Thank you for your enquiry

Discover Japan in all its glory with an extensive 17-day tour that covers the classic sights and key cultural activities. From bustling modern cities to historical landmarks and stunning landscapes, you are guaranteed an enriching experience, ensuring you make the most of your time in this captivating country. Includes return flights from Dublin, 15 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast, 14 lunches and 15 dinners.

>> Enquire about this package! <<

• Return flights from Dublin
• 15 nights 3* & 4* hotel accommodation
• 15 breakfasts, 14 lunches and 15 dinners
• All local transport and listed activities

Day 1 -2 Fly to Osaka

• Fly overnight to Osaka and transfer on arrival to your hotel. Formerly known as Naniwa, Oaska is Japan’s third largest city and is famed for its delicious food, vibrant colours and rich history and culture.

Day 3 Visit Nara

• Journey by coach to Japan’s former imperial capital Nara. Visit Todaiji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one the Seven Great Temples of Japan it is home to the world’s largest bronze statue, Daibutsu. Also visit Isui-en Gardens, with its attractive natural ponds and teahouses, before returning to Osaka After lunch in the vibrant Dotonbori District, visit Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s most famous castles. Perched on a hilltop it affords stunning views of the city. Later, take a short cruise down the Yodogawa River.

Day 4 Visit Himeji Castle

• Travel by coach to Himeji to visit the magnificent 17th century Himeji Castle and the neighbouring Koko-en Garden, a traditional-style garden with nine walled gardens designed in various styles of the Edo Period. Himeji castle is well-preserved and considered Japan’s most magnificent castle for its imposing size and beauty

Day 5 Hiroshima

• This morning, we visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. The museum details the events of August 6th 1945 when the city was struck by an atomic bomb. Ater the visit there is time to wander through the trees, lawns and walking paths of the Memorial Park. After lunch, take the ferry to Miyajima Island to visit Itsukushima Shrine and explore the local streets or make the walk up to Daisho-in Temple, before returning to your hotel for dinner.

Day 6 Bullet Train to Kyoto

• This morning, catch a bullet train to Kyoto (you will need to pack a small overnight bag for tonight as your luggage will be transferred separately to the hotel and arrive the next day). This captivating city was the capital for a thousand years and is the epitome of traditional Japan. After lunch, take a trip to Ryoanji, the 'temple of the peaceful dragon,' and then marvel at Kinkakuji, the 'Golden Pavilion,' renowned for its shimmering, golden exterior.

Day 7 Japanese Tea Ceremony

• Visit the spectacular Kiyomizu Temple this morning, one of Japan’s most celebrated temples, and home to the Jishu Shrine dedicated to the deity of love. After experiencing the age-old rituals of a traditional tea ceremony, visit the Shinto Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of vermillion torii gates which form a network of tunnels around the main shrine buildings.

Day 8 Travel to Kanazawa

• Travel by coach to Kanazawa, known for its beautiful samurai and geisha districts, and arrive in time for lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon, visit the beautiful Kenroku-en Garden, one of Japan’s ‘Three Great Gardens’ before viewing some of Japan’s most fascinating modern art at the Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.

Day 9 Washi Paper Making

• Visit the Nomura Samurai House and garden before leaving Kanazawa. Transfer to Gokayama and arrive in time for lunch. Try your hand on making washi paper - a type of Japanese paper made from fibres of bark, often used in the art of origami. Continue to Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its unusual architectural style known as Gassho-Zukuri, with the roofs of the houses tilted at an almost vertical angle. Arrive in Takayama in time for dinner.

Day 10 Explore Takayama

• Enjoy a day sightseeing around the town of Takayama. Browse through the local food and craft stalls at the Miyagawa Morning Market before visiting local museums s including Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall, Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum and Takayama Jinya. Then spend some free time in Kamisannomachi Street, a well-preserved part of the historic city featuring traditional houses, sake breweries, shops and cafes — some of them dating back centuries.

Day 11 Travel to Nagano

• This morning, depart Takayama and travel to Matsumoto to visit the formidable 16th Century Matsumoto Castle, the oldest wooden castle in Japan. It is known as ‘Crow Castle’ due to its intense black exterior. After lunch, stop at Ishii Miso to learn about the process of making miso, an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine, before trying some Miso soup. Then visit a wasabi farm to learn about its cultivation before travelling on to Nagano.

Day 12 Snow Monkeys

• Nagano was the host city of the 1998 Winter Olympics and is the main access point to the Japanese Alps. Visit Yudanaka in search of the snow monkeys (Japanese Macques) at Jigokudani Yaen-Koen Monkey Park. You may be lucky to see them soaking in the baths of hot water that bubble out of small crevices in the ground. Back in Nagano visit Zenkoji Temple, built in the 7th Century. The temple’s main hall has a tunnel in its basement where visitors try to find and touch the ‘key to paradise’ in complete darkness. The key is attached to the wall and grants enlightenment to anybody who touches it.

Day 13 Mount Fuji

• Travel through the foothills of the iconic Mount Fuji to the mountain’s base and see the calm waters of the five lakes, formed by past volcanic eruptions, reflecting Fuji’s picture-perfect cone. Weather permitting, head up Fuji’s 5th Station for spectacular mountain vistas. If the 5th Station is closed, there will be a visit toFuji San World Heritage Centre instead. Then visit Itchiku Kubota Art Museum to view the elaborate dyed silk kimonos of artist Kubota Itchiku before continuing to your hotel.

Day 14: Explore Hakone

• This morning, transfer to Hakone, for a boat cruise on the peaceful waters of Lake Ashi before boarding the Hakone ropeway to take in spectacular views of the crystal-clear blue waters of Lake Ashi, the rising volcanic fumes of Owakudani and, on a clear day, the grandeur of Mount Fuji. After lunch, continue to Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, one of the world’s most cutting-edge capital cities, perfectly blending modern technology with beautifully serene backstreets and old temples.

Day 15: Discover Tokyo

• This morning, visit the Imperial Palace East Gardens and the Meiji Jingu Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. Walk the famous Shibuya Crossing before spending the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 16: Tokyo Panorama

• Begin your final full day in Tokyo with a leisurely walk through the lively Asakusa district. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Senso-ji, one of Tokyo's most beloved and frequently photographed temples, and the oldest Buddhist temple in the city. Featuring a five-storey pagoda and the iconic large red Kaminarimon Thunder Gate lantern, Senso-ji is an essential stop on your itinerary. The afternoon is free to spend as you wish, and in the evening, you will board a traditional yakata boat for a dinner cruise.

Day 17: Depart Tokyo

• This morning is free at leisure before transferring to the airport for your return flight home

Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change. Please ask for the most up to date itinerary before booking.