Day 1: Arrival in Osaka – Nara Tour

Arrive at Kansai International Airport and be met by our representative. Transfer to your hotel in Osaka. En route or in the afternoon, visit Nara Deer Park – where hundreds of freely roaming sacred sika deer interact with visitors – and the magnificent Todai-ji Temple (UNESCO), the world’s largest wooden building housing Japan’s greatest bronze Buddha. Return to Osaka. Overnight in Osaka.

Day 2: Osaka – Kyoto Day Tour

Breakfast at hotel. A full-day excursion to Kyoto – Japan’s ancient imperial capital and most culturally rich city. Begin the morning at the ethereal Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, where towering bamboo stalks create one of Japan’s most extraordinary natural atmospheres. Continue to the iconic Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) – its three-storey gold-leaf tower reflected in the surrounding pond in one of Japan’s most photographed images. Spend the afternoon in the tranquil Maruyama Park and the historic Gion geisha district. Return to Osaka. Overnight in Osaka.

Day 3: Osaka to Tottori – Sand Dunes & Sand Museum

Breakfast at hotel. Travel to Tottori on the Japan Sea coast – a coastal city unlike anywhere else in Japan, home to the country’s only significant sand dunes. The Tottori Sand Dunes stretch over 30 kilometres along the coast to a height of 90 metres – an extraordinary landscape of shifting sand, sea views, and a remarkable sense of solitude. Experience sand sledging down the steep dune faces for an exhilarating ride. Visit the extraordinary Sand Museum – the world’s only museum dedicated to sand sculpture, with intricate large-scale sand sculptures created by artists from around the world on a different theme each year. Admire the rugged beauty of the Sea of Japan coastline. Overnight in Tottori.

Day 4: Tottori to Hiroshima via Himeji Castle

Breakfast at hotel. Depart for Hiroshima, stopping en route at the magnificent Himeji Castle – Japan’s most spectacular and best-preserved castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the ‘White Heron Castle’ for its brilliant white exterior. Built in its current form between 1601 and 1609, Himeji-jo is a masterpiece of Japanese castle architecture – its complex of 83 buildings connected by a series of defensive corridors, gateways, and towers rising above a vast moat in a design of extraordinary tactical sophistication and visual beauty. Continue to Hiroshima and check in. Overnight in Hiroshima.

Day 5: Hiroshima – Miyajima Island, Peace Park & Osaka

Breakfast at hotel. Take the ferry to Miyajima Island (Itsukushima) – one of Japan’s three most celebrated scenic views, where the vermilion Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii gate rise from the sea in one of the most iconic images in Japanese art and photography. Explore the shrine complex, the five-storey pagoda, and the island’s forested mountain trails where deer wander freely among the temples.

Return to Hiroshima for the Peace Memorial Park and Museum – one of the world’s most profound and important memorial sites, built on the island closest to the atomic bomb’s hypocentre. The Atomic Bomb Dome (UNESCO), the Children’s Peace Monument, and the Sadako Monument are deeply moving. Board the Shinkansen to return to Osaka in the afternoon. Overnight in Osaka.

Day 6: Osaka to Sapporo

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Osaka Airport for your flight to Sapporo – the capital of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost and most sparsely populated main island, a land of extraordinary natural beauty, world-class skiing, and one of the finest food cultures in Japan. Arrive and check in. Spend the evening exploring Sapporo’s extraordinary food streets – Susukino’s ramen alley and the Sapporo Beer Museum are particular highlights. Overnight in Sapporo.

Day 7: Sapporo – Furano & Blue Pond Day Tour

Breakfast at hotel. Drive through Hokkaido’s extraordinary rural landscape to Furano – a town celebrated throughout Japan for its summer lavender fields and winter skiing. Visit the Furano Ice Cream Factory for unique locally produced flavours. Continue to Biei for the extraordinary Blue Pond (Aoike) – a naturally occurring pond of vivid electric blue water surrounded by dead white birch trees in an almost surreal setting. Conclude at the nearby Shirogane Waterfall, where mineral-rich water cascades into a beautiful turquoise pool. Return to Sapporo. Overnight in Sapporo.

Day 8: Sapporo – Otaru Canal Cruise & Sake Brewery

Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Otaru – a charming historic port town famous for its canal district of Meiji-era stone warehouses, glasswork tradition, and legendary sushi. Stop at Odori Park and the Sapporo TV Tower for city views and photographs. In Otaru, visit the Tanaka Sake Brewery for an introduction to traditional sake-making and tastings of Hokkaido’s distinctive varieties. Later, enjoy an Otaru Canal Cruise through the old town’s scenic waterways lined with beautifully restored warehouses. Return to Sapporo. Overnight in Sapporo.

Day 9: Sapporo to Tokyo

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Sapporo Chitose Airport for your flight to Tokyo. Arrive and transfer to your hotel. En route from the airport, pass by Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge. Visit the Imperial Palace East Gardens for an introductory view of the palace grounds and stroll through the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen Garden – one of Tokyo’s most celebrated landscape gardens. Overnight in Tokyo.

Day 10: Tokyo City Tour

Breakfast at hotel. Discover Tokyo’s most iconic landmarks on a full-day city tour. Begin at Asakusa Senso-ji Temple – Tokyo’s oldest and most atmospheric temple, approached through the famous Kaminarimon Gate and Nakamise shopping street. Ascend Tokyo Skytree for breathtaking panoramic city views. Enjoy a photo stop at the Imperial Palace, drive through the elegant Ginza district, and cross the Rainbow Bridge to the futuristic waterfront district of Odaiba. Overnight in Tokyo.

Day 11: Tokyo to Hakone – Mountain & Hot Springs

Breakfast at hotel. Check out and travel to Hakone – a scenic mountain resort in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Visit the Yamanashi Maglev Exhibition Center to learn about Japan’s cutting-edge magnetic levitation train technology. Continue to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, where extraordinary sculptures are displayed against mountain scenery. Relax at the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun hot springs resort, featuring themed baths including sake, wine, coffee, and traditional Japanese onsen. Check in to your mountain accommodation. Overnight in Hakone.

Day 12: Hakone to Mt. Fuji – Return to Tokyo

Breakfast at hotel. Ride the Komagatake Ropeway for spectacular aerial views of Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi, and the surrounding mountains. Later, return to Tokyo and spend the afternoon exploring the prestigious Ginza district – home to luxury boutiques, department stores, art galleries, and elegant cafés. Overnight in Tokyo.

Day 13: Tokyo Airport – Departure

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Narita or Haneda Airport for your return flight home. Depart Japan with unforgettable memories of Osaka’s vibrant culture, Kyoto’s timeless temples, Tottori’s dramatic dunes, Hiroshima’s moving history, Hokkaido’s natural beauty, and Tokyo’s extraordinary energy.