-
-
Travel & Accommodation
-
Map & Itinerary
-
Similar Trips
Trip Inclusions
- 13 nights in premium accommodation
- Services of a Great Rail Journeys Tour Escort
- 17 meals - 13 breakfasts and 4 dinners
- Enjoy a 'Romancecar' train journey to Hakone and visit the Mt Fuji World Heritage Centre
- Cruise to the World Heritage-listed Miyajima Island
- Visit the rustic open-air museum of Hida Folk Village
- Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and listen to a talk from a Hiroshima survivor or successor
- Experience a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto
Map & Itinerary
Trip Notes
- Itinerary operated by Great Rail Journeys
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change
- Prices include transfers, tipping and most porterage
- An overnight bag will need to be packed for days 3-4, 8-9 and 11-13
- Cherry Blossom season in Japan usually lasts from late March to May, however due to changeable weather blooms cannot be guaranteed, even during spring months
Insider Experiences
Designed exclusively for our guests
Insider Experience
Enjoy an included special or unique excursion or event
Arrive Sapporo
Arrive in Sapporo and transfer to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner with your fellow travellers and Great Rail Journeys Tour Escort.
Stay: Two Nights, Sapporo, JR Tower Nikko Hotel
Daily :Sapporo
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Enjoy a whisky tasting at the Yoichi Distillery.
Sapporo is famed for its 19th-century architecture and pretty public spaces, some of which you will explore today on your guided tour. Discover the delights of Otaru before heading to the nearby Yoichi Distillery where award-winning Nikka whisky is produced. Founded in 1934, the distillery creates whisky using famous Scottish distilling methods, and has been producing acclaimed malts ever since. Later, head back to Sapporo for the evening.
Daily :Sapporo, Hakodate
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
This morning, travel to Hakodate on the Super Hokuto limited express train.
This afternoon, take a sightseeing tour of the local sights by coach, including Goryokaku, a star-shaped fortress that dates back 150 years. Later, ascend Mt Hakodate via ropeway, for fabulous views of the city.
Stay: Hakodate, La Vista Hakodate
Daily :Hakodate, Tokyo
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Visit Hakodate’s vibrant fish market, where fresh produce is bought and sold in a lively atmosphere.
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Travel by bullet train to Tokyo.
Explore the vivid array of stalls at Hakodate's fish market, which boast fresh seafood, local vegetables, fruit and sweets, and look out for tanks of live shellfish and clusters of crab. After your visit, travel to Tokyo by train.
Stay: Two Nights, Tokyo, Keio Plaza
Daily :
Tokyo
A full-day sightseeing tour of Tokyo begins with a trip to Edo Tokyo Museum, followed by Asakusa Kannon temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Head to beautiful teahouse Nakajima no Ochaya within Hamarikyu Garden before visiting the Imperial Palace Plaza and finishing the day experiencing the energy of the famous Shibuya Crossing.
Daily :Tokyo, Hakone
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Travel by ‘Romancecar’ train to Hakone.
In Hakone, enjoy a scenic ride on the Hakone Ropeway over the Owakudani Valley and Lake Ashi, as well as a boat cruise across the serene Lake Ashi, a former crater. Continue on to your hotel, where you will spend one night.
Stay: Prince Hakone Lake Ashinoko or similar
Daily :Hakone, Mt Fuji, Matsumoto
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Visit the Mt Fuji World Heritage Centre, dedicated to its namesake, where you will learn more about this world-famous symbol.
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Visit Matsumoto Castle, an imposing fortress completed in 1593.
An exciting day of Insider Experiences awaits you today.
Stay: Matsumoto, Hotel Kagetsu
Daily :
Matsumoto, Hida Folk Village, Takayama
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Visit Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum of rustic farm dwellings. Set on a hillside overlooking the Takayama Valley, some of the buildings in the village date back 500 years.
This morning, visit the miso factory and Nakamachi District. After an Insider Experience, continue to Takayama, where you’ll enjoy an overnight stay in this atmospheric town.
Stay: Takayama, Associa Hotel
Daily :Takayama, Kyoto
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Travel by bullet train to Kyoto.
Nestled among mountainous surrounds, Takayama's narrow streets and wooden houses appear almost untouched by time. Explore Takayama and admire the ancient architecture on a guided tour featuring Miyagawa Market, Sannomachi Street and Takayama Jinya, the old government house, before bidding farewell and travelling to Japan's former capital.
Stay: Two Nights, Kyoto, Righa Royal
Daily :Kyoto
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Take part in a traditional tea ceremony.
See the highlights of Kyoto today on a tour beginning at the iconic Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion). Stroll through the tranquil Sagano Bamboo Forest before visiting Kyoto Railway Museum, which houses a variety of trains from the earliest steam locomotives to the ultra-modern bullet trains. Finish the day with a special Insider Experience.
Daily :
Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Travel by bullet train to Hiroshima.
Today you’ll explore Nara, a former capital of Japan, and home to eight World Heritage-listed sites. Take in the Todai-ji Temple where you’ll find the Great Buddha, a 13th-century bronze statue. Continue to beautiful Nara Park, a delightful deer sanctuary spread over almost 530 hectares, before transferring to Osaka, where you’ll catch a bullet train to Hiroshima.
Stay: Two Nights, Hiroshima, Sheraton Hotel
Daily :Hiroshima, Miyajima Island
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
From the Peace Memorial Park to the A-Bomb Dome, your tour explores the city’s tragic devastation of World War II events. You’ll also hear a moving account from a Hiroshima survivor, or successor.
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Enjoy a scenic boat ride out to the famous Miyajima Island.
A guided tour today takes you around Hiroshima.
Daily :Hiroshima, Hakata
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Ride a bullet train to Hakata.
INSIDER EXPERIENCE
Visit the Kyushu National Museum.
After breakfast, journey to Hakata. Take in the Dazaifu Tenman-gu Shrine and the Komyozenji Temple. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.
Stay: Hakata, New Otani Hotel
Daily :Depart Fukuoka
Transfer to Fukuoka airport this morning after breakfast.
Daily :I could not have asked for more regarding a tour guide. Helpful in all ways, terrific personality.
Similar Trips
Discovering Japan
Tokyo to Osaka
In Search of Tigers & Leopards
Delhi to Negombo
Majestic Mekong Cruising
Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
Taste of South Korea
Seoul Return
Essential Vietnam and Cambodia
Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
Grand Tour of Japan
Sapporo to Fukuoka
Scenic South Korea and Japan
Seoul to Osaka
A Taste of Vietnam
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Discovering Japan
Tokyo to Osaka
Grand Tour of Japan
Sapporo to Fukuoka
Scenic South Korea and Japan
Seoul to Osaka