Jewels of Japan

Days 1-2  Fly to Tokyo  
We take an overnight flight from London Heathrow to Tokyo, Japan's dynamic capital. We get our first taste of the city with some time at the observatory deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. Here we can soak in the panoramic views of the iconic Tokyo skyline.        

Day 3  Tokyo        
After breakfast at our hotel, we meet our English-speaking guide, who will remain with us throughout our holiday. On a coach tour of Tokyo, we witness the city's contrasts, starting at the vast landscaped Hama Rikyu Gardens - an oasis of calm amid gleaming skyscrapers. Maple, ginkgo and peonies gather round sea-fed lakes on the site of a former 17th-century shogun villa. Next, we visit two enchanting temples. A symbol of the city, the Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa dates from the 7th century and was built to honour Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. With its sweeping, tiled roof, intricately carved wood and giant red lanterns, Senso-Ji is the epitome of Japanese Buddhist architecture, while Harajuku's Meiji-Jingu shrine boasts fantastic Shinto design, constructed in honour of modern Japan's first emperor.
     
Day 4  Tokyo to Hakone  
A relaxed morning with breakfast at our hotel is followed by our first trip on the famous Japanese railways. Walking the short distance to the world's busiest station, Shinjuku, we board the Shonan Express to Odawara. Transferring into the mountains, we enjoy an incredible ride on the Hakone Ropeway - a 20-minute cable car journey providing amazing views of iconic Mount Fuji in the distance. As we travel above this area of outstanding natural wonders, we witness the rising plumes of steam from the sulphurous hot springs that dot Mount Hakone - a volcano that last erupted in 1170.

Day 5  Hakone to Matsumoto      
Today is all about Japan's most revered peak, Mount Fuji - the UNESCO-listed active volcano. Instantly recognisable from artworks including woodcut prints by Hokusai, the country's sacred symbol is remarkable due to its symmetry and prominence.
After breakfast at our hotel, we travel by coach to Mount Fuji Fifth Station (weather permitting). Climbing ever higher through lush woodlands, we reach this popular sightseeing spot. There's time to hopefully admire the views of both Fuji and the surrounding countryside from this excellent vantage point. From here, we visit the World Heritage Centre to learn more about Mount Fuji.

Day 6  Matsumoto to Takayama      
Our explorations of this charming town begin after breakfast. First, we enjoy a guided tour of a miso factory to discover why this paste - a mixture of fermented soya beans with salt and other umami-based ingredients - is so important in Japanese cooking, before tasting the distinctive flavours for ourselves. Continuing to Matsumoto Castle, we encounter a five-storey pagoda-style fortress known as 'Crow Castle' due to its unusual black exterior. Built in the 1500s, this is the oldest remaining castle of its kind in Japan.

Day 7  Takayama to Hiroshima        
Hopping aboard a train after breakfast this morning, we make our way to Himeji to view its incredible castle. Dating from the early 1600s, this sprawling UNESCO-listed fortress is Japan's largest and most visited castle. With its striking white exterior, it is said to resemble an egret or heron taking flight. Outside the castle moat, we find Koko-en, a traditional Japanese garden with nine sections, displaying water features, cherry trees and koi carp ponds.

Day 8  Hiroshima        
Travelling by local train and boat to Miyajima today, we soak up the tranquillity of this secluded destination known for its age-old temples and fairytale forests. Also known as Itsukushima (Island of the Gods), we enjoy a walking tour which includes a visit to Itsukushima Shrine and the iconic Great Torii Gate that guards its entrance. Partially submerged at high tide, this stunning red structure was built in the 12th century and is an enduring image of traditional Japan.

Day 9  Hiroshima to Kyoto      
This morning, we embark on a tour of Hiroshima's most moving locations. The city has become a byword for the horrors of war after an atomic bomb was dropped by the US Air Force at 8.15am on Monday 6th August 1945. Friendly Hiroshima now stands as a symbol of peace.
We begin with a tour of the Peace Memorial Park that commemorates the victims and visit the Atomic Bomb Dome - the emotive remains of the scorched shell of a building destroyed on that fateful day. In the Peace Memorial Museum, we view items salvaged from the rubble.

Day 10  Kyoto        
A historic city where the beauty of old Japan is writ large, we explore Kyoto's spellbinding sights today. After breakfast at our hotel, we embark on a half-day tour, beginning at Kinkakuji Temple. Renowned for gorgeous blooms of sakura cherry blossom, Kyoto brims with astonishingly beautiful temples - and Kinkakuji is home to one of the country's best-known sights. Dating from 1397, the 'golden pavilion' shimmers in brilliant gold leaf on the edge of a reflecting pond, surrounded by lush forest.

Day 11  Nara        
Pre-dating Kyoto as the nation's premier city, Nara is our destination after breakfast today. As the capital from 710 to 794AD, this beautiful and compact city oozes history and grace, with a backdrop of wooded hills. Accompanied by our expert, English-speaking guide, we enjoy a walking tour, including the Todaji Temple where we view one of the world's largest bronze statues. The Great Buddha or 'Daibutsu' was first installed in 752AD and is set within an ornate temple recorded as the largest wooden building in the world. Nearby, the landscaped grounds of Nara's serene deer park are full of delightful ponds and deer. These animals were once revered as messengers of the gods and now roam freely. They are so used to human visitors that they often bow in greeting. Leaving Nara, we stop at a traditional sake brewery on our way back to Kyoto, where we gain an insight into this traditional beverage.

Day 12  Kyoto to Osaka      
Leaving Kyoto after breakfast this morning, we visit Arashiyama bamboo forest. We stroll down the Sagano path, marvelling at the jade-hued sunlight piercing through the towering bamboo stalks.
Transferring by coach to Osaka, we get to know this relaxed port city from one of its most jaw-dropping sights. Connecting the two distinctive 40-storey towers of the Umeda Sky Building is the Floating Garden Observatory. Standing nearly 570 feet above the ground, this unique vantage point provides panoramic views across Osaka. After observing Japan's third most populus city from above, we delve into its neon-lit Dotonbori district to experience the beating heart of Osaka from street level. With illuminated signs, mechanical billboards and even a huge blowfish lantern lining the streets, Dotonbori is a quintessentially Japanese experience, full of vibrant entertainment and appealing restaurants.

Days 13-14  Fly to the UK        
After breakfast at our hotel, we have a day at leisure in Osaka until we transfer to the airport in mid-afternoon for our flight home via Tokyo.