Essential Honeymoon

Discover the many faces of Tokyo, from the traditional Asakusa district to super high-rise Shinjuku.

Welcome to Japan! Upon arrival you'll catch the train from Narita Airport to your hotel in Tokyo's Ueno district, which is packed with great restaurants and interesting museums. Ueno is located close to the traditional Asakusa district so you can easily explore Senso-ji Temple and its surrounding markets on your first afternoon.

After a night to adjust to life in Japan you will have two full days to explore Tokyo at your leisure. There is a huge amount to see, from Akihabara's "electric town" to the karaoke bars of Ikebukuro and the neon-spangled skyscrapers of Shinjuku. If you want to escape the busy city streets, head for the calm of Ueno Park or the gardens around Meiji Shrine.

On your second full day in Tokyo we suggest that you visit Tsukiji Fish Market to redeem the sushi breakfast included in your trip. Visiting the tuna auctions at 5am may sound a little onerous but it is truly an amazing experience, its popularity meaning that places are limited to only 80 each day on a first-come, first-served basis. If this is too early for you, visiting the market from 9am when it opens to the general public is a fantastic experience too. Either way, you will be enjoying some of the freshest sushi in the world!

Overnight: Villa Fontaine Ueno

A new phase of your honeymoon starts today as you take a highway bus from Tokyo to Hakone National Park.

We've included Hakone Free Passes so you can explore the national park by ropeway, funicular train, mountain switchback railway and even a pirate boat across Lake Ashi - all with iconic Mount Fuji in the background (weather permitting!) Tonight you'll stay at a traditional, Japanese-style guesthouse with an outdoor hot spring bath that you can reserve for just the two of you.

After a restful night at your ryokan you'll have another day in Hakone to visit one of the national park's fantastic museums. The outdoor sculpture park is superb, offering a huge Picasso collection and magnificent sculptures set against the lush valleys and mountains of the national park.

Overnight: Fuji Hakone Guest House

You'll hop on the world-famous Shinkansen bullet train today to travel from Hakone National Park to Nagoya before catching a limited express train to the Kiso Valley.

Rather than taking the bus to your traditional inn at Tsumago, we highly recommend the scenic walk along the Nakasendo Highway from the nearby town of Magome. The Nakasendo Highway was once one of the five routes used by samurai to travel between Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo Period, and today it offers a wonderful glimpse of rural Japan. Dinner will be included at your family-run Tsumago minshuku tonight.

Overnight: Daikichi Minshuku

Today you will take a limited express train to Nagoya and the bullet train on to Kyoto, Japan's cultural heartland.

You'll be staying in the downtown area of the city near all the cafes, restaurants, bars and shops. For a romantic evening walk, head straight for the pedestrian street of Pontocho where you'll find endless traditional restaurants and perhaps even a geisha scurrying between teahouses.

There's so much to see in Kyoto that it can be hard to know where to start! Our advice is to choose some classic sights like Nijo Castle, the strolling garden around Heian Shrine and the thousand Buddha statues at Sanjusangendo, then allow time to seek out some of the lesser-known sights. The twin shrines of Shimogamo and Kamigamo, for example, are usually quiet and only visited by the Japanese, but both are very picturesque.

On your second full day in Kyoto we've included a traditional tea ceremony experience to be held in an authentic teahouse just a stone's throw from the Gion geisha district. An English-speaking Kyotoite, dressed in a kimono, will show you the basics of the time-honoured ceremony from preparing the tea to the ritualised movements that guests must perform to appreciate the tea in a contemplative meditation. The rest of the day will be free for you to continue exploring the many charms of Kyoto.

Overnight: Daiwa Roynet Kyoto Shijo Karasuma

Today you'll travel deep into the Kii Mountains to reach sacred Mount Koya, the birthplace of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.

Tonight you'll be staying in a shukubo, or Buddhist temple lodgings, where rooms are traditional Japanese-style with futon mattresses placed on the tatami mat floors and communal bathing facilities. An elaborate dinner of shojin ryori, vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, will be included at your accommodation this evening.

Overnight: Eko-in Shukubo

After a morning exploring the temple architecture and vast cemetery atop Mount Koya you'll catch the train back down to Osaka, where the urban jungle will certainly provide a striking contrast to your peaceful stay in the mountains!

Although it doesn't have a huge number of tourist sites in the conventional sense, Osaka is renowned throughout Japan for its fun-loving atmosphere, down-to-earth inhabitants and top-notch cuisine.

Osaka is the perfect place to spend your last full day in Japan, and we recommend heading out to the port, home of Osaka's world-class aquarium, or visiting Osaka Castle. In the evening there's no better place for a big final night out than the Dotonbori district, packed with fantastic restaurants, trendy bars, larger-than-life models and bright neon signage!

Sadly your honeymoon in Japan must come to an end, and on your final morning you'll hop on the train to Osaka Kansai Airport for your flight home.

Overnight: Villa Fontaine Shinsaibashi