Japan 2025

Reception at Narita airport and transfer to the hotel. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, located on the island of Honshu. It is one of the most modern cities in the world, the financial and economic centre not only of the country but also of the region. The city dazzles with its imposing infrastructure, its cultural diversity, endless shopping centres and a perfect transport network that moves millions of people every day.

Breakfast. We will split the city tour into two days, in order to do it in depth and in good time. We will visit the Meiji Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a popular venue for traditional Japanese weddings. Then we will take a stroll along Omotesando shopping street, a wide tree-lined avenue, known as Tokyo's ‘Champs Elysees’, where we will find fashionable shops of the world's best brands and endless opportunities. Today we will have lunch at a beautiful restaurant and then return to the hotel, where our guide will continue to show you around this electrifying city.

Breakfast. We will have the morning and part of the afternoon free to do whatever activities we wish. At the appropriate time, we will have the unique experience of watching the Sumo Tournament. Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and the national sport. It originated in ancient times as a way to entertain the Shinto deities. Many rituals with religious backgrounds, such as the symbolic purification of the ring with salt, are still performed today. According to tradition, only men play the sport professionally in Japan. After the tournament, we will dine as sumos do at a local restaurant specialising in chanko-nabe. Chanko-nabe is a Japanese stew with chicken, fish, tofu and vegetables. Many of the restaurants in the area that serve chanko-nabe are run by former sumo wrestlers.

Breakfast. We continue our sightseeing, starting with Asakusa, Tokyo's old town where we can immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the 19th century. We will then visit Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple and stroll along Nakamise, a shopping street that provides visitors to the temple with a variety of local snacks and souvenirs. Later we will take a boat ride on the Sumida River passing under 12 bridges and then disembark at Hamarikyu Gardens, a Japanese garden from the Edo period, surrounded by futuristic skyscrapers in the Shiodome district, a great example of how Japan is the land of contrast. Lunch and continue to the observation point on Roppongi Hill, we will take elevators up to the 238-metre Tower where there are excellent views of the city and its elegant neighbourhood.

Pequeno-almoço. Partimos de Tóquio e dirigimo-nos a Mishima e depois a Hakone, a porta de entrada para o Monte Fuji. Em Mishima, visitaremos a Mishima Skywalk, que é a mais longa ponte suspensa para pedestres do Japão. Depois de desfrutar de uma vista panorâmica única sobre o Monte Fuji, as Montanhas Izu e a Baía de Suruga, dirigimo-nos ao Santuário de Hakone. Este santuário era muito popular entre os samurais viajantes e continua a ser um marco fotogénico com os seus Torii vermelhos, que se erguem do lago.
Almoçaremos num restaurante local e depois embarcaremos no Barco Pirata que nos levará de Hakonemachi a Togendai, ambos os portos situados nas margens do Lago Ashi, que é de facto uma enorme cratera vulcânica criada há cerca de 3000 anos. Se o tempo ajudar e tivermos um dia limpo, poderemos ver o Monte Fuji durante todo o dia. Esta noite, ficaremos alojados num ryokan de luxo, que é um alojamento tradicional japonês, onde dormimos em colchões de tatami, desfrutamos de refeições deliciosas e de um banho quente de onsen (águas termais).

Breakfast. Departure to Odawara Station, where we will take the famous Shinkansen bullet train, which reaches speeds of up to 300 km/h. We will then change trains to board the Limited Exrpess Wide View Hida for one of the most spectacular train journeys in Japan, winding our way through high mountains and breathtaking gorges to Takayama, where we will enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Breakfast. After breakfast we will head to the Miyagawa morning market which has stalls selling handicrafts and local produce. This will be a great opportunity to sample some of the region's delicious fruits and vegetables. A short bus ride will take us to Hida No Sato Folk Village, an open-air museum displaying over 30 typical farmhouses and famous handicrafts, including wood carving, cloth dyeing, weaving and lacquering. Lunch. In the afternoon we will go to the Takayama Festival Float Exhibition, where the floats (floats) of the famous Takayama Festival are on display.

Breakfast. We will leave the hotel for our journey to Shirakawago. Its neighbouring region, Gokayama borders the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains stretching from Gifu to Toyama prefecture. Both prefectures are famous for their traditional goasho-zukuri houses, some of which are more than 250 years old. They were also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Gassho-zukuri means ‘hands joined in prayer’, as the thatched roofs of the houses resemble the hands of Buddhist monks when they are praying, because in order to withstand the large amounts of snow that fall in the region during the winter, the roofs of these houses are very steep. They were built without nails and because they are so steep they provide a large attic space which was used to grow silkworms. Lunch. In the afternoon, we will continue our journey to Kanazawa.

Breakfast. Today we will explore the city of Kanazawa. When visiting Kanazawa, the main tourist attraction is the Kenroku-en Garden. This garden is among the top three gardens in Japan, and its breathtaking beauty can be appreciated at any time of the year. We will also visit the imposing Kanazawa Castle, located next to the garden. At lunch time we will go to a local restaurant. Then we will continue to Nagamachi, the samurai quarter; the Saihitsuan Yuzen Silk Centre, which offers demonstrations of the centuries-old Yuzen silk dyeing technique and the Nomura Samurai House, a traditional Japanese house with a tea room, an inner courtyard and artefacts from the Edo period.

Breakfast. At appropriate time we will leave the hotel and go to Kanazawa train station to take a train to Hiroshima. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure with our guide.

Breakfast. Today we will tour Hiroshima starting with a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The area where the park is located today was the site of the atomic bomb detonation on August 6, 1945. After the bombing the memorial park was created and dedicated to those who lost their lives in the attack. We will have time to walk around the park and see the memorials and statues before entering the museum. Lunch.
From Hiroshima, a short ferry ride will take us to the island of Miyajima. A small island in the Seto Inland Sea, it has been a sacred place of Shintoism since ancient times. Here we will see perhaps the most photographed site in Japan, the floating Torii gate. It is considered one of the top 3 sights in Japan; the shrine dates back to the 6th century and the current structure dates from the 12th century. The harmoniously arranged buildings reveal great artistic and technical skill, and have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ordinary people were not allowed to set foot on this sacred place, and even now it is forbidden to give birth or die on the island. We will have time to explore the island and its many shrines and temples, taste local dishes such as maple leaf cakes before returning to the hotel.

Breakfast. We will take the Shinkansen bullet train north to Kyoto and have lunch on board. After arriving in Kyoto, we will go to the tea ceremony. We will learn all about the different types of tea and the tools used to prepare it from a professional instructor. We will see how each movement has a meaning and what it means to serve tea to guests in Japan. After the tea ceremony we will go to Kiyomizu (pure water) Temple. From the 13-metre high terrace, a terrace protrudes from the main hall where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the whole of Kyoto. Note that both the main hall and the terrace were built without the use of nails or any jointing elements. We will then go for a stroll through the Higashiyama district (including Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka alleys) whose busy streets run all the way to Kiyomizu and are lined with quaint shops selling souvenirs including Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, sweets and pickles. Overnight.

Breakfast. Today we will explore what was once the imperial capital with an expert local guide to visit some of Kyoto's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
We will start the day with a visit to the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), which was originally built as a place of retreat for the Shogun. After his death it was converted into a Buddhist temple at his request, and is now one of the most famous temples in Kyoto. We will then visit Nijo Castle, an ornate castle, built by the founder of the Edo period shogunate as his residence in Kyoto and is surrounded by stunning surrounding gardens. The main building was completed in 1603, and is famous for its architecture, decorated sliding doors and nightingale floors. After lunch at a local restaurant, as a last stop we will visit the Nishiki Market, which is a narrow five-block shopping street with over a hundred shops and restaurants. Known as ‘the kitchen of Kyoto’, this bustling retail market specializes in all things food-related, such as fresh seafood, knives and cooking utensils, and is a great place to find seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, such as Japanese sweets, pickles, seafood and sushi.

Breakfast. At the appropriate time we will be picked up at the hotel for the journey to Nara. For 74 years during the 8th century, Nara was the capital of Japan and many of the temples and shrines built at that time still exist. We will then visit Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden construction in the world and home to the largest Buddha statue in Japan.
Next stop will be Nara's most famous shrine, Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns that have been donated there by the faithful. Lunch. Afterwards we will take a walk through Nara Park, called the Deer Park by the locals because of the large population of deer that live there. On the way back, we will visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which was used in the film ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’. It is home to more than 10,000 red Tori gates, which form a path through the mountain behind the shrine.

Pequeno-almoço. Dia livre. À noite, transfer para o Aeroporto Internacional de Osaka e fim da nossa viagem.