Highlights of Japan - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Japan, you'll be met by our representative, who will accompany you to your hotel for check-in.

Sample the freshest sushi you'll ever taste today at the Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the world's largest fish markets. Your guide will accompany you through the narrow streets of this traditional neighbourhood and help you order super-fresh sushi from one of the shops by the market. Finish your brunch in a graceful Edo-era garden, where you can taste frothy matcha in its elegant tea house. You'll then take to the Sumida River for a boat cruise to Asakusa, one of the city's oldest Geisha districts, and home to 1,400 year old Senso-ji (‘Asakusa Kannon’) Temple - Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist site. Visit Yanaka, another traditional area, where you'll see one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in Tokyo, with over 4,000 shrinelike graves including those of the Tokugawa clan, who ruled Japan as shoguns throughout the Edo era. The cemetery even has its own police station, and its avenues are lined with cherry trees. If time permits, your guide will introduce you to some interesting temples and shrines. The streets of Yanaka are lined with authentic craft shops, original restaurants and small coffee houses, and the remainder of your day will be at leisure to explore.

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.

Starting early, make your way to Tokyo Station for the two hour train trip along the coast to Hakone. On arrival, check in to your ryokan before enjoying a day at leisure to explore the Geopark. Tonight you’ll stay in traditional Japanese-style ryokan accommodation, complete with tatami mats and onsen baths. Spend the evening relaxing in your yukata (lightweight kimono), and dine on a sumptuous kaiseki multi-course feast. An onsen after dinner is highly recommended before you bed down on your futon.

Ride the bullet train along the coast to Kyoto, where you’ll 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. You’ll get a tour of a beautifully restored wooden townhouse, 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 to a nearby sake brewery for a tasting session, or enjoy a short introduction to origami

Meet your guide for a tour of some Kyoto’s World Heritage Sites. Start with Nijo Castle, an ornamental structure surrounded by stunning gardens, built by the founder of the Edo Shogunate. The main building was completed in 1603 and is known for its distinctive architecture and chirping ‘nightingale’ floors. Continue to Ryoan-ji, the site of Japan's most famous Zen garden, and home to the Myoshinji School of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Visit the picturesque district of Arashiyama, a popular destination since the 8th century (!) thanks to its striking bamboo forest and elegant shrines, taking in Togetsukyo (‘Moon Crossing’) Bridge over Katsura River, and making your way to the bamboo forest path on the west side of the river, where you may well hear the bamboo creaking as it sways in the breeze.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.