Japan's Four Essential Cities

Once you have arrived in Tokyo, make your way to your accommodation for the next three nights.

The rest of the day is free for you to settle in and start exploring - Asakusa's Sensoji Temple and the nearby Nakamise-dori shopping arcade make for an easy first taste of the city, or you could head to Shibuya to see the Meiji Shrine.

After breakfast, head to Tokyo Skytree, where you can choose your own entry time between 10 am and 8 pm to ride up to the observation decks - the Tembo Deck at 350 metres and the Tembo Galleria at 450 metres - for sweeping views across the city. Your combined ticket also gives you access to TeamLab Planets TOKYO DMM, where you can walk barefoot through immersive digital art installations filled with water and mirrored floors, visiting any time before last entry, an hour before closing.

In the afternoon, you have a kimono dressing and tea ceremony experience booked at Maikoya, near Asakusa. Choose from a range of kimono styles, with dressing help and hairstyling assistance available for women, then join a tea master for a traditional tea ceremony and make your own bowl of matcha, finished with Japanese sweets. There's time afterwards for photos in the tea house's Japanese garden or the nearby streets of Asakusa.

Please note: Both the Skytree/TeamLab ticket and the tea ceremony experience are non-refundable once used, and there's no re-entry once you leave either venue.

Please note: TeamLab Planets is a barefoot experience with water underfoot up to knee height in places - bring a change of clothes or wear water-safe clothing.

Please note: With two activities booked on the same day, an early start is recommended to comfortably fit in Skytree, TeamLab Planets and the tea ceremony.

This morning, after breakfast, make your way to the meeting point in Shinjuku or Tokyo for a full day excursion to Mount Fuji, one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where a guide travels with you for the day.

The first stop is Oishi Park, where you can take in lakefront views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko, before continuing to Arakurayama Sengen Shrine, home to a Five-Storied Pagoda and one of the best photo spots in the area.

From here, you head up to Mount Fuji 5th Station for panoramic mountain views - or Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba as an alternative should the 5th Station be closed - before visiting Oshino Hakkai, a traditional village with clear spring ponds fed by snowmelt from Mount Fuji. Lunch is at own expense today, so you can choose somewhere to eat in Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko or Gotemba, before the coach returns you to Shinjuku by around 6 pm.

Please note: Arrive at least 15 minutes before the 7:45 am departure, as late arrivals cannot be accommodated.

Please note: This excursion may be rescheduled due to weather or traffic, and could be cancelled in cases of extreme weather, with notice given the day before.

Please note: Only one piece of hand luggage per person is permitted on the coach - larger bags should be left at your accommodation or stored in a locker - and it's worth dressing in layers, as temperatures vary between stops.

After breakfast, make your way to Tokyo Station for your onward journey to Kyoto. Board the Nozomi 21 bullet train, departing at 9:30 am, for the two-hour-15-minute journey directly to Kyoto Station, arriving at 11:45 am.

Once you have arrived in Kyoto, make your own way to your accommodation for the next three nights. Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a thousand years and remains one of its best-preserved cities, so the rest of the day is free for you to start exploring - the geisha district of Gion or the temple of Kiyomizu-dera both make for an easy first outing.

This morning, you have a full-day bus tour of Kyoto's most famous sights, meeting at JR Kyoto Station's Karasumaguchi Terminal by 9:50 am to exchange your voucher, ahead of a 10:10 am departure with a local guide, plus an on-board audio guide for additional commentary.

The first stop is Arashiyama, where you'll spend around two hours exploring Tenryu-ji Temple's garden and walking through the famous Bamboo Grove, with lunch at your own expense in the area.

In the early afternoon, the tour continues to Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto's spectacular Golden Pavilion, where you can admire its reflection in the surrounding pond, before moving on to Fushimi Inari Shrine to walk beneath its iconic path of thousands of red torii gates. The tour returns to Kyoto Station's Karasumaguchi Terminal by around 4:15 pm.

Please note: This tour is shared with other guests, and your voucher must be exchanged for a boarding ticket before departure.

Today is yours to spend independently in Kyoto, with plenty more of the city still to discover. The Zen garden at Ryoanji or the hall of a thousand Kannon statues at Sanjusangendo are both worth the trip if you haven't already explored them.

This morning, after checking out, make your way to Kyoto Station for the short onward journey to Osaka. Board the Nozomi 13 bullet train at 10 am, arriving into Shin-Osaka just 15 minutes later at 10:15 am.

Once you have arrived, make your way to your accommodation in Osaka for the night. Osaka is the lively heart of the Kansai region, known for its striking modern architecture, tasty local food, and the neon-lit nightlife district of Dotonbori - and this evening, you have a food walking tour booked to explore exactly that.

At 5:30 pm, meet your local guide outside Exit 1 of Dobutsuen-mae Station, in front of the FamilyMart, for a three-hour food walking tour through Shinsekai and Dotonbori. Starting beneath the retro Tsutenkaku Tower, you wander through the narrow Jan-Jan Yokocho alley - lined with historic artwork - and stop for a taste of Osaka's famous kushikatsu, deep-fried skewers of meat and vegetables.

From here, you pass a small temple tucked between Namba's neon signs before browsing the Dogu-ya-suji shopping street, including the well-known Hocho-ya knife shop.

The tour continues into Dotonbori, where you visit Hozen-ji Temple and wander through Ukiyo-koji alley, picking up snacks such as takoyaki along the way. There's a photo stop at the famous Glico sign, before finishing with a hands-on okonomiyaki cooking lesson at a local restaurant - Osaka's answer to the savoury pancake, cooked table-side on a hot iron griddle. Two drinks, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, are included along the way, and the tour ends back in Dotonbori.

Please note: This tour has a maximum of 7 guests per booking and can't accommodate gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan dietary requirements - let your guide know of any other dietary needs at least a day in advance.

After breakfast, check out and make your way to Shin-Osaka Station for the journey on to Hiroshima. Board the Nozomi 17 bullet train at 11 am for the one-hour-25-minute journey, arriving into Hiroshima Station at 12:25 pm.

Once you have arrived, make your way to your accommodation in Hiroshima, where you'll spend the next three nights. This afternoon is free for you to settle in - Hiroshima Castle in the centre of the city, or the historic Old Bank of Japan building, are good options if you'd like to get out and explore before tomorrow's tour.

This morning, after breakfast, make your way to Hiroshima Station's Shinkansen ticket gate on the 2nd floor by 9:45 am for a full day bus and ferry tour with an accompanying guide. The bus departs at 10:15 am, passing Hiroshima Castle on the way to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, where you can walk around and learn about its history, before visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (or the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall, should the museum be closed).

Lunch is included today - a chance to try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, with meal options available to suit your preference - before continuing to Miyajimaguchi Pier for a special ferry crossing to Miyajima Island, passing close by the Great Torii on the way. On the island, you visit Itsukushima Shrine, famous for its scenic floating appearance at high tide, before some free time to browse the shops and food stalls of Omotesando Shopping Street.

The return ferry departs Miyajima at 4:40 pm, and the tour ends back at Hiroshima Station at 5:40 pm.

Please note: This tour requires a minimum of 10 participants to run and isn't suitable for wheelchair users, involving a significant amount of walking. Earphone guides are provided during the tour and should be returned at the end - a fee applies if lost or damaged.

Today is yours to spend independently in Hiroshima. Hiroshima Castle is worth a visit if you didn't stop there yesterday, since the tour only passed by it on the bus, or you might enjoy simply relaxing before your final day in the city.

After breakfast and check-out, your tour comes to an end in Hiroshima.