Japan
Off the beaten track in Japan
14 nights from £8,750pp
Includes: 14 nights B&B accommodation, transfers & travel cards & several tours (see below)
Overview & Highlights
This tailor made Traditional Japan itinerary will captivate you with the hidden secrets of this diverse country, steering you away from the tourist hotspots to alpine scenery, tranquil gardens and ancient temples, with the very best in Japanese hospitality from exclusive ryokan inns to world-class hotels.
You will begin your journey in Tokyo, from here, watch the skyscrapers melt away as you travel into rural Japan, where you’ll visit Matsumoto’s magnificent “Black Crow” castle and retrace the steps of merchants walking the Nakasendo Way in the beautiful Kiso Valley.
In Takayama you will have the chance to visit bustling morning markets and explore sake breweries, craft shops, merchant residences and teahouses in the old town district, all set against the backdrop of the majestic Hida Mountains deep in the Japan Alps.
You will visit Shirakawago, a scenic village full of steeply thatched farmhouses deep in the countryside, and make a stop on the Japan Sea Coast at Kanazawa, home to one of Japan’s top three landscape gardens.
- Stroll around Kenrokuen Garden
- Meet a trainee geisha and learn about their secret world
- Explore Kyoto’s hidden temples and shrines
- Sample the best in kaiseki cuisine in ryokan inns
- Discover the thatched cottages of Shirakawago
- Visit Matsumoto’s striking Black Crow castle
“The land of the rising sun, where the past meets the future, Japan is a country like nowhere else. Working with destination specialists to create your dream trip, this is a unique holiday of a lifetime!“
No itinerary would be complete without a stay in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural heartland and home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here former geisha establishments rub shoulders with tea houses in wooden streets lit by old-fashioned street lamps, and a spectacular temple or shrine lies behind every corner.
A private audience with an apprentice geisha will offer a glimpse into a notoriously mysterious world and is sure to be a highlight of this trip.
- Days 1-3: Tokyo
- Days 4-5: Kanazawa
- Days 6-7: Takayama
- Day 8: Matsumoto
- Day 9: Tsumago
- Days 10-13: Kyoto
- Days 14-15: Tokyo
Includes: 14 nights’ accommodation (three nights Japanese style) –
Breakfast each morning, five lunches and four dinners –
Airport transfers by private car – Manaca transport card with 2,500 yen credit for local transport – First class train transport and taxis to some accommodation – Travel by private car between Kanazawa, Shirakawago, Takayama and Matsumoto – Private guided tour of Takayama’s artisans
Eight-hour private guide and driver service in Tokyo and Kyoto including entrance fees and lunch – Private guided tour of Nikko World Heritage Sites including entrance fees and lunch – Evening walking tour of Kyoto’s Gion geisha district – Exclusive audience with a trainee geisha
Pocket WiFi device – Your personalised InsideJapan Info-Pack.
This is just one example of a tailor made holiday to Japan. We can create your own bespoke holiday to include a huge variety of special interest tours and excursions throughout Japan, always accompanied by the very best in local guides.
A few impressions…
“As always you did everything to such a high standard. Where in the world can you visit a zen garden in the morning and meet with the head resident priest for a chat, see a very large cat being walked on a collar and lead through the bamboo groves and see the craziness of a robot cabaret… that would be Japan!!“
Sarah and Jeremy
Let us begin the journey that will create memories to last a lifetime.
