This trip around Japan is filled with foodie experiences – from creative cooking classes to fantastic food markets, a delightful dinner cruise and more. If you would like to see the full itinerary of this tour,
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1. Tokyo
Meet your transfer driver who will take you to your accommodation. Enjoy a tour of Japan with a local guide, followed by a delicious Japanese dinner.
2. Tokyo
Shop at the famous Tsukiji Outer Market. Explore the Asakusa district and Sensoji, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Visit the remarkable Tokyo Sky Tree. Spend the evening on a delightful dinner cruise.
3. Takayama
Take the bullet train to Takayama, located in the beautiful Japanese Alps. Explore the Hida Folk Village outdoor museum, and discover the impressive techniques used to build local farmhouses. Spend the night in a traditional Japanese inn. Your dinner will be a delightful selection of regional Takayama delicacies.
4. Takayama
Browse around the morning markets. Enjoy a visit to the local brewery where you’ll sample and learn about the Japanese sake-making process. Return to Takayama and sample more of the town's dining delights.
5. Kanazawa
Take the scenic train along Japan's northern coastline to Kanazawa. Head out with a guide on an orientation walk, where you’ll find a 17th-century Kenroku-en – a highly intricate Japanese garden. Visit the Chaya-Gai district and watch a traditional geisha dance and musical performance. In the evening, join your guide for dinner to sample the delectable regional food found in Kanazawa.
6. Osaka
Head to Omicho Market with almost 200 stalls to get lost in. Hop on an express train and make the journey to Osaka. Discover sprawling shopping hubs and tiny back streets full of restaurants and bars serving up local delicacies as well as street food stalls. Take a walk through Osaka’s “must-visit” Dōtonbori district to sample some amazing street food as you stroll along its neon-lit waterways.
7. Koyasan
Take the train to Mt. Koya and visit Okunoin cemetery. Enjoy an introduction to shojin ryori, or monastic cuisine, prepared by local monks. Your unique accommodation tonight is in one of the temples.
8. Kyoto
Travel to Kyoto via Osaka. On arrival, your guide will get you acquainted with the beautiful city on an orientation walk. Explore the narrow streets of Kyoto's charming Gion district. Enjoy a dinner sampling some of Kyoto's trademark cuisine.
9. Kyoto
Master the art of preparing authentic Japanese dishes. Explore the many UNESCO World Heritage Highlights in Kyoto such as Nijo Castle and Kinkakuji Golden Pavillion. Visit the Geisha district in Gion, for a special authentic tea ceremony in a local Kyoto tea-house.
10. Kyoto
Spend your last day at your own leisure before your transfer to the airport for your flight home.
You can experience this exact 10-day History, Culture and Cuisine tour with our tailor-made trips service. Or use our service to have a local expert take inspiration from this itinerary to create you a personalised version.
You could easily spend a couple of weeks winding your way up Honshū’s northern tip, full of rich heritage and timeless agricultural scenes, before making your way over into the unspoilt, wild landscape of Hokkaido, Japan’s most northernmost island which bursts with natural phenomena and wildlife.
1. Sendai
Stroll the tree-lined streets of the city and take day-trips to the Yamadera temple complex and the scenic bay of Matsushima.
2. Dewa-sanzan
Spend a few days hiking up this extinct volcano along the pilgrims route taken by the Yamabushi ascetic mountain hermits.
3. Tōno Valley
Cycle through the rural landscape of this flat valley and envelop yourself in the mysterious folk tales embedded in the region’s ancient shrines and rock carvings.
4. Aomori
Stop in at Honshū’s northernmost city and take excursions to the eerie landscape of Shimokita Hantō, populated by wandering souls, and Towada-ko, for a hike around a volcanic lake.
5. Noboribetsu Onsen
Explore the smoking, sulphurous volcanic landscape before a relaxing soak back at the inn and the delights of ryokan cuisine.
6. Otaru
Step back in time and marvel at the imposing Meiji-era public buildings and luxurious homes built on the profits of the herring industry.
7. Sapporo
From the ultimate summer evenings to or snow sculptures in February, a visit to Hokkaidō’s bustling capital is a must.
8. Daisetsu-zan National Park
Excellent skiing in winter, cherry blossoms in spring, endless fields of summer flowers or magnificent autumn colours – this national park has it all.
You can experience this exact Tōhoku–Hokkaidō tour with our tailor-made trips service. Or use our service to have a local expert take inspiration from this itinerary to create you a personalised version.
Hitting most of Japan’s main sights, this itinerary loosely follows the old Tōkaidō route that linked Tokyo with Kyoto, then moves further west to within a short ferry ride of the Korean peninsula.
1. Tokyo
Japan’s wonderful capital needs no introduction – the only question is what to do with your time there, which will never be quite enough.
2. Mount Fuji
This emblematic volcanic cone, just west of Tokyo, is climbable through the summer, but visible from the Shinkansen trains all year round.
3. Kyoto
Contrary to the expectations of many visitors, Japan’s vaunted ancient ex-capital is actually a large, modern city, albeit one brimming with compelling historical gems.
4. Nara
Just south of Kyoto, Nara is a far more natural-feeling place – witness the deer merrily grazing around the temples and shrines.
5. Naoshima
Take a detour from the mainland route to this small island, home to swathes of fantastic modern art.
6. Hiroshima
The name of this city is etched quite firmly into the world’s conscience. Dark tourism it may be, but the gutted Hypocenter is a stark reminder of those tragic times.
7. Fukuoka
Way out west, this is perhaps the friendliest city in the land – its characteristic yatai stalls make perfect places in which to bond with ramen-slurping locals over a few glasses of sake.
You can experience this exact Full Monty tour with our tailor-made trips service. Or use our service to have a local expert take inspiration from this itinerary to create you a personalised version.