Wendy Wu Gems of Japan & Shikoku

Arts of Naoshima Island
Explore the contemporary art collections on the island, including open-air installations

Explore the Ritsurin Garden
Visit these beautiful gardens, home to koi-filled ponds and elegant bridges

Mount Fuji’s Green Tea Fields
Visit the tea fields of Shizuoka, where you can see the views of Mount Fuji beyond

Tokyo Sumo Tournament
On selected departures in May & September, see a thrilling Sumo competition

Days 1-2: Fly to Tokyo
Head to the airport for your overnight flight to Tokyo. On arrival, the rest of the day is at leisure.
Dinner

Day 3: Tokyo Past & Present
Spend the morning at the Open-Air Architectural Garden, where you can get a glimpse of the city’s history from the preserved homes and public buildings. After lunch, return to central Tokyo to see the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing before taking the Shibuya Sky to get a panoramic view of the skyline. Take a brief detour on the way back to the hotel to see the Godzilla Head landmark.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4: Art & Heritage of Tokyo
Begin at the Sumida Hokusai Museum to learn more about the artist behind the Great Wave. After lunch, visit the newly renovated Edo-Tokyo museum, whose dioramas trace Tokyo’s evolution as a city. In the afternoon, return to the hotel. On select May and September departures, you watch some of the Tokyo Sumo Tournament.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5: Tea Farms & Fuji Views
Head out of Tokyo to Shizuoka Prefecture, famed for its green tea farms. On arrival, visit a tea plantation and enjoy a cup of tea before lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Mount Fuji World Heritage Centre to learn about the mountain. From here, continue to the coastal city of Shizuoka, pausing to enjoy the panoramic views from Nihondaira Yume Terrace
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: Nagoya – Kyoto
This morning, drive to Okazaki to visit a factory that’s been produced hatcho miso for over five centuries and try some for lunch. Continue to Nagoya’s SC Maglev and Railway Park to learn about the country’s rail heritage, getting the chance to step into historic carriages and admire full-scale bullet trains. Later, head to the station to board the bullet train to Kyoto
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7: Tea, Temples & Geisha
Spend the day immersing yourself in Kyoto’s ancient culture. Begin the day with a morning tea ceremony before visiting the Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji. At lunch, you’ll get the chance to meet an apprentice geisha. Continue to Ryoan-ji, a Zen temple known for its rock garden before returning to the hotel.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Free Time in Kyoto
Start your morning with a visit to Arashiyama’s famous bamboo forest and take the chance to admire the historic Togetsu-kyo Bridge before visting Tenryu-ji Temple. Enjoy a temple style lunch before having the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9: Himeji Castle – Koko-en Gardens – Hiroshima
Take a bullet train to Himeji where you can admire the imposing castle before heading to the Koko-en Gardens. Later, take the bullet train to Hiroshima

Day 10: Hiroshima & Miyajima Island
This morning, visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, a memorial to the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb. After lunch, take the ferry to nearby Miyajima Island, where you’ll have time to admire the Torii Gate that appears to be floating. Return to Hiroshima for dinner.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11: Across the Inland Sea to Shikoku
Depart Hiroshima and take the feature over to Shikoku, one of Japan’s main islands. The ferry arrives in Matsuyama where you’ll hop on a cable car to explore its hilltop castle before lunch. In the afternoon, visit Japan’s oldest hot springs for a soak.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 12: Farms & Gardens of Shikoku
Head to Mount Kirosan Observatory this morning, for the chance to admire the islands that dot the Seto Inland Sea. Continue to one of the region’s famed citrus farms to pick your own mikan orange to try. Later, take a scenic drive to Ritsurin Gardens. Enjoy some free time to wander and admire its ponds and bridges before continuing to your hotel in Takamatsu
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 13: Arts of Naoshima & Benesse House
Hop on a ferry to the island of Naoshima, known for its variety of contemporary art collections. Visit Benesse House, its premier gallery, to explore its blend of indoor and open-air installations. Later, return to Takamatsu
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 14: Festival dances, whirlpools & Osaka
Journey one hour to Tokushima, on Shikoku’s eastern coast, to visit the Awa Odori Festival Museum. Learn about Shikoku’s joyful summer festival and enjoy an energetic live performance by local dancers. After lunch, continue to the Naruto Strait to view its famous whirlpools (tide permitting) from a walkway above the swirling currents. Continue to Osaka ahead of this evening’s farewell dinner.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 15: Departure
Transfer to the airport for your flight home, arriving the same or following day
Breakfast

Orange-picking in Shikoku
Meet a local farmer in Shikoku, known as Japan’s ‘Citrus Garen’ and learn how to pick mandarin oranges

Awa Odori Festival Dance
See this traditional festival dance while visiting Tokushima

Meet a Geisha in Kyoto
Enjoy a lunchtime visit from an apprentice geisha

• Return flights
• 13nts in 3+/4* accommodation
• All meals: 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 13 dinners
• Touring with guides and entrance fees
• 2 rail journeys

Classic
See the classic sites in the company of an expert guide so that you can really understand the history and culture of the destination. On Classic tours, everything is taken care of, leaving you to sit back and enjoy the experience to the full. These tours are fully inclusive of all meals and a comprehensive touring programme including authentic cultural experiences.

This tour has a maximum group size of 28 people per group

This tour has a physical rating of 1. A reasonable level of fitness is required and you should expect to be on your feet for much of the day. You’ll be getting on and off coaches, trains or boats and walking around the sights, often including steps, plus occasional longer walks.