Essential Honshu: Day-by-Day Itinerary

Please read this page for a detailed day-by-day itinerary for the tour or click HERE for a print friendly version.

Day 1: Tokyo - meals: none

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 itself. 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 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.

This evening may be a good chance to visit the kabuki for a bit of traditional Japanese theatre. If you buy a full ticket a simultaneous taped translation is available which will enable you to understand quite why it is that everyone around is splitting his or her sides with laughter! Or perhaps you'd rather go to the imposing Tokyo Dome and catch a spot of baseball, Japan's modern day national sport. Your Buddy will be able to offer advice on what's available..

Day 2: Tokyo - meals: breakfast and dinner

Today you'll have a full day to explore Japan's famous capital city. There's a lot to see and do so we'd recommend an early start... about 4.30am 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.

Following the fish market it will be time to take a spot of breakfast. Perhaps some sushi?! If this isn't for you we'll be taking breakfast at a restaurant diner near the hotel.

For those with an interest in seeing some sumo this morning you may like to join your tour Buddy as he heads of to a sumo stable to watch a morning practice. This is up close and very personal. The wrestlers battle it out just a few feet from where you will be sitting and after seeing this you'll see this toughest of sports in a completely different light.

From mid-morning there is the option of a boat trip on the Sumida River that runs through the centre of Tokyo. The boat takes you down to Hamarikyu tei-en, a tranquil garden that is just a few minutes walk from the lively Ginza shopping district. You can take a cup of freshly made green tea served in the teahouse that is the focal point of the garden.

After leaving the garden there are a whole host of different options. 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 take the walk into the Ginza for some shopping and a look at the latest electronic wizardry at the Sony Building; or maybe a walk down Ometesando, the 'Champs-Elysee' of Tokyo to Meiji shrine would appeal to you more. Whatever it is you want to do your Buddy will help you out.

Dinner is included tonight and is an eat and drink all you like treat (optional karaoke follows...!).

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Day 3: Kamakura - meals: breakfast and dinner

After breakfast we will move on to Kamakura. The journey takes about 1h45 from leaving the hotel in Tokyo 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 the Buddha was housed in 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.

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Day 4: Hakone - meals: breakfast

After enjoying a Japanese style breakfast at our hotel we will move on to Hakone. Total journey time is around 2h30. 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, rope-way, and even the sightseeing boat which crosses lake Ashino from where if you're lucky and 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. We'll be staying at the traditional style Fuji-Hakone guesthouse which boats a very nice outside hot-spring 'rotemburo' bath where you can relax after a hard day sightseeing and look up at the stars! For those of you joining us in summer there is the option of a Mt. Fuji climb, a real once-in-a-lifetime experience. Be warned though, you'll need to be fit!

Day 5: Hakone - meals: breakfast

More time to explore Hakone (or rest up if you viewed this morning's sunrise from the top of Fuji-san!). You may like to take a short hike along what remains of the old Tokaido highway which 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 are also all kinds of museums to visit and this is a great chance to pick up one of Hakone’s famous “trick boxes” as a unique souvenir.

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Day 6: Osaka - meals: breakfast

After breakfast we’ll be moving on to Osaka, taking a three hour ride on the world famous ‘Bullet’ train. Osaka is the concrete beating heart of the Kansai region and home to the best food, drink and entertainment in all of Japan. Osaka is a city buzzing with energy and life. Your hotel is right in the heart of the city, in the Umeda district, about a 10 minute walk from Osaka station

Day 7: Day trip to Nara / Full day in Osaka - meals: breakfast

Today is a day trip to Nara, if you would like to join us. 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 of the 'Big Buddha' and enormous bronze Buddha which is 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 deer biscuits in your hands!

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Day 8: Kyoto - meals: breakfast

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. 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 9: Kyoto - meals: breakfast and dinner

Another day in this most famous of Japanese cities. Check out some more temples and shrines or perhaps book a tour of the Imperial Palace gardens. This evening there is an optional "Geisha Walking Lecture" with one of our partners in Kyoto, Peter Macintosh, available at no extra charge. His eight year's experience of living in Kyoto and close involvement with the Geisha community mean that you'll get a truly unique insight into this hidden world. The tour will be followed by dinner in a restaurant in Gion.

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Day 10: Takayama - meals: breakfast and dinner

Today it's on by bullet train and express train to Takayama. We'll be arriving early afternoon and after leaving our bags at the Minshuku will have a chance to start exploring this intriguing mountain town. Dinner will tonight be served at our Minshuku so we'll be sure to have some delicious home cooked fare to enjoy.

Day 11: Takayama - meals: breakfast and dinner

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.

If you would like to send on your luggage to Tokyo before we head up into the mountains, now is the time to do it. Your Buddy will help you out and your bags will be waiting for you when we check in to the hotel in Tokyo.

Dinner will again be served at the Minshuku this evening. More top tucker!

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Day 12: Kamikochi - meals: breakfast and bbq dinner

After breakfast at the ryokan we will take the bus up into the mountains. After around 1h25 we will enter the national park and it is about another 15 minutes to the drop of point. The Kamikochi plateau is nearly 1500m above sea level and later in the season it will be cool. So anyone coming in September or October remember to bring warm clothing for night time as temperatures can fall below freezing. The park is one of the most beautiful places in Japan with each season providing a different experience. In Spring the leaves are green and the freshly melted winter snows swell the river which runs through the heart of the park. In Autumn the turning leaves provide a backdrop of stunning reds, oranges and browns.

The night before we will have stocked up at the local supermarket in Takayama and tonight we shall barbecue over a real fire!

This is a great chance for you to relax and perhaps do some walking or hiking. There are a variety of trails to walk and if you are lucky you might get to laugh at the antics of the park's many resident wild monkeys! There is also an onsen where you take a natural hotspring bath. Customers should note that there are no private washing facilities here. Bathing is at the communal bath house (or 'onsen') Men and women are separate.

Day 13: Kamikochi - meals: breakfast

A second day in the Japan Alps for some more walking, relaxation or hot spring dips!

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Day 14: Tokyo - meals: breakfast

We'll be taking an early bus down to Matsumoto, from where we will transfer by express train back to Tokyo. The journey is absolutely stunning as the road twists and turns down the valley through a series of seemingly never-ending tunnels. Once we reach Matsumoto we will have time if people wish to stop off for a couple of hours to visit the famous castle. It is one of the finest examples of an original castle still surviving in Japan, escaping as it has the ravages of fire and war which have destroyed so many of Japan's other feudal castles. After the castle we'll take some lunch before heading back to the station to catch the train to Tokyo. Don't worry about your luggage; you can leave it in coin lockers at the station when we first arrive.

You can't get two more contrasting faces of Japan in one day and when you step off the train at Tokyo's Shinjuku station it will be hard to believe you are still in the same country. It is quite a long journey with a travel time of around 6 hours in total. We will aim to arrive back at the Tokyo hotel by around 6pm at the latest. This evening may be a good opportunity to visit the kabuki for a bit of traditional Japanese theatre. If you buy a full ticket an English simultaneous translation is available which will enable you to understand quite why it is that everyone around is splitting their sides with laughter! Or perhaps you'd rather go to the imposing Tokyo Dome and catch a spot of baseball, Japan's modern day national sport.

This is the final day of the tour so we hope that you might join with your Buddy for a farewell meal in the evening. A chance for one last night of good food before heading home.

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Day 15: sayonara! - meals: breakfast

Sadly the tour is over and we all have to say our farewells and go our separate ways. Your transfer ticket back to Narita airport is included and your Buddy will check out the times for you to make sure you're in good time for your flight home.

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 or best of all, a rucksack, are most appropriate for this tour. Clothes washing machines are available in Tokyo, Osaka and Hakone for a small fee.

Accommodation: The hotels in Tokyo, Kamakura and Osaka and the ryokan in Kyoto are equipped with full en-suite facilities (attached bath, shower and toilet). The traditional Japanese Inn in Hakone has private-use communal facilities. The traditional inn in Takayama has shared single sex showers and large baths. Customers should note that in Kamikochi the only private washing facilities are pay showers. Bathing is at the communal bath house (Men and women are separate) or at the Kamikochi Onsen (hot-spring) Hotel. You will need your own towel in Kamikochi. We are also not able to provide single rooms in Kamikochi as we will be staying in log cabins where this is not an option. We may also ask single travellers to share a room (same sex share) in Kamakura, Hakone, Kyoto and Takayama.

Tour Summary