Day 1 – Tokyo

Join your tour group at the hotel.

Day 2 – Tokyo

Prepare for a fantastic day of Tokyo sightseeing as our tour guide helps us to embrace this dazzling city. As we walk out amidst skyscrapers and the world’s tallest self-supporting tower (the Tokyo Skytree), we find Tokyo’s traditional side. Learn the stories behind legendary landmarks like the moated Imperial Palace, Tokyo’s oldest temple – Sensō-ji, and Meiji Shrine, a serene Shinto shrine set on a tree-lined avenue.

Day 3 – Mount Fuji – Matsumoto

It’s time for a Mount Fuji visit this morning. Standing out from its surroundings at 3,776m high, Japan’s tallest mountain has inspired countless artists and photographers. Clouds often linger around this active volcano, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed to catch a sight of the iconic snow-capped peak as we travel from Tokyo to Matsumoto. If the weather is clear, you’ll see the volcano’s image reflected on the placid waters of Lake Jawaguchi.

Day 4 – Matsumoto – Takayama

Known as one of the most beautiful castles in Japan, Matsumoto is a striking timber and stone structure with a unique moon-viewing turret. In the spring, take your time to stroll among the cherry blossoms in the spacious castle gardens. Stop to sample sake (Japanese rice wine) in a traditional brewery, before we take the breathtaking journey through thick pine forests and snow-tipped peaks of the Japanese Alps to the hill town of Takayama. We’ll call in at the Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum with a collection of antique houses from the region and displays highlighting crafts and ancient traditions.

Day 5 – Takayama

Meiji-era inns, hillside shrines, and a pretty riverside setting – the hamlet of Takayama is traditional Japan at its finest. Soak in the local character on our walking tour, when we’ll see highlights such as the open-air flower and fruit market and the government house.

Day 6 – Kanazawa

Next on our Japan itinerary, we transfer by coach to Kanazawa, visiting the World Heritage Shirakawago Village en route. Kanazawa is a historic castle town, boasting beautifully preserved samurai and geisha districts. Our sightseeing tour includes Omicho market and Higashi Chayagai (the ‘teahouse district’).

Day 7 – Kanazawa – Hiroshima

We pack overnight bags whilst our luggage is transferred to Kyoto. We’ll have another sweep of the city, stopping at the gorgeous Kenroku-en Garden and BukeYashiki (Samurai’s house). Located outside the gates of Kanazawa Castle and covering an area of 11.4 hectares, the Kenroku-en Garden was created in the 1620s and opened to the public in 1874. It’s the epitome of a traditional Japanese garden with plum and cherry blossoms, artificial ponds, hills and buildings. From the quaint, quiet streets of Kanazawa, we’ll go full throttle into one of Japan’s other passions. The Shinkansen (bullet train) will hurtle us from Kanazawa to Hiroshima in perfect comfort.

Day 8 – Hiroshima

Leafy Hiroshima, with its wide boulevards and friendly locals, might not be what you expected. It’s a vibrant and cosmopolitan city of peace with a devastating history. Today we’ll catch a ferry over to Miyajima Island to admire the ancient Itsukushima Shrine and its torii gate. We’ll spend some time strolling through the park. In autumn, the maples here are ablaze with rich reds and oranges. Back in Hiroshima, we’ll take a walking tour around the Peace Memorial Park and take some time for reflection at the Atomic Bomb Museum.

Day 9 – Nara – Kyoto

Another bullet train takes us to Osaka, where we’ll board our coach for the onward journey to Nara, a former capital of Japan. The 8th-century Todaiji temple – supposedly the oldest wooden structure in the world – is wondrous, but the real highlight here are the adorable deer roaming through Nara Park. You can buy a packet of crackers to feed them – they’ll even bow to you before you feed them. We arrive in Kyoto this afternoon. With its wealth of shrines and temples, colourful gardens and variety of arts and crafts shops, it’s a real highlight of our Japan tour package. We’ll uncover geisha culture with some time in the Gion area – Japan’s most famous geisha district.

Day 10 – Kyoto

Highlights of this morning’s tour include the wonderful Ryoanji Temple (a Zen temple with a famous rock garden), and the beautiful Kinkakuji Temple, or ‘Golden Pavilion’, whose top two floors are completely bedecked in gold leaf. We also visit Nijo, a fortified castle with unique ‘nightingale’ floors designed to replicate the sound of the nightingale song when stepped on.

Day 11 – Kyoto – Mishima

We’ll sit down for a cuppa before leaving Kyoto this morning – it is the birthplace of the traditional tea ceremony, after all. Learn the intricacies of this graceful discipline, considering simple details like holding the bowl so your friends can enjoy the beauty of its decoration. You can read about these rituals in any Japan travel guide, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing it firsthand. You’ll never drink tea at home the same again! Another bullet train whisks us from Kyoto to Mishima. We’ll check into our hotel, and if the weather is kind, you’ll have views of Mount Fuji from your room.

Day 12 – Hakone – Tokyo

We drive to Hakone and embark on a cruise on Lake Ashi for stunning views of the snow-capped mountains. We’ll jump in a cable car all the way up to the Owakudani Valley and Hot Springs, in the crater of Mount Hakone. Later, we’ll head to our airport hotel, ready to jet off for our South Korea tour tomorrow.

Day 13 – Tokyo – Busan

We transfer to the airport for our flight to Busan, Korea’s second city, ready to begin the next chapter of our adventure. This evening, we’ll be introduced to Korean barbecue – a traditional style of dining that’s been popular here for thousands of years. Expect sizzling meats, aromatic sauces, and heaps of delicious sides and veggies.

Day 14 – Busan

Today’s guided tour of Busan will start at the cliffside Buddhist temple of Haedong Yongungsa, a place particularly lovely during the springtime, thanks to the surrounding cherry blossom trees. We’ll also take in the city views from Dongbaekson Island, see the white sands of Haeundae Beach, and soar above the ocean on the Busan Air Cruise cable car.

Day 15 – Gyeongju – Seoul

This morning, we’ll explore some of the sites of Gyeongju Historic Area, noted by UNESCO for its incredible display of Korean Buddhist art and architecture. Wander through the hushed halls of 1,500-year-old Bulguksa Temple, see the oldest astronomical observatory in Asia, and learn more about the domed tombs of Daereungwon Tomb Complex. After lunch, we’ll board the KTX – South Korea’s bullet train – and speed north to the capital, Seoul.

Day 16 – Seoul

Seoul is an incredible fusion of cutting-edge and traditional. Sleek malls sell the latest skin care, cosmetics and fast fashion, narrow alleyways hide teahouses and craft workshops, and food markets thrum with activity as locals fill up on mandu dumplings and steaming hot pancakes. Our guided tour of Seoul ticks off all the highlights, from the impressive Gyeongbokgung Palace (where we’ll watch the royal changing of guards ceremony and pay a visit to the National Folk Museum) to the lost-in-time village of Bukchon Hanok, preserved to offer a glimpse of life in Seoul hundreds of years ago. A visit to Insadong takes us to Seoul’s cultural heart. We’ll see traditional wooden teahouses, stalls selling antiques, and numerous galleries displaying works from local artists.

Day 17 – DMZ

We’ll spend the morning at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), the strip of land which divides the Korean peninsula in two. Learn more about the Korean War and the families affected by the division, step inside one of the infiltration tunnels which run underneath the border, and reflect at Imjingak Park, dotted with statues and monuments remembering those affected. Your afternoon is at leisure back in Seoul. In the evening, we’ll roll up our sleeves for a Korean cooking class. Prepare to get hands-on as we learn how to prepare and cook a traditional Korean meal – we’ll get to tuck into our creations for dinner.

Day 18 – Seoul

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.