ESSENTIAL JAPAN

Day 1 Arrive Tokyo

Land in Tokyo and transfer into the thriving city to stay in a comfortable hotel overlooking Tokyo Bay. After you have settled into your rooms, you will be welcomed by Red Savannah’s representative who will meet you, provide walking maps, phrase sheets and lots of good advice to assist you during your stay in Japan. You will also be given Pasmo passes, loaded with credit, which you can use for travelling on the super-efficient Tokyo Metro. Your hotel is connected by underground passage to both Shimbashi and Shiodome Stations.

Overnight: Park Hotel Tokyo

Day 2 Tokyo with a City Guide

Spend the day with a Tokyo guide, who will introduce you to their city and show you places of particular interest to you. You will use public transport to travel around the city. Perhaps start by walking down to Tokyo Bay through Hamarikyu Garden, with its tidal seawater ponds and attractive tea-house. Then catch a boat along the Sumida River to the Tokyo Skytree, the world's highest tower, from where you can enjoy stunning views across the metropolis and to Mt Fuji beyond, if the visibility is clear. Perhaps then head for Asakusa to the Sensō-ji, Tokyo's oldest and most famous Buddhist temple and on to Kappabashi, Tokyo's fascinating restaurant supply district. Finish the day in Ginza, Japan's most famous upmarket shopping district, where we especially recommend browsing the amazing food halls in the basements of the department stores.

Overnight: Park Hotel Tokyo

Day 3 Tokyo at leisure

Now that you have your bearings, enjoy a day exploring the city independently. Perhaps head out into the west of the city to visit Meijijingu, Tokyo's most important shrine with beautiful Inner Gardens. For contrast, wander through the districts of Harajuku and Omotesando to get a feel for modern Tokyo, before heading to Shibuya where you can try out the amazing game arcades and the purikura photo booths. End up at Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics and geek-culture paradise, where you can also experience the unique charms of a maid café. Despite the rather saucily suggestive name, these are actually meccas to kawaii kitsch more than anything else.

Option: You might like us to pre-arrange a special-interest visit during your time in Tokyo, such as a private tour of Tsukiji fish market (outer) followed by a sushi making lesson, a visit to the amazing immersive artwork space called teamLab Planets, a private Ninjutsu workshop, tickets to the Sumo wrestling (subject to timetable) or a private manga drawing session.

Overnight: Park Hotel Tokyo

Day 4 Hakone

Catch the bullet train to Odawara Station and transfer to your wonderful traditional ryokan (Japanese Inn) in Hakone, a spa town set on the forested slopes of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and famed for its hot-spring resorts (onsen). We recommend a visit to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, with its amazing collection of artworks by Picasso, Henry Moore, Taro Okamoto, Yasuo Mizui and more. The beautiful Pola Museum of Art in nearby Sengokuhara features a wide range of works by both Japanese and Western artists, set in a forest of 300-year-old beech trees and housed in a glass and concrete construction designed to blend in with the surrounding nature. Then relax in your ryokan and enjoy the natural, onsen-fed hot spring baths and delicious kaiseki cuisine.

Overnight: Ryokan Yamanochaya

Day 5 Hakone

Spend the day at leisure exploring the beautiful rural setting of Hakone. If you are keen to try to spot Mt Fuji, perhaps take the circular tour of the area, travelling by mountain train, funicular railway, cable car, and boat across Lake Ashi.

Overnight: Ryokan Yamanochaya

Day 6 Kyoto

Catch the bullet train from Odawara, passing Mt Fuji on your right, and head west to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan and seat of the Imperial Court from 794 to 1869. On arrival, you are met and transferred into the heart of the city, where your little boutique hotel is located adjacent to the Imperial Palace Gardens.

Overnight: Noku Kyoto

Day 7 Kyoto with a City Guide

Spend the day with a Kyoto guide, who will introduce you to their city and show you places of particular interest to you. A car with driver will also be at your disposal to help you get about speedily. Perhaps start at the stunning Golden Pavilion and Ryoanji Zen Garden before heading to the nearby Ninnaji Temple, which houses one of Kyoto's loveliest gardens. Then head to Arashiyama with its beautiful bamboo groves and river bridge. Stunning temples connect you with the spiritual side of Japan, while the Iwatayama Monkey Park gives you the opportunity to get up close with Japanese macaques. Explore the Tenyu-ji temple, with its famous Cloud Dragon ceiling, Gio-ji, with its amazing moss garden, before continuing on to Otagi Nenbutsuji. This small temple is most famous for its 1200 stone sculptures of the Buddha’s disciples, the rakan. With many different expressions and poses, the statues are scattered amongst many small temples and pagodas.

Overnight: Noku Kyoto

Day 8 Kyoto at leisure

Now that you have your bearings, enjoy a day exploring the city independently. Perhaps take a stroll along the Philosopher’s Path, following a cherry tree-lined canal between two of Kyoto’s most important temples, Ginkaku-ji, with its wonderful moss garden and Nazenji Temple. Or start in Gion, where you may be able to catch sight of some of Kyoto’s apprentice geisha on their way to lessons and from there head on to Yasaka-jinja Shrine and into Maruyama Park, where the path will lead you past Kodai-ji Temple and on to Kiyomizu Temple. And don’t miss the extraordinary cornucopia of fresh produce to be found on the food stalls of Nishiki Market.

Option: You might like us to pre-arrange a special-interest visit during your time in Kyoto, such as a private tea ceremony in a traditional machiya townhouse, whilst dressed in kimono, or a guided tour of nearby Nara, Japan’s ancient capital, or a private calligraphy lesson with a calligraphy master.

Overnight: Noku Kyoto

Day 9 Depart

Transfer to nearby Osaka Kansai airport to catch your flight home.

Option: You might like to extend your stay in Japan with a visit to Hiroshima and the sacred island of Miyajima, or spend a few nights in Osaka, or even continue south to spend a few days exploring the rural island of Kyushu.