Ultimate Japan
Overview
Highlights
- Soar high above Lake Ashi and (on a clear day) get a glimpse of glorious Mt Fuji on a ride on the Hakone ropeway.
- Visit the Peace Parks in Nagasaki and Hiroshima for moving insights into the devastation of the atomic bombs dropped during the war. Learn the sobering history of these places – an important part of Japan’s past.
- Stay in a countryside homestay, taking you off the beaten track to experience excellent Japanese hospitality. Feast on home-cooked meals over fascinating conversations with your welcoming hosts and learn about rural life in Japan.
- Watch the steam coming out of the ‘hells’ (hot spring pools in Jigoku) of Beppu and enjoy a soak in a Michelin star onsen, followed by a unique experience for dinner – you’ll cook and steam your food right in the hot spring steam, said to be rich with healthy minerals!
- Take in the stunning view of the five peaks of Mount Aso from the Daikanbo Observatory, then a light hike on the moon-like terrain to the largest crater of Nakadake before hopping in a rowboat to paddle through the deep gorge of Takachiho
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Nikko - Toshogu Shrine
- Hakone - public onsen
- Hakone - Cable car/Ropeway
- Hakone - Lake Ashinoko boat cruise
- Takayama - Hida Folk Village
- Takayama - Market visit
- Takayama - Sake brewery tasting
- Hiroshima - Peace Park & A - Bomb Dome
- Hiroshima - Peace Museum
- Hiroshima - Miyajima Island
- Himeji - Himeji Castle
- Kyoto - Temple/Shrine entrance (2)
- Kyoto - Gion District walk
- Takamatsu - Ritsurin Garden & Sanuki Folkcraft Museum
- Takamatsu - Naoshima day trip (ferry, public bus & bicycle)
- Matsuyama - Matsuyama Castle
- Usuki - Local Sake brewery visit and tasting
- Usuki - Japanese home-cooking experience
- Beppu - 'Hells' of Beppu (Jigoku)
- Beppu - local onsen
- Beppu - Steamed dinner (Beppu style)
- Mount Aso - Ogi Rice terraces
- Mount Aso - Daikanbo Observatory
- Mount Aso - Nakadake Crater
- Mount Aso - Sunasenri trail hike
- Takachiho - Takachiho gorge rowing boat ride
- Takachiho - Takachiho Shrine
- Arita - Tonbai Wall Alleys walking tour
- Arita - Tozan Shrine
- Nagasaki - Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum
Itinerary
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 ...
Enjoy a free morning in Tokyo. Mid afternoon, 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. Enjoy shopping for snacks or bento box at the train station or simpl...
You have a full day to explore Nikko today, an ancient town overflowing with beautiful shrines and temples. A number of shrines here are World Heritage Sites and the town is surrounded with lush mountainous nature. You'll visit Toshugu Shrine, a resting place of a Tok...
Leaving Nikko, you'll have a long travel day today to our next destination - Hakone. Travel by local train followed by two shikansen bullet trains and finally a bus. Phew! Total travel time can vary depending on the connections, but we will usually arrive by mid after...
This morning, hop on a boat across Ashinoko Lake and then tride 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 condi...
Travel by a local train first then a shikansen towards Takayama in alpine Gifu Prefecture today. You’ll reach speeds of 270 kilometres per hour and it will take around 4 hours to get there in total. Takayama is a charming Edo period town located in the Japanese alps, ...
Enjoy a typical local breakfast this morning at the ryokan before our visit to the morning market. Gifu prefecture is known to produce many fine high-altitude vegetables, and these markets have been held for over 600 years. Browse the stalls of seasonal vegetables bro...
Time to leave Takayama and travel by express train and shinkansen (approximately 5 hours) to Hiroshima. Depending on arrival times, we will either visit Hiroshima’s Peace Park this afternoon or tomorrow morning. The Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and Peace Memorial Museum stan...
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 you...
Leave Hiroshima today and head to Japan’s most impressive samurai castle at Himeji by shinkansen (approximately 1 hour). 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...
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. Your tour leader will take you to visit two of the best temples this morning. Afterwards, it's your free time...
This morning, say goodbye to the members of your group who are leaving and hop on a train to Osaka – the ever-vibrant unofficial culinary capital, whose motto is 'Kuidaore' (eat until you drop). When you arrive, you’ll have free time to wander the trendy streets or pi...
Depart Osaka this morning and begin the journey west. Take the train across the bridge spanning the stunning Inland Sea and onto Takamatsu. This may be the largest city on the island of Shikoku (the smallest of Japan’s four main islands), but it's a beautifully unpret...
Take the ferry this morning for a daytrip to the island of Naoshima, in the Inland Sea between Takamatsu and the mainland – famous worldwide for its modern art galleries, museums, avant-garde architecture and lovely natural setting. Explore the island by public bus or...
This morning, take the train and head west to Matsuyama – one of Japan’s least discovered prefectures coined ‘the citrus state’ by the locals. When you arrive and have maybe picked up a mikan (mandarin) or two, visit the hill-top Matsuyama Castle with your group. This...
Get ready for a bit of a travel day today. Jump on a train and then ferry for Usuki, on Kyushu Island – the third largest of Japan’s four main islands. When you arrive around midday and get on a public bus to the village. You’ll visit the local sake brewery, where you...
Say goodbye to your hosts after a traditional home-cooked breakfast together. Then, head to Beppu, famous for its variety of hot springs and onsens in Kyushu. Enjoy a lunch that is special to Beppu. This specialty restaurant offers a unique dining experience where you...
Today is all about chasing stunning views! Hop in your private transfer this morning and head to Mt Aso, stopping at Ogi Rice Terrace along the way. Soak up the scenic landscape of Ogi, which locate between Mt. Aso and Kuju Mountains Range. When you’ve snapped some ph...
This morning after breakfast, you’ll head out and visit the stunning Takachiho Gorge – a narrow chasm cut through the rock by the Gokase River. This gorgeous spot has sheer cliffs of volcanic basalt columns, which the locals say represent the scales of a dragon. Here,...
This morning, say goodbye to your scenic guesthouse and hop back on the train to the porcelain town of Arita – porcelain in Japan was first produced here and this small town is known nationwide for its pottery, known as Arita-yaki. Embark on a walking tour to see the ...
Wake up in Nagasaki this morning – the coastal city set on a natural harbour, with the surrounding hills providing gorgeous viewpoints over the scenic hub. Visit the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum for a sobering reminder of what happened on that dreadful day – the ...
Say goodbye to Kyushu and jump on the shinkansen back to Osaka. When you arrive this afternoon, soak up some free time to relax or explore. Tonight, why not head out for dinner and drinks with your leader and fellow travellers, to celebrate an amazing trip in southern Japan?
With no further activities planned, your trip comes to an end this morning. That doesn’t mean your time in Japan has to end! There is plenty to do and explore in Osaka, so if you’d like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
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Finish point
- Hearton Hotel Nishi Umeda
- 3-3-55 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi
- Osaka
- JAPAN
Alternate Finish point
- For trips departing on the following dates, use this finish point.
- 02 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250302), 09 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250309), 13 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250313), 16 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250316), 20 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250320), 23 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250323), 25 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250325), 27 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250327), 30 Mar 2025 (CJSTC250330), 07 May 2025 (CJSTC250507), 11 May 2025 (CJSTC250511), 18 May 2025 (CJSTC250518), 01 Jun 2025 (CJSTC250601), 15 Jun 2025 (CJSTC250615), 01 Jul 2025 (CJSTC250701), 17 Jul 2025 (CJSTC250717), 27 Jul 2025 (CJSTC250727), 10 Aug 2025 (CJSTC250810), 24 Aug 2025 (CJSTC250824), 31 Aug 2025 (CJSTC250831), 07 Sep 2025 (CJSTC250907), 14 Sep 2025 (CJSTC250914), 21 Sep 2025 (CJSTC250921), 28 Sep 2025 (CJSTC250928), 02 Oct 2025 (CJSTC251002), 09 Oct 2025 (CJSTC251009), 19 Oct 2025 (CJSTC251019), 26 Oct 2025 (CJSTC251026), 02 Nov 2025 (CJSTC251102), 16 Nov 2025 (CJSTC251116)
- The Bridge Hotel Shinsaibashi
- 1-10-24, Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi 大阪府大阪市中央区西心斎橋1-10-24
- Osaka
- Osaka
- 542-0086
- JAPAN
- Phone: +81 649636501
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