TOKYO 54ºF - 57ºF

Welcome to Japan! After completing customs procedures, a guide (usually Spanish-speaking, though occasionally English-speaking) will be waiting for you. You’ll then be transferred to your hotel by shared shuttle bus. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure. In the afternoon, you’ll receive details about the start of your tour.

TOKYO 54ºF - 57ºF

In the morning, we’ll enjoy an extensive guided tour of this truly mesmerizing city, lasting approximately five hours. Tokyo’s vibrant energy and cutting-edge neighborhoods coexist beautifully with its tranquil, serene spaces.

We’ll begin with a brief stop at Zojoji Temple, where you’ll capture one of the most iconic views of the Tokyo Tower. The temple grounds are adorned with hundreds of Jizo statues, intricately carved stone figures believed to be protectors of children, dressed in colorful knit caps, bibs, and windmills.

Next, we’ll head to the famous Shibuya Crossing, often hailed as the busiest intersection in the world, followed by a visit to the Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife.

Our journey will continue by bus along the elegant Omotesando Avenue. We’ll then see the most picturesque parts of the Imperial Palace and its gardens and stop to admire the iconic Nijubashi Bridge.

As we proceed, we’ll pass through the vibrant Akihabara district, also known as the “Electric Town,” a hub for Japanese manga and anime culture. We’ll also drive past the Kokugikan, Japan’s renowned sumo wrestling arena.

We’ll conclude our tour in Asakusa, visiting the historic Sensoji Temple and the famous Nakamise Street.

Lunch will be included at a local restaurant. Afterward, we’ll return to the hotel.

At 6:30 p.m., we’ll meet our guide in the hotel lobby and take the metro (tickets included) to the lively Shinjuku district. Here, we’ll enjoy a stroll through its bustling streets, renowned for their vibrant nightlife, as we head to a local restaurant for dinner (included). Afterward, we’ll return to the hotel by metro, accompanied by our guide.

TOKYO 54ºF - 57ºF - HIROSHIMA 48ºF - 48ºF

After breakfast, we’ll transfer to the station to board the bullet train to Hiroshima, a journey of approximately four hours covering 800 kilometers.

Upon arrival, we’ll explore this city, forever marked by the atomic bomb of 1945, which tragically destroyed the city. Our visit will include a stroll through the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the powerful Peace Memorial Museum, a solemn tribute to the resilience and hope that emerged after devastation.

We’ll later board a ferry to “the island where gods and men live together.” Here, we’ll visit the iconic Itsukushima Shrine, partially built over the sea and dedicated to the guardian of the seas. You’ll have time to explore the shrine, wander through the island’s charming center, and have some lunch.

We’ll return to Hiroshima for the evening, where dinner will be included.

Note: The order of visits in Hiroshima may vary, but you’ll experience everything as planned.

HIROSHIMA 48ºF - 48ºF - MATSUYAMA 54ºF - 54ºF

Today we will take a ferry to Shikoku Island, on a pleasant crossing that lasts two hours and a half and see the many islands that make up Japan. In MATSUYAMA we will take the cable car up to its impressive castle. Afterwards, we will visit ISHITEJI, a beautiful Buddhist temple and a place of pilgrimage. Lunch included. In the late afternoon, we will visit DOGO ONSEN (admission included), a traditional Japanese bath facility built in the 19th century.

MATSUYAMA 54ºF - 54ºF - KOTOHIRA 48ºF - 52ºF - TAKAMATSU 50ºF - 54ºF - NARUTO 52ºF - 52ºF - KOBE 52ºF - 55ºF

We depart for KOTOHIRA, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the God of sailors and a place of pilgrimage. The shrine stands on Mount Zosu and is reached by climbing 785 steps. Afterwards in TAKAMATSU we will visit RITSURIN, one of the prettiest gardens in Japan. Lunch included. Then, in NARUTO, we cross an impressive bridge over the sea, stopping on the way to admire the construction and walk on its glass floor with the sea 45 metres below us. Our road is surrounded by beautiful scenery and then crosses long bridges between islands over the sea. Arrival in KOBE, accommodation.

KOBE 52ºF - 55ºF - OSAKA 50ºF - 52ºF - MOUNT KOYA

In Kobe, we’ll visit the Earthquake Memorial Museum, which serves to honor the memory of the devastating earthquake that struck the city in 1995 and its remarkable reconstruction.

We’ll then continue to Osaka, before heading to the sacred Mount Koya, the most important center of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. This magical pilgrimage site is home to 120 temples and monasteries. We’ll visit the Okuno Mausoleum, a deeply spiritual place and vast cemetery set in nature with over 200,000 graves. We’ll also visit the Kongobuji Temple, originally built in 1593.

We will spend the night in a Buddhist monastery, where the monks will lead us in a Zen meditation practice (Ajikan). Dinner will be included (vegetarian meal). If you wish, you can also attend the early morning religious ceremony at the temple.

Notes:
-On certain dates, the visit to the Earthquake Museum may be replaced by a visit to the Sake Museum or a trip up Kobe Tower.
-Staying at the monastery is considered a highly valuable experience. The rooms are simple, without private bathrooms, and follow traditional Japanese style with tatami mats. Bathrooms are shared.
-We cannot guarantee the meditation practice during peak tourist dates. Since accommodation capacity in the temples on Mount Koya is limited, in some cases, we may accommodate groups in nearby hotels (with half board included).

MOUNT KOYA - KYOTO 52ºF - 52ºF

Japanese breakfast at the temple. Then we leave early for KYOTO, to spend the whole day in the city, which was the capital of Japan between 794 and 1868 and home to the Imperial Court. During World War II the city was the only major Japanese to escape the bombardments, and so it still preserves its wealth of artistic heritage; the famous protocol restricting greenhouse gas emissions was signed in Kyoto in 1997.

The visit includes a trip to one of the most important parts of the city. We will see the marvellous Shinto Shrine of Fushimi Inari, the Imperial Palace and Kinkakuji temple, “the golden pavilion” and its wonderful gardens.

Free time before visiting GION, a busy traditional quarter famous for its Geisha. Free time.

Note: If you already visited Kyoto on your circuit, our guide will offer you information and advice on visiting the other parts of the city unaccompanied.

KYOTO 52ºF - 52ºF - TSUMAGO - MATSUMOTO 45ºF - 45ºF - NAGANO 43ºF - 43ºF

We set out for TSUMAGO, passing attractive country scenery on our way. This small village with its wooden houses is one of the prettiest places in Japan. Free time to explore and lunch included. Then we continue to MATSUMOTO, a tourist city, where we will visit the impressive 16th century castle, known as the “Crow Castle”. Free time to explore this bustling tourist city. We continue to NAGANO, accommodation.

NAGANO 43ºF - 43ºF - MONKEY PARK - KASATSU 50ºF - 50ºF - IKAHO

In NAGANO we will see the Zenko-ji, a place of pilgrimage with the first Buddhist image in Japan. Our travellers will be included the Gomakuyo ceremony to bring luck. After this, we will travel to the beautiful Japanese Alps and in the mountains we will go to the JIGOKUDANI Monkey Park, where we will include lunch and stroll amidst its forests with its rivers and spa waters where colonies of Japanese macaques live and bathe. After this, very beautiful high mountain scenery (we go up to 2,172 metres), passing semi-active volcanoes. KUSATSU, an attractive spa town, its main square full of life. We follow this with a walk in the city park which has the open air Onsen. Then on to IKAHO, a picturesque spa town where we will stroll in its ancient centre with its staircase streets. We will stay at a RYOKAN, a Japanese style hotel where we will continue to enjoy its baths. Traditional Japanese dinner included.

NB: In the autumn, depending on the amount of fruit in the mountains, the movement of the monkeys is unpredictable. If the macaques do not come down to the park, it may be closed. The visit to Kusatsu may be cancelled due to the weather from November to April.

IKAHO - NIKKO 39ºF - 39ºF - SENDAI 48ºF - 48ºF

We continue on our way to NIKKO, and in this fantastic town we will visit the impressive Nikko-Toshogu Temple with its room with the sound of a dragon. We will also see the Taiyuinbyo mausoleum, an impressive place full of peace. After this a stroll by the river in Kanmangafuchi, Hundreds of Jizos watch us!

Free time in the city centre before leaving for SENDAI, a modern, bustling city with over 1 million inhabitants. Passengers can explore the city and have dinner in its busy, thriving centre.

SENDAI 48ºF - 48ºF - MATSUSHIMA 48ºF - 48ºF - HIRAIZUMI 39ºF - 39ºF - MORIOKA 36ºF - 36ºF

We depart for the marvellous city of MATSHUSHIMA, on the “Thousand Islands” Bay in the Pacific Ocean and considered one of the most attractive cities in Japan. After arriving, we will visit a magnificent “tea house” overlooking the sea and enjoy a cup of traditional tea while our guide tells us about the city. Then we will go on a 50-minute cruise (included).

Lunch included. We continue to HIRAIZUMI to visit its temples and the UNESCO World Heritage. In a first step we visit the magnificent Buddhist temples of Chusonji. We take time to relax in the gardens of Motsuiji temple, where passengers can take part in a Zen ceremony (admission included). Finally, we will know Site of Takkoku no Iwaya, carved in the rock in 801.
We then carry on to MORIOKA, the pleasant capital of Iwate province, where we settle in at our hotel and have some free time to explore.

MORIOKA 36ºF - 36ºF - HIROSAKI 36ºF - 36ºF - AOMORI 36ºF - 39ºF - HAKODATE 34ºF - 34ºF

In a region of beautiful scenery, we travel to HIROSAKI, where we will visit its castle in a beautiful park where more than 2,500 cherry trees blossom in the spring. After this we go on to AOMORI, the provincial capital of the Bay of Mutsu. We will see the Nebuta Museum where we will learn about the Japanese traditional parties that remind us of carnival, with their painted and lit up floats. Lunch included in a local restaurant. Then we board the ferry to HOKKAIDO Island. The crossing takes just over three and a half hours. HAKODATE –Arrival-. Time in the beautiful city pedestrian centre in which to admire the influence of other cultures in the city (Russian Orthodox and Christian churches).

HAKODATE 34ºF - 34ºF - ONUMA - NOBORIBETSU 32ºF - 32ºF - SAPPORO 32ºF - 34ºF

In the morning we visit the impressive and busy fish market. Then we climb the GORYOKAKU Tower with its impressive views, from where we can make out the star-shaped fortress of Hakodate. Then we will take a stroll through the castle area before continuing to ONUMA. Free time in this wonderful tourist site, with its countless small islands in which to explore the islands, go on a boat trip and have lunch included. In the afternoon our journey takes us towards the ocean and NOBORIBETSU, an impressive volcano site, where we can walk amidst geysers in Jigoku Dani (Hell’s Valley), admire the hot spring lake of Oyunuma and follow the path next to the hot spring to the site of the footbath.- Then we carry on to SAPPORO.- At the end of the day, we arrive at this beautiful city, the capital of North Japan.-

SAPPORO 32ºF - 34ºF

City tour (included) stopping at the clock tower and Odori Koen avenue-park, dominated by the telecommunications tower. We will see the beautiful Shinto shrine of Hokkaido Jingu. The visit includes a ceremonial Kito (prayer session) in which we give thanks for the journey. We will leave Sapporo, we know the HILL OF BUDDHA, new center of avant-garde architecture opened in 2015, the hill covered with lavenders keeps the giant statue of Buddha, in the complex we will also see the replica of the statues Moai (Easter Island). We then continue to OTARU, a small city with a European air and streets filled with shops, an old canal and tiny museums. Lunch included. We return to Sapporo at about 4.30 hrs. Free time in the afternoon.

SAPPORO 32ºF - 34ºF - TOYAKO ONSEN - MOUNT USU - FERRY TOMAKOMAI SENDAI

We visit the Pirko Kotan, the Ainu village museum. Here we will see the culture of the Eskimo people who inhabited this island before the Japanese. Amidst beautiful scenery in the interior of Hokkaido Island, we pass lakes and mountains and eventually come to the spa city of TOYAKO, at the foot of an impressive volcano, on the banks of a pretty lake that occupies a former crater. Free time to wander along the bank. We will visit the volcanology museum to learn about the eruptions suffered by this region. Then we will take the cable car to the summit of the USU Volcano with time to walk around the volcano and its awesome landscape. Lunch included. We then carry on to TOMAKOMAI where we take a modern ferry for a night crossing. Accommodation in double cabins with private bathrooms. Dinner included. We spend the night on board crossing the Pacific Ocean.

FERRY TOMAKOMAI SENDAI - SENDAI 48ºF - 48ºF - YAMADERA 37ºF - 37ºF - AIZUWAKAMATSU

We arrive in Sendai port at around 10 in the morning and go on to YAMADERA, a very beautiful complex of temples founded more than 1,000 years ago in the mountain’s, amidst forests of immense trees. Time to see this magical place. Lunch included. We then go on to YONEZAWA. We are in one of the main producer regions of Shake, we will visit the Sake Museum with its small distillery before carrying on through pretty scenery to AIZUWAKAMATSU. Accommodation.

AIZUWAKAMATSU - OUCHIJUKU - TOKYO 54ºF - 57ºF

In AIZUWAKAMATSU we visit the SAMURAI MANSION, a historical mansion where we will learn about the Samurai Warriors. After this we stroll in the Castle Garden and maybe we will see children doing martial arts on the Dojo. We will go up to Iimoriyama, where we will see the sculptures donated by Mussolini and they will tell us about the child martyrs of this city. We continue our route to OUCHI-JUKU, a very picturesque village of traditional houses with thatched roofs, where there will be time for lunch. After lunch we travel to the impressive former stone quarries of the OYA-MUSEUM. Return to TOKYO – Arrival at the end of the day-.
Our journey will come to an end, leaving you with wonderful lasting memories. Please check your flight time in case you require an additional night. While the departure transfer to the airport is not included, our guide will provide recommendations for the best public transportation options to suit your journey.