A Taste of Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka

The trip starts today in Tokyo, the most populous metropolitan area in the world, home to more than 26 million people including the Japanese imperial family. The city holds a lot of history as well as modern shopping centres and the neon-illuminated signs it's famous for. Half of the city was rebuilt after being destroyed in the war but there are still many historic temples and gardens that remain and await exploration.

Your Leader plans to meet everyone in the hotel reception at 6.30pm for the welcome meeting. If some of the group are arriving on later flights then the main introductory briefing will be conducted on the morning of day 2 with everybody present. Afterwards there is the option to head out for dinner at a nearby local restaurant where you will have the chance to sample various types of 'izakaya' style Japanese cuisine. There are no other activities planned today. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) or Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). The city centre is around an hour away from Haneda Airport and an hour-and-a-half from Narita. You will be met in the Arrivals Hall at Tokyo Airport, and transferred to the start hotel by public shuttle bus or private vehicle. The shuttle bus may stop at other hotels, before dropping you at the joining hotel.

This morning we start our exploration of this thriving metropolis on foot and by use of the super-efficient metro system. Firstly, we visit Tsukiji Outer Market, one of the biggest and busiest fish markets in Japan where freshly caught fish and seafood are on display. The inner market, famous for its tuna auctions, was moved in 2018 and is no longer open to tourists. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle, we visit the beautiful Hamarikyu gardens with a backdrop of skyscrapers for our first introduction to a traditional Japanese garden. A sushi lunch is included today so you can sample some of the delicious fresh seafood and learn all about what makes great sushi.

After lunch we will take a stroll through Kappabashi Street. Known locally as Kitchen Town, the shops here have been selling everything a professional or home cook could dream of for nearly a century - great for souvenirs. Aside from artisan pottery, high quality knives and ornate chopsticks you can also see sampuru or plastic models of food that have become popular to display in front of most Japanese restaurants.

At a convenient time in the day we will get our Japan Rail Passes validated in a nearby station. Please note that for late bookings, and people who have not provided their passport copy in time as requested, it will not be possible to issue a Japan Rail Pass and you will be provided with individual train tickets for the included journeys instead.

Finally, in the centre of historic Asakusa, one of downtown Tokyo's low-rise central districts, we visit Nakamise Shopping Street for a dessert street food tour where you can see and try local street food such as Senbei (Japanese rice crackers, usually savoury but sometimes sweet), ningyoyaki (sweet baked doll shapes filled with sweet red bean paste) or age manju (bun filled with same paste then battered and deep-fried).

The rest of the afternoon is left free from about 4pm. We suggest a visit to one of Tokyo's oldest temples - Senso-ji - originally built in the 7th century. Tokyo has endless fine dining options including the most Michelin star eateries in the world so we have left tonight and tomorrow evening free for those wishing to visit a restaurant of their choice.

We start our second day in the capital with a visit to Meiji Jingu, an important Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of the first Emperor and Empress of modern Japan at the end of Japan's feudal era. Its forested grounds offer a peaceful haven in this densely built-up city. For lunch we are going to try okonomiyaki, a delicious savoury pancake that translates literally as \ griddled as you like\ . There are regional variations and it is a cooked on a teppan or hot plate, combining a batter with cabbage and meat, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and pickled ginger. With expert instruction, you get to cook on your own teppan at the table.

The Harajuku area and in particular, Takeshita Street, is the beating heart of Japanese youth fashion culture. Apart from shopping, the streets are lined with unique cafes, restaurants and bars and we have included dessert from one of the side street food carts. Take your pick from Japanese-style crepes, giant cotton candy or cute character-shaped ice-cream. The late afternoon and evening are at your leisure and options include a visit to the Yebisu Beer Museum.

Say sayonara to Tokyo as we travel by fast train to historic Takayama, a town in the mountainous Hida region. The train journey will last 4-5 hours, firstly on the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagoya followed by a regional train to Takayama. It is a great chance to buy an Ekiben for the journey - a beautifully curated bento box meal especially for the train, often made from local food specialties and a real taste of Japanese culture.

The preserved old town of Takayama retains an authentic, traditional feel like few others in Japan. During feudal times the city was a source of highly-skilled carpenters and therefore controlled directly by the shogun, leading to a thriving and prosperous trading community. The narrow streets of the Sanmachi Suji district are lined with dark wooden merchants' houses, many of which are 300 to 400 years old. In the afternoon we plan to visit the fascinating Hida No Sato thatched roof village on the outskirts of town. This open-air museum is made of original houses from the Edo period (1603 to 1867), where you can gain an insight into the rural life of the region during this period.

This evening is spent in a family run minshuku. A type of ryokan usually found in the countryside, they offer a very traditional Japanese experience, sleeping in twin rooms with tatami mats and futon beds, with shared bathroom facilities. A traditional Japanese dinner is cooked and served by the host family. The region's pure mountain water and cold winters make ideal conditions for making sake and you may like to try some from one of the traditional local sake distilleries.

Our main luggage will be sent on to Kanazawa today, as we travel light and make do with an overnight bag for tonight.

This morning we explore the old town of Takayama and at the morning market you will be able to try the famous and delicious Hida beef. Made from a breed of Japanese black cattle reared in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, this prized local product is known for high quality fat marbling, tender texture and delicious flavour. You can try a BBQ skewer and nigari sushi style, with lightly seared beef sitting on a small bed of rice.

Late morning we catch the highway public bus through the remote countryside of the Shogawa River Valley to the historic village of Shirakawago. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, we will find a number of beautifully preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses. With their steep thatched roofs, constructed to resemble the praying hands of Buddhist monks, some of these houses are over 250 years old. Developed over many generations and designed to withstand the heavy falls of snow that regularly envelope the region in winter, these roofs are constructed without nails and the large attics were traditionally used to cultivate silkworms. In the late afternoon we travel by public bus (2hrs) onwards to Kanazawa, a city that rivalled Kyoto and Tokyo in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was home to the powerful Maeda samurai clan.

As the town was not targeted during World War II, much of Kanazawa consists of old buildings and gives a sense of what Japan was like in the 19th century. This morning we visit Kenrokuen Garden, designated as one of Japan's three most beautiful gardens. Taking nearly two centuries to complete and translating from their original Japanese as the 'Garden of the Six Sublimities', Kenrouken was begun by the Maedas in 1632 and covers over 11 hectares of land on the outskirts of Kanazawa Castle.

Our next stop will be to try our hands at making wagashi, a traditional Japanese confectionery made of red bean paste and mochi rice dough. The dough gets moulded into shapes that symbolize Japanese items or the four seasons and they are usually served with green tea. For lunch we will try temaki, a type of sushi wrapped in toasted seaweed and formed into a cone, and you can choose your ingredients that combine with the rice.

The rest of the day is at leisure and we recommend a stroll in Higashichaya district, one of the country's best-preserved geisha districts, with stunningly elegant buildings dating back to the Edo period. The surviving geisha establishments remain off limits to tourists. You can wander around the atmospheric samurai district with its narrow lanes and earthen walls, learning about how the legendary warrior class lived. Another highlight is the Myoryuji Temple, commonly known as the 'Ninja Temple' due to its ingenious defensive devices which include secret rooms, hidden tunnels, traps, and a labyrinth of corridors and staircases.

First thing this morning we wander around the colourful stalls of Omicho market, where some of the best seafood in Japan is brought daily from the Sea of Japan. Sending our main luggage on to the accommodation makes for a relaxing journey by train (over 2 hours) to Kyoto - the cradle of all things uniquely Japanese. This imperial capital was at the heart of events that shaped Japan's destiny for more than 1000 years. As the only major Japanese city to remain unscathed by World War II bombings, signs of the past are in its grand temples and palaces, as well as in the many quaint shops selling traditional wares.

Kyoto is regarded as Japan's loveliest city, with more than 2000 temples and shrines, many set in manicured landscaped gardens. We will start with a visit to Nijo Castle. Built in 1603 as a Shogun palace, it is a great example of the sumptuous setting in which the Shogun would have held audiences with his samurai warriors. The grounds and gates are impressive but the real highlights are the nightingale floors and the extensive gardens. Later this afternoon, we head to the famous geisha district of Gion. Here, we hope to catch a glimpse of these enigmatic entertainers as they scuttle to work in the teahouses or high-class restaurants.

Enjoy free time before an izakaya dinner. These casual drinking establishments are one of the most common restaurant types in Japan, with a lively, relaxed atmosphere similar to tapas bars, customers order a variety of small dishes that can be shared at the table, with a wide variety of Japanese and sometimes international dishes.

Start the day with a short train ride to Uji, famous for growing the highest quality of green tea, whose finest leaves milled into a fine powder and used for matcha. We will visit Byodoin Temple, a striking example of Buddhist Pure Land architecture, that features on the ten yen coin. After trying some matcha sweets and ice cream we return to Kyoto.

This afternoon we visit Higashiyama district, one of the city's best-preserved historic districts and take part in a private tea ceremony. A tradition steeped in history with deep roots in Zen, it is a traditional method of preparing and drinking matcha green tea by following a precise ritual, typically in a tearoom with tatami floor. You will also be guided on the process of making your own tea by the master. At the end of the day we drink in a breathtaking view over Kyoto from Kiyomizudera Temple. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Getting around Kyoto is easy and there is a lot you can explore this morning. Nishiki Market is an important market for locals and tourists alike, you will find all sorts of pickles, snacks, and typical Kyoto dishes. This afternoon we visit the entrance to Fushimi Inari Shrine, the most important of thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari - the Shinto god of rice - famous for its endless vermilion torri gates that feature in the film 'Memoirs of a Geisha'.

Next we stop is at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum where we learn all about this alcoholic fermented rice drink, try different varieties of sake to appreciate the difference in flavour, aroma and taste. Dinner tonight is a Teppanyaki, a post-war style of Japanese cuisine where the chef cooks in front of guests on a hot plate or teppan, and the entertainment is as much watching the skilled chef as enjoying the delicious food.

We leave Kyoto this morning and take the train a short distance to our final destination of the holiday, the large metropolis of Osaka. Known by many as the food capital of Japan, Osaka is ultra-modern, bright, vivacious and friendly. We will travel with our luggage this time and drop it off directly at our hotel on arrival. We start exploring Osaka with a visit to the quirky Instant Ramen Museum, where visitors can have a go at creating their own cup noodle!

After lunch we visit Osaka castle, a 1930s reconstruction of the 16th century castle tower, with great views of the surrounding park and city beyond. The rest of the afternoon is left free and we recommend exploring the Namba area, one of Osaka's most vibrant and interesting districts where kilometres of covered arcades criss-crossed by canals and rivers, open up to back streets filled with history and small shops. This evening we will take you on a street food tour through Shinsekai district for dinner where you will be able to try local dishes including local favourites kushikatsu (deep fried skewers) and takoyaki (octopus and dashi mixed in batter and fried).

Our first visit today is to Namba Yasaka shrine, an atypical Shinto shrine featuring a ritualistic performance stage in the shape of a lion's head. Next stop is the world-famous Dotonburi area where you can see towering neon signs, unofficial mascot the Glico Man and endless shops and restaurants. We then take a trip up the impressive Umeda Sky Building for unobstructed 360-degree views of the whole city.

Left free for lunch and the afternoon there is plenty to explore. We meet later this evening for our farewell dinner. Shabu-shabu is Japanese hot pot with thinly sliced meat and vegetables cooked in a broth and served with dipping sauces. Inspired from mainland Asia in the 20th century, the name is onomatopoeic derived from the 'swish swish\ sound when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Osaka. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel, so you can head out for some last minute shopping or sightseeing.

Transfers to the airport will be by train, your leader will provide tickets locally and advise on the best train time to meet your flight. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Kansai International Airport (KIX) which is approximately 2 hours away, or Osaka International Airport (ITM) which takes around an hour.