Senso-ji Temple

Tonight we'll take you out to feast on Japanese cuisines and meet the rest of your group. Once we've finished exploring, we'll head to Senso-Ji, which is one of the most important temples in Tokyo. This illustrious red temple is a feast for the senses especially when all the crowds have gone. Smell the incense and draw a fortune, visiting this temple in the evening is truly a special event.

Senso-ji Temple

We'll start the morning off with an orientation class. You'll learn simple Japanese customs and phrases to help you dictate your way across the country.

Harajuku Station

Once we have learned all we need, we’ll head out to the birth place of Japanese teen pop culture Harajuku.

Meiji Jingu Shrine

We’ll then head into Yoyogi park, host of the beautiful Meiji Shrine.

Akihabara

After that we’ll make our way to Akihabara – Tokyo’s electric town -and be blinded by the all the neon lights and crazy shops in store.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Today we’ll head to the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market. Tokyo is famed for its seafood delights and this market is the birthplace of Japan’s most famous food; sushi!

Tsukiji Fish Market

Once we have toured the facility, we will head over to our sushi making class where our guides here will teach you how to roll the perfect sushi and fry teriyaki!

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Decks

After your sushi lunch we’ll head back to the hostel for a quick freshen up before heading to the incredible Shinjuku area for an unparalleled skyline of Tokyo.

Omoide Yokocho

After seeing the incredible Tokyo skyline from the observation deck we'll grab a quick meal of Yakitori and beer down the famous Omoide Yokocho alley, otherwise known as "Piss Alley".

Shibuya Crossing

We'll wrap up the day viewing the world-famous Shibuya Pedestrian Crossing.

Hakone Ropeway

Today we leave Tokyo by the aptly named Romance Car to the stunning mountainous town of Hakone. After checking into our guesthouse accommodation situated in the mountains, we will spend the day exploring the surrounding areas on a variety of different transport including Cable Cars and Rope Ways to spot Mt Fuji.

Lake Ashinoko

After we disembark from the ropeway we head out onto a pirate ship to sail across Lake Ashi where on a clear day you can get an amazing view of Mt Fuji!

Hakone-machi

After a day of exploring and taking photos of Japan’s most famous mountain we’ll enjoy a typical Japanese Nabe dinner at our traditional guesthouse.

Takayama

Today we board the bullet train, a soaring feat of engineering that throws you across the countryside. We’ll take a bullet train to Nagoya, and then a scenic train journey will take us past the stunning mountains all the way to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Takayama. Our accommodation tonight is in a stunning Japanese temple. Never before would you have stayed in more beautiful surroundings, your bed will be on simple tatami mats.

Harada Sake Brewery

In the afternoon we’ll head out for some traditional Sake tasting and you can even treat yourself to some infamously tasty Hida beef. After all of that you get a real chance for you to focus on your mindful experience as you sleep soundly in the temple with most rooms offering views of a traditional Japanese garden. Optional: There are traditional onsens in the area you can visit.

Hida-Takayama Miyagawa Morning Market

In the morning your guide will walk you around the beautiful old town and village of Takayama and show you to the morning market on the banks of the Miyagawa River.

Gion

We'll then board the train back to Nagoya and take our final bullet train to Kyoto. Famous for its shrines, temples and Geisha’s, Kyoto is a sure fire way to find your inner peace and get lost exploring its small alleyways. In the evening, we’ll walk around Kyoto’s Gion district, known for Geisha’s (Japan’s traditional art form of entertainment), if you are lucky enough, you might even spot one.

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

We'll rise early in the morning and take the subway to Fushimi-Inari Shrine. We arrive early to escape the bustling throng of tourists and work our way through the mountain exploring corridors of never-ending red gates.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

After we'll make our way to Kiyomizu-Dera temple, one of Japan's most famous temples. A stunning bamboo and wooden complex that sits high on the mountainside. After coming back to the hostel and eating breakfast, you'll have the whole afternoon to explore the amazing town of Kyoto!

Kinkakuji Temple

This morning we'll head to the incredible Golden Pavilion, a beautiful gold laden building, surrounded by lakes which showcase a stunning reflection of the building.

Daitoku-ji Temple

After well head to Daitoku-Ji, a quiet group of buildings and temples, away from the main tourist districts. Here we'll visit a zen garden.

Kyoto Budo Center

In the afternoon we head to a traditional Kendo class housed in the dojo where it all began. Your authentic Bushido instructor, a descendant of a Japanese Samurai Warrior, will teach you the way of this respectful martial art, before finishing with a guided meditation reflection to finish off this incredible day.

Bamboo Forest Street

In the morning, we'll beat the crowds and take the train to the Arashiyama district. This stunning district is flanked by mountainous valleys with a river working its way through the middle. We'll start off by wandering through the Instagram worthy bamboo forest, where towering bamboo makes for a beautiful wander through this area.

Monkey Park Iwatayama

Next up, we climb the steps up to Monkey Mountain to check out the incredible Japanese macacques in this area.

Arashiyama

Once we make our way down, we’ll board a private row boat and explore the valleys the traditional Japanese way.

Dotonbori Tsuribori

We’ll then jump on the train and head to Osaka. After checking in we will head out into the Dotonbori area, a wild ride of an inner city complex, the ‘kitchen of Japan’ will take you in with its lights, colours, food and people and after our food tour you won’t want to leave. There is no better way to view this incredible, living, breathing city than tasting your way through it.

Osaka

In the evening we’ll wrap up our tour with one final Japanese tradition – Karaoke!

Osaka

After nursing your head from last nights antics, its time to say goodbye to your group and the new friends you have made from your tour. We hope we have shown you the best that Japan has to offer. If you're continuing your travels with us, we cant wait to see you in Sri Lanka or The Philippines, or if you're returning home, we hope we have at least inspired you to #exploremore Meals - Breakfast Want longer in Japan? Try our 14 day tour!