This tour takes you from capital to capital, discovering a Japan where past and future live side by side. Each city tells a chapter of the country’s story, and in between, Hakone, Kamakura and Nara add a touch of nature and the unexpected. Exploring Tokyo with a local friend, making sushi with a chef, cycling through the Kyoto locals know, hiking in a sacred forest, sleeping in a ryokan: it’s a complete, well-balanced journey that still leaves plenty of time to wander at your own pace.

Highlights

• A journey through Japanese history: from Nara, the first capital, to Tokyo, today’s capital, by way of Kamakura, the city of the shoguns, and Kyoto, the imperial city of 1,600 temples, trace over a thousand years of Japanese history.

• Authentic experiences included: a day in Tokyo with a local guide, a sushi workshop in a traditional restaurant and a bike ride through Kyoto’s hidden neighbourhoods, to see Japan from the inside.

• A breath of fresh air: Lake Ashi, the volcanic valley of Owakudani, views of Mount Fuji and a hike up Mount Kurama, a welcome change of pace between cities.

• A night in a ryokan in Hakone: a traditional dinner of many small dishes, a yukata to slip into and a soak in the hot springs, for a real taste of the Japanese way of life.

• Freedom with local support: plenty of free time with our day-by-day suggestions, reserved train seats between each stage, a detailed travel booklet, pocket Wi-Fi and 24/7 on-site assistance, so you can travel with peace of mind.