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Luxury Japan tour

Luxury Japan tour

16 days from £14,435pp

Where is this? Tokyo

Tour highlights

  • Watch a live sumo training match.
  • Hot spring bathing in Hakone.
  • Walking the Nakasendo Highway, Tsumago.
  • Helicopter ride over Tokyo.
  • Enjoy a geisha walk in Gion and a cookery course in Kyoto.

Itinerary idea in detail

Includes international flights from a choice of UK airports, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

  1. Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Tokyo.

  2. After passing through customs and luggage collection, you're met by an airport guide who will give you your trip documents and direct you to the private shuttle service that will take you to your hotel. After checking in, spend the rest of the day at leisure, resting and relaxing after your flight. If you want to explore, you may wish to walk around the Imperial Gardens.

    Tokyo
    TokyoStay at Palace Hotel Tokyo
  3. Your guide will meet you today in the hotel lobby to run through your trip and offer you any local advice so you can enjoy the country with confidence. In the first section, the guide will explain your itinerary in more detail and answer any questions. This can take up to two hours, so afterwards, head out with your guide to see some of the city's highlights. Perhaps start with taking a cruise from the Hamarikyu Gardens to the old district of Asakusa to see the beautiful Sensoji temple.

    Tokyo
    TokyoStay at Palace Hotel Tokyo
  4. Spend the morning at a Sumo stable in the Ryogoku area of the city to watch Sumo wrestlers training up close. The national sport in Japan is still widely followed today and has millions of avid followers worldwide. After the training, head out for a typical Sumo lunch accompanied by some of the wrestlers to get a unique look at their lifestyles.

    Tokyo
    TokyoStay at Palace Hotel Tokyo
  5. Travel by bullet train and local lines to Tsumago, a quiet post town in the Kiso Valley. This afternoon walk along the scenic Nakasendo Highway, which once connected Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) in the 1800s.

    Tsumago
    TokyoTsumagoStay at Fujioto Ryokan
  6. At leisure to walk along and explore the Nakasendo Highway.

    Tsumago
    TsumagoStay at Fujioto Ryokan
  7. Take the train back to Nagoya and then travel west to Hiroshima.

    Hiroshima
    TsumagoHiroshimaStay at Sheraton Hiroshima
  8. Have a full day at leisure to explore Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima island, with its "floating" torii gate.

    Hiroshima
    HiroshimaStay at Sheraton Hiroshima
  9. Travel to Kyoto. With 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and over 400 Shinto Shrines, Kyoto is one of the world's most culturally rich cities. Take the afternoon at leisure to find your feet in Kyoto. Perhaps follow the Kamo River north to see the Philosopher's Walk and Silver Pavilion (Kinkakuji).

    Kyoto
    HiroshimaKyotoStay at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  10. In the morning, head out with a local guide to see some of the spectacular temples in Kyoto. Stop at Kodai-ji, one of the most exclusive places for tea ceremonies in the city, before continuing on to the Higashiyama district to gaze upon the awe-inspiring architecture of the area. In the evening, set out to the Gion geisha district to the east of the city to hopefully spot a geisha as they go about their business.

    Kyoto
    KyotoStay at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  11. This morning, head out on a tour of the Nishiki Market in Kyoto also known as "Kyoto's kitchen". The guide is the owner and head chef at a restaurant nearby. In the tour, you will walk around the market where the guide selects their locally produced ingredients such as vegetables from Ohara and Satsuma beef raised in southern Kyushu. Return to his restaurant in the evening for a special dinner cooked using all the ingredients you source together.

    Kyoto
    KyotoStay at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  12. Visit the Fushimi Inari shrine, famous for its never-ending vermilion gates. Then, visit Nara where you can see the Todaiji Temple (the largest wooden structure in the country) and see the bowing deer — they have learned to bow for food in typical Japanese fashion!

    Kyoto
    KyotoStay at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  13. Transfer to the Hakone National Park area by bullet train and local lines. You have the rest of the day to explore at your own pace or simply relax in your luxurious accommodation.

    Kyoto
    KyotoHakone & Mount FujiStay at Gora Kadan
  14. At leisure in the Hakone National Park.

    Hakone & Mount FujiStay at Gora Kadan
  15. Return to Tokyo for your final afternoon at leisure in Japan.

    Tokyo
    Hakone & Mount FujiTokyoStay at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
  16. Today you are transferred by private car to Narita Airport in time for your return flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.

    Tokyo

Accommodation options

While the itinerary price reflects the suggested accommodation, Audley trips are 100% tailor-made, and a specialist can help you select the option best suited to your tastes and budget.

What our clients say about us

Excellent · 4.8 | 5007 reviews on Trustpilot

Tamatha set our family up with the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Their ability to plan, visualise and reshape the days until it felt like ours made all the difference.

Mason

When to go

DestinationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Hiroshima9°C56mm10°C68mm13°C109mm18°C158mm23°C150mm26°C252mm30°C237mm32°C116mm28°C192mm23°C105mm17°C72mm12°C48mm
Kyoto8°C76mm9°C81mm12°C118mm19°C146mm24°C159mm27°C240mm31°C242mm32°C179mm28°C208mm22°C123mm16°C86mm11°C67mm
Tokyo10°C47mm10°C62mm13°C101mm19°C122mm23°C138mm25°C184mm29°C132mm31°C147mm27°C185mm21°C174mm16°C90mm12°C50mm
Tsumago4°C63mm6°C74mm10°C127mm16°C163mm21°C166mm24°C268mm27°C251mm29°C214mm24°C244mm18°C149mm13°C86mm7°C63mm

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Alice, Japan & Canada Specialist

Alice

Japan & Canada Specialist

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Why travel with Audley?

100% Tailor made

  • Your entire holiday is designed around your requirements
  • Explore your interests at your own speed
  • Select your preferred style of accommodation
  • Create the perfect trip with the help of our specialists

Expert knowledge

  • All our specialists have travelled extensively or lived in their specialist regions
  • The same specialist will handle your trip from start to finish
  • Make the most of your time and budget

The best guides

  • Make the difference between a good trip and an outstanding one
  • Hand picked by us or our local partners as the best available
  • Offering more than just dates and names, they strive to offer real insight into their country

Trusted service

  • FCDO Travel Aware Partner
  • 24/7 emergency UK support while abroad
  • Established in 1996