Day 1 - Welcome to Japan!

Touch down Japan! Welcome to the land of culture, a country with majestic mountains, crazy neon lights, world-class food & an ancient and fascinating history. A land where the sake is hot or cold, where the sun glistens off the snow-covered peaks, where incense floats around temples and shrines & where the technological advances take the world by storm. Japan is a dream, a desired destination where all those leave with a newfound sense of wonder. Arrive into your traditionally designed Tokyo hostel to be greeted by your tour guide. Once you’ve settled in, we’ll take you out to feast on Japanese cuisine and meet the rest of your group. After dinner, we’ll head to Asakusa to visit Senso-ji once the crowds have gone. This is one of the most important temples in Tokyo, an illustrious red temple that is a feast for the senses! Meals - Dinner Accommodation - Twin Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Welcome Dinner, Senso-ji Temple Optional Activities - Tokyo Skytree
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2 - Explore Tokyo!

We’ll start the morning off with a language and culture class. You’ll learn simple Japanese customs and phrases to help you dictate your way across the country. Once we have learned all we need, we’ll head out to the birthplace of Japanese teen pop culture - Harajuku! We’ll then head into Yoyogi Park to relax in the beautiful surroundings of the Meiji Shrine for the afternoon. In the evening, we head to Akihabara - known as Tokyo’s electric town, you’ll be blinded by all the neon lights and crazy shops! You can challenge each other in the arcades or head off to explore the rest of the area on your own. Meals - Breakfast Accommodation - Twin Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Japanese Language & Cultural Class, Survival Booklet, Harajuku Experience, Meiji Shrine & Visit to Yoyogi Park, Akihabara Experience Optional Activities - Maid Cafe, Batting Cages
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 - Sushi Making Class & Robot Restaurant

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! After you’ve explored the countless different fish stalls, we will head over to our sushi making class where sushi masters will teach you how to roll the perfect sushi and fry teriyaki! After your sushi lunch we’ll head back to the hostel for a quick freshen up before heading to the Tokyo Government Building Lookout for an unparalleled view of the city’s skyline. Next up we head to the famous Omoide Yokocho alley where you can find yourself a delicious meal of Yakitori before our next stop - the Robot Restaurant! We’ll watch an incredible show like no other, where performers will ride huge robots and dance to the theme of thriller whilst lasers and lights bounce off the walls of this famous destination. Wrapping up the day, we’ll visit the world-famous Shibuya Crossing together. Meals - Breakfast & Lunch Accommodation - Twin Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Tsukiji Fish Market, Sushi Making Class, Tokyo Government Building Lookout, Robot Restaurant, Shibuya Crossing Optional Activities - N/A
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 - Travel to Hakone and Mt. Fuji Viewing

Today we leave Tokyo by the aptly named “Romance Car” to the stunning mountainous town of Hakone. After checking into our guesthouse accommodation nestled in the mountains, we will spend the afternoon exploring the surrounding areas on a variety of different transport, including a pirate ship! Why is Hakone so special? Well, not only is the food incredible but the views you can get of Mt. Fuji on a clear day will be pretty spectacular too! After we finish exploring, we’ll enjoy a typical Japanese Nabe dinner together and then head to the roof deck to watch the sunset over the spectacular little town. Meals - Breakfast & Dinner Accommodation - Twin Share on Tatami Mats with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Mt. Fuji Viewing, Ropeway*, Cable Car, Pirate Ship, Traditional Dinner Optional Activities - Onsen (Japanese Bath House) * Ropeway can potentially be closed due to volcanic activity, alternative transport will be arranged.
Included meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Takayama Temple Stay

Today we board the bullet train, a soaring feat of engineering that throws you across the countryside. We’ll take the 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. In the afternoon, we’ll head out to taste some traditional Sake tasting and you can even treat yourself to some of the area’s infamously tasty Hida beef! After all of that you get a real chance you to focus on your mindful experience as you sleep soundly in the temple with most rooms offering views of a traditional Japanese garden. Meals - N/A Accommodation - Multi-share in a Temple Included Activities - Sake Tasting, Temple Stay, Tour of Takayama Old Town Optional Activities - Onsen, Public Bath House, Archery
Included meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - Arrive in Kyoto & Gion Walking Tour

In the morning your guide will take you down to the morning market on the banks of the Miyagawa River so you can find yourself some traditional Japanese breakfast. 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’re lucky enough, you might even spot one! Meals - N/A Accommodation - Twin Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Gion District Walking Tour Optional Activities - Kimono Hire, Geisha Performance
Included meals: Breakfast

Day 7 - Kyoto Temple & Shrine Tour

We’ll rise early in the morning and take the subway to the Fushimi-Inari Shrine. We arrive early to escape the bustling throng of tourists and work our way through the mountain exploring the corridors of never-ending red gates. Afterwards, we head to Kiyomizu-dera, one of Japan’s most famous temples. A stunning bamboo and wooden complex that sits high in the mountain side. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore, check out Nishiki Market or head back to the Gion District to wind your way through the quaint streets before we leave Kyoto for Osaka! Meals - Breakfast Accommodation - Twin Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Fushimi-Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera Temple Optional Activities - Nishiki Market, Bike Rental
Included meals: Breakfast

Day 8 - Golden Pavilion, Zen Gardens and Kendo Class

This morning we’ll head to the astonishing Golden Pavilion, a beautiful gold laden building, surrounded by lakes which showcase a stunning reflection of the building. After we’ll head to Daitoku-Ji, a quiet, leafy complex of old temples, away from the main tourist districts. In the afternoon we head to a traditional Kendo (Samurai sword fighting) class housed in the dojo where it all began. Your authentic Bushido instructor, a descendent of a Japanese Samurai, will teach you the way of this respectful martial art, before finishing with a 10 minute guided meditation to finish off this incredible day. Meals - Breakfast Accommodation - Twin Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Golden Pavilion, Zen Garden, Kendo Class & Guided Meditation in Dojo Optional Activities - N/A
Included meals: None

Day 9 - Arrive in Osaka, Food Tour and Karaoke

This morning we take the train to Arashiyama. This stunning town 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, before climbing the steps up to Monkey Mountain. Once we make our way down, we’ll board a private row boat and explore the valley the traditional Japanese way. 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. In the evening we’ll wrap up our tour with one final Japanese tradition – Karaoke! Meals - Breakfast & Dinner Accommodation - Triple Share with Shared Bathroom Included Activities - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Monkey Mountain, 30-minute boat tour, Dotonbori Food Tour (4 dishes), All-You-Can-Drink Karaoke Optional Activities - Canal Boat Tour, Extended Karaoke
Included meals: None

Day 10 - Depart!

After nursing your head from last nights antics, it’s 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 can’t wait to see you in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia or India or if you’re returning home, we hope we have at least inspired you to #exploremore. *If you have purchased a return transfer to Tokyo ticket, you will be taking the bullet train early in the morning on this day. Meals - Breakfast Accommodation - N/A Included Activities - N/A Optional Activities - N/A
Included meals: None