Culture and Art of Japan

Welcome to Tokyo. Be met on arrival and transferred to your luxurious hotel. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers at a welcome dinner at your hotel, savouring Japanese flavours with a modern flair. Stay Three Nights: The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel (D)

• Explore Tokyo in depth on a tour of your choice. You can experience the incredible energy and efficiency of Tokyo's vast public transport network – the most extensive and used network in in the world – as you delve into the buzzing districts of Shibuya and Harajuku, or perhaps discover the beauty of Japanese gardens at Hama Rikyu and the Imperial Palace East Garden, or you might like to learn more about the history of Japan at the Tokyo National Museum.

• Take part in a sushi-making class and learn to prepare maki sushi (rolled sushi) and nigiri sushi (sushi rice topped with a slice of raw fish) before enjoying your homemade delights for lunch.

Depart for Hakone following breakfast and catch glimpses of iconic Mount Fuji if it's a clear day. Your first stop is at Hakone Shrine, a beautiful, historic Shinto shrine nestled in the forest by the shores of Lake Ashi. Enjoy a cruise on the picturesque lake and arrive at Togendai before taking in the scenery on the way to the volcanic valley of Owakudani via the Hakone Ropeway.

Follow the walking trails around the bubbling pools and steam vents and perhaps try one of the famous black eggs boiled in the area's natural hot springs. Head to your luxury hotel, which boasts access to a naturally heated onsen, and delight in a kaiseki-style dinner, a traditional multi-course meal, this evening. Stay: Hakone, Kowakien Ten-yu (B/L/D)

• In Matsumoto, you can choose to visit the spectacular Matsumoto Castle. One of Japan's most complete original castles, the structure dates back to the 16th century, and you'll have the chance to tour the castle and its pristine grounds. Alternatively, visit the Matsumoto City Museum of Art to admire fantastic works from artists born in the city or inspired by its surroundings, including iconic contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama.

• Try your hand at creating some traditional cuisine today with a soba buckwheat noodle cooking lesson and relish your creations for lunch.

Start off the day with a morning visit to the Miyagawa morning market, one of the largest in Japan. All of the market's traders are independent farmers and craftspeople from the region, so it's the perfect opportunity to try some of the area's best produce. You'll also take a stroll through Takayama Jinya, a beautifully preserved 17th-century building built for a noble family and the Tokugawa shonugate.

Following your Signature Experience, wander along the stunning streets of the city's old town on the way to the Festival Floats Museum, where you'll admire the ornamental floats of the Takayama Festival. For dinner, you'll have the chance to try the region's famous Hida beef at a local restaurant. (B/D)

Signature Experiences:

• Enjoy a Sarubobo-making experience. An amulet particularly common in Takayama and the nearby Hida region, Sarubobo are red dolls with no facial features. Learn how to make the dolls and perhaps find some good luck yourself.

• Choose between Japanese at Benkay or European cuisine at La PLAGE, both within the hotel, for your delicious dinner this evening.

• For dinner, you can choose to dine on French cuisine at Le Un or savour local Japanese food at Chiriri.

• Relish a gold leaf-making experience, decorating a small lacquer plate with the fragile and precious product.

An exciting day of sightseeing lies ahead today. Set out for Arashiyama this morning, climbing aboard a rickshaw for a ride past the Nonomiya Shrine and the spectacular Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.

Following your rickshaw experience, stop off at the World Heritage-listed Tenryuji Temple, one of Kyoto's five great Zen temples which was founded in 1339. After lunch at a local restaurant, head to the famous Kinkakuji temple, commonly known as the Golden Pavilion for its gold-leaf-covered upper floors. You'll then visit historic Nijo Castle before returning to your hotel and spending the evening at your leisure. (B/L)

• This afternoon, choose one of three diverse tours around Kyoto. You can embark on a Nishiki Market and sake-tasting tour or take part in a sweets workshop learning how to make wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) before visiting the Kyoto Confectionary Museum. Alternatively, set out on an E-bike cycling tour, where you'll ride through the Miyagawacho and Gion geisha districts, stop off at the Imperial Palace Park and cycle along the Shirakawa Canal and Kamogawa River.

• Delve into traditional Japanese culture with a special tea ceremony experience. Learn all about tea varieties and the importance and process of serving tea to guests in Japan. Enhance your experience by taking part in the ceremony wearing a festive kimono and gain a better understanding of the variety of kimonos used across different occasions.

After breakfast, board a private coach for the nearby town of Nara, once the Japanese capital for 74 years in the eighth century. Visit the incredible Todaiji Temple, one of the world's largest wooden structures and home to the country's largest statue of Buddha. Stroll through the fascinating temple before exploring the surrounding Nara Park, which is freely roamed by a large population of friendly deer who will generally bow their heads for a treat.

Next, see Nara's most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, which was established in AD768. Return to the hotel with free time this afternoon before savouring a special Signature Experience for dinner. (B/D)

Signature Experiences:

• A special night of private entertainment with a maiko or geisha awaits. Enjoy a wonderful dinner and drinks and have the chance to learn more about geisha and their daily lives, all accompanied by music played on a shamisen, a traditional stringed instrument.

Head to Kyoto Station by foot and take a first-class bullet train to Himeji, where you'll visit one of Japan's most iconic and spectacular castles, World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle. Having avoided damage from war and natural disasters, the beautifully preserved castle is a fascinating historic site to explore. Journey on to a sake brewery for a Signature Experience.

Following lunch at a local restaurant, return to the train station for another first-class bullet train journey to Okayama. Discover the city at leisure in the afternoon and evening after checking into your hotel. Stay Two Nights: Hotel Granvia Okayama (B/L)

Signature Experiences:

• Delight in a tour and delicious tasting at a traditional sake brewery in Himeji.

• Commonly known as Art Island, Naoshima Island is peppered with elegant galleries and outdoor art pieces. Visit Chichu Art Museum, a unique museum built into the hillside overlooking the coastline. Designed by Ando Tadao, the building lies mostly underground and relies only on natural light to illuminate each work, allowing you to admire its permanent Claude Monet paintings in style. Step inside the Benesse House Museum, which was also designed by Tadao. Later, enjoy the Art House Project, which features an abandoned temple and shrine along with a collection of abandoned houses and workshops converted into art installations and galleries by artists and architects from across the world.

This morning, explore the beautiful and spacious Korakuen Garden, a member of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Afterwards, board a bullet train for a first-class ride to Hiroshima. After lunch, be taken to the Peace Memorial Park, which lies at ground zero of the devastating atomic bomb dropped on the city on August 6, 1945. Stroll through the park and discover its memorials and monuments before a moving visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Later, head to Hiroshima Orizuru Tower for expansive views of the surrounds. Tonight you'll indulge in a yakiniku dinner, where delicious meats and sides are flame grilled over wood charcoal. Stay Two Nights: Sheraton Grand Hiroshima (B/D)

• This morning, you can choose to take part in an okonomiyaki cooking experience, where you'll create your own savoury pancakes in the traditional Hiroshima style, or you can head to the Mazda Factory Museum to learn all about one of the world's leading car manufacturers.

After breakfast, set off by foot to Hiroshima Station. Board a first-class bullet train to Fukuoka, where you'll have free time for lunch before taking a private coach to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Explore the shrine before reboarding your coach and driving to your accommodation.

Tonight, soak in the atmosphere at a local izakaya, where you'll enjoy a Farewell Dinner to toast your incredible Japanese journey. Stay: Fukuoka, Miyako Hotel Hakata (B/D)

Your journey finishes today after breakfast, with a transfer to Fukuoka Airport for your onward flight. (B)