Private transfer to your hotel: Your adventures in Japan will get under way when you are met at the exit to customs at Haneda Airport. Your driver will be waiting for you as you enter into the arrivals lobby holding a sign with your name on. You will transfer by private vehicle to your accommodation in Tokyo, making for a smooth and relaxing start to your trip. The journey time is in the region of 30 minutes (dependent upon traffic). Sit back, relax and enjoy the views of Tokyo's skyscrapers as you traverse the city.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Palace Hotel (Deluxe King Room with balcony)

Full day private tour of Tokyo: 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 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.

Restaurant Reservation at the Tokyo Skytree: The 634m high Tokyo Sky Tree is the tallest tower in the world standing over what is arguably the largest city in the world. The observation decks which are located at 350m and 450m offer unparalleled views over the metropolis. As you might expect, the queues to get in are very long. The normal process is to queue first for tickets and then queue to actually get into the tower's lifts with the whole process taking 4 or 5 hours at peak times. What we will do for you however is make a meal reservation at 'Sky Restaurant 634'. This enables you to skip the normal tickets queue and enjoy a gourmet French-Japanese fusion dinner with the best view in the city (dinner payable locally).

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Palace Hotel (Deluxe King Room with balcony)

Meals: Breakfast

Self guided touring: Today is at leisure to explore more of Tokyo, or take a day trip from Tokyo. Among others, the nearby towns of Nikko & Kamakura are well worth exploring. Nikko is famous for its ornate religious architecture, some of the most important in all of Japan, in a beautiful woodland setting. Kamakura is a sleepy coastal town that served briefly as capital of Japan in the 1100s, leaving a rich cultural legacy.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Palace Hotel (Deluxe King Room with balcony)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer to Tokyo Station: You will be met today at your hotel and will transfer by private vehicle to Tokyo station, making for a smooth and relaxing transfer.

Train from Tokyo to Odawara: You will be taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara Station, the gateway city for the Hakone National Park. Journey time is just 40 minutes. We will be supplying you with Ordinary Shinkansen Super Express tickets for this journey.

Taxi from Odawara to Hakone: On arrival in Odawara, you will be picked up from the station and transferred to your accommodation in Hakone by private taxi. The driver will be holding a name board. The driver will probably not speak that much English but will ensure you get to your accommodation safely and comfortably. Travel time is in the region of 40-60 minutes.

2 Day Hakone Free Pass: Upon arrival at Odawara you will start using your 2 Day Hakone Freepass. The pass is valid for two days from today and entitles you to unlimited use of 6 different forms of transport in the Hakone region. These include the mountain buses and railway, one of the longest cable cars in Japan and a funicular railway as well as a pirate ship which cruises across Lake Ashi! These all criss-cross the region making it easy to explore and enjoy the surroundings as well as some of the many top quality art museums. The pass also gives you small discounts at many attractions in the area so be sure to show your pass when purchasing tickets. And of course, if you are lucky with the weather, you will be rewarded with stunning views of Mount Fuji. 

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Gora Kadan (Japanese style room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Full day guided tour of Hakone: Today you will take a full day private tour of Hakone with a guide, travelling by public transport and taxi where appropriate. We have included a Hakone Free Pass for the guide to cover most of their transport. Please note however that any extra transport costs not already covered for yourselves and the guide will need to be paid on the day. Entrance fees, which rarely amount to much, will also need to be paid on the day. This will be a fantastic introduction to Hakone, highlights in the National Park include Owakudani Volcano, cruising across Lake Ashi and exploring some of the old Tokaido trading path. With a guide you will also be able to seek out the best craftshops for marquetry boxes - a local speciality. Your guide will come to your accommodation at around 10:30am to meet you and your day will proceed from there.  The guide will call you the day before to discuss the day's touring so you can tell them if you have anything in particular you don't want to miss.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Gora Kadan (Japanese style room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Taxi from Hakone to Odawara: This morning you will be picked up at your accommodation and will travel to Odawara station by private taxi. Your driver will probably not speak that much English but will ensure you get to the station safely and comfortably for your onward journey. Travel time is in the region of 40-60 minutes.

Train from Odawara to Kyoto: Today you will travel to Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and the cultural centre of the nation. From Odawara the journey to Kyoto will see you racing down Japan's eastern seaboard by Shinkansen and takes 2 hours 10 minutes. On arrival in Kyoto make your own way to the hotel.

Private transfer to your hotel: On arrival at Kyoto Station you will be met on the train platform by a driver. The driver will escort you to his vehicle and then drive you direct to your hotel.

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 Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (Luxury 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.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (Luxury room)

Meals: Breakfast

Self guided touring: Today is at leisure to explore more of Kyoto, or take a day trip. Easy day trips by train from Kyoto include Nara, Himeji Castle, Hikone, Osaka and Kobe. We can include instructions for making these (and other) day trips in your tailor-made Info-Pack - let us know what interests you.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (Luxury room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer to Kyoto Station: At the appropriate time, you will be picked up from the hotel and transferred back to the station in time to board your onward train.

Train from Kyoto to Hiroshima:  This morning, make your own way to the station to catch the train from Kyoto. You will head on down the eastern seaboard west to Hiroshima by Shinkansen using your Japan Rail Pass. This journey of nearly 400km takes around 2 hours, during which time the train passes through several major cities along the coast, including Kobe, famous for its top-grade beef. On arrival in Hiroshima, use your info pack to do some self-guided sightseeing today before continuing on to Miyajima Island.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel (Deluxe room)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day guided tour of Hiroshima & Miyajima: Today we will arrange for a private English speaking guide to meet you and be at your disposal for 8 hours, to help you explore Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima Island. You may wish to start in Hiroshima but if you have already done your sightseeing in the city then you cand head straight out to the island. After soaking up the atmosphere of the magical island you will return to Hiroshima with your guide.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel (Deluxe room)

Meals: Breakfast

Train to Okayama: Today, you will take the Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Okayama. The journey takes about 40 minutes.

Sightseeing in Okayama: Okayama is a large city and prefectural capital in the Western Honshu region of Japan, half-way between Osaka and Hiroshima. The city is most famous as home to Koraku-en - one of Japan's 'big three' gardens. The gardens were established in 1686 under Ikeda Tsunamasa, the seventh lord of the Okayama domain. Featuring a variety of rock formations, lakes and perfectly kept grounds, cherry and plum trees, iris gardens and even a small tea plantation as well as being home to numerous Japanese cranes these gardens are fantastic all year round. Some of the best views of the garden can be had from the nearby Okayama Castle, a faithful reconstruction of the original which is also well worth a visit. At well over 100,000 square meters and with 20 separate sights to see, this world-class, river-surrounded garden is worth a trip at any time of the year. You can either send on your luggage in advance and travel light for your journey through Okayama or you can leave luggage at the station at coin lockers.

Train to Kurashiki: After exploring Okayama, take a local line train to Kurashiki. The journey takes just over 15 minutes.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Ryokan Kurashiki (Japanese style suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Full day visit to Naoshima: This morning you will be met at your Kurashiki accommodation by a private driver who will transfer to the Uno Port, around 50 minutes away. On arrival, take the public ferry over to Naoshima Island, a journey of around 20 minutes.

Naoshima could easily be another pretty, but forgotten island in the Seto Inland Sea scraping a living from fishing. However a unique art project has given Naoshima its deserved global reputation. Naoshima is home to a large collection of contemporary art galleries, exhibits and installations which offer a tour de force of architectural expression integrating art and the natural environment. Two of the main galleries, the Chichu Art Museum and Benesse House, were designed by the world famous architect Tadao Ando and feature works by Claude Monet, Walter de Maria, James Turrell, Andy Warhol, Richard Long and Bruce Nauman among others.

Today you have a day at leisure to explore all the wonderful art sights on Naoshima at your own pace. Buses on the island are fairly infrequent, so we recommend renting a bike from Miyanoura ferry terminal to get around (although there are some steep hills at the Benesse House end of the island!). At the end of a busy day sightseeing, don't miss an onsen bath at the kitschy I Love Yuu bath house in Miyanoura. Distances between the main art sites are small and the picturesque island can be explored on foot or by bike. Bicycles are available to hire at Miyanoura Port. 

At the advised time this afternoon, return to the port and take the ferry back to the mainland, where your driver will be waiting for you and will transfer you back to your accommodation.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Ryokan Kurashiki (Japanese style suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Train to Tokyo: Today you will be travelling back to Tokyo by train. Take the local line back to Okayama, where you will connect to the Shinkansen on to Tokyo. The total journey time to today should be around 4 hours.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Park Hyatt, Tokyo (Park Room)

Meals: Breakfast