11-Nights Active Japan: Ancient Trails, Onsens & Traditions from $5,888

Itinerary Details

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo

Transfer: Tokyo Haneda Aptto Tokyo - Station

Hotel: Shiba Park Hotel (3 Star Rating)

Welcome to the best in Japanese hospitality, the Shiba Park Hotel. It is the tradition of this hotel to serve the local and overseas guests alike, with their well-trained, friendly and helpful staff. They offer many services regardless of whether you are travelling on business or pleasure.

This is the perfect introduction tour to Tokyo. Travel around Tokyo using the city's sophisticated and efficient subway and train lines together with your private guide visiting some of Tokyo's main sites. Start the day with a visit to Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple. After visiting the temple grounds, take time to stroll along Nakamise shopping street to look for souvenirs. Then continue to Tsukiji Outer fish market (many shops are closed on Sundays and on some Wednesdays). Along the market streets you will find different types of food stalls selling fish, seafood, vegetables, fruit, dried goods, as well as kitchenware shops. Stroll through the market with your guide and choose to sample food from the food stalls or visit one of the small restaurants for lunch (hint hint...this is the place to try the freshest sushi and sashimi so we recommend you go to a restaurant). After lunch, hop back on the train to travel across the city to Shibuya Crossing, the largest pedestrian crossing in the world. This will be a short visit to walk across the busy crossing, see the neon signs and cross it off the bucket list. While there you will also visit Hachiko Square. Then take a short train ride to Meiji Shrine. Meiji Shrine is a Shinto Shrine surrounded by Meiji Jingu forest and it will suddenly feel like you are no longer in metropolitan Tokyo. Walk through the peaceful shrine grounds and if you are lucky, you may see a Shinto priest. After visiting the shrine, your guide will either say goodbye so you can continue exploring the area or escort you back to your hotel.

This morning, a guide will meet you at your hotel and take you to a "sumo beya" or sumo stable. Here, you will have a peek behind the scenes at the world of sumo beya. All rikishi (wrestlers) belong to heyas, or sumo stables, where they live, train and eat. You will be able to visit one of these heyas to get up close and personal with these giant men and watch their asa geiko (morning training).

The day begins in the early morning when the lowest-ranked men wake up and put in some practice before going about their assigned duties, which include cleaning the building and preparing the food for the main meal of the day. Higher ranked sekitori appear at a more reasonable hour, and they begin a practice session that runs from about 7 am until about 10 am.

After several hours of warm-up and technique practice, the wrestlers play an exciting "King of the Castle" game where one wrestler stays in the ring fighting bouts without any rest until he is defeated.

As the end time for training is in flux, the tour disbands at the stable. You will need to make your own onward arrangements.

Meet your tour group and begin the tour with a bullet train journey from Tokyo Station to Mishima Station. Upon arrival at Mishima Station, transfer to the Hokusai Special Train to Fujinomiya Station and enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Fuji. The train is named after Katsushika Hokusai, who was famous for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints, including The Great Wave off Kanagawa, perhaps his most iconic work. Enjoy photo stops and slow driving at spots depicted in his prints and an onboard talk will introduce his life and artistic legacy. Then visit the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre in Shizuoka to gain a deeper understanding of Mt. Fuji's rich history, spiritual significance, and cultural importance through engaging exhibits and displays. Continue to Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, the spiritual heart of Mt. Fuji worship. As the head shrine of all Sengen shrines across Japan, it has long been revered for its role in appeasing Mt. Fuji's eruptions. Next, visit Shiraito Falls and Otodome Falls, where crystal-clear snowmelt from Mt. Fuji cascades into two strikingly different yet equally captivating waterfalls. After lunch, visit a farm that cultivates Japan's world-renowned wasabi, enjoy a hands-on experience grating and tasting Mazuma wasabi, regarded as the finest variety in Japan. The tour ends on arrival at Mishima Station.

Hotel: Fujisan Mishima Tokyu Hotel (3 Star Rating)

Fujisan Mishima Tokyu Hotel is a stylish hotel located near Mishima Station, offering modern rooms with comfortable bedding, free Wi-Fi, and breathtaking views of Mount Fuji. The hotel features a rooftop open-air bath, a fitness center, and convenient access to the Shinkansen, making it an excellent base for exploring the Fuji region and nearby attractions.

Today is free for you to explore Shuzenji Onsen at your own pace. This charming hot spring town in Naka-Izu is celebrated as the oldest onsen village on the Izu Peninsula and offers a serene atmosphere steeped in history. Begin your visit at Shuzenji Temple, an important Buddhist site founded more than a millennium ago, then wander through the nearby Bamboo Grove, a peaceful walking path lined with tall, whispering bamboo that creates one of the most picturesque spots in town. Continue your stroll to the iconic red Togetsukyo Bridge and onward to Hie Shrine, set amid towering cedar trees. Before moving on, take a moment to relax with a soothing foot bath at Tokko-no-Yu, the historic hot spring is believed to have been discovered by Kobo Daishi, a Japanese Buddhist monk, scholar, poet and calligrapher who founded one of Japan's major Buddhist schools.

You can also spend time browsing traditional shops offering handmade crafts, regional treats, and locally produced sweets. The town is dotted with charming cafes and inviting restaurants.

Shizuoka City is known as "the capital of Japanese tea production". Today, you will explore the charm of Shizuoka's green tea fields by bicycle.

Make your way independently to JR Shizuoka Station (on foot, by train or taxi depending on your hotel and preference) where you will meet your English-speaking guide. You will be equipped with a fashionable hybrid bike and helmet to begin your adventure.

Start by cycling for approximately 1 hour to one of the beautiful green tea farms in the countryside of Shizuoka City along the clear streams of Abekawa River. Along the way, you can take in the panoramic views of green tea fields. You will be welcomed by a local family who has run the tea farm from generation to generation. Inside a 150-year old farmhouse enjoy several kinds of tea tasting made from the same tea leaves (green tea, oolong tea, roasted tea, black tea). This tasting experience always surprises guests because no one can imagine one kind of tea leaves can produce such different tastes and rich flavors. Local farmers share with you their knowledge of Shizuoka's tea farming methods which include "how to grow, how to harvest, how to process and how to ship". They are also happy to answer any questions you may have.

On your way back to JR Shizuoka Station, you will have the opportunity to stop by Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, which has over 2000 years history and Sengen Dori Shotengai, a retro shopping street for locals or Sumpu Castle Park in which the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan (Edo period) used to live. The history of Shizuoka city has developed with this castle since seventeenth century.

Following your tour, you'll part with your guide at JR Shizuoka Station. Make your way independently back to your hotel.

Hotel: Mitsui Garden Hotel Nagoya Premier (4 Star Rating)

A 5-minute walk from Nagoya station via a direct connection from the underground mall. Impressive and sweeping views of Nagoya from the elegant ambiance of the 18th-floor lobby, the guest rooms, restaurant and the public bath. Settle back and relax at our "Premier" hotel, the flagship brand of Mitsui Garden Hotels. The height of premier service, now in Nagoya. Settle back and enjoy exceptional views.

The Nakasendo (path through the mountains) was one of the two means of transportation between Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period. Because of restrictions by the shogunate, travelers were almost always forced to make their trips on foot. As a result, "post towns" developed every few kilometers to provide travelers with places to rest. Along the Kiso Valley, a few post towns, particularly Magome and Tsumago have been preserved to look as they once did with stone paths and wooden buildings. Today, meet your tour guide at Nagoya Station and then transfer by train and bus to Magaome, where you will have some time to stroll around and see the large waterwheel, traditional Japanese folk houses, historical stone monuments and more. Then start the hike to Tsumago (approx. 3.3 km). The trail is a little steep at first, but it evens out quickly and the rest slopes away gently down to Tsumago. Walk along the rural scenery, Japanese cedar trees and valleys. There are plenty of rest stops along the way. Tsumago was the first post town to preserve its district, creating an area that has seemingly stopped in time 400 years ago. In Tsumago visit the Nagisomachi Museum and the town's historic inn, where feudal lords stayed. Enjoy some time at leisure to continue exploring and then transfer to Nagiso Station at the end of the tour.

Hotel: Hotel Vischio Kyoto (4 Star Rating)

Hotel Vischio Kyoto by Granvia is conveniently located just a short walk from Kyoto Station. The property offers sophisticated, modern rooms with all the essentials including comfortable beds and spacious layouts. The hotel's relaxed ambiance, friendly service, and convenient amenities like a fitness center and restaurant make it a great base for exploring Kyoto.

Kyoto is a cyclist's dream, with its flat, grid-like streets, gentle terrain, and countless quiet alleys and backstreets waiting to be discovered. Begin your ride at Nishi Honganji Temple, one of the city's most important Buddhist temples. Its sprawling wooden halls, ornate carvings, and tranquil gardens offer a glimpse into Kyoto's spiritual heritage and centuries-old architecture.

Next, pedal to Nijo Castle, a former residence of the Tokugawa shoguns. Explore its impressive fortifications, elegantly painted sliding doors, and famous "nightingale floors," which chirp underfoot to warn of intruders. From there, head to the Imperial Palace gardens, where meticulously designed landscapes, seasonal blooms, and serene walking paths offer a peaceful retreat from the city's bustle.

After a relaxing lunch, continue your journey to Ginkakuji Temple, the Silver Pavilion, known for its understated elegance and beautiful Zen gardens. Stroll through the sand garden and moss-covered grounds, appreciating the harmony between architecture and nature that is central to Japanese aesthetics. Finish your tour at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of Kyoto's most iconic landmarks. Its massive wooden veranda, built without nails and jutting out over the hillside, provides sweeping, panoramic views of the city.

Early this morning, take the bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima (2 hours). Upon arrival, meet your guide and transfer to Miyajimaguchi for the ferry to Miyajima Island. This enchanting island is home to the Shinto shrine of Itsukushima, famous for its huge bright orange gate (tori) that rises majestically out of the sea. At high tide it is considered to be one of the most beautiful sights in Japan. The size and physical landscape of Miyajima makes it an ideal place for walking, and you can spend some time relaxing on your own here. Return to central Hiroshima and visit the Peace Park and Memorial Museum, illuminating the tragic events of World War II. Drive past the eerie A-Bomb Dome, left standing in a ruinous state after more than 70 years. This evening, return by bullet train to Kyoto.

Nestled in the Kitayama Mountains of northern Kyoto, Kurama and Kibune are two rustic villages with traditional Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. This is a lesser visited area, away from the main tourist trail. Upon your arrival at the trailhead, you will begin your hike to Kibune together with your private guide. Along the way, you will visit Kurama-dera, a famous Buddhist temple with vermillion lanterns and beautiful natural scenery. At the end of the hike, you will arrive at Kibune and head to the nearby Kifune Shrine, dedicated to the god of water and rain, before heading back to Kyoto.

Transfer: Kyoto - City Centre to Osaka Kansai International Airport