Itinerary:
Day 1: Tokyo - meals: dinner
The tour begins today in Tokyo, Japan's electric capital city. You'll be arriving at Narita airport and your tour buddy will be there to meet you and escort you into Tokyo. Many of our customers choose to come in a day or two early to get over jet-lag and get the most out of the tour. Whatever the case, up to two days before the tour starts we will still have someone there to meet you.
The hotel is situated in the Asakusa area, the former downtown and entertainments district of Edo, as Tokyo was formally known. This friendly district still maintains a traditional atmosphere and is home to Senso-ji, the city's oldest temple.
Tonight, if everyone arrives in time, we will be indulging in a first night's dinner of Okonomiyaki - a kind of savoury pancake. Food and drinks are on us so this is a great chance to start getting to know the other members of the group.

Day 2: Tokyo - meals: breakfast
Today will begin with a buffet breakfast at a nearby hotel before we embark on a full day tour of the city. We'll cruise down the Sumida River, take a relaxing stroll through Hamarikyu tei-en, a tranquil garden that is just a few minutes walk from the lively Ginza shopping district, explore the precincts of Meiji Shrine and check out the amazing view of the city to be had from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building.
Of course, if exploring independently is more your thing then that is no problem at all! Perhaps you might like to take a ride on the new elevated light-railway which sweeps out into and across Tokyo bay affording stunning views of the Tokyo skyline; or perhaps head down to the Ginza for some shopping and a look at the latest electronic wizardry. Whatever it is you want to do your Buddy will help you out.
Tonight dinner isn't included so we recommend heading out to indulge in some of the myriad of culinary delights available.

Day 3: Matsumoto - meals: breakfast
Today we'll be making an early start... about 4.30am in actual fact if you'd like to join us at the city's morning fish market! This is a fascinating excursion and we are sure you will have seen nothing like it before in your life! There are more fish and marine creatures here than you probably imagined existed. The auctions of giant tuna fish make for most entertaining viewing even if it is somewhat tricky to understand what's going on! The Japanese are serious about their fish and here you'll get to see where it all comes from. This will be followed by a sushi breakfast at one of the market's tiny sushi bars. Don't worry though, if this isn't to your taste the usual buffet breakfast will still be available.
The journey to Matsumoto will take about 3 and a half hours in total so we'll be heading on at about 9am. We'll aim to arrive by lunch time and after dropping our bags at the hotel and having a bite to eat we will have a chance to visit Matsumoto's premiere attraction, the beautiful castle. This is one of the finest examples of an original castle still surviving Japan, escaping as it has the ravages of fire and war which have destroyed so many of Japan's other feudal castles. For dinner you might like to try a meal of soba noodles (made with buckwheat), the specialty food of the region.

Day 4: Takayama - meals: breakfast and dinner
Today it's on by highway bus to Takayama. The journey takes just over 2 hours and we'll be arriving late morning. After leaving our bags at the Ryokan we will have a chance to start exploring this intriguing mountain town. Dinner will tonight be served at our inn and this is sure to be one of the culinary highlights of the trip as we indulge in a classic Japanese ryokan meal.

Day 5: Takayama - meals: breakfast
There are loads of things to see and do in Takayama. In the morning your 'Buddy' will be visiting the Hida-Takayama folk village. This fantastic outdoor museum is made up of a collection of old traditional style houses from all around the 'Hida' region. This is a rare chance to catch a glimpse of what life was like for ordinary Japanese before industrial advancement was undertaken by the new Meiji regime in 1868. In the afternoon you might like to check out some of the museums in the area or perhaps take a stroll round some of the many beautiful shrines and temples. And if you like 'sake', there are plenty of breweries at which to sample some of the local tipple!
Dinner is not included tonight so you may like to head out to sample some of the region's famuos beef or visit one of the town's lively local eateries!

Day 6: Kanazawa - meals: breakfast
Today we'll make the three-hour journey by express coach to Kanazawa home of Kenroku-en, one of Japan's best gardens. After spending some time here, perhaps we'll check out the Ninja temple and Samurai houses before heading out for a spot of dinner. Our accommodation, the Toyoko Inn Korinbo, is situated in the heart of this charming city that retains a more easy-going atmosphere than some of the bigger cities on the East coast.

Day 7: Nara - meals: breakfast
This morning we'll take the express train from Kanazawa to Kyoto before transferring on to the historic town of Nara. Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan and the Nara period saw the rapid assimilation of Chinese religious ideas and cultural influences in to Japan. Nara is the home to the famous ‘Big Buddha’, cast in bronze and housed inside the world’s largest wooden building. There are many smaller shrines and temples to explore and if you dare, many extremely bold deer to feed. You should beware though - the deer show no mercy once you have those special deer biscuits in your hands! This afternoon we'll be using the services of a volunteer guide to ensure a fascinating local's insight into the town. Our quality hotel is right in the heart of the town, perfect for taking a evening stroll after the sun goes down and the crowds disappear.

Day 8: Transfer to Kyoto - meals: breakfast and dinner
We’ll head off to Kyoto reasonably early this morning so as to allow you a full day’s sightseeing in this historic city. Kyoto is a great city in which to sight-see on foot. There are several walking tour routes all of which have many different places of interest along the way. Your Buddy will accompany the group along a chosen route. After lunch people might like to go their separate ways and take in some sights of particular interest to them. The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto is among our favourite museums and gives visitors a chance to see how modern Japanese artists are interpreting the many contrasts, contradictions and dichotomies that make up modern Japan.
This evening we'll be taking a tour of Gion and the Geisha districts with one of our partners in Kyoto, Peter Macintosh. His ten years' experience of living in Kyoto and close involvement with the Geisha community means that you'll get a truly unique insight into this hidden world. Dinner with Peter follows at a Gion restaurant.

Day 9: Kyoto - meals: breakfast
Another day in this most famous of Japanese cities. Check out some temples and shrines such as the exquisite hilltop Kiyomizu-dera or the Golden Pavilion or perhaps book a tour of the Imperial Palace gardens.

Day 10: Kyoto - meals: breakfast
Today is our final day in Kyoto. Those of you with a particular interest in gardens might like to check out some of the more unusual and infrequently visited spots. A white rapids river trip in Arashiyama is another popular option and a good to chance to see some of the countryside surrounding the city.

Day 11: Hakone - meals: breakfast
Breakfast is for you to choose today either at a local coffee shop or even on the Shinkansen to Odawara as we head off to Hakone. It's quite a long way with a total journey time of around 4 hours including 2h10 on the 'Bullet' Train - always a pleasure. The tour includes a "Hakone Free Pass". This allows you unlimited travel on all of the many forms of transport in the Hakone region; buses, rail, funicular railway, cable car, ropeway, and even the sightseeing boat that crosses Lake Ashino from where if you're lucky and the skies are clear, you will get a stunning view of Mt. Fuji. There are lots of things to see and do in Hakone and we'll make sure you have all the necessary maps and information.
Accommodation in Hakone is at the beautiful Fujiya Hotel. As one of the first Western style hotels in Japan the Fujiya is a classic establishment with beautiful wooden interiors, spacious rooms and top level service all in a setting of outstanding natural beauty. This will be one of the accommodation highlights of the tour and a real treat!

Day 12: Hakone - meals: breakfast
Some more time to explore Hakone. You may like to take a short hike along what remains of the old Tokaido highway that used to be the major road linking Edo (modern day Tokyo) with Kyoto and Osaka. The open-air sculpture museum features pieces by many world-renowned artists all set against a stunning mountain backdrop. There is an assortment of museums to visit and of course one of Hakone's famous "trick boxes" would make for a great souvenir.

Day 13: Kamakura - meals: breakfast and dinner
After breakfast today we will move on to Kamakura. The journey takes about 2h15 from leaving the Fujiya in Hakone to arrival at the hotel in Kamakura. You'll be able to drop off your bags before heading off to look around some of Kamakura's many beautiful temples and shrines. The town is small enough to see all the major sights on foot and there are some really nice walking routes you might like to take. Be sure not to miss Kamakura's big Buddha who has sat serenely meditating for nearly 800 years. Unfortunately for him, he lost his house some 400 years ago when the building was washed away by a giant tidal wave.
In the evening you will be treated to an exquisite 'kaiseki' meal at a local restaurant. The chef will specially prepare a full course meal containing no meat or fish for the vegetarians in the group.

Day 14: Tokyo - meals: breakfast
Today is the final day of the tour and we will make the short transfer back to Tokyo in the morning. For this stop in the capital we will be staying in Shinjuku, the most modern and busiest district of the city. Shinjuku station is the World's busiest and handles a startling 2 million passengers a day with most of them seemingly wandering in and out of the department stores, electronics retailers and restaurants that proliferate throughout the district. This is your chance to do all that last minute shopping and to check out the sights you missed first time round. We hope that everyone will join us for a last meal and a few drinks before we all head our separate ways after what we hope will have been a real vacation experience to treasure.

Day 15: sayonara!
It is that sad time when we all have to say our goodbyes and head our separate ways. Your ticket back to the airport is included and your Buddy will help you make the transfer and ensure that you are in good time for checking in. We wish you all the best for a safe journey home and hope that perhaps one day you will return to Japan for some more adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Start Dates 2006:
Sat 25th March - SOLD OUT
Sun 16th April - SOLD OUT
Start Dates 2007
Sat 24th March - NOW BOOKING
Sun 15th April - NOW BOOKING

What's Included:
All accommodation in Japan as detailed
All transport between destinations in Japan including airport transfers on arrival and departure
Trip down the Sumida River in Tokyo
Breakfast everyday either at the hotel or a nearby restaurant
5 high quality evening meals
Geisha district evening walking tour in Kyoto
Full time services of your tour 'Buddy'

What's NOT included:
International Flights
Local transport (buses, subways taxis) at any destination accept for that covered by the transport 'Free-Pass' which we will be providing in Hakone
Any entrance fees including those for shrines, temples and museums
Baggage handling - you will be expected to carry your own bags for the duration of the trip
Important Practical Information

Transport:
Please note that all transfers are by public transport making use of Japan’s first-rate transport network. All the hotels and ryokan have been chosen for their location close to the nearest station. However, you will have to carry your bags for short distances and some stations do not have escalators. We highly recommend that to make your stay more enjoyable you pack reasonably light. Large suitcases will be an inconvenience to you. A small case or bag with wheels or a rucksack are most appropriate for this tour. Clothes washing machines are available in Tokyo, Matsumoto, and Kanazawa for a small fee.

Accommodation:
All hotels and ryokan used on this tour are equipped with full en-suite facilities (attached bath, shower and toilet).