Tokyo, Mie, Wakayama, Kyoto, and Shikoku and Chugoku Regions – 14 Days – POA
14 days from £pp
Two weeks in Japan provides the opportunity to explore three islands and experience the breadth of culture Japan has to offer. On top of the highlights that feature in many trips to Japan, the hustle of Tokyo and the temples of Kyoto, spending longer in the country grants travellers the opportunity to visit Koyasan, the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism, and stay overnight in a temple there, cross between the islands on the longest span bridge in the world and absorb the stunning natural beauty of Shikoku.
Day 1
International flight from London Heathrow to Tokyo landing at either Haneda International Airport or Narita International Airport. Flight time is just shy of 12 hours with departure times scheduled for late morning or early afternoon, meaning arrival at Haneda or Narita the next morning, ready to explore Tokyo, or an evening flight to arrive in the morning and make the most of the day.
Overnight on board.
Day 2
An English-speaking assistant will be waiting at the arrival gate to ensure a seamless arrival in Japan and a smooth transition from the airport to Tokyo’s centre. With luggage safely in the hotel, the afternoon offers the opportunity to explore some of Tokyo’s progressive architecture in the form of Roppongi Hills, one of Japan’s largest innovative property developments designed to allow people to live and work in close proximity. With the day drawing to a close, you can return to the Imperial Hotel in the Ginza precinct, relax in the spa, enjoy an authentic tea ceremony and sample some of the enormous range of dining options available, including Japanese specialities, several sushi options and fine French dining.
Overnight at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
Day 3
For many of Tokyo’s locals, mornings begin at Tsukiji, the busiest and largest fish market in the world. Your English-speaking guide will help you navigate the market, which offers more than 400 types of seafood, before briefly moving away from the Sumida River towards the centre of Tokyo to visit Kabuki-za, the principal theatre in Tokyo and the home of classical Japanese dance and drama. Returning to the waterfront allows you to experience Harmarikyu, former Imperial gardens surrounded by a seawater moat, which are now open to the public, before boarding a water bus to the Asakusa district. Famous for the Senso-ji, the oldest temple in Tokyo, the Asakusa district is the centre of Tokyo’s Shitamachi, literally meaning “Low City” and one of the oldest parts of Tokyo, and is home to many religious festivals and renowned for its authentic and traditional Japanese food, which can be sampled on Nakamise Street as you approach Senso-ji. After a packed day in Tokyo, you can retire once more to the Imperial Hotel, experiencing service and comfort that has welcomed royalty and heads of state for over 120 years with impeccable Japanese hospitality.
Overnight at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
Day 4
Bidding Tokyo goodbye, we’ll organise connecting bullet trains via Nagoya and an English-speaking guide to greet you on the platform in Ise-city, Mie. The guide will accompany you to Ise Jingu and the many other Shinto shrines in the area, where more than 1500 rituals are conducted each year, before organising a private car to transport you to Kumano city, Mie, where you can enjoy a hot spring bath at the Kumano Club, where you’ll stay the night.
Overnight at Hotel Kumano Club in Mie.
Day 5
The next morning will see you venture out of the city, to visit the rice paddy regions at Maruyama Senmaida and walk part of the Kumano Kodo, the ancient pilgrimage routes, all accompanied by your guide. You could also experience staying the night at a temple lodging in Koyasan, getting a taste of the lifestyle led by monks and their traditional cuisine and attending morning prayers.
Overnight in the old working monastery Fudo-in at Koyasan.
Day 6
Having gained an insight into the lifestyles of Buddhist monks, your guide will introduce you to the most important temples in the area, notably in Koyasan, Garan and Kongobuji. They will provide in-depth knowledge allowing you to appreciate the temples beyond their architectural beauty. You will stay the night once again in the old monastery, or retreat to the Sanso Amanosato for a night of luxury.
Overnight at Fudo-in at Koyasan or Hotel Sanso Amanosato on the outskirts of Koyasan.
Day 7
Before heading to Kyoto, taking a day to venture to the historic city of Nara is highly recommended. The old city, which stood as the Imperial Capital of Japan 1300 years ago, offers eight spectacular temples, shrines and ruins which conjointly form another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll organise a private car to pick you up and take you to your hotel in Kyoto once you’ve taken in Nara’s sites.
Overnight at Hotel Nazuna Nijo in Kyoto.
Day 8
An English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel before taking you on a journey into the heart of the history of Kyoto, exploring the 400-year-old Nijo Castle and the landscaped gardens in its outer concentric ring, and the Buddhist temples: Kinkaku-ji, with its magnificent Golden Pavilion, and Kiyomizu-dera, which takes its name from the waterfall it is constructed around. The central location of the Nazuna Nijo allows you to readily explore Kyoto before retreating into the peaceful sanctuary of the traditional Japanese inn.
Overnight at Hotel Nazuna Nijo in Kyoto.
Day 9
Having explored many of the World Heritage Sites, the final day in Kyoto offers a chance to visit any that remain, relax in Kyoto and enjoy the traditional Japanese cuisine specific to Kyoto that has evolved due to Kyoto’s unusual distance from the sea. After a day out, the Nazuna Nijo is the perfect place to wind down, perhaps enjoy some seasonal Japanese dishes cooked in an authentic Irori style around a sunken hearth.
Overnight at Hotel Nazuna Nijo in Kyoto.
Day 10
Once you’ve absorbed the sights and sounds of Kyoto, we’ll arrange for a private car to take you to one of the most spectacular historical gardens in Japan, Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu City, via Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, the longest span bridge in the world. We’ll arrange to see the Naruto whirlpools and Tokushima Port on the journey also, before calling in at Kotohira, Kagawa, to spend the night.
Overnight at Hotel Kotohira Kadan in Kotohira, Kagawa.
Day 11
The journey to Hiroshima continues in a private car via Kotohira-gu, the most prominent of the Kompira shrines. In the afternoon we’ll stop at Imabari city, in the centre of which lies Imabari Castle surrounded by its unusual seawater moat, before completing the journey to arrive in Matsue city, and overnighting at the Hotel Minami-kan, which sits on the shore by Lake Shinji-ko.
Overnight at the Hotel Minami-kan in Matsue, Shimane.
Day 12
Whilst you’re based in Matsue city, we’ll organise a tour of Matsue Castle. Known as the black castle, it is one of the last remaining wooden medieval castles in Japan and makes for a great contrast to Izumo Taisha, one of the most famous and most important shrines in Japan, which we recommend visiting the same day before spending a final night in the Hotel Minami-kan in Matsue.
Overnight at the Hotel Minami-kan in Matsue, Shimane.
Day 13
A relaxed morning is followed by an internal flight to Tokyo. The penultimate day in Japan presents an opportunity to explore Tokyo once again, perhaps visiting the Tokyo National Museum, which specialises in traditional Japanese art, or climbing Tokyo Tower for a final view of the bustling capital before enjoying Tokyo’s internationally acclaimed cuisine one last time – the city has twice as many Michelin stars as Paris! A final night in the Imperial Hotel Tokyo provides the perfect location to explore Tokyo, or enjoy a relaxed evening in one of the most luxurious hotels in Tokyo, ideally placed for a streamlined journey to the airport.
Overnight at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
Day 14
We’ll organise the airport transfer, ensuring a seamless journey to Haneda or Narita airport to catch your flight to London Heathrow, arriving in the UK later that day.