Essential Tokyo & Mount Fuji

This afternoon, you meet your Tour Leader and the rest of the group for a short briefing on the days ahead, getting around the city and the people sharing the trip with you.

We then sit down to our Welcome Dinner of Tsukishima monja, a Tokyo speciality we cook ourselves on a hotplate set into the table, making the meal as much a group activity as a dinner.

Afterwards, you can carry on the evening at a nearby bar with the group or turn in early.

Our morning starts with a sushi-making class, where a local chef shows us how to shape and roll each piece before we eat the results for lunch.

We then leave the crowds behind at Meiji Shrine, a key religious site for the city, set within a quiet wooded park. From here, we wander Harajuku, where fashion boutiques, offbeat stores and cafes fill the streets.

Next, we reach Shibuya Crossing and stop at the Hachiko statue. For a wide view over the city, you can head up to Shibuya Sky.

You also have the option of driving through Tokyo’s streets by go-kart with Kartoon Karting, at an additional cost.

Please note: Kartoon Karting must be booked before travel.

We begin in Yanaka Ginza, an old shopping street of food stalls and independent stores, with plenty to snack on as we go.

Next, we head to Akihabara, Tokyo’s Electric Town, packed with anime shops, arcades and electronics stores. Here, the group takes on an arcade challenge, or another activity picked by our Tour Leader. You can also visit a maid cafe in the district, at an additional cost of GBP 15 per person.

Later, we travel to Asakusa to see Senso-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, and browse the stalls of Nakamise-dori for souvenirs and snacks.

This evening, you have the option of joining a sumo experience, at an additional cost of GBP 105 per person. You meet former wrestlers to hear about life in the sport before sharing chanko nabe, the dish sumo wrestlers rely on. Afterwards, your evening is free. You could ask your Tour Leader for ideas or try the izakayas and local drinks of Hoppy Street.

Please note: The sumo experience must be booked before travel.

Today, we leave the city for the Mt Fuji area and a Japanese dyeing workshop near Lake Kawaguchi. After an introduction to the traditional methods, we each make our own design using indigo, Yamanashi wine or sumi ink, watching the colours develop before taking the finished piece home.

We then continue to Oshino Hakkai, an old village in the Fuji Five Lakes region, where ponds are filled by snowmelt from Mt Fuji. Here, you have time for lunch and to explore the village. On a clear day, the mountain itself may be visible.

Later, we return to Tokyo. Your final evening is free, perhaps for a final ramen, some souvenir shopping or a night out with the group.

Please note: Views of Mt Fuji depend on the weather.

This morning, we say goodbye to Tokyo and to your fellow travellers. Whether you're heading home or continuing your journey, we hope your time in Japan has been unforgettable.