Timeless Japan Cultural Capitals

A warm konnichiwa to Japan! After you glide through customs, a shared shuttle will escort you to your hotel in Tokyo.

Use the rest of the day to adjust your pace, perhaps sip matcha, get lost in a konbini, or simply gaze at the skyline. 

In the afternoon, your tour details will be shared at the hotel. Tokyo, restless and reverent, is waiting. Stay tonight at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel.

Begin your morning with a five-hour guided tour that uncovers Tokyo’s paradox, sacred stillness beside electric rush. At Zojoji Temple, spot Jizo statues guarding little souls, with the Tokyo Tower rising boldly behind.

Cross the iconic Shibuya scramble, pay respects at Meiji Shrine, and view the Imperial Palace's serene gardens. Drive past Akihabara's electric glow and Sumo’s revered arena en route to Sensoji Temple and Nakamise Street. 

After a local lunch, return to the hotel for a breather. At 6:30 p.m., your guide whisks you via metro to Shinjuku, where you’ll stroll vibrant alleys and enjoy dinner at a local spot before heading back.

After breakfast, board the shinkansen for a smooth four-hour, 800-kilometre ride to Hiroshima. Here, history holds you still, walk through the Peace Memorial Park, reflect at the Atomic Bomb Dome, and absorb stories at the haunting Peace Memorial Museum.

Then take a ferry to Itsukushima Island, where a sea-bound shrine greets the sky. Explore the charming island center and enjoy lunch before returning to Hiroshima. 

This evening, dinner is included and rest awaits at the Candeo Hatchobori.

Sail to Shikoku this morning, embracing Japan’s island soul. In Matsuyama, ride a cable car to its proud hilltop castle, then wander the ancient precincts of Ishiteji Temple, one of Shikoku’s famed pilgrimage stops.

After a satisfying lunch, you’ll enter the revered Dogo Onsen bathhouse, timber-framed and centuries old, for a deep, warming soak. Tonight, sleep well in Matsuyama.

Today begins in Kotohira, where 785 steps lead to a sailor’s shrine perched on Mount Zosu. Pause for breath, and perhaps a prayer, before continuing to Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, a landscaped masterpiece of ponds, bridges, and pines.

After lunch, cross the Naruto Bridge with its glass floor and whirlpools below. Your journey continues across island-dotted seas before arriving in Kobe for the night.

This morning, we visit Kobe’s Earthquake Memorial Museum after breakfast, an homage to resilience and rebirth. Then via Osaka, ascend to Mount Koya, Japan’s monastic heartland.

Among 120 temples, visit the revered Okuno Mausoleum and moss-draped Kongobuji Temple. Tonight, stay in a Buddhist monastery.

A vegetarian dinner is served before you’re invited to a Zen meditation session. Monastery-style rooms are simple, traditional, and shared in spirit.

Wake early for temple breakfast, and if you choose, attend the monks’ morning ceremony. Then it’s on to Kyoto, former imperial capital and cultural jewel.

Today’s journey touches icons-the vermillion path of Fushimi Inari Shrine, the regal grounds of the Imperial Palace, and the golden brilliance of Kinkaku-ji. 

After some free time, stroll the lantern-lit streets of Gion, where geisha culture lives quietly on.

Depart for the Edo-period town of Tsumago, its wooden houses and quiet alleys inviting you to slow down.

After lunch and exploration, travel to Matsumoto to see “The Crow,” a striking 16th-century black-walled castle. 

There's time to wander this spirited town before continuing to Nagano, where you’ll rest for the night amid alpine air.

In Nagano, visit Zenko-ji Temple and receive blessings in a sacred Gomakuyo ritual. Then into the Alps you go, visiting the steaming cliffs of Jigokudani Monkey Park—home to bathing macaques.

After lunch and forested walks, ascend through volcanic terrain to Kusatsu, where steam spirals from public springs.

End in Ikaho, famed for its stone-step streets, where you’ll stay in a traditional ryokan and enjoy a full Japanese dinner.

Today brings Nikko, where ornate shrines and wooded paths beckon.

Visit Toshogu Temple, famed for its “Crying Dragon” room, and the solemn Taiyuinbyo Mausoleum. Walk beside silent stone Jizo along the Kanmangafuchi Abyss. 

After exploring the town, return to Tokyo by evening, your cultural loop is now complete.

After breakfast, your tour concludes with a private transfer to the airport. You leave with stories etched in memory, from neon to nature, shrines to skylines.

Great journeys never end. They aspire to inspire the next. Until next time. Expertly yours.