13D Discover Japan by Rail

Small group tour 

Journey on the famous bullet train, witness Mount Fuji and wander in the cultural city of Kyoto exploring the renowned Golden Pavillion. Other tour highlights include exploring the 250 years old gassho-zukuri farmhouses in Shirakawago, visiting a traditional Japanese garden in Kanazawa, the deer park in Nara and the “floating” Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima. The tour involves a reasonable amount of walking so a good level of fitness is required for this tour. A 14-Day Japan Rail Pass is included, which will be used to explore to this fascinating country.
 

Day 1 Arrive Tokyo
Arrive at Haneda International Airport or Narita International Airport and make your way through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs to the arrivals area.  Here you will be welcomed by our representative who will be waiting for you holding a sign bearing your name.  You will be directed to your transfer vehicle and transferred to your accommodation by shared shuttle. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 2 Tokyo Tour (BL)
This morning your guide will pick you up from your accommodation (all pick up times will be advised locally). Start the day with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji. Take a walk through the Harajuku district to see modern Japanese culture and fashion. See the famous Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in the world. After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Hamarikyu Garden, located at the mouth of the Sumida River. End the day at the World Trade Centre Observatory, which offers fantastic views of the city including the Tokyo Tower.

Day 3 Mt. Fuji and Hakone Day Tour (BL)
Take the bullet train to Odawara (journey time approx 35 minutes). Upon arrival use your Hakone Free Pass to explore the Hakone area. Enjoy a pleasure boat cruise across peaceful Lake Ashi, enjoying the picturesque and serene natural beauty of the crater lake.  Take the Hakone Ropeway which is a Japanese aerial lift that offers spectacular views of the surrounding areas including Mount Fiji and Ashinoko Lake. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.  Return to Tokyo and your accommodation.  Your main luggage will be transferred overnight from Tokyo to Kyoto. Pack an overnight bag for tonight.

Day 4 Tokyo to Kyoto and Nara (B)
After breakfast meet with an escort assistant to go to JR Tokyo station and you will take a bullet train to Kyoto.   A tour guide will be waiting for you at the bullet train platform at JR Kyoto station and you will take a train onwards to Nara. Visit the Todaji Temple (Great Buddha), followed by the picturesque Nara Park, home to hundreds of freely roaming deer, and the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Take the train to Kyoto and check-in to your accommodation.

Day 5 Kyoto (B)
Today you will have a day tour of Kyoto. Places of interest that you will visit include Nijo Castle which was built in 1603. Continue to the beautiful Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion), a zen temple where the top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Enjoy a visit to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which has a main hall on a steep slope with a wooden platform supported by pillars, from which a panoramic view of Kyoto can be enjoyed. The tour ends in the fascinating Gion District where you have some free time to explore the winding back streets and where you may see Geisha or Maiko as they travel to their evening appointments.

Day 6 Kyoto to Hiroshima and Miyajima (B)
Your main luggage will be transferred from Kyoto to Takayama. Pack a small bag for your stay in Hiroshima and Osaka. After breakfast, depart Kyoto by bullet train and arrive at Hiroshima in 2 hours. On arrival you will be met and transferred to take the ferry to Miyajima. You will visit the Itsukushima Shrine which is situated on Itsukushima Island, popularly known as Miyajima, south-western Hiroshima. It is a scenic sight in which the mountains, sea and red shrine buildings blend in harmony, and the entire island is designated as a historic site.  Return to Hiroshima where you will visit the Peace Memorial Park. Continue to the Genbaku-dome (The Atomic Bomb Dome) which is the symbol of Hiroshima, the city that advocates peace in the world. It is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. While all structures vanished in the atomic bomb explosion, only this building miraculously remained standing.

Day 7 Hiroshima to Osaka (BL)
Transfer to Hiroshima Station on foot to take a bullet train to Osaka. On Arrival, you will be met and taken to visit Osaka Castle.  Your tour ends in the Dotonbori District, one of the most famous areas of Osaka, known for its entertainment and varied restaurants. Here you will enjoy a tasty street food lunch. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 8 Osaka to Takayama (B)
Morning departure by train for Takayama. Visit to Takayama-Jinya, a former government out-post and enjoy a local Sake tasting.  Explore the fascinating Kamisannomachi Street with its narrow streets lined with wooden merchants houses dating from the Edo period.  Check-in to your accommodation.

Day 9 Takayama to Shirakawago to Kanazawa (B)
Travel by local bus to the world heritage listed Shirakawago, famous for the traditional Gassho-zukuri farmhouses which are more than 250 years old. Continue by local bus to Kanazawa and check-in at your accommodation.

Day 10 Kanazawa (B)
This morning visit the traditional Japanese Kenrokuen Garden. Continue to the Gold Leaf Museum in Kanazawa and enjoy a Gold Leaf experience. Finish your tour at Higashi Chaya Street. Overnight in Kanazawa.

Day 11 Kanazawa to Tokyo (B)
This morning an assistant will escort you to Kanazawa station. Travel by bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo.  Upon arrival, meet with an assistant and you will be escorted to your accommodation. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 12 Tokyo (B)
Day at leisure or enjoy some optional tours in Tokyo.

Day 13 Depart (B)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before making your onward journey. (Use your Japan Rail Pass to travel to the airport).