Riviera Travel Grand Tour of Japan

• Enjoy stunning vistas as you visit Mount Fuji and travel along the Kurobe Alpine Route
• Explore the cities of Tokyo, Nara and Kyoto seeing their temples, shrines and shopping districts
• Reflect at Hiroshima Peace Park and museum, confronting the horrors of war.
• Experience Japanese culture by attending an ancient tea ceremony and sake tasting in a museum.
• Travel at 189mph through Japanese countryside on high-speed bullet trains.

• Return flights and transfers
• 14nts in 4* accommodation
• Selected Meals: Daily breakfast, 2 lunches and 1 dinner
• 17 experiences and visits
• Bullet train journey
• Services of an expert tour manager
• Checked luggage

Day 1: Departure
Head to the airport for your direct, overnight flight to Tokyo

Day 2: Arrival in Tokyo
Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and check in before enjoying the rest of the evening at leisure.

Day 3: Tokyo
Spend today exploring Tokyo, discovering its unique blend of modernity and tranquillity. Begin at the Meiji Shrine, nestled in lush parkland, offering a serene escape from the bustling city. Visit Omotesando Street for luxury shopping, experience the vibrant and trendy Harajuku area, and immerse yourself in the electronic wonderland of Akihabara. Enjoy some Japanese cuisine during your included lunch today.

Day 4: Tokyo
Begin the day in Asakusa, exploring the historic Sensoji Temple, Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), and Nakamise shopping street for authentic souvenirs. Take a boat down the Sumida River to reach Ginza, a luxurious shopping destination with modern stores and boutiques. The afternoon is yours to shop or explore.

Day 5: Mount Fuji & Hakone
After three days in the capital, escape to Mount Fuji, Japan’s iconic volcano surrounded by lush forests and glass-like lakes. Visit Lake Kawaguchi, which offers fantastic views of the area, before visiting the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum to learn about the art of Tsujigahana silk dyeing. Then, continue to the mountain resort of Hakone, and go cruising on Lake Ashi to enjoy the views.

Day 6: Bullet Train to Hiroshima
Start the day with a ride on Japan’s high-speed Shinkansen, offering reclining seats, ample legroom, and speeds of up to 189 mph. Arriving in Hiroshima at lunchtime, explore Peace Park and Museum, showcasing the city’s resilience after the atomic bomb blast in 1945. Later check into your hotel.

Day 7: Hiroshima
This morning, head to Miyajima, also known as ‘Shrine Island,’ in Hiroshima Bay, renowned for its floating Torii gate and Itsukushima Shrine.  The afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace.

Day 8: Korakuen Gardens
Leaving Hiroshima by coach, the journey to Kyoto includes a stop in Okayama. You’ll head to Korakuen Garden, built in 1700, one of Japan’s most exquisite gardens, featuring lawns, lakes, wooden bridges, shrines, and teahouses. Enjoy ample time to wander the winding paths before reaching Kyoto for our four-night stay.

Day 9: Kyoto & Tea Ceremony
Start your day of exploration with a visit to the Golden Pavilion, before entering the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. From here, continue to Nijo Castle, famous for its unique wooden floors, designed to warn occupants of any impending attacks. Finish the day with a walking tour of the Gion District and a tea ceremony.

Day 10: Nara
Today’s destination is Nara. En route, pause at the Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto, renowned for its thousands of vermillion torii gates leading up a hillside to the sacred Mount Inari. On arrival in Nara, join a local guide to visit Todai-ji temple, which houses one of Japan’s biggest bronze Buddha statues. You’ll also visit the Sake Museum to learn about this traditional drink and try some for yourself.

Day 11: Free day in Kyoto
You’re free to explore Kyoto at your own pace today, with many more sights to discover

Day 12: Bullet Train to Toyama
After a morning at leisure, take a bullet train to Toyama. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 13: Kurobe Gorge
This morning, take a scenic ride in the Kurobe Gorge Railway, which goes along the gorge. Stop at a few little stations only the way to admire the view. Return to Toyama where you have the afternoon free to explore, perhaps visiting the Castle Park or the Glass Art Museum

Day 14: Kanazawa and Gokayama
This morning, travel to Kanazawa where you’ll visit Omicho Market, the city’s largest fresh food market. Walk around the Higashi Chaya district to see a traditional tea house. You’ll then visit Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens. Later, visit Gokayama, known for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses.

Day 15: Kurobe Alpine Route to Nagano
Travel to Nagano along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which takes you through the Japanese Alps and Tateyama mountains using a range of different transport methods, including trains, buses and Japan’s last remaining trolley bus. See Kurobe Dam and enjoy a bird’s eye view from the Tateyama ropeway. On arrival in Nagano, take a bullet train to Tokyo for an overnight stay.

Day 16: Return Flight
Transfer back to the airport for your flight home, arriving later the same day

New Otani Hotel, Tokyo
The centrally-located New Otani Hotel, a four-star superior establishment, is among Tokyo’s most established hotels, Boasting a wide range of dining options, the hotel also has a large open-air pool (seasonal), a shopping mall, spa, and an art museum. The air-conditioned rooms in the Garden Tower offer bath/shower, hairdryer, minibar (local charges apply), safe, satellite TV, and tea/coffee-maker.

Hakone Hotel, Hakone
This hotel sits along the shore of Lake Ashi. The hotel offers air-conditioned rooms, each equipped with a bath/shower, hairdryer, minibar, safe, TV, and complimentary Wi-Fi in the lobby area.

RIHGA Royal Hotel, Hiroshima
The hotel provides 50 spacious, air-conditioned rooms with bath/shower, hairdryer, minibar, safe, TV, and free lobby Wi-Fi. Other facilities include two restaurants, a lounge and bar as well as a swimming pool and fitness centre.

Kyoto Century Hotel, Kyoto
Located in the centre of Kyoto’s shopping and entertainment district, this hotel offers modern rooms with a fridge, safe, tv and tea/coffee making facilities.

Crowne Plaza ANA Toyama, Toyama
The Crowne Plaza ANA Toyama features a café serving meals and a 19th-floor sky bar with breathtaking panoramic views, especially stunning at night with city lights in the distance. After exploring Toyama, relax in your spacious, air-conditioned room designed for a cozy, modern atmosphere, equipped with a TV, seating area, mini fridge, hairdryer, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Fact File

• Currency: Yen
• Flight Time: Approx. 14 hours
• Language: Japanese
• Time Zone: GMT+9
• Country: Japan
• Plug type: Type A (most common) and Type B

*All transfer times listed here are approximate and dependent on traffic