Japan Traditions

Arrive in Tokyo and transfer privately to your hotel in Shinjuku, one of the city’s most dynamic districts. This first day is about easing into Japan’s rhythm after the flight, with the city’s energy right outside your door. Shinjuku offers a striking introduction to modern Tokyo, where neon-lit streets sit alongside small neighbourhood shrines and hidden eateries. The evening is free to rest or take a short walk to get a first feel for the city’s contrasts.

• Hotel Description

Spend the day exploring Tokyo with a private guide using public transport, the best way to understand how the city works. Begin in Asakusa, home to Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple and a centre of popular worship for centuries. Walk along Nakamise Street to see traditional snacks and crafts that reflect everyday Japanese culture. Continue to the Imperial Palace area, where landscaped gardens surround the home of the imperial family. End in Shibuya, experiencing the famous crossing and the youthful, fast-moving side of the capital. (B)

• Hotel Description

A free day to explore Tokyo at your own pace. This is an opportunity to follow personal interests, whether that means contemporary art museums, specialist food markets, fashion districts, or quieter neighbourhoods such as Yanaka. Tokyo rewards curiosity, and even small detours often reveal unexpected temples, local cafés, or independent shops. Your hotel location makes it easy to move around the city efficiently. (B)

• Hotel Description

Travel into the mountains to Hakone, a region long associated with hot springs and views of Mount Fuji. With a private guide, explore Owakudani, an active volcanic valley where steam vents rise from the earth, offering insight into Japan’s volcanic landscape. Ride the Hakone Ropeway for elevated views across forested hills and Lake Ashi, then take a cruise on the lake itself. Weather permitting, Mount Fuji appears across the water, explaining why this area has inspired artists and poets for generations. Stay overnight at a traditional ryokan. (B)

• Hotel Description

Leave Hakone and travel by local train and bullet train to Kyoto, the former imperial capital and cultural heart of Japan. In the afternoon, begin exploring with a private guide. Visit selected sites based on your interests, which may include Fushimi Inari with its thousands of vermillion torii gates, the Zen gardens of Tofukuji, or the long hall of Sanjusangendo with its 1,001 Kannon statues. Alternatively, explore Kiyomizu Temple or wander through Gion, where Kyoto’s traditional townhouses still shape daily life. (B)

• Hotel Description

Continue discovering Kyoto on a full day guided tour. Visit Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, whose reflective surface and carefully designed gardens express classical Japanese aesthetics. Head west to Arashiyama, an area known for its scenic setting and historic temples. Walk through the Sagano Bamboo Grove, where tall stalks create an immersive natural corridor, and explore Tenryuji, a Zen temple whose garden was designed to frame the surrounding mountains as part of the landscape.

• Hotel Description

Enjoy a free day in Kyoto. This allows time to revisit favourite areas or explore lesser-known neighbourhoods, local markets, or small temples away from the main tourist routes. Kyoto’s appeal often lies in quiet details, such as narrow lanes, seasonal sweets, and neighbourhood shrines that remain part of daily life. Optional activities can be added depending on interests. (B)

• Hotel Description

Travel west by bullet train, stopping at Himeji to visit Japan’s most impressive surviving feudal castle. Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a rare example of original wooden castle architecture, offering insight into defensive design and samurai-era power. Continue onward to Hiroshima, a city shaped by both tragedy and renewal, and settle in for the night. (B)

• Hotel Description

Explore Hiroshima and Miyajima with a private guide. Take a ferry to Miyajima Island to see Itsukushima Shrine and its famous torii gate, which appears to float on the sea at high tide. The island’s gentle walking trails, deer, and local food stalls offer a slower pace. Return to Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, providing a thoughtful and moving understanding of the atomic bombing and the city’s commitment to peace. Continue by train to Osaka. (B)

• Hotel Description

A free day to explore Osaka, known for its outgoing character and food culture. In the evening, join a private guided food tour through Namba and Shinsaibashi. This experience introduces Osaka’s street food traditions and casual dining culture, offering insight into why the city is often described as Japan’s kitchen. Dinner is included during the tour. (B,D)

• Hotel Description

Travel by express and bullet train to Fukui, a region known for traditional crafts and rural landscapes. In the afternoon, explore local washi paper workshops with a private guide and vehicle. Learn how handmade paper has been produced for centuries, observe artisans at work, and create your own sheet of washi. This hands-on experience highlights the skill and patience behind everyday materials in traditional Japan. (B)

• Hotel Description

Spend the day exploring Fukui using public transport. Visit Heisenji Hakusan Shrine, a forest-covered shrine complex with mossy paths that reflect the close relationship between spirituality and nature in rural Japan. Continue with a sake tasting, learning about regional brewing techniques shaped by local water and climate. Travel onward to Kaga Onsen and settle into a ryokan, where dinner and time in the hot springs offer a chance to unwind. (B,D)

• Hotel Description

After breakfast at the ryokan, travel to Kanazawa and explore the city with a guide. Kanazawa was one of Japan’s leading samurai centres during the Edo period and avoided widespread wartime damage, allowing its historic districts to remain well preserved. Walk through the Nagamachi Samurai District, where earthen walls and narrow streets reflect the disciplined world of the warrior class, and visit Nomura House to see original rooms, armour, and a garden designed for quiet contemplation.

There is also the option to meet a samurai descendant, offering personal insight into samurai values and legacy. This can be added on request and costed accordingly. Continue to Kenrokuen Garden, celebrated for its balance and seasonal design, before ending in Higashi Chaya, a preserved teahouse district that reflects Kanazawa’s merchant culture. (B)

• Hotel Description

Take a guided excursion to Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage village set in the mountains. The steep thatched roofs of the gassho-zukuri houses were designed to survive heavy snowfall and reflect centuries of communal rural life. Explore historic homes, learn about traditional farming practices, and enjoy the alpine setting before returning to Kanazawa. (B)

• Hotel Description

Travel through the Japanese Alps to Takayama by bullet and express train. The rest of the day is free to explore this well-preserved mountain town, known for its Edo-period streets, small sake breweries, and local craft shops. Takayama’s compact centre makes it ideal for relaxed wandering. (B)

• Hotel Description

Enjoy a final morning in Takayama, with a suggested visit to the local morning markets where regional produce and handmade goods are sold. Travel back to Tokyo by express and bullet train, returning to the capital for your final night. The remainder of the day is free for last-minute shopping or a final evening out. (B)

• Hotel Description

Transfer privately to Narita or Haneda Airport for your onward flight, concluding your journey through Japan’s cities, countryside, and living traditions. (B)