FESTIVAL ALERT!
If you book on our 27th July departure and arrive a day early, you can experience the Sumida River Fireworks Festival in Tokyo. This visual extravaganza is the oldest and most impressive fireworks festival in Japan, and is a must see. The festival is held in Asakusa, where we will be staying, and the best viewing spots are literally minutes walk from our hotel! The surrounding streets will be filled with kimono clad locals and vendors selling tasty Japanese snacks.

...We begin in Tokyo, an amazing introduction to modern Japan. Our western style hotel is situated in Asakusa, the oldest and perhaps the most interesting district and Sensoji temple is on the doorstep. On the first night we have included a group meal at a local restaurant and then we have the following day to explore the city.

From Tokyo we take the Bullet train to Himeji, famed for its stunning original samurai Castle, the largest in Japan.  Exploring this area you gain an interesting insight into feudal Japan and enter the ancient world of the samurai.

Another journey on the efficient Shinkansen will take us to Hiroshima, where we will the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum to gain a more poignant reminder of Japan's more recent history.

From Hiroshima it is only a short hop to the Island of Miyajima. Miyajima is one of Japan's three top sights and has a truly magical atmosphere. We have a whole day strolling amongst the deer, taking in the shrines and walking through the primeval forests. This will be our first stay in Japanese style accommodation and a delicious dinner is included at the hotel.

From Miyajima we will take the Ferry to Hiroshima Port and then pick up the Hydrofoil to Shikoku Island, the least visited by foreign tourists of all Japan's main Islands. We will begin our stay on Shikoku in the castle town of Matsuyama. We will stay in Dogo and maybe take a dip in the oldest hot spring baths in Japan. You will also have a great opportunity to try Japanese style baths at our next stop in Kotohira. Staying at a Japanese style Ryokan this will be a truly unique experience and the dinners are superb. This is a small pilgrimage town full of character and from here we will also do a day trip to the stunning Iya Valley. We continue our journey east to Tokushima, an area famed for its unique dances, Indigo Dying and puppet theatre.

We will leave Shikoku by ferry and then make our way by train and cable car to the mysterious Mt. Koya religious complex. Here we will stay at temple lodgings and have the chance to witness traditional ceremonies as well as try some fantastic Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.

Our final stop is Kyoto, the old capital of Japan and still very much its cultural heart. Our smart, western style hotel is located by the river Kamo and is a short walk to the centre of town. On the first night we have included a group meal at a local restaurant and then we have a full two days to explore Kyoto.

This is a unique tour and is for those who wish to see the main cities but also delve a little deeper into rural Japan. It is a great opportunity to see a Japan rarely seen by most visitors and has some excellent accommodation and of course food.