Others

Nikko - Toshogu Shrine Hakone - Cable car/Ropeway Hakone - Lake Ashinoko boat cruise Takayama - Hida Folk Village Takayama - Market visit with snack sampling Takayama - Sake brewery tasting Takayama - Incense making in Zenkoji Temple Hiroshima - Peace Park & A - Bomb Dome Hiroshima - Peace Museum Hiroshima - Okonomiyaki dinner Hiroshima - Miyajima Island Himeji - Himeji Castle Kyoto - Gion District walk Kyoto - Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) Kyoto - Fushimi Inari-Taisha Kyoto - Japanese sweat making & Mocha tea experience Kyoto - Nishiki Market walk with snack sampling

Accommodation

RYOKANS : & MINSHUKUS: Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some establishments may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in such properties. Extra fees will be charged if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning. AVAILABILITY: The recent huge increase in tourism to Japan has put a lot of pressure on accommodation. On occasion, we may need to change accommodation from what is listed in the itinerary in order to operate your departure with minimal changes. ONSENS: We like to encourage travellers to visit traditional Japanese ’onsens’ while in the country as it is a quintessential local experience. In public onsens this means bathing naked with others of the same gender. While the experience can feel strange at first for some, most of our groups end up enjoying this activity. There is very specific etiquette for visiting onsens - your leader can give you some tips and instructions. Please be aware that travellers with tattoos may not be permitted to enter public onsens. Private onsens may also be available - talk to your leader for more information. See our guide to onsens here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/japan-onsen-guide/ Hotel (8 nights), Japanese Inn ( 4 nights)

Meals

1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Transport

Boat , Public Bus , Cable Car , Ferry , Metro , High Speed Train , Train

Guide

All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. Due to Japan’s popularity it has been necessary to go outside our traditional sources for employing tour leaders. As a result, our passionate, professional and trained tour leaders may either be Japanese or long term foreign residents in Japan.

Not included:

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Flights

International flights are not included

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Day 1 Day 1: Tokyo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Tokyo

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Japan. Bursting with contemporary urban culture, there are many sides of Tokyo to explore, from fascinating museums and world-class shopping to neighbourhood backstreets lined with hole-in-the-wall eateries and bars. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. You can arrive at any time during the day, as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. After, join your new travel companions for an optional dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2 Day 2: Tokyo - Nikko
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Tokyo - Nikko

Enjoy a free morning in Tokyo. This afternoon, you’ll catch a local train to Nikko. Japanese trains are a quintessential experience and one of the best insights into culture (and efficiency!) of the country. Go shopping for some snacks or a bento box at the train station and watch the scenery pass you by. Arrive in Nikko in the late afternoon – tonight, you’ll stay in a small inn with shared facilities.
Day 3 Day 3: Nikko
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Nikko

You have a full day to explore Nikko today – this ancient town is overflowing with shrines and temples, some a UNESCO World Heritage site! You’ll visit Toshugu Shrine – the resting place of a Tokugawa shogun who was one of the most powerful rulers of the country. The opulent shrine contrasts with the traditional minimalist style commonly used throughout Japan. Every corner of this monument is covered in intricate gold leaf, lacquer work, paintings and patterns. Here, you can also visit the Nikko Toshogu Museum of Art at the back of the temple complex (for an extra fee). In your free time, maybe visit the red-lacquered Shin-kyo bridge and the Buddhist temple of Rinno-ji. Or you may prefer time exploring Nikko’s beautiful natural setting with a visit to Chuzenji Lake and Kegon Falls. Kanmangafuchi Abyss is another highlight in Nikko that your leader will take you to visit, where you’ll see about 70 Jizo Buddhas looking out to the river.
Day 4 Day 4: Hakone
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Hakone

Say goodbye to Nikko and set out for a bit of a travel day to Hakone. Hop on a local train, followed by two shinkansen bullet trains and finally a bus. The journey is certainly worth it, as Hakone is a scenic hot spring resort in the foothills of Mt Fuji. You’ll be staying at a family-run ryokan tonight, with tatami-mat rooms, shared bathroom facilities and a lovely outdoor hot-spring onsen.
Day 5 Day 5: Hakone
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Hakone

This morning, hop on a boat across Ashinoko Lake, then ride the Hakone ropeway cable car to the top of the surrounding mountains. The area around the lake offers plenty of stunning views, and you may even catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji in the distance if weather conditions are clear. The afternoon is free to further explore Hakone’s mountain scenery and volcanic sites. Perhaps visit the boiling sulphur springs of Owakudani or Hakone Jinja Shrine with its red torii gate rising from the shore of Ashinoko Lake. Or, go for a walk through the hills of the famed grassland ecosystem of Sengokuhara. There’s also a great collection of art at the Hakone Open-Air Museum and the Pola Museum of Art – an eclectic mix that includes work by Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Galle. Not what you would expect to find in a small Japanese town, right? so a great collection of art at the Hakone Open-Air Museum and the Pola Museum of Art, an eclectic mix that includes work by the likes of Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Cézanne and Gallé. Not what you would expect to find in a small Japanese town, right?
Day 6 Day 6: Takayama
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Takayama

Travel by a local train, then a shinkansen towards Takayama – a charming Edo period town in the Japanese Alps, famous for its traditional inns, sake breweries and the Hida Folk Village. The village is your first stop – an outdoor museum where the traditional thatched-roof architecture unique to the area has been relocated to a mountain setting to preserve traditional Japanese culture. Discover the techniques used to build farmhouses that could withstand fierce winters and long periods of isolation due to snow-closed roads. The thick thatching kept in warmth, and the roofs were angled to minimise snow build-up. Each house is like its own self-contained museum, with displays of personal items and traditional tools. Your included dinner tonight will give you the chance to taste some of Takayama’s famous signature dishes.
Day 7 Day 7: Takayama
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Takayama

This morning, you’ll head to the markets in Gifu prefecture – these markets have been held for over 600 years and are known for their array of high-altitude vegetables. Browse the stalls of seasonal produce that’s brought in from the surrounding countryside and set up by local farm women from 6 am every morning. Look out for the unique local style of pickles, the bags of miso wrapped in leaves, Genkotsu ame (soy bean candy), preserved fish, spices and the delicious marshmallow treat owara tamaten. You leader will advise a series of local’s favourite snacks for you to sample as your breakfast today while you stroll through the market. The alpine climate and mountain waters are perfect for creating sake, so you’ll also visit a local brewery for a taste of the region’s prized signature drop. Head to Zenkoji temple to learn how to make incense that’s believed to have purifying qualities. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this lovely town.
Day 8 Day 8: Hiroshima
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Hiroshima

Travel by express train and shinkansen to Hiroshima today. Depending on what time you arrive today, you may visit Hiroshima’s Peace Park this afternoon or tomorrow morning. The Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and Peace Memorial Museum stand testament to the fateful day in August 1945 when Hiroshima was chosen as target for the first ever wartime use of the atomic bomb. The dome was just metres from where the bomb detonated so it was able to retain its shape and the fact that it looks almost exactly as it did after the bombing has made it an enduring symbol of peace. The memorial park serves the same purpose, and has museums, memorials and monuments dedicated to the memory of victims. This evening, head out with your leader for one of the city’s signature dishes for dinner – okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake of egg, cabbage, soba noodles, and meat or seafood.
Day 9 Day 9: Miyajima - Hiroshima
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Miyajima - Hiroshima

Today you’ll make your way to the nearby island of Miyajima with its famous ’floating’ torii gate. You might like to further explore the island by climbing to the top of Mt Miyajima (or hopping on the cable car instead) for 360-degree views of the Inland Sea. Keep your eyes out for inquisitive and hungry deer that roam the streets. You have the rest of the day free to enjoy some of the other sites. You could stop by the five-storied Hiroshima Castle, which originally dates to the 1590s. It was destroyed by the bomb but reconstructed in all its glory in the 1950s, and now holds an informative museum. The wonderful Shukkeien Garden, with teahouses and waterfalls, is also a perfect place to decompress.
Day 10 Day 10: Kyoto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Kyoto

Leave Hiroshima today and take the train to Japan’s most impressive samurai castle at Himeji. The building, which has survived earthquakes and war since the mid-16th century, was restored to its full glory in 2015. The moats, baileys, towers and walled alleyways were ingeniously designed to trick attackers – perhaps so intimidatingly that they were never in fact tested! Explore the castle that was once home to over 10,000 samurai families and look out over the castle grounds and the city below from the seventh floor. Hop back on the shinkansen for the trip to Kyoto. Originally founded as Heian-kyo (‘tranquillity and peace capital’) by Emperor Kammu in 794, Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years, but the emperor and government are now in Tokyo. With its many cultural landmarks and historical sites, and the abundance of traditional arts and literature, Kyoto is regarded as the cultural heart of Japan. In the evening, your leader will take you on a stroll through Gion, Kyoto’s famous Geisha district. Even today you can observe the age-old tradition of geisha as they head out to perform dances and song for members of the wealthy elite in small teahouses tucked away in tiny back streets.
Day 11 Day 11: Kyoto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Kyoto

Start your day with a visit to the iconic Kinkakuji Temple, with its impressive Golden Pavilion, immortalized by Yukio Mishima’s novel. Then join a session of making a traditional Japanese sweat yatsuhashi and learn how mocha tea is made, before making a visit the ’Kitchen of Kyoto ’ - Nishiki Market. Every visit to this market is almost a festive fare as there are so many local food and snacks on displace from fresh seafood to sweats. Sample a few different popular local snacks here like strawberry dumplings, chicken skewers or soy milk sweats etc, at the advice of your leader. Head to the layered red tori gates in Fushimi Inari for a visit. For the more active, hiking up the mountain following the red torii gates is a great way to enjoy the forest and the views over the city. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening as your free time.
Day 12 Day 12: Kyoto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Kyoto

Enjoy a free day to explore this charming ancient capital. Your tour leader will be able to help you with making the most out of your time. Maybe head off to Arashiyama to enjoy a wander through the Sagano bamboo forest, or cycle along the Kamo River. Another great stop is the architecturally impressive Higashi Honganji Temple and the almost surreal Sanjusangendo, home to 1,001 statues of Kannon. A gentle stroll through Kyoto’s eastern hills along the ‘Path of Philosophy’ that links Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, with Nanzen-ji Temple is also recommended. This walk can be extended south through the well-preserved ‘old town’ areas to Kiyomizu-dera (Temple of Clear Water) with its famous viewing platform. Also recommended, for those visiting in spring, is a visit to the theatre for a presentation of Miyako Odori (Cherry Blossom Dance) performed by elaborately dressed maiko (apprentice geisha).
Day 13 Day 13: Kyoto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Kyoto

There are no activities planned for the day and you’re free to depart the hotel at any time after check out at 10 am. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.

+10

13 days tour

Japan: Land Of The Rising Sun

This tour includes:

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Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Japan: Land Of The Rising Sun

Day 1: Tokyo

Day 2: Tokyo - Nikko

Day 3: Nikko

Day 4: Hakone

Day 5: Hakone

Day 6: Takayama

Day 7: Takayama

Day 8: Hiroshima

Day 9: Miyajima - Hiroshima

Day 10: Kyoto

Day 11: Kyoto

Day 12: Kyoto

Day 13: Kyoto

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