Whether it's slurping on a bowl of noodles with suited salarymen at a railway cafe, or splurging on a succulent Kobe beef steak at the finest restaurant in Kyoto, our itinerary is flexible enough to cater for any budget.

The tour begins in the high octane-city of Tokyo, the neon heart of this amazing country. The first of many rides on Japan's Shinkansen bullet train will then whisk us into the Japan Alps, where a magical temple stay in Nagano's most important temple awaits. A chance to see the mischievous snow monkeys as they soak in the natural hot spring pools of Yudanaka Onsen will be followed by a visit to one of Japan's original castles in Matsumoto.

We delve deeper into the mountains to the traditional market town of Takayama, home to folk villages and sake breweries.

In Kanazawa we will have the opportunity to follow the footsteps of geisha and samurai, visit the ninja Temple and witness the pinnacle of Japanese gardens, Kenrokuen.

Back on the Shinkansen, we speed further west to the heartland of Japan where our destination is Hiroshima, a dynamic city offering great food and nightlife, world class art galleries, and the sobering Peace Memorial Park. An optional day trip to the nearby sacred Miyajima Island to see the iconic floating torii gate and meet the four legged locals!

The scenic city of Kurashiki brings us a dose of culture, with renowned art galleries and some quaint museums, or if you are feeling energetic you can set out on one of Japan's top bike rides.

We saved the best Shinkansen journey to last as we pass by the base of Mt Fuji and are deposited in Yokohama, where we finish this amazing trip in style.