A Grand Tour of Japan

On our Grand Tour of Japan, we'll visit many of the country's famous sites and experience an array of its cultural delights. Discover the futuristic cityscapes of Tokyo alongside the breathtaking natural beauty of Mount Fuji.

Delve into the country's ancient history in Kyoto and reflect on its more sobering recent history in Hiroshima. We'll also venture off the beaten path using trains, cable cars, and the last remaining trolley bus to navigate the mountains of the Japanese Alps. Along the way, we’ll visit many sacred temples, shrines, and statues.

This in-depth tour is for travelers who want more than just to visit Japan; they want to feel like they've lived there.

What's included:

• 14 nights in four-star accommodation
• 17 included experiences
• Return flights & transfers
• Travel on the famous high-speed bullet train
• Daily breakfast, 2 lunches and 1 dinner
• All local taxes
• Expert Riviera Tour Manager looking after you throughout
• 20kg+ checked luggage
• Free Wi-Fi in the hotels

Highlights:

• Discover some of Japan's most breathtaking vistas with visits to the lakes around Mount Fuji and scenic journeys along the Kurobe Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge Railway.
• Explore Japanese cities. Visit the temples, shrines and shopping districts of Tokyo and enjoy guided tours of Nara and Kyoto.
• Reflect on the horrors of war with visits to Hiroshima Peace Park and museum.
• Experience the Japanese culture for yourself with an ancient tea ceremony, a sake tasting in a museum.
• Travel through the Japanese countryside at 189mph in the incomparable high-speed bullet trains.

Day 1: Departure

Let the adventure begin with an overnight flight to Tokyo.

Day 2: Arrival in Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo, check in to our hotel in the heart of the city and relax - you've earned it!

Arriving late afternoon (Tokyo time, of course), we'll transfer to our hotel in the heart of the city and check in.

Day 3: Tokyo

Explore Tokyo with visits to the Meiji Shrine, Omotesando Street, and Akihabara.

We'll start our Japanese adventure in earnest this morning by exploring more of Tokyo, Japan's capital and largest city.

Our first stop is the famous Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. As you enter the outstandingly lush parkland under a massive Torii gate (the first of many we'll see on our tour), the sights and sounds of the busy city are replaced by a tranquil forest. The serene atmosphere is great for a relaxing stroll and quiet reflection - it is also still a working religious site so you might be lucky enough to stumble upon a typical Japanese wedding ceremony. Then we move on to some of the city's most renowned quarters, including Omotesando Street - Tokyo’s answer to Rodeo Drive - full of luxury brand shops.

Then we move on to some of the city's most renowned quarters, including Omotesando Street - Tokyo’s answer to Rodeo Drive - full of luxury brand shops.

And then Akihabara, or Electric Town – it's a sensory treat for lovers of all things electronic.

Day 4: Tokyo

See traditional Tokyo with a visit to the Asakusa district, with a free afternoon to explore.

Today we'll start in Askusa - an area centred around Sensoji Temple, Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) and Nakamise shopping street. You can stroll streets lined with traditional small houses and browse stalls filled with authentic souvenirs and quintessential Japanese goods. It’s a unique insight into the Tokyo of a hundred years ago.

Then we'll hop on a boat down the Sumida River to Ginza, widely recognised as one of the world’s most luxurious shopping destinations. It’s brimming with ultra-modern department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffee houses.

Your afternoon is free to shop, explore, or perhaps indulge in some fascinating people-watching with a traditional cup of green tea. Another option is to head to the Tokyo National Museum, just a few stops away on the metro.

Day 5: Mount Fuji & Hakone

Visit Mount Fuji, stop at Lake Kawaguchi and the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum, then head to Hakone for a cruise on Lake Ashi.

After three days of exploring the capital, we'll escape the hustle and bustle as we drive towards Mount Fuji. Arguably Japan's most instantly recognisable sight, the volcano is fringed by thick forest and a crescent-shaped ring of glass-like lakes.

We'll then visit the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum, an exceptional museum dedicated to the Kimono artist Itchiku Kubota.

The first stop is a well-kept Japanese secret, Lake Kawaguchi. It's relatively unknown to tourists but offers fantastic views that are particularly breathtaking during the cherry blossom season (around mid-April) and the autumn colours (around the first half of November).

Next, we head south to the mountain resort of Hakone and descend to the smooth dark blue waters of Lake Ashi for an unusual sightseeing cruise aboard the Japanese version of a 19th-century pirate ship.

Day 6: Bullet Train to Hiroshima

Travel on Japan's famous Bullet Train to Hiroshima's Peace Park and Museum - a sobering reminder of the horrors of war.

Our day will start with a ride on Japan's iconic bullet train. With reclining seats, plenty of legroom, and air-conditioned comfort, the Shinkansen - also known as the Bullet Train - can reach speeds of up to 189 mph as it passes colourful flower fields, untouched nature tea crops, small towns and great cityscapes.

Arriving at lunchtime, we'll visit Hiroshima’s Peace Park and Museum, displaying the remains of the only building to survive the atomic bomb blast of August 1945.

Day 7: Hiroshima

Visit Miyajima, or ‘Shrine Island’, see its giant Torii gate and spend an afternoon at leisure.

This morning, we'll be on our way to one of the country's most distinctive views on the small island of Itsukushima in Hiroshima Bay, known to the locals as Miyajima, or 'Shrine Island'. It's famous for the giant Torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water, and the Itsukushima Shrine, which - like the Torri gate - is built over the water.

The afternoon will be yours to spend at leisure. You could take a visit to Genbaku Dome, the only structure left standing in the wake of the first atomic bomb, now a UNESCO-protected memorial and a powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind. Or visit Hiroshima Castle - reconstructed after the bomb along with a shrine, some ruins and a few buildings of the Ninomau (second circle of defence) - and climb to the top floor for lovely panoramic views of the surrounding city.

Day 8: Korakuen Gardens

Travel to Kyoto, stopping at one of Japan's most splendid gardens, Korakuen Gardens.

Leaving Hiroshima by coach, we'll head towards the old imperial capital of Kyoto. On the way, we'll stop at Okayama, the setting for the Japanese fairytale of Momotaro (or the Peach Boy).

Day 9: Kyoto and tea ceremony

Tour Japan's most revered city, Kyoto, and take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Visiting Kyoto feels like stepping back in time, showcasing its impressively preserved culture that spans centuries.

First, we'll visit the beautiful Golden Pavilion, which dates back to the classical Muromachi period of Japanese temple design. Perfectly overlooking its lake and garden. It offers a breathtaking view of its surrounding lake and garden. The upper floors are entirely covered in gold leaf, glowing intensely in the morning light.

Our next stop is the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest a captivating maze of walkways lined with towering green bamboo columns. Sunlight filters through this natural fortress, creating an enchanting green hue.

Then we'll visit Nijo Castle, an iconic monument in the heart of Kyoto. Built in the 17th century, it’s famous for its unique wooden floors designed to creak like a nightingale’s song, thus warning its occupants of any impending stealthy attack.

Finally, we take a walking tour through Kyoto’s Gion district. It's the classic image of Japan; streets of wooden houses, the unmistakable sound of wooden sandals reverberating on the pavements, bright, silk-clad geishas, cherry trees and a host of traditional restaurants.

We also experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony that is steeped (pun intended) in history. This ceremonial way of preparing and drinking green tea, typically in a traditional tearoom with a tatami floor, allows guests to enjoy the hospitality of their host in an atmosphere distinctly away from the fast pace of everyday life - it's a fitting end to a busy day exploring Kyoto.

Day 10: Nara

Discover Nara, see the Todai-ji temple and enjoy a sake tasting at a museum.

On our way, we'll stop at the Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto, dedicated to the Shinto god of rice, Inari. Famous for its thousands of vermillion torii gates, which cage a network of trails to form two wooden tunnels up a hillside into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari.

Next is our guided tour of Nara. Established in 710 AD, the city is full of cultural treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples. As you arrive, you'll be greeted by the dozens of tame deer considered for centuries to be messengers of the gods.

Nara is also famous as the birthplace of sake, a drink that has been offered to the gods since ancient times as an essential part of celebrations. With pure water and premium rice, Nara creates some of the best sake in the entire country. To say they’re “experienced brewers” is an understatement - some of the local breweries have been run by the same family for over 350 years. We can't really leave the ancient former capital without visiting the Sake Museum to learn more about this traditional drink and, of course, taste it for ourselves.

Day 11: Free day in Kyoto

Enjoy a free day to explore the many delights of Kyoto.

You’ll be free today to explore and discover the many delights and attractions of Kyoto.

Day 12: Bullet Train to Toyama

Enjoy a morning at leisure in Kyoto, then pack up and take the bullet train to Toyama.

After a morning at leisure in Kyoto, we'll pack up and take the bullet train to Toyama for a three-night stay. The rest of the day will be free time for you to spend as you wish.

Day 13: Kurobe Gorge

Ride through the Kurobe ravine on a scenic rail journey into one of Japan's deepest gorges.

Carpeted by a beautiful forest the Kurobe ravine is one of the deepest gorges in Japan. Today, we'll pass the steep cliffs and untouched forest of this mountainous area on a scenic ride on the Kurobe Gorge Railway.

Back in Toyama this afternoon, you're free to explore as you wish.

Day 14: Kanazawa and Gokayama

Explore Kanazawa with visits Omicho Market, the Higashi Chaya geisha district and Kenrokuen, then head to the UNESCO-listed Gokayama.

This morning, we'll head west to Kanazawa, a city that produces 99% of Japan's gold leaf. You'll find gold leaf everywhere, even in unexpected things like gold leaf-covered ice cream.

We also visit the village of Gokayama, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.

Day 15: Kurobe Alpine Route to Nagano

Enjoy mountain views as we travel via bullet train from Toyama to Nagano along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.

Known as the Roof of Japan, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route was officially opened in 1971 and links Toyama City with Omachi in Nagano. The route takes us on a unique journey through the Northern Japanese Alps and Tateyama Mountain Range, which can only be travelled by a range of different transport methods, trains, busses, cable cars, ropeway and Japan's last remaining trolley bus. The name 'Roof of Japan' comes from the views at the highest altitudes along the route - a knee-trembling 2,450 metres at Murodo Station and 3,015 metres from Mount Tateyamam - from where you can literally look out over the 'un-kai' or 'cloud sea'. Needless to say, you're guaranteed some spectacular views on today's adventure (if the weather cooperates).

Day 16: Return home

Take a short transfer to the airport for our flight home arriving the same day.