BEST OF JAPAN
With two weeks to see the best of Japan's classic sights you can't beat this fantastic itinerary. Packed with contrasts, you are sure to get an insight into many aspects of Japan and its culture – past, present and future.
Your journey starts and ends in Tokyo, an immense, futuristic city made up of a host of distinct neighbourhoods each with its own unique character. With a wonderful abundance of street-level detail, Tokyo is a city that never fails to amaze visitors.
The perfect counterpoint to Tokyo is Kyoto, capital of Japan for over one thousand years and home to many of the country's finest temples, shrines and gardens - including a remarkable 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites! Just down the railway tracks you will sample some of Japan's best food and drink in Kyoto's lively neighbour, Osaka. Following this, you'll head down the western seaboard to Hiroshima, a city that looks to the future whilst acknowledging its past.
Carefully woven amongst your urban stays are visits to more rural parts of Japan. In Hakone National Park you'll experience the steaming volcanic hot springs and natural beauty to be found in the foothills of Mount Fuji. High in the Japanese Alps, in the well-preserved historic town of Takayama, you will find traditional crafts, sake breweries and morning markets.
We believe that cultural experiences are the key to a fantastic trip to Japan, and this trip is packed with them. Riding the famous Shinkansen bullet train, enjoying traditional Japanese hospitality at an authentic ryokan inn, spotting a geisha scurrying from one teahouse to another in Kyoto, and wandering through Tokyo's eye-popping neon districts are just a few of the fascinating experiences that make this itinerary so stimulating and exciting.
Why you will love this tour:
Soaking in an onsen in Hakone
Sitting in an outdoor onsen with steam rising around you, that’s Japan. It’s simple, but it changes you.
Cycling through rural Takayama
Riding a bike past rice paddies and little farmhouses is just good fun. You slow down, take it all in, and suddenly you’re part of the countryside instead of just watching it through a bullet train window.
An evening stroll in Kyoto’s Gion
Lantern-lit streets at night, the sound of wooden sandals, maybe even a trainee geisha. Kyoto in the evening feels like stepping into another world.
Sunset at Miyajima’s floating torii gate. Seeing that big red gate float on the water as the sun sets, with deer wandering around, is one of those moments that couldn’t happen anywhere else.
What youneed to know
- Price from: AUD$7,995 per person
- Number of nights: 14
- Who it’s great for: Perfect for first-time vistors
- Visits: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Miyajima, Osaka, Takayama
- Meals: Breakfast every day and one evening meal
- Transport: All transport between destinations included
- Guiding: Private guided tours in Tokyo and Kyoto
Not included:
-International flights
-Local transport (buses, subways, taxis) at any destination unless otherwise specified
-Any entrance fees including those for shrines, temples and museums
-Baggage handling and luggage forwarding
Want to know more- contact Shannell for the detailed itinerary and T&C's.
