Osaka, Kyoto & Hiroshima Highlights

Once you have arrived in Osaka, you make your own way to your accommodation in the city, where you check in for a two night stay. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you like.

Osaka is the beating heart of the Kansai region, a lively mix of modern architecture, striking neon streets and excellent local cuisine. If you would like to get out and explore, the entertainment district of Dotonbori is a good place to start, with its packed restaurants and bars, or you could head to Osaka Castle to admire its restored exterior from the grounds.

This morning, a guide meets you for a walking tour through five of Osaka's must-see sights, starting at Osaka Castle. From the castle tower you can look out over the city, and the museum inside tells the story of the castle and the Sengoku period.

From here, the walk continues to Shitennoji Temple, one of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, founded in 593 and the first ever built by the state, before heading into Shinsekai. This retro, colourful district grew up in the early twentieth century around the landmark Tsutenkaku Tower, and is a good spot for a taste of kushikatsu, Osaka's famous deep-fried skewers.

Ramen is included for lunch at a popular local restaurant, after which the tour visits a covered public market that has been trading since the Edo period, more than 200 years ago, where your guide points out some tasty street food stalls. The walk finishes in Osaka's most colourful downtown district, with a photo stop at the landmark Glico signboard before ending at Hozenji Temple.

Please note: This activity requires a moderate level of walking fitness and is not recommended for pregnant travellers or those with cardiovascular conditions; comfortable walking shoes and rain gear are advised.

Please note: Participants must be aged between 12 and 80 for this activity.

The morning is free to spend in Osaka before you make your way to Shin-Osaka Station for the 2:20 pm bullet train to Kyoto, arriving into Kyoto Station at 2:35 pm after a journey of around fifteen minutes. From here, you transfer to your accommodation for a two night stay.

For over a thousand years Kyoto was the capital of Japan, and it remains one of the country's best preserved cities, surrounded by the mountains of Western Honshu and packed with temples, shrines and teahouses. With the rest of the afternoon free, you could wander the wooden lanes of the Gion district or visit Kiyomizu-dera, one of the city's most popular temples.

Please note: Luggage allowance on this train is 20 kg per person.

This morning, you meet your coach at Kyoto Station's Karasumaguchi terminal at 9:50 am to exchange your voucher, ready for a 10:10 am departure on a full day tour of four of Kyoto's most famous sights, with a guide and on-board audio commentary.

The first stop is Arashiyama, where you have around two hours and twenty minutes to explore the Bamboo Grove and the gardens of Tenryu-ji Temple, with lunch at your own expense in the area. From here, the tour continues to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, for around forty minutes to admire its reflection in the surrounding pond, before finishing with an hour at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, where a network of thousands of red torii gates climbs the hillside.

You return to Kyoto Station's Karasumaguchi terminal by around 4:15 pm, bringing the tour to a close.

Please note: The tour is shared with other travellers, and the itinerary may change due to weather or traffic conditions. Smoking and alcohol are not permitted on board.

You make your way to Kyoto Station for the 8:10 am bullet train to Hiroshima, arriving at 9:50 am after a journey of around an hour and forty minutes. On arrival, you transfer to your accommodation in Hiroshima for an overnight stay.

Hiroshima sits on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, a modern, cosmopolitan city today despite being the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack on 6 August 1945. With the rest of the day free, you could visit Hiroshima Castle in the city centre, or simply explore the local food scene.

Please note: Luggage allowance on this train is 20 kg per person.

This morning, you meet your guide at the Rest House in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park at 11 am for a two hour cycling tour by electric bicycle. After a short introduction, you spend around fifty five minutes in the Peace Memorial Park itself, taking in the monuments and the Atomic Bomb Dome and learning what happened here more than seventy years ago.

For the second hour, your guide leads you by bike through Hiroshima's suburbs, away from the main tourist areas, passing one of the city's streetcars that survived the atomic bombing and is still running today, along with further heritage sites, while sharing stories passed down since the bombing. You will also receive photos taken during the tour. The tour finishes back at the meeting point by around 1 pm.

The rest of the afternoon is free before you head to Hiroshima Station for the 4:40 pm bullet train back to Osaka, arriving into Shin-Osaka at 6:05 pm, a journey of around an hour and twenty five minutes. This brings the tour to a close.

Please note: This cycling tour is suitable for all fitness levels and bicycle insurance is included. In the event of rain, the tour may switch to a walking route, or a refund can be arranged.

Please note: Luggage allowance on the return train is 20 kg per person. No further accommodation is included beyond this point.