Ancient Capitals of Japan

The rest of the day is at leisure. If arriving into Tokyo in the morning, we can arrange for a guided afternoon tour of the city. Alternatively, you may prefer to explore at your own pace or simply relax at your hotel.

Once the private hunting ground of the Shogun, this immaculately-maintained public garden is situated near the mouth of the Sumida River, and features as its centrepiece a beautiful tidal pond complete with moon-viewing pavilions and traditional tea villa, where you can stop to enjoy a taste of Japanese matcha (green tea).

Following the tea ceremony, continue along the promenade to the pier where you’ll board the Tokyo water bus for a cruise on the Sumida River. During the half hour cruise you’ll enjoy wonderful views of Tokyo’s skyline, including famous landmarks such as the Tokyo Skytree and the iconic Sumida Bridges, before disembarking at Asakusa.

Tokyo’s traditional old quarter, Asakusa offers a glimpse of classical Japan. Here you’ll discover Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, Senso-ji, which dates back as far as the early 7th-century. Take the time to explore Asakusa’s ancient temples and lantern-lit lanes, with their wooden shopfronts and century-old ateliers, before continuing to Ginza on the Tokyo metro.

Tokyo’s most polished neighbourhood, Ginza (literally, “Seat of Silver”) was established in 1612 as the city’s first silver mint district. The area remains famous to this day as an upmarket shopping and dining district, where Tokyo’s most expensive real estate is found.

End the day with a visit to Tokyo’s most famous monument, the Meiji Shrine. Hidden away in the Meiji Jingu Forest, a natural woodland in the heart of the city, the shrine is perhaps most famous for its two dramatic shrine gates (torii), which are among the largest of their kind in Japan. Take the time to explore the shrine and its adjoining Iris garden (best in May/June when the flowers are in bloom), before returning to your hotel.

Your local guide will be waiting to greet you on arrival at Kamakura Station (one hour by train from central Tokyo). During the course of the morning they’ll introduce you to some of Kamakura’s most prominent temples, including the famous ‘Bamboo Temple’ (Hokokuji), set within a grove of 2,000 bamboo trees; Jomyoji, one of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura, notable for its dry landscape gardens in the Zen-style; and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura’s most prominent Shinto shrine, dedicated to the Samurai deity, Hachiman.

After lunch, take the Enoden (electric tram) to Hase, from where you can visit what many consider to be Kamakura’s two most spectacular sights: Hasedera, a complex of ceremonial halls and cave shrines notable for its towering carved wooden statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy; and Kotokuin, whose focal point is a 13.5m tall bronze Buddha.

End the day with a stroll along the Kamakura coast before catching the train back to your hotel in central Tokyo.

Famous for its ancient Buddhist shrines, tranquil gardens and sublime palaces, Kyoto is classical Japan writ large. The city, which served as the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years between the 8th and 19th centuries, can be overwhelming for first-time visitors, with over 2,000 temples and shrines (of which no fewer than 17 are UNESCO World Heritage Sites!) But take your time to explore Kyoto slowly over the course of several days and you’ll discover a city of rich historical and cultural interest.

Your tour this afternoon will focus, not on Kyoto’s temples, but on its equally rich food culture. You’ll be collected from your hotel by a culinary guide, who will lead you on a tour of Kyoto’s mile-long Nishiki covered food market, to be followed by a Japanese cooking class! Please note that the cooking class is a shared activity and there may be other participants.

The Nishiki market tour is a chance for you to learn more about Japanese cuisine, while at the same time shopping for the ingredients you’ll need to prepare traditional favourites such as rolled sushi and miso soup in your cooking class. During the market tour you’ll also have the opportunity to visit a sake brewery for a guided tour (with tasting).

After the cooking class and dinner, the rest of the evening is free for you to explore central Kyoto. Let your guide know if you’d like to return directly to your hotel.

Your sightseeing today will focus on Arashiyama district, in the far west of Kyoto. One of two major sightseeing districts, Arashiyama is home to Kyoto’s most iconic monument, the Golden Pavilion, as well as the famous Sagano Bamboo Grove.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel in central Kyoto, from where it’s a half hour train/bus ride to Arashiyama. Start your tour with a visit to the 14th-century Zen temple, Tenryuji, to explore its famous shakkei gardens and pond, before continuing to the Bamboo Grove.

Photos struggle to capture the strange beauty of the Sagano Bamboo Grove, the play of light and shadow that make this unique forest such a marvel to behold. Leaving Tenryuji, follow the trail through the bamboo thicket to Okochi-Sanso Villa, the former estate of the early 20th-century Japanese silent film actor, Denjirō Ōkōchi. Take your time to explore the villa's uniquely beautiful spiral gardens, before stopping to rest and enjoy a bowl of traditional whipped green tea in the villa teahouse.

After lunch in Arashiyama, continue to Kinkakuji, otherwise known as the Golden Pavilion. Built in the late 14th-century as a retirement home for the then-Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Kinkakuji was later converted into a Buddhist temple, and now stands as one of Kyoto’s most spectacular sights.

End the tour with a visit to Ryoanji, a 15th-century Zen temple and one of Japan’s most famous rock gardens. Stunningly simple, the garden is an austere rock scape intended to reflect the principles of Zen meditation.

Your guide will help you return to your hotel in central Kyoto. The evening is at leisure.

Before travelling to Higashiyama, however, pay a visit to Nijo Castle, situated close to the heart of the city. Built in 1603 by the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu, Nijo Castle is considered by many to be the definitive piece of Momoyama (1573-1615) architecture. Intricate woodcarvings and Kano-style sliding doors give the interiors an understated elegance, and suggest that this palace was intended to be a demonstration of the Tokugawa clan’s cultural credentials as much as their military prowess.

Leaving Nijo Castle, take the train to Fushimi-Inari, a large shrine complex situated at the base of the Inari Mountain in the far south-east of Kyoto. Famed for its seemingly endless procession of vibrant vermilion torii, Fushimi-Inari is perhaps Kyoto’s most immediately spectacular sight. It’s a huge complex, with numerous miniature shrines and offering halls to get lost among. Allow two hours to explore in full, before breaking for lunch.

From Fushimi-Inari, take the train north to Higashiyama Station, and continue on foot to Kiyomizu (the “pure water” Temple), your last stop for the day.

Set on the slopes of Mount Otowa, Kiyomizu enjoys stunning views of the city from its main hall, which hangs dramatically over the edge of a cliff, its 13-metre high verandah supported by 139 wooden pillars arranged in an intricate lattice-like pattern. Allow an hour to explore the temple and its numerous halls and pagodas, before walking down Chawan-zaka (Teapot Lane), with its quaint shops selling souvenirs, sweets and Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, to Kyoto’s central Gion district.

The tour ends in Gion.

Start with Kasuga Taisha, Nara’s most celebrated Shinto shrine, which is situated in the verdant Kasugayama Primeval Forest in the far west of the city.

Kasuga Taisha is notable for its beautiful botanical gardens and elaborately decorated offering hall. Perhaps more impressive than the shrine itself, however, is the approach. A towering shrine gate at the foot of Kasuga Hill marks the entrance to the shrine, from where a winding path flanked by two thousand stone lanterns climbs through the woods to the main offering hall.

From Kasuga Taisha, it’s possible to walk down through Nara Deer Park to the city’s star attraction, Todaiji Temple. The world’s largest wooden building, containing Japan’s tallest Buddha (Daibutsu), Todaiji is a spectacular sight.

For further sightseeing in Nara, we recommend Isuien, a sublime Meiji-era garden, and Kofukuji Temple, notable for its five-storey pagoda (the second highest in Japan). Return to Kyoto on the late afternoon train.

That being said, Osaka is not without history. As one of Japan’s first (albeit short-lived) political capitals, it houses a number of fascinating monuments, including Japan’s oldest state temple, the 6th-century Shitennoji, and a stunning castle.

After leaving your luggage at your centrally-located hotel, start your explorations with a visit to Osaka’s standout historical attraction, Osaka Castle. Originally constructed in the 16th-century (before being burnt down and later rebuilt), Osaka Castle impresses with its towering stone ramparts, black and gold-leaf trim, and beautifully-maintained grounds.

Allow one to two hours to tour Osaka Castle and its grounds; don’t forget to travel up to the 8th floor observatory for a great view of the city! Afterwards, you might like to take the metro to Shitennoji, Osaka’s oldest Buddhist temple. Originally built in 589, Shitennoji has been reconstructed numerous times but still retains many traces of its original design, including an ancient stone torii (the oldest in Japan) at its entrance.

There are a number of possibilities for this afternoon. Osaka boasts some wonderful museums, foremost among them the subterranean National Museum of Modern Art, which are well worth visiting. Alternatively, if you’ve had your fill of history and culture, you might like to spend the afternoon exploring the lively Kuromon Ichiba food market, or perhaps doing some last-minute shopping in the arcades around Namba, downtown Osaka.

In the evening, a visit to the restaurant mecca of Dotonbori, where you can sample local dishes such as takoyaki, is a must. When ready, return to Kyoto by train.

Time-allowing, you might like to take a trip to the “Floating Garden Observatory” at top of the Umeda Sky Building for a wonderful view of the city—the perfect way to say goodbye to Osaka, and Japan.