Highlights of Japan

This itinerary provides a brilliant highlight tour of Japan visiting the main cultural sites including Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone. Japan is a completely unique destination with a fascinating blend of ancient culture and modern cityscapes, which you will be able to experience beautifully through this journey through the country.

1. Days 1-4: Tokyo

   Starting in Tokyo, you’ll have three nights to begin in a city constantly on the move. Experience the bright lights of Shinjuku and pockets of old Japan such as Akakusa where hidden temples await exploration. On your first day in the city we have included a private guide for you to show you the highlights and secrets of Tokyo. We use some of the best guides in Japan, you are hugely knowledge, charming and totally flexible. With your guide you’ll be able to test out the public transport system in Tokyo, the best way to get around the city and super-efficient!  

   Accommodation: Conrad Tokyo (3 nights)

2. Days 4-5: Hakone, Japan

   Next you will take the bullet train for just 45 minutes to Odawara Station the gateway to Hakone. From here your private chauffeur will meet you and transfer you up through the winding mountain paths to your ryokan, which will be home for the following one night. No highlight trip to Japan would be complete without a stay in a ryokan, or traditional Japanese Inn. Famed for their hospitality, staying in a ryokan is completely pampered often with breakfast and dinner served directly to your room. The meals follow the Kaiseki cuisine, multi course feasts that are all beautifully prepared down to the tiniest of details. Also, at a ryokan you can expect to be indulged with lovely hotspring baths, often available directly in your room. Hakone itself, is a lovely area to explore with great walks and treks available in the surrounding countryside and some beautiful museums to visit including the Hakone Open-Air Museum with art collections from Picasso and Henry Moore.

   Accommodation: Gora Kadan (1 night)

3. Days 5-8: Kyoto

   On departure from Hakone, you will be driven back to Odawara station where you will hop back on to the bullet train for just over two hours down to Kyoto. Japan’s cultural centre, Kyoto has hundreds of temples and shrines to explore. There is a marked difference between Tokyo and Kyoto, with a much slower pace and a city still steeped in history. As the imperial capital for over 1,000 years, and a city that escaped the wartime bombing, it is still beautifully preserved. Along with the beautiful temples and shrines, Kyoto’s heritage also extends to cultural traditions, being the home to the tea ceremony. You will have three nights in Kyoto and during one of your full days here we have included a private guide and car for you, to visit the city’s cultural highlights including the beautiful Philosopher’s Path, Gion district famed for its history of Geisha and Kinkakuji and Ryoanji Temples. On departure from Kyoto you will be driven just over an hour and half to Kansai Airport, just outside of Osaka where you will meet your flight home.

   Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Kyoto (3 nights)

• Rural Arashiyama

  A guided day in Arashiyama district, located at the base of Kyoto's western mountains. Take a boat trip on the Hozugawa River before discovering Zen Buddhist temples and the famous bamboo grove, one of Japan's most iconic scenic areas.

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• Visit a Master Swordsmith in Tokyo

  Visit a Master Swordsmith at their home in Tokyo to see the art of Japanese sword making.

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Tokyo, Kyoto & Hakone National Park