokyo to explore: fascinating museums, world-class shopping, bustling energy and futuristic architecture, as well as a gentler side of neighbourhood backstreets where citizens often reveal themselves – particularly outside of working hours – to be some of the friendliest of any capital city in the world. There are many vestiges of the past, with historic temples and shrines still to be found in some of the most unexpected places, as well as an abundance of parks and gardens – particularly exquisite in spring when the cherry trees and azaleas are in bloom. After you arrive, your leader will take your for a short late afternoon/night tour of the area – you will then have some free time to explore. Perhaps see the Imperial Palace and its gardens, then enjoy the myriad food options for dinner.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Niwa Tokyo or similar (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Today you’ll undertake a varied, full-day tour of the city, beginning in the historic Asakusa area. This is one of the older and more traditional parts of Tokyo, and is often called the temple district. Here you’ll stop by Senso-ji, the city’s oldest temple – founded almost 1,400 years ago when Tokyo was nothing more than a fishing village. Browse the many interesting stalls – filled with tasty treats, crafts and souvenirs – that line the shopping street of Nakamise dori. After lunch you’ll enjoy an alternative view of Tokyo as you relax on a short cruise down the Sumida River. You’ll pass significant buildings like the Sky Tree Tower and Tsukiji Fish Market, under the bridges that bisect the river, and then alight at the delightful urban oasis of Hama Rikyu gardens. Here you’ll have time to stroll along paths that were once the sole preserve of the shogun, who would hunt ducks here in the feudal era.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Niwa Tokyo or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Tokyo - City tour
  • Tokyo - Sensoji Temple
  • Tokyo - Sumida boat trip
  • Tokyo - Hamarikyu Garden
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Enjoy a free day to explore this pulsating city. Perhaps head to the eastern districts which are magnets for the city’s fascinating youth subcultures. See the crowds at Shibuya Crossing, the costumes in Harajuku, as well as the important Meiji Jingu Shrine, dedicated to the 19th-century Emperor. Take in history at the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, or see ancient treasures at the National Museum in Ueno. Another great museum, which gives insight into old time Tokyo, is the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku. Spend some time in the city’s green spaces like Yoyogi Park and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, browse high-end shops in Ginza, experience the theatre of a sumo bout (only in Jan, May and Sep), or create your own entertainment with some karaoke. This evening, join your group for a farewell dinner as you say sayonara to Japan.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Niwa Tokyo or similar (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Tokyo - Edo Tokyo Museum - JPY600
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

With no further activities planned, you're free to check out any time before 12 pm. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Meals

11 breakfasts, 1 dinner

Transport

Bullet train, Local train, Public bus, Subway, Taxi, Boat

Accommodation

Hotel (9 nights), Takayama Ryokan Feature Stay (2 nights)

Included Activities

  • Kyoto - Gion District walk
  • Kyoto - Kinkakuji Temple
  • Kyoto - Tofuku-ji Temple
  • Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • Kyoto - Gekkei-kan brewery & tasting
  • Nara - Todaiji Temple
  • Nara - Kasuga Grand Shrine
  • Himeji - Himeji Castle
  • Hiroshima - Miyajima Island day trip
  • Miyajima - Itsukushima Shrine
  • Hiroshima - Peace Park & A - Bomb Dome
  • Takayama - Market visit
  • Takayama - Hida Folk Village
  • Tokyo - City tour
  • Tokyo - Sensoji Temple
  • Tokyo - Sumida boat trip
  • Tokyo - Hamarikyu Garden

Reviews

Our Explore Japan trips score an average of 4.64 out of 5 based on 58 reviews in the last year.

Explore Japan, July 2018

james farmer

Review submitted 15 Sep 2018

Explore Japan, June 2018

Julie Morton

Review submitted 08 Jul 2018

Dates & availability

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Important notes

1. A 7 day Japan Rail Pass is included in the price of your trip (validated on Day 4). For those wishing to stay and travel longer in Japan after the trip, a Japan Rail Pass extension (total 14 days or 21 days) is available for purchase at time of booking.
2. A Single Supplement is currently not available for this trip due to limited rooms at many of our properties.
3. In order to make our travel on public transport easier, there are some days where we will forward our large luggage to our next destination and pack an overnight bag for that night’s stay. See the Itinerary for details.
4. Due to the rapid increase in tourism in Japan and with demand for guides high in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics it has been necessary to go outside our traditional tour leader sources. As a result our passionate, professional and trained tour leaders may be local Japanese or long term foreign residents in Japan.
5. We are currently unable to offer pre & post tour accommodation at our trip hotels in Japan. Should you be arriving early or departing later, please make your own arrangement at a hotel of your choice.
6. A Complimentary Arrival Transfer to our starting point hotel is included on this trip on a shared airport shuttle. Please ensure you provide your flight detail at time of booking or no later than 30 days prior to arrival.

Essential trip information

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