2500 Yen IC Card: Japan has a public transport system unrivalled anywhere in the world for efficiency, cleanliness and coverage. The daily number of journeys on the Tokyo subway alone is in excess of 8 million yet despite its huge scope and vast number of lines navigating the system is really rather easy. As always the Japanese are pushing the boundaries with their transport technology and now there is a convenient tap-in, tap-out 'IC Card' that covers not just Tokyo's public transport but the entire country. In 2012 all the regional electronic transport cards were combined into a single system and now you can use any of them on the transport systems in most major cities in Japan (frustratingly not on the Kyoto buses yet!). Simply the most convenient and developed public transport system you will find anywhere.

Shared shuttle bus to your hotel: You will be met on arrival at Tokyo Narita Airport today and taken by shuttle bus to your hotel in Tokyo. Please note that as other people will be in the same bus, there may be a few stops before you arrive at your hotel (maximum of 3 other stops). Journey time is around 2 hours and this is a comfortable and easy way to make today's transfer. Look out for some great views as you ride the elevated highways into town!

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Shiba Park Hotel (Annex Double Room)

Half day private tour of Tokyo: Today you will take a half day private tour of the city with a private English-speaking guide, travelling by public transport. Places of interest that can be visited include Tokyo's National Museum, which houses displays of historic costumes including samurai armour and swords and fine kimonos, antique folding screens, tea ceremony utensils and Japanese paintings. The Sumida River cruise travels through the busy heart of the city and to the edge of Tokyo Bay where you will be able to see the reclaimed land islands and the large Rainbow Bridge that dominates the bay. Hamarikyu Garden is a tranquil oasis on the edge of the bay and flanked by the modern skyscrapers of the Shiodome district. The gardens reflect Japan's changing seasons. Enjoy Japanese tea with Japanese sweets in the wooden pavilion by the edge of the park's lake.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 9am. Together you'll travel around the city by public transport as the Tokyoites do, using your included IC card. Please note you will need to pay for lunch and any entrance fees on the day. Your day of guiding will finish at 1pm with the guide either dropping you back at your hotel or anywhere else in the city you wish to spend the evening.

Shared evening foodie tour: This evening we will arrange for you to join a food tour of some culinary ‘hidden gems’ through Tokyo’s most underrated foodie districts: Yurakucho and Shinbashi, accompanied by an English-speaking guide.

In Yurakucho and Shinbashi you will see plenty of Japanese businessmen and women unwinding with a cold beer after a busy day in the office. Shinbashi is packed with innocuous looking izakaya (pub-restaurants), bars, and small restaurants serving up everything from grilled skewers of meat and vegetables to regional favourites. While these little eateries are excellent places to chill out in the city, they can often seem incomprehensible to visitors and the sheer choice can be overwhelming. However, accompanied by your knowledgeable guide, you will be led to four different stops to try out top-notch traditional izakaya food providing a great chance to experience a sociable evening like a local. At the end of the tour you can continue enjoying the Tokyo nightlife or head back to your accommodation.

This tour will last three hours and food, dessert, and a drink is included in the price. You’re very welcome to order any other dishes that take your fancy, at your own expense.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Shiba Park Hotel (Annex Double Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day at leisure in Tokyo: Today you are free to explore the Japanese capital independently. You will be equipped with maps and your IC Transport Card and, having spent the previous day with a guide, you should have a good sense of how to get around and make the most of Tokyo's excellent public transport.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Shiba Park Hotel (Annex Double Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Train to Matsumoto: Make your own way to Shinjuku Station this morning - the world's busiest with nearly 3 million passengers a day passing through the ticket barriers - using the detailed description provided in your infopack. From here you will catch a train to Matsumoto using tickets provided. Journey time is in the region of 2 hours 30 minutes as the train takes you out through the suburbs of Tokyo before you reach the open countryside with paddy fields, rivers, lakes and of course, the steep-sided peaks of the Japanese Alps. If the weather is clear be sure to keep an eye open for Mount Fuji from the left-hand windows of the train as you travel through Tokyo's outer suburbs.

Soba making class: Matsumoto is famous for its soba buckwheat noodles and there are numerous restaurants in town serving this simple but tasty dish. This afternoon you will be making soba noodles from scratch, learning how to serve them and then most importantly how to enjoy eating them! The one-hour course takes place at Takagi, a shop established for over 130 years and located close to Matsumoto Castle. This fun and relaxed course is conducted mainly in Japanese but is easy to follow and you are sure to leave as a soba noodles expert!

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Marunouchi Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit to Daio Wasabi Farm: Today you might like to make a trip to Daio Wasabi Farm in the nearby town of Azumino.This is a lovely spot for the beautiful watermills and river running through the area. The Daio Wasabi Farm is one of the largest farms in Japan. At the farm shop you can try all manner of wasabi flavoured goods including wasabi ice-cream and beer! From Matsumoto you will need to take a train for 30 minutes to Hokata Station (320 yen). From there you can take a taxi for 10 minutes or hire bikes and cycle to the farm. Full transport details will be in your Info-Pack.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Marunouchi Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Highway bus to Takayama: The journey from Matsumoto to Takayama is by express highway bus and will see you travelling high into the Japan Alps before making the long descent into Takayama. The journey is truly spectacular: The bus winds its way up the valley and along the river past huge dams and through seemingly endless tunnels whilst the dramatic peaks of the Alps rise skywards on either side. You will feel the temperature drop and your ears pop as the bus climbs to an altitude of almost 1,500 metres before beginning the journey down. Every season paints a different picture; the icy landscapes of winter, the snow capped peaks of spring, the lush greens of summer and the blazing reds and oranges of autumn. Each provides a uniquely beautiful backdrop to this journey across the Alps. We will be providing you with the individual tickets for this journey.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Tanabe Ryokan (Twin Japanese Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Watanabe Sake Brewery Tour: Travel by local train for the short journey to Hida Furakawa. Here we have arranged for you to have a tour of the Watanabe Sake Brewery with the English-speaking owner. This historic brewery, located in a traditional wooden building in the atmospheric Ichinomachi district, was established in the Meiji Period (1868-1912). It is one of the top sake producers in the Hida area of Gifu Prefecture, and is most known for its signature 'Hourai' sake. During the tour you will be able to learn all about the history of this wonderful brewery, get up close to see the intricate sake making process, and even try some of the famous sake yourself. We will make a reservation for your visit, and the tour is free of charge. The tour will last around 20-30 minutes.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Tanabe Ryokan (Twin Japanese Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Train to Kyoto: Today make your own way to the railway station. From Takayama you will use your Japan Rail Pass to travel by Ltd Express train to Nagoya where you will make the easy change to the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto. The total journey time is around 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Vista Premio (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day private tour of Kyoto: Today you will take a full day private tour of the city with a private English speaking guide, travelling by public transport. Places of interest that can be visited include Kiyomizu Temple, perched on a hillside with good views towards central Kyoto. Dating from 1633, the main hall sits on hundreds of interconnecting wooden pillars above a sacred spring that is believed to have therapeutic qualities. Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is one of Japan's most famous sights. This glittering temple is covered entirely in gold leaf and set on a small lake amongst well-tended gardens. Ryoanji Temple belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and was founded in 1450. The adjoining garden is an austere collection of 15 rocks adrift in a sea of sand. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 to demonstrate the power of the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyusa. The design of this castle, built by the first Shogun of a united Japan, reflects an ambition to impress rather than anticipation of combat.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 9am. Together you'll travel around the city by public transport. While Kyoto has an extensive bus network we recommend taking a few taxis to speed things up. Please note you will need to pay for transport, lunch and any entrance fees on the day. Your day of guiding will finish at 5pm with the guide either dropping you back at your hotel or anywhere else in the city you wish to spend the evening.

Afternoon Tea with a Maiko: This afternoon we have arranged for you to visit the Ochaya Tomikiku, a traditional tea house in the Gion Geisha district. Here you will enjoy Green tea and a Japanese cake or a drink and snacks in the company of a Geisha or Maiko (young Geisha). The Geisha will demonstrate a traditional dance and an introduction of the life of a Geisha in Kyoto will be given in English. You will be able to take photographs and ask questions to the Geisha as well. You will have 50 minutes to enjoy this great chance to take a glimpse inside this usually hidden World.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Vista Premio (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Sushi making class: Today you will join a 90 minute hands-on lesson to learn how to make your own sushi plus some traditional side dishes. The class will take place in a special teaching kitchen at the headquarters of the Women's Association of Kyoto. Sushi is the backbone of Japanese cooking, now loved throughout the world.  From the weird to the wonderful, sushi comes in a huge range of shapes and varieties from Western-palette friendly egg sushi and cucumber rolls, tuna, mackerel and prawn sushi to the more adventurous eel and fish roe varieties.

Please note that this is a shared class, with a maximum group size of 10 people.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Vista Premio (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Kansai Thru Pass: Your package includes the Kansai Thru Pass, valid for two days, which covers all the non-JR transport in the Kansai area. This includes subways, buses and several private railway lines covering the entire region.

Train from Kyoto to Osaka: Make your own way to Kyoto station this morning, from where you will take the JR Local line to Osaka Namba station using your Kansai Thru Pass. The journey takes about 30 minutes. On arrival you will need to make the short transfer by subway to Osaka Nanba Station from where trains to Mount Koya depart.

Train to Mount Koya: On arrival at Osaka Nanba station, you will take the Nankai Line to Koya-san - it's a 2 hour journey through the suburbs of Osaka and then scenic countryside. The last 2 minutes are by cable car.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Jimyo-In (Japanese-Style Room with shared bathroom)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Train from Mount Koya back to Osaka: At a time of your choosing make your way back to the station, from where you'll take the Nankai line to Osaka Nanba station, the journey takes about 2 hours. You will be using the Kansai Thru Pass for this journey. Make your own way to your hotel in Osaka and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Osaka street food tour: Tonight you will be taken for a shared street food tour through Osaka's exciting Namba district. You will join your group at the meetup spot and set off for the famous Dotonbori restaurant street in the heart of Namba. Dotonbori is famous throughout Japan for its vast array of casual dining options and street food. Here bars and eateries line the neon illuminated streets along with hole-in-the-wall takoyaki stands and ramen bars. And everywhere people, young and old, out to enjoy the culinary pleasures of the nation's most famous restaurant district.

During the tour you will stop off at the 'Glico running man' neon ad which along with the giant moving crab statues has become a symbol of the area. You will also stroll through Dotonbori, learning a little of the history (old and new) of the area. To ensure good luck for the rest of your trip, the guide will take you to Hozenji Yokocho to splash water on to the resident “Ofudosan”, a Buddhist God for love and business. Food wise you will keep well filled up with the chance to try Kushikatsu (skewered vegetables and meat dishes), Takoyaki (the very famous 'octopus balls') and a variety of delights at a traditional Izakaya (pub-restaurant). Tonight will be a great chance to sync yourself in to the Osaka philosophy of 'kuidaore' - eat, drink and enjoy life!

Please that this is a shared tour as part of a small group, and food, transport and a couple of drinks are all included.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Cross Hotel (Double Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day at leisure: Today you have a free day to explore Osaka. Osaka boasts fantastic and inexpensive street food with the city voted one of the world’s top cities for food. You may choose to delve deeper into the city’s cuisine should you still have an appetite following the previous night’s street food tour. If not covered last night, be sure to try takoyaki or octopus dumplings to you and me!

Once you've had your fill of all the food Osaka has to offer you could make your way to the city's towering replica samurai castle and spend some time exploring its sprawling grounds. The castle building hosts a brilliant museum with a great introduction to Japan's feudal history, with a large amount of the exhibits in English. The top tower of the keep also affords you great views across the gardens and city.

Alternatively, you may wish to embark on a day trip to nearby Kobe, world famous for its fine local beef. The city is also home to Nankinmachi which is one of a small number of Chinatown's in Japan and is a good area for food stands selling popular items such as steamed buns, ramen and bubble tea. The total journey time between Osaka and Kobe is around 40 minutes by local line train and around 20 minutes by bullet train.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Cross Hotel (Double Room)

Meals: Breakfast