Insider's Japan - Absolute Asia Tours

After passing through customs and luggage collection, you're met by an airport guide who will give you your trip documents and direct you to the private car which takes you to your hotel. After checking in, spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Your day is at leisure until late afternoon, when you’ll meet your guide in Tenma district for this evening’s food tour. A lively, unpretentious neighbourhood steeped in history, Tenma is home to Tenjinbashi-suji shopping street which claims to be the longest covered arcade in Japan, stretching more than 2.5 kilometres. The area’s maze of narrow streets and alleys come to life at night when locals flock to dine and relax in the many tiny bars and hole-in-the-wall eateries that open up. Forget Dotonburi - this is the place to get real local soul food, and your guide will show you where to find the classics.

Take the train to Uno, where you’ll board the local ferry to Naoshima. On arrival, the rest of your day will be at leisure to explore your art-focused surroundings.

Your day will be at leisure to explore the art work dotted around the island under your own steam.

Spend the morning taking a final look around before it’s time to catch the ferry back to Uno for your train journey to Kyoto.

After a morning at leisure to explore Kyoto, meet your knowledgeable local guide for a string of hands-on cultural experiences, each carefully designed to introduce all your senses to some of Japan’s most refined and rarified traditions. Your experience will take place in a beautifully restored wooden townhouse, where you’ll spend time learning how to put on and wear a kimono, before - suitably dressed - joining a tea master for a deeper insight into the tea ceremony and the meaning behind its ritual gestures. Afterwards you can either stroll through the local historic neighbourhood, or enjoy a short introduction to origami.

Take a quick train journey out of town to huge Lake Biwa, a UNESCO wetland site which is a crucial habitat for fish and birds. Experience the Japanese agricultural lifestyle as you pedal your electric bike along beautiful lakeside tracks, through ancient villages, and past the rice fields, to meet the people who farm this landscape. After you’ve met the farmers and helped them with a little planting or harvesting, you’ll get the rare opportunity to visit a local Biwan family for a delicious home-grown, home-cooked lunch. Having had your fill of lunch, cycle gently back with a lake breeze to keep you cool, and the impressive Hira mountain range in the background.

Your day will be at leisure to explore Kyoto.

Catch the train to Tokyo, where the rest of your day will be at leisure to begin exploring this incredible city.

Meet your guide and head to the traditional sumo district of Ryogoku, for a fascinating insight into this extraordinary ancient sport. Ryogoku contains most of the city’s 'heya' (sumo stables), where the professional wrestlers live, train and eat, along with the arena used for sumo tournaments. Life in the heya is fairly strict, but not without rewards: yokozuna (grand champions) can earn a basic salary of up to US$17,000 per month. Your morning will be spent at a heya, witnessing the wrestlers at their morning training session. This training culminates in a ‘King of the Castle’ trial, in which the strongest fighter stays in the ring to take on a string of opponents, until he is defeated. As the wrestlers head off for a bath and a protein-rich lunch, you'll take your leave and visit Meiji Jingu, Tokyo’s most famous shrine. When you walk in the tranquil woodland that surrounds the shrine, it's easy to forget that you’re in one of the world’s largest cities! Take a stroll through Yoyogi Park, site of the Tokyo Olympic Village in 1964, pausing to admire Yoyogi National Gymnasium, a world-renowned architectural masterpiece. Nearby, visit Harajuku, the famous meeting place for teenagers in cosplay and eccentric outfits. Its cluster of lively boutiques and cafes are a shopping haven, and if you’re after easily carried souvenirs, it’s a great place to buy interesting socks that you definitely won’t find at home! Stop for coffee in Omotesando, commonly referred to as Tokyo’s Champs-Elysee. This broad, tree-lined avenue features flagship stores designed by internationally renowned architects, alongside many stylish cafes.

Your day will be at leisure to explore Tokyo at your own pace. Alternatively, you can venture beyond Tokyo to explore the popular seaside city of Kamakura or head into the mountains of Nikko National Park.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.