Vibrant Summer Japan

On arrival in Tokyo, you’re met at the airport by your driver and travel by shuttle bus to your hotel in the Asakusa district. You have the rest of today free to explore the area.

The ‘lucky cat’ shrine of Imado is a 20-minute walk away, while closer to home is Hoppy Street, packed with casual eateries and izakaya bars just a few minutes’ walk from our hotel. But don’t fill up too much - we have a group meal at one of the area’s excellent restaurants this evening, which is included.

Our first morning starts with a short walk to Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest and most revered Buddhist temple. Here, you can try some of the traditional temple customs for yourself - such as drawing omikuji fortunes and using the purification fountain. Your tour leader will tell you more about the meanings behind omamori charms, the five-storey pagoda and the Kannon statue.

At lunchtime, we hop on the subway to the Sugamo district for a food tour guided by a local. Known for its nostalgic feel, Sugamo offers a quieter, more local side of Tokyo. We visit family-run shops and sample regional treats such as shio daifuku - salted mochi - or ice cream with honeycomb, while connecting with the community as we browse.

The day ends with a visit to Rikugien Gardens, a beautifully preserved Edo-era urban garden half-hidden by surrounding skyscrapers. It’s a lovely place to stroll along winding paths and take in the seasonal scenery reflected in the garden’s tranquil ponds. Dinner is at your leisure tonight. We recommend trying one of Tokyo’s summer specials - rooftop beer gardens packed with locals enjoying ice-cold drinks.

Today, you can choose how to spend your day. Accompany your tour leader on an excursion to Kamakura or Nikko, spend more time exploring Tokyo, or head off on an independent day trip.

Kamakura is a seaside town famous for its giant Buddha and numerous sacred sites, as well as its craft shops, boutiques and nature walks. In summer, its beaches come to life, filled with Tokyoites making the most of a seaside dip.

Nikko is home to the lavishly decorated, gold-leaf Toshogu Shrine and feels much quieter in summer, even as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the shade of towering cedar trees and its location 600 metres above sea level, it offers a refreshing escape from the city.

Whatever you decide, your tour leader will be happy to help you plan your day.

Tokyo - Matsumoto. Today we travel to the city of Matsumoto, close to the Kita Alps mountain range. We head north-west from Tokyo by express train, passing close to Mount Fuji and the Minami Alps. Matsumoto is famous for its impressive ‘Black Crow’ Castle, one of the 12 remaining original samurai castles in Japan. Make sure you take time to explore the donjon - the main keep - and its museum.

Beyond the castle, the city has a very relaxed atmosphere, and exploring the riverside merchant quarter, with its black-and-white-fronted wooden buildings, is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

This evening, your tour leader arranges an optional group meal at one of their favourite local restaurants and, in summer, chilled zaru-soba noodles are likely to feature. Served on a bamboo mat with a soy-based dipping sauce and paired with an ice-cold drink, there’s nothing quite like it.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also try basashi - raw horse - a local speciality. After dinner, the illuminated grounds of the castle provide a beautiful backdrop for an evening stroll.

Matsumoto - Takayama. This morning is free for you to explore any parts of Matsumoto you didn’t quite get to yesterday before we make our way further into the Japanese Alps. Accompanied by views of summer-green forest valleys, we travel by bus to Takayama, a town traditionally known for its high-quality craftsmanship.

Here, we explore the beautifully preserved wooden buildings of the old merchant district, Sanno-machi. You can browse craft shops and enjoy a sake tasting at one of the local breweries - best served ice-cold in summer. A local dinner is included this evening.

This morning, we visit Hida no Sato Folk Village. Just outside town, this open-air museum offers a glimpse of Japanese mountain life before industrialisation. Wander among the traditional thatched gassho-zukuri farmhouses, known as the ‘praying hands’ houses because of their steep triangular roofs.

This afternoon, you have time to explore as you please, and your tour leader can offer suggestions. One option is to visit the Jinya, a preserved Edo-period government building where you can walk through the old courtrooms that were once the centre of Hida’s politics. Summer also means festival season, and the festival floats museum - Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan - is another excellent choice.

In fact, summer in Japan is widely regarded as festival season, with small local events taking place in towns and villages across the country. You never know when you might turn a corner and come across an unannounced procession. Alternatively, simply browsing Takayama’s cafes and shops, tucked inside traditional wooden buildings, is a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Dinner is not included tonight, but we suggest heading out to try Hida’s speciality beef. It may not be as famous as Kobe beef, but locals are fiercely proud of it - and we promise it’s just as delicious.

Takayama - Kanazawa. Travelling by private coach, we leave the mountains behind for a day in Kanazawa on the Japan Sea coast. Like Kyoto, Kanazawa escaped bombing during World War II, which makes it one of Japan’s best-preserved historical cities today.

We arrive in time for lunch, which you can pick up from Omicho Market at your own expense. Kanazawa is known for its seafood, and the market’s kaisendon - fish-topped rice bowls - are a local favourite. The queues can be long, but they are worth it.

We then head to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, where permanent installations include Leandro Erlich’s illusionary ‘Swimming Pool’. We finish the afternoon at Nomura House in the city’s preserved samurai district, where highlights include the coffered cypress ceiling and the courtyard garden, ranked among the top three in Japan by the Journal of Japanese Gardening.

Kanazawa - Kyoto. This morning, we visit Kenrokuen Garden before the crowds arrive and the temperatures rise. It is one of Japan’s top three gardens, so experiencing it in summer, when it is much quieter, is a real treat.

Mid-morning, we travel to Kyoto by train, passing Lake Biwa - Japan’s largest lake - along the way. This afternoon, you have time to rest or join your tour leader to explore the historic Higashiyama district before a late afternoon stroll to Gion, the city’s traditional geisha quarter.

Here, we meet a maiko - a trainee geisha. After a dance and music performance, you have the chance to ask questions about her life and training as we sip tea together. Afterwards, we head to one of the city’s restaurants for an included group meal, arranged by your tour leader at one of their favourite places.

Chefs in Kyoto are famous for their kodawari - an obsession with the details of their specialist cuisine, from sushi to ramen, with an emphasis on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

Today, our tour leader leads a tour through Kyoto, shaped around their favourite spots, the group’s interests and, of course, the weather. Kyoto is known as the ‘City of Ten Thousand Temples’, so you can be sure there will be a temple or two, each with its own cultural and spiritual significance.

We may also visit Nijo Castle to see the ‘nightingale floors’ or explore the ethereal bamboo groves of Arashiyama, which are less crowded in summer. There are plenty of opportunities for cooling coffee breaks and a seasonal kakigori shaved ice or two - perhaps salted lychee or watermelon.

In the afternoon, we visit Kyoto’s brand new TeamLab Biovortex, an immersive and experimental art exhibition.

This morning, beat the heat and the crowds with a sunrise visit to Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates. The rest of the day is free.

You can explore independently, or your tour leader may suggest a day trip - perhaps to the ancient city of Nara, with its famously friendly deer, or to Hiroshima for a visit to the poignant Peace Memorial Museum and a plate of okonomiyaki, the savoury pancake loaded with toppings.

If you’d rather stay closer to the city, head into Kyoto’s leafy northern hills for lunch at a kawadoko restaurant, suspended above a cooling mountain stream. If there is somewhere you would particularly like to visit, your tour leader will be happy to help you make arrangements.

Kyoto - Hakone. It’s all aboard the Shinkansen bullet train for the journey to Hakone, one of Japan’s most popular hot spring resorts and part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Your tickets to the Chokoku no Mori Open-Air Museum are included, and this afternoon we visit its sculptures - including works by Moore, Rodin, Kusama and Picasso - set against vibrant green lawns and trees. We recommend trying the relaxing foot bath within the grounds.

After working up an appetite in the fresh mountain air, it’s time for dinner at our hotel.

Your included Hakone Free Pass allows unlimited travel on nearly all transport in the Hakone region - including cable car, funicular railway and even a pirate ship.

Today’s itinerary includes a visit to an old samurai checkpoint to learn about Hakone’s past as a post town on the ancient Tokaido trail, a trip to Owakudani volcano and, weather permitting, spectacular views of Mount Fuji. There will also be time to browse the marquetry crafts Hakone is famous for - decorative inlaid patterns and images on wooden or veneer items.

Don’t forget to try black sesame ice cream before you leave. Dinner is included again at our hotel this evening.

Hakone - Tokyo. A private coach takes us back to Hakone Yumoto Station, where we board the train for our final destination - Tokyo. Based in Shinjuku, we are just minutes from the city’s nightlife district, the Godzilla sculpture and the glittering Kabukicho Tower.

Shinjuku is one of the busiest and best-connected stations in Tokyo, so from here you can speed to just about anywhere on your final day. It is a little confusing at first, but your tour leader’s local knowledge will help you make the most of it.

To round off the tour, we have included a final dinner with the group - a chance to reflect on an incredible two weeks and share memories of your journey through Japan.

Finally, it’s time to say goodbye before making your way to the airport by arranged transfer. If you’re continuing your holiday, enjoy the rest of your adventure in Japan or elsewhere in Asia.