Euroventure
Japan Group Tour
13 daysfrom $2,536
Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour
Jewels of Japan by Rail
By deluxe motorcoach, train and ferry, spend 12 days exploring the "Land of the Rising Sun" from Tokyo to Miyajima.
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: Tokyo
Arrival in the world's largest metropolis
Arrive in Tokyo and transfer independently to the four-star hotel in Shinjuku. Optional visit to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building's observatory deck. Welcome drink and dinner this evening on the hotel restaurant's 45th floor.
- Day 2overnight: Tokyo
Exploring Tokyo with an expert guide
Meet the English-speaking guide who remains with the group throughout. Coach tour of Tokyo: Harajuku's Meiji-Jingu shrine (1920), the Shibuya crossing, and the 7th-century Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa. Rest of the day free.
- Day 3railovernight: Hakone
A spectacular journey to lakeside Hakone
Walk to Shinjuku station and board the Shonan Express to Odawara, then the Hakone Ropeway cable car (20 minutes) with views of Mount Fuji and Mount Hakone's hot springs. Cruise across Lake Ashi to the lakeside hotel.
- Day 4overnight: Matsumoto
Iconic views of Mount Fuji, Japan's national emblem
Coach to Mount Fuji Fifth Station (weather permitting) and the World Heritage Centre. Afternoon at Oishi Park beside Lake Kawaguchi. Continue into the mountains to Matsumoto.
- Day 5overnight: Nagoya
Miso tasting and Matsumoto's historic 'black castle'
Guided miso factory tour and tasting, then Matsumoto Castle ('Crow Castle', built in the 1500s). Continue through the Kiso Valley, stopping at the Edo-period towns of Tsumago and Magome, to Nagoya.
- Day 6railovernight: Hiroshima
Himeji Castle and the bullet train to Hiroshima
Train to Himeji to view its UNESCO-listed castle (Japan's largest) and the Koko-en garden. First Shinkansen bullet train journey, reaching speeds up to 186mph, to Hiroshima. Free evening to dine independently.
- Day 7railovernight: Hiroshima
Serene Miyajima and its sacred temples
Local train and boat to Miyajima (Itsukushima, 'Island of the Gods'). Walking tour including Itsukushima Shrine and the Great Torii Gate (12th century). Return to Hiroshima; evening at leisure.
- Day 8railovernight: Kyoto
Discovering Hiroshima's poignant sites
Tour of the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum. Bullet train to Kyoto; walking tour of the Gion district, a Gion Corner Theatre performance, and dinner in lantern-lit Ponto-cho Alley.
- Day 9overnight: Kyoto
The charming traditions of Kyoto
Half-day tour: the Sagano Bamboo Forest and Kinkakuji Temple (the 'Golden Pavilion', 1397), followed by a zen tea ceremony. Visit Nishiki market; rest of the day free.
- Day 10overnight: Kyoto
Exploring Nara, Japan's first capital
Walking tour of Nara (capital 710-794 AD) with an English-speaking guide, including Todaji Temple's Great Buddha (Daibutsu, 752 AD) and the deer park. Stop at a traditional sake brewery on the way back to Kyoto.
- Day 11overnight: Osaka
A Japanese tea ceremony and Osaka's floating garden
Japanese tea ceremony before leaving Kyoto. Coach to Osaka for a guided tour including the Floating Garden Observatory atop the Umeda Sky Building and the neon-lit Dotonbori district. Dinner tonight.
- Day 12
Traveling home
Tour concludes after breakfast; check out and make your own way to Osaka airport for your flight home.
Included
- Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
- 11 nights' 4 & 5-Star hotel accommodation
- Standard Class rail travel on local rail networks
- All rail, cruise, ferry and coach travel throughout the tour
- Breakfast each day, 4 dinners
- Group luggage transfers between hotels from Tokyo to Hakone, Nagoya to Kyoto
- All guided tours and excursions
Not included
- Cancellation & Travel Insurance (not included but can be arranged)
- Flights and airport transfers
